By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Rotary's Youth Exchange program, by which 8,000 students ages 16 to 18 travel to and live in 80 countries as ambassadors of their homelands, is the largest foreign exchange program in the world.
Yet in America, "We're one of the least known," Richard Sammis told the Dowagiac club Thursday noon at Elks Lodge 889.
This district brought five students this school year, with another five scheduled next year. Dowagiac hosted Daniel Kollar of Hungary during the 2004-2005 school year.
Youth Exchange participants swap knowledge of culture, language and history with their host families. They exchange ideas and perceptions.
Students form lasting bonds with their families and friendships that last long after they return. They grow in a way no other experience can provide.
Participants are better able to understand the world, their own countries and themselves, making them better equipped to live and work in the global community and better able to promote understanding and world peace.
They learn first-hand about problems and achievements of people in distant lands.
Sammis led a Group Study Exchange team to northern Germany last year. Visitors from eight different countries have stayed at the St. Joseph attorney's home. "Having someone stay with you for five days or a week is just a phenomenal experience if you've never done it," he said.
Youth Exchange "is my passion right now," Sammis said. "District 1850 in Germany had 85 exchange students - 85 going there, 85 going to other countries. They had a flag ceremony with 23 countries represented. There wasn't a dry eye.
Sammis showed a 13-minute Youth Exchange video produced by Boeing for a Seattle Rotary Club. Dowagiac Rotarian Heidi Behnke arranged the program.
Rotary International, with its network of 22,000 clubs in 160 countries, creates bonds between cultures, bringing people of the world together and promoting understanding and world peace.
The organization of business and professional men and women dedicates itself globally to humanitarian service.
Youth Exchange is open to sons and daughters of non-Rotarians, as well, as testified to by Greg, who was 16 when he journeyed to India.
Greg didn't get along with the first family with which he was placed, but he "hit it off right away" with his second family. "I stayed with them the rest of the time I was there. I've been back for two years and we still keep in touch."
In India, "Nothing is wasted, like here," Greg learned. "Women are treated differently. They're more subservient. Because of the experience, I think I could probably travel anywhere in the world now.
A Swedish student visiting America appreciated the opportunity to be a "big sister" in her host family, instead of the little sister she had been at home.
Youth Exchange can be an unique opportunity to experience important events. For Kate, it was witnessing elections in South Africa.
Her parents were "uneasy" at sending their daughter to a "transitional society," but trusted Rotary to keep her safe.
She was struck by the southern coast being one of the most beautiful places on earth, despite its proximity to the slums of Soweto, where smoke hangs in the air because the poor burn anything to keep warm. Residents rise at 5 a.m. to get to jobs in Johannesburg.
She found schools stricter. "American schools could be a little bit more like South African schools."
Kate's host sister came to the United States to attend her wedding.
A lasting impression works both ways. Exchange students forever become part of other people's lives. Mark, who went to Chile, was interested in exposure to the urban poor. "I felt like I gained more than I gave," he said.
Mark felt blessed to be in Chile during "the first elections since 1971. It really had an impact on me. Ninety-nine percent of the population voted. In the United States, we seem to take our elections for granted. They were singing and dancing in the streets. It was exciting. It taught me that our viewpoint isn't the only viewpoint. It taught me not to take our viewpoint for granted. The most exciting thing for me was my work in the poor sectors. It really astounded me of the generosity and kindness of the people who had next to nothing. One woman asked me to lunch in her home. Her husband had been killed for his views. She gave me one of the few nice things she had in her home as a gift. I'll never forget that. I want to continue to travel. I feel I've become more independent. I hope in the future to study international law."