Personal Note from Sharon Tennison

June 19, 2023

Dear Friends of CCI,

It is with heartfelt emotion that I communicate with you today.

Our history together has been the driving force in my life since 1982 when I began putting together what has become known internationally as “Citizen Diplomacy”; that is working toward peaceful relations between countries facing war. So it was between the US and the USSR that I learned what is possible between two warring nations. A few others were thinking about other inroads in peaceful directions. We at CCI have been the international leader in this direction since the beginning of our work.

We developed other programs in totally different directions like private food production, cleaning up the Environment, Alcoholic Anonymous across 11 time Zones, private clothing companies.

At 86 years of age, it is impossible for me to continue as I did until 2021. At that time Kaiser took me off of a medication, Metoprolol, that had allowed me to function amazingly well considering multiple Endocrine challenges throughout my life. I went into a downturn from which I’m now recovering somewhat but never sufficiently to lead CCI again. It is past time for me to resign as Chair of the Board, which I have done. I continue to be involved as Chair Emeritus and Advisor to the Board and am creating a PodCast to be able to continue with audio communications.

Thankfully, we have three new Board members who are capable of giving CCI new life. Each has traveled to Russia with me twice in the recent past and will do so again in the near future. They each bring much needed skills during this dangerous period in which we are now moving.

Paula Day is an Attorney with great background in legal matters, but more importantly she is deeply involved in International affairs and has been all of her life. Pamela Tetarenko is an Engineer and has amazing credentials in solution thinking in her past careers, more on these in future communications. Krishen Mehta’s career has been in International Accounting as a Partner in PricehouseCoopers. He and his wife have lived abroad when work necessitated it. Krishen is deeply concerned with the issues existing in today’s world. As is his wife, a NGO manager for girls sold into slavery.

Each of these three Board members have large databases from which to draw as they become more involved in CCI’s future work.

I encourage you to support their efforts in CCI’s and the world’s behalf.
Let us work and pray for peaceful co-existence to avoid Nuclear War.

Sharon Tennison
Chair Emeritus & Advisor to the Board
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Ray McGovern on the Pentagon Leaks

April 20, 2023

Dear CCI Friends and Colleagues,

In the short video interview below, Ray McGovern joins Judge Napolitano to discuss his assessment of the “Pentagon Leaks”, possible motives and sources, as well as how this is reminiscent of a similar type of intelligence situation during the Vietnam War.

Please give it your consideration and let us know your thoughts on the subject.

Center for Citizen Initiatives

Interview With CCI Director Krishen Mehta

April 11, 2023

Dear CCI Friends and Colleagues,

Several weeks ago CCI Board Member Krishen Mehta authored an article that explored why the Global South is not supporting the West in sanctioning Russia over the war in Ukraine. We posted it on our website on February 23, and many of you wrote in response to express appreciation for his perspective. Since then the article has been re-posted hundreds of times all over the globe.

In the video interview below, Krishen has expanded on his thesis and provided more detail on the view from the South. Please give it your consideration and let us know your thoughts on the subject.

The Center for Citizen Initiatives

Why Much of the Global South
Is Not Supporting the War in Ukraine

Peacemakers?

March 27, 2023

Russia and China sign off $165bn of energy and transport deals in Xi’s second day in Moscow

Intellinews
March 21, 2023
By Ben Aris

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a second day of talks on China’s plan for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict and expanding economic and trade ties during a meeting in Moscow on March 21.

“We are always on the side of peace, justice and historical fairness. We respect the UN charter. We have reached a consensus with President Putin and we have decided to expand and build our stable co-operation,” Xi said.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, confirmed the two leaders had discussed the conflict and a possible peace plan but neither confirmed whether any progress had been made nor gave any details.

Putin suggested that Russia should endorse the Chinese peace plan and will work with Western partners, but gave no further details. China published a 12-point peace plan on the anniversary of the start of the war, which called for a ceasefire, the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the resumption of talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

[Continue Reading]

Growing Voices?

March 17, 2023

There is one prevailing, acceptable narrative in the collective West on how we must view the war in Ukraine. We try to expand that view by bringing you alternative voices. The video contained in this article is one of those voices. As always, please give us your thoughts.

Center for Citizen Initiatives

Responsible Statecraft

Mainer going viral for passionate speech against Ukraine resolution

The measure passed the state legislature by huge margins but Eric Brakey believes his words have resonance outside the Beltway.

March 13, 2023
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos

A Maine state senator’s statehouse remarks on Friday about the Ukraine war have made a big noise outside the Pine Tree State, particularly on Twitter. Eric Brakey, a self-described libertarian Republican, took advantage of a vote on a joint