Russia ends student exchange with US because student was adopted by gay couple

[Syt]

From the "Crazy stuff you can't make up Dept."

http://rt.com/politics/192212-russia-pulls-out-flex/

​Russia halts participation in US student exchange program

The Russian government has decided to pull out of a major student exchange program with the US. The American side apparently violated the terms and conditions, with a Russian schoolboy not returning home, having been adopted by a gay couple.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a note to the US Embassy in Moscow, saying that the country is canceling the largest US-Russian educational exchange program, FLEX 2015-2016. Within its framework, high school students from former USSR countries go to US for one academic year to live in an 'ordinary' middle-class American host family and to study in a high school.

"An unacceptable situation emerged as a result, when our [Russian] school students were in fact subjected to the legislature of American states, where minors were able to choose on their own and without their parents' permission their place for living or being adopted," the ministry's Special Representative for Human Rights Konstantin Dolgov said.

Russian Children's Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov points out that it is not clear if a Russian pupil who went to America would return to his mother back in Russia, as he had been 'adopted' by a gay couple.

Astakhov notes that what happened conflicts with the standards of the program. There were no legal grounds for the adoption.

US Ambassador John F. Tefft responded in a statement via the Moscow embassy's website that "We deeply regret this decision by the Russian government to end a program that for 21 years has built deep and strong connections between the people of Russia and the United States."

More than 8,000 Russian teenagers have participated in the 'Future Leaders Exchange' program (FLEX) since its launch in 1992. Now it is being halted for two years.

Meanwhile, the process of preparation for the preliminary tests that started on September 10 and was scheduled to end in the middle of October was underway all over Russia. Over 70,000 people from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and seven other countries of the former USSR participated in the competitive examination to enter FLEX. Financed by the US budget, the program was destined to introduce younger generations to American culture and values.

[Syt]

The American side of the story:

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-flex-exhcange-program-canceled/26615397.html

[...]

The Washington-based American Councils for International Education (ACIE), which administers the FLEX program for the State Department, confirmed that a participant in the 2012-13 program did not return to Russia as scheduled upon completion of the exchange.

But the child was not taken into custody by the host family, which was not a same-sex couple, ACIE executive vice president David Patton told RFE/RL. The child completed the program without incident but went "off program" after the exchange was over, Patton said.

"It was a post-program issue, in which case we kind of lose jurisdiction," Patton told RFE/RL.

The student was placed with a "traditional" family setting, Patton said. He added that it "was our understanding" that the child befriended a same-sex couple while participating in the program.

[Ed Anger]

Good.

[alfred russel]

The American side of the story:

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-flex-exhcange-program-canceled/26615397.html

[...]

The Washington-based American Councils for International Education (ACIE), which administers the FLEX program for the State Department, confirmed that a participant in the 2012-13 program did not return to Russia as scheduled upon completion of the exchange.

But the child was not taken into custody by the host family, which was not a same-sex couple, ACIE executive vice president David Patton told RFE/RL. The child completed the program without incident but went "off program" after the exchange was over, Patton said.

"It was a post-program issue, in which case we kind of lose jurisdiction," Patton told RFE/RL.

The student was placed with a "traditional" family setting, Patton said. He added that it "was our understanding" that the child befriended a same-sex couple while participating in the program.

I think some details are being left out. That doesn't make sense.

[Grinning_Colossus]

FLEX is a wonderful program, and very competitive. FLEX grads were some of the most mature and articulate people I met in Georgia, and always completely fluent in English. The Russkies just want an excuse to cut off cultural contacts.

[Tonitrus]

Indeed.  I've read a number of blogs done by FLEX students (good and entertaining language practice!), and I get the impression that many would likely end up as opponents/skeptics of the Putin regime.  And I am sure the regime knows that.

[Valmy]

The problem with the Putin regime is that it is just that.  What happens when Putin retires?  Granted he is only 60 or so, he could be Tsar for awhile.

