"THE US CAN HAVE BETTER AND CLOSER ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL RELATIONS WITH COUNTRIES THAT ARE THEMSELVES COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING DEMOCRACY."

From January 23-26 ASCP opened five Internet Computer Centers in Baku. At the opening of Baku School #49's Internet Computer Center, the thirtieth ICC connected to the ASCP network, the students, teachers, parents, community members, the Minister of Education, Misir Mardanov and the Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy to Azerbaijan, Theresa Markiw, were in attendance for a display of the Internet usage in American Studies classes. Community Outreach Coordinator, Vusal Khanlarov, and Program Coordinator, Ulker Kazimova, engaged guests and students into a conversation about the resources for American speeches available on the Internet. Mr. Khanlarov introduced the American Rhetoric: Top 100 American Speeches of the 20th Century (www.americanrhetoric.com) website to give the guests the opportunity to listen to John F. Kennedy's famous speech on Civil Rights delivered in 1963. Ms. Kazimova then brought the discussion to the Department of State's own website on which the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, expressed the United States' dedication to helping countries around the world to develop into strong democracies. (See www.state.gov/secretary)

Ms. Kazimova asked students why America held such a belief in the democratization of the world's countries. Mirza, a tenth grade student, answered, "The US can have better and closer economic and political relations with countries that are themselves committed to developing democracy." Ms. Kazimova also posed the question how ASCP might further the initiative in Azerbaijan. Another student, Irada, answered that the more information children and citizens have access to, the better they can fulfill their roles in the society.

The opening of Baku School #49 was just the beginning of such activities. Soon the students will be trained in computers and able to participate in the Civic Education Curriculum or the American Studies initiative, Comparative Civics or a number of other great modules for the advancement of civic education and American Studies and join educational partnerships with schools in the United States and other countries around the world.