Up Close and Personal with Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, President, Soviet Union (1985-1991), Nobel Peace Price Laureate. 1990

The second annual State Of The World Forum continued at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco this afternoon. This reporter was originally assigned to a roundtable session on telecommunications, but was quickly detoured by chance to participate in an interview with former USSR leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.

As I, the 17-year-old journalism student, sat down next to well-established reporters from all over the world, I was a little nervous. As soon as the interview got underway, Mr. Gorbachev was asked about the request to remove Boris Yeltsin from office. Boris Yeltsin, the president of Russia, has been ill, and Gorbachev has suggested that he resign. The situation is reminiscent of the film "The Enemy Within," in which people try to remove an elected president from office by challenging his ability to run the government when he not in perfect health.  This is not to say a coup is eminent. Far from it.  But Gorbachev did say that many Russians dislike Yelstin even though they voted him into office.

Soon it was my turn to ask a question. I had to make sure that I got what I wanted to say right. I was about to ask Mr. Gorbachev the only question I may ever be able to ask a major politician.  "Some people believe that today's youth will have a harder time being tomorrow's adults because of the current state of world relations. What is your opinion?  If you had any advice for today's youth, what would it be?" 

Mr. Gorbachev believes that unless there are changes in some nations' thinking and attitudes, the youth of today will have a very hard time tomorrow. However if we take advantage of available opportunities at events like the State of The World Forum, then tomorrow looks brighter for today's youth.  He feels that some change is already happening.

As the session started to wind down, and I got a little calmer with paper notes in one hand and audio notes in the other, I realized that many people would give a lot to be where I was today. It was quite an experience and it helped prepare me for my future in journalism.

--Jarvis M. Whitfield
17 year old Student, Media Academy, Fremont High School, Oakland