[Tonitrus]

Medvedev is still around.  I think Putin has plenty of fellow travelers and like-minded souls. 

Of course, probay none of them has his cojones/hubris/gravitas.

[Jacob]

Medvedev is still around.  I think Putin has plenty of fellow travelers and like-minded souls. 

Of course, probay none of them has his cojones/hubris/gravitas.

I think the real question is which mechanism determines who succeeds Putin? Vicious no-holds barred in-fighting? Something a little more restrained and organized followed by purges? A fairly smooth Chinese politbureau transition?

[Tonitrus]

A free and fair presidential election in fact!   

Now if you mean inside the One Russia party...who ever has the most leverage, I presume.

[Valmy]

Medvedev is still around.  I think Putin has plenty of fellow travelers and like-minded souls. 

Of course, probay none of them has his cojones/hubris/gravitas.

Exactly.  Medvedev has no cult of personality.

[DGuller]

Medvedev is still around.  I think Putin has plenty of fellow travelers and like-minded souls. 

Of course, probay none of them has his cojones/hubris/gravitas.

Medvedev is a nobody, he was a laughingstock during his "presidency".  Kind of hard to transition from that to another strongman.

[Tonitrus]

Ironically, his cult of personality, such as it was, seemed to appeal much more to the newer generation of tech savvy Russians...and is likely far more palatable to those inclined to be against Putinism.

Of course, that image doesn't sell to the rural, tea-Partyish, Russia needs a strong leader crowd.

[Tonitrus]

Medvedev is still around.  I think Putin has plenty of fellow travelers and like-minded souls. 

Of course, probay none of them has his cojones/hubris/gravitas.

Medvedev is a nobody, he was a laughingstock during his "presidency".  Kind of hard to transition from that to another strongman.

Russia did just that with "tandem" back to Putin. 

But yway, after Putin there are any visible strongmen, yet.  The Republican Party has the same problem.

[Syt]

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/752306

At least 15 Russian children have not returned home after exchange programmes in US

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. At least 15 Russian children who arrived in the United States under various exchange programme have not come back home to Russia, Russian children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily published in its Thursday issue.

"For a number of years, we have been finding our children in the United States who were brought there under cultural, rehabilitation or tourist programmes and who stayed with American families," he said. "A child came to spend a summer in an American family and stayed there, with no documents and no official status. Today, there are at least 15 such children. We are working on these cases."

On Wednesday, Astakhov said that Russia had pulled out from the American sponsored student exchange programme for high school children, Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), due to US failure to comply with obligations concerning children's return back to their country after the programme. "I confirm information about Russia's withdrawal from the Students Exchange Program with the United States," Astakhov wrote on his Twitter account. "One of the reasons is the US gross breach of obligations concerning an unconditional return of Russian students from their academic year [in the United States]."

According to the children's rights ombudsman, one of the Russian exchange students did not return home after unnamed US citizens registered guardianship rights for the teenager and kept him in the country. The teenage boy, according to the Russian children's rights ombudsman, was put under care of a homosexual family, despite the fact that he had a mother in Russia. This was the major reason for Russia's withdrawal from the FLEX.

Back in 2011, Russia suspended the activity of an organization that organized children's summer vacations in the United States to later offer these children for adoption.
"This is a gross violation, when a child goes to a foreign country for vacations or study but is actually adopted there. Guardianship under the U.S. laws is practically the same as adoption under Russia's," he said.

So, because there were incidents with 15 out of several 1000s of exchange kids over several years (he includes all kinds of exchanges, not only FLEX; so it's probably in the 5 digits), let's nick the whole programme. Yeah, sounds reasonable under the "if its saves but one child" premise.

Hell, I'm surprised there's not more exchange folk jumping ship and deciding to stay in the U.S., tbh. OTOH I guess we can be glad that Russia is so worried about illegal immigration to the U.S. that they do their part to keep the numbers down.