March 26, 2002 For Immediate Release

Representatives of UNBC recently returned from Central Siberia as part of a mission to help train officials on appropriate local government practices. UNBC Political Science professors Greg Poelzer and Gary Wilson were assisted by Prince George City Manager George Paul who was on special leave from the City.

The UNBC and City representatives were invited because of their expertise in local government, northern governance, and in offering relevant educational programming.

The group visited Evenkia, a region that is approximately three-quarters of the size of British Columbia. The capital city is Tura, a community of 6,000 people. It is currently one of the poorest regions in the Russian north, although it sits on oil and natural gas reserves that one-day might bring prosperity to the area. Evenkia is undergoing local government reforms as part of an effort to restructure the regional and local political institutions and kick start a stagnating economy. Undertaking these reforms requires the assistance of specialists from outside of the country, including the group from Prince George. The representatives were invited by Governor Boris Zolotarev and financially supported by the Circumpolar Liaison Directorate of the Canadian Department of Indian and Northern Development. Representatives from the Canadian Institute of Resources Law were also part of the delegation.

"The potential for oil and gas development in the next 5-10 years and its effect on the economy, social structure, and environment is substantial," says Gary Wilson. "The government leaders need administrative and political tools to deal with the opportunities and challenges," adds George Paul.

Since perestroika, the reforms initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev, the economic and political challenges have been overwhelming. The post-war decades have left behind a whole generation of people who do not possess the knowledge needed for key economic activities such as reindeer herding. As a result, during the 1990s, the domestic reindeer herds fell to ten percent of their previous numbers, after subsidization and state operation of this activity was discontinued.

Local government officials are interested in joint cooperation on education in political leadership, organization and economic development initiatives. UNBC has developed expertise in local government that is a combination of academic knowledge and practical experience. The coursework developed for Russian government officials will be similar to UNBC's certification program for municipal officers.