By: Kristina Southwell<\/p>\n
Dr. Leonard Latkovski, professor of history, spent a week inHanoi,Vietnamthis past August attending the eighth UNESCO World Congress. The conference brought together 250 representatives from 50 different countries.<\/p>\n
Latkovski, who is on the board of Frederick\u2019s UNESCO Center for Peace, was the only American in attendance.<\/p>\n
The conference commemorated the 30th anniversary of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (WFUCA). The conference aims to bring together representatives from all over the world to share ideas and have a cultural and social exchange, as well as learn about new projects and issues around the world.<\/p>\n
Latkovski, a lifelong advocate for human rights, found that the trip provided a memorable experience. The trip was the first visit toVietnamfor Latkovski, who said he \u201cdidn\u2019t know what to expect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people are friendly, polite, and intelligent,\u201d he said about his experience. \u201cIt is an interesting culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
The firsthand knowledge Latkovski gained from his trip also helps him in the classroom, particularly in his globalization class.<\/p>\n
Latkovski describedVietnamas \u201copen, progressive . . . changing fast, but the paradox is that communists are still in power.\u201dVietnamis a communist country that only recently adopted a modified open economy.<\/p>\n
A professor from a local communist university acted as his tour guide, but she also asked Latkovski many questions about women\u2019s rights in theUnited States. That moment highlighted the main objective of UNESCO, which is to create a dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values, with the aim of promoting human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty.<\/p>\n
Latkovski enjoyed his time inVietnamand the people he met.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody is accepting of Americans \u2013 students and officials,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Latkovski also noted thatVietnamviewsAmericaas a \u201crole model\u201d since they are \u201clooking forward to greater progress and joining the rest of world.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Latkovski, the fellow representatives at the World Congress were a \u201cdynamic set of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were not just there to enjoy the trip,\u201d he said. \u201cThey were also working to improve their own countries as well as others\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Latkovski was glad that he had the opportunity to visit a country he has studied and taught the history of for so many years. Although the trip \u201ccame out of the blue,\u201d according to Latkovski, giving him little time to prepare, he was happy he went.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour eyes and mind are open when you travel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A leading expert onRussiaand the Baltics, Latkovski teaches courses at Hood onRussia, revolutions and 19th and 20th centuryEurope. A noted specialist of Baltic history, his research interests include the history of Latgale, religion inLatvia, and Latvian ethnic minorities. Latkovski has presented more than twenty scholarly papers on these topics.<\/p>\n
He is currently working on a project entitled “The History of the Catholic Church in Latvia.”<\/p>\n
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