Editorial: World Press Institute rises from the ashes

Last update: January 27, 2008 - 4:37 PM

At a time when wars rage around the world and the global marketplace grows increasingly smaller and interdependent, international understanding is more important that ever. That's why the return of a St. Paul-based program that contributes to that understanding is such great news.

The World Press Institute was suspended last year because of funding and sponsor issues. But board members and other supporters worked diligently to keep the effort going.

The programs offers foreign journalists a chance to travel around the United States for about eight weeks, learning about America and Americans. It's a life-changing experience for the fellows; they get to know the United States first-hand, then convey what they learned to readers, viewers and listeners in their home countries.

Another benefit: while traveling and living together, they build relationships with one another. During one year, Israeli and Palestinian journalists became friends, then returned home dedicated to improving relations between their people.

Their presence also benefits Minnesotans. Hosting foreign visitors for several weeks is an educational window on the world; without leaving home, we can learn from them about life in other nations.

Founded in 1961 at Macalester College, the program has hosted nearly 500 journalists from 94 countries. This year, the program will begin in mid-August and run eight weeks so that participants can attend the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Participants will spend a month traveling to four other U.S. cities, then return to the Twin Cities for a final stay in mid-October.

For more information about WPI, go to www.worldpressinstitute.org

DeGroot changed Minnesota for the better

Scroll through a couple of decades' worth of archived news stories dealing with gay and lesbian rights or violence against women, and you'll see a recurring name: Ann DeGroot. The founding executive director of OutFront Minnesota, DeGroot has been at the center of the gay and lesbian community's struggles for rights and acceptance for 21 years. She's stepping down from the position next month for personal reasons, according to OutFront's spokeswoman.

It's not only the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community that owes her a debt of thanks. (DeGroot, in fact, deserves some of the credit for all of the letters in the GLBT acronym being represented in Minnesota's human rights law.) Her efforts as an articulate advocate on issues like gay marriage, hospital visitation rights, domestic-partner benefits and more have helped the whole state become a more tolerant and decent place.

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