Cyndi Loza

Claudia Ortega-Lukas’ Reno home is an international hot spot.

Through local organizations, Ortega-Lukas and her husband have opened their home to students, politicians and activists from all around the world. They’ve hosted visitors from Brazil, Thailand, Germany, Mexico, Chile and Switzerland.

Sometimes, it’s just for dinner or an overnight stay.

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Ortega-Lukas, 44, a graphic designer at the University of Nevada, Reno. “We really like to meet new people, and we like to learn about (other countries) — and we do learn a lot.”

Through the Northern Nevada International Center, Ortega-Lukas hosted a group of young Russian politicians and activists for dinner in her home on Monday. These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program to learn about local and state governments. They end their tour of Reno today.

Visitors come to learn

Among the 15 Russian visitors was Sergey Alexandrovich Barabanov, 25, who works as a legislative assembly member in Pskov City, Russia.

During his five-day visit in Reno, Barabanov said he found that Americans are more involved in politics, and at a younger age, than Russians. He said he’ll consider using

American-style approaches to get students more involved in politics in Russia.

“It’s going to (be) extremely useful because whether we’re going to make decisions politically or personally, we’ll have a new point of reference,” said Barabanov, who said he was the youngest legislative assembly member elected in Pskov City.

Ortega-Lukas said she prepared for the event by following the news in Russia.

“Americans have a bad reputation for not knowing what happens in the world, and I think it’s important for us to be informed so we can have an intelligent, coherent conversation,” Ortega-Lukas said.

Arranging for a foreign visitor through organizations such as Rotary International or NNIC is a great experience, Ortega-Lukas said.

“It makes you more aware,” Ortega-Lukas said. “And at the end of the day you realize you’re all pretty much the same.”