Citizen diplomats go to Russia

By Jan Corderman, WILPF Des Moines. Iowa

Our Citizen Diplomacy Group led by Sharon Tennison, creator of the Center for Citizen Initiatives is in Russia to meet with citizens in four cities to learn and to build relationships to work for reconciliation. 

The Center for Citizen Initiatives is a highly respected, non-profit organization that keeps its ear to the ground in Russia and develops trend-setting programs to meet emerging needs.

During our 15 days in Moscow, Volgograd, Ekaterinburg and St. Petersburg we’ll immerse ourselves in conversations, planned and spontaneous, with Russian citizens to hear their side of the story, share our thoughts and create Citizen2Citizen plans to stay connected—and work for reconciliation on both sides. 

We’ll discuss their feelings about, and the impact of, the sanctions our country has imposed and our government’s efforts to isolate Russia on the world stage.  Our delegation of American citizens may be going into the country as it is having second thoughts about their glorification of all things American.

CCI’s origins date from the height of the Cold War in 1983 when Ms. Tennison led a handful of ordinary American citizens upon an extraordinary mission – challenging the dangerous barriers of fear and mistrust between the two superpowers.

The Cold War was at a peak - the KAL 007 airliner had just been downed by Soviet Interceptor Jets killing all passengers aboard, and the US and the USSR had 50,000 nuclear weapons aimed at each other. Scientists predicted if 10% of the weapons were detonated, nuclear fallout would shortly leave planet Earth lifeless.

The group’s preposterous mission was to create an alternative to the arms race and open communications between the US and the USSR. They called themselves “citizen diplomats.”  Sharon notes that after Gorbachev came to power and the feared 50,000 nuclear weapon standoff began shifting, it felt like the animosity and fears between the US and the USSR were evaporating.

For the past 25 years, the Center for Citizen Initiatives has dedicated itself to supporting political and economic reforms in Russia.

I’m honored to be the WILPF representative in this delegation.  I would love to share my observations with branches that are interested with an in-person presentation about what I learned and a discussion about building upon the accomplishments of CCI. 

I hope to hear from you!

Jan Corderman
jancorderman@msn.com  
Des Moines Branch, 515-205-4504

Photo by Jan Corderman