The Oregon-Lviv University Partnership has already demonstrated that it understands how to promote cooperation. It started with a flexible plan that stressed openness to new participants and encouraged participation. Every faculty member in the partner law faculties (and the International Relations faculty) has been invited to participate. Those in Lviv who speak or are willing to study English have been actively courted for participation. In Oregon, visits to Lviv have been encouraged. Even faculty who have not traveled to Lviv have been touched by the Partnership as our Ukrainian partners reside in faculty offices, attend faculty meetings, serve as guest lecturers in Oregon classes, and are included in all Oregon law school functions. In Lviv, the Partnership started with the International Law Department at Lviv National University, but rapidly discovered interest in the Constitutional, Financial, and Administrative Law Department, the Civil Law Department, and the Environmental, Agrarian, and Labor Law Department. These Departments of the Law Faculty are now full Partners, and involved in Phase II planning.

This Partnership works in part because of a decision to push for interconnectedness via electronic mail. We have established Internet connections in departments at Lviv National University, arranged individual e-mail accounts on an Oregon server, and hired a local technology assistant to provide training and solve technical problems. Our technology assistant wired departments to the University's central network, bought home modems for faculty Partners in Lviv who have computers, and generally worked to keep the network operating. We have established an e-mail discussion list for faculty members that has logged over 2,300 messages in 20 months of operation. A separate list was created for students, and yet another one has been critical for planning this Phase II grant proposal.

Personal commitment and involvement have also been as critical in creating a successful Partnership as formal, professional ties. Lviv and Oregon faculty members have intensively planned each visit to ensure a full range of activities and broad exposure during visits. Visiting Partners have been placed in homestay arrangements with local families, rather than living on their own. Professional and social events have been carefully organized. Colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic have gained the trust and confidence in one another which has allowed them to share ideas, challenge each other, collaborate on projects, and generally work closely and congenially, making the Partnership a full and rich experience.

To build cooperation to the current level has taken a great deal of effort that has brought the Partnership to a "take-off" point. To broaden this cooperation to more involvement in English training in Lviv, to the Academy of Judges, and to the writing, mediation, and other programs in Oregon will substantially strengthen the Partnership and move it from a building phase to a new implementation phase.