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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Dear ASEEES Members:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black;background:white'>As you know, the US State Department’s Title VIII program, which has been so crucial for supporting language training and research on Eastern Europe and Eurasia in the US for 30 years, did not receive any funding for the federal fiscal year 2013, which had led to suspension of various fellowship and other programs already. For more information see: </span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/new/title8-alert.php">http://www.aseees.org/new/title8-alert.php</a>.</span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>On December 11, we sent a letter to Sec. John Kerry, urging him to restore funding to the Title VIII program. The letter was signed by former ambassadors, university presidents, and presidents of leading organizations, as well as past presidents and current board members of ASEEES. You can read the letter here: </span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/Advocacy/TitleVIII_letter_Kerry2013.pdf">http://www.aseees.org/Advocacy/TitleVIII_letter_Kerry2013.pdf</a></span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'> The letter has led to other organizations, such as </span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>JNCL-NCLIS</span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>, AIEA, ACTFL, and AIECE, launching a national letter-writing campaign. We are, of course, grateful for their efforts and are joining in the campaign. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><b><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Action: If you reside in the US</span></b><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>, we are asking you to<b> </b><strong><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";font-weight:normal'><a href="http://capwiz.com/actfl/issues/alert/?alertid=63032086&PROCESS=Take+Action" target="_blank"><b>write TODAY </b></a></span></strong>to your Senators and Representative, urging them to restore funding for the Title VIII program and to include funding for the program in the fiscal year 2015 appropriations. A template letter is provided, but you can edit the letter (especially the introductory line).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#222222'>BOTTOM LINE: For many decades, Title VIII has supported the training and research of a remarkably high percentage of our nation's best experts on Eurasian and East European affairs for a relatively tiny sum of money. Shutting down Title VIII will reduce US capacity to understand a crucial region of the world at the worst possible time, rejecting the bipartisan consensus about the program's value and record of success.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#222222'>The link to the ACTFL letter campaign can also be found at: </span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/new/title8-alert.php">http://www.aseees.org/new/title8-alert.php</a>.</span><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Regards, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Lynda Park, Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>203C Bellefield Hall <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>University of Pittsburgh<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6424 USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>+1 (412) 648-9788 (direct), +1 (412) 648-9911 (main)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>+1 (412) 648-9815 (fax)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/">www.aseees.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:#C00000'><a href="http://www.aseees.org/support.html"><span style='color:#C00000'>Support ASEEES</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Association-for-Slavic-East-European-and-Eurasian-Studies/141362775903086">Find us on Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2585509">Join us on LinkedIn</a> | <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/aseeestudies">Follow us on Twitter</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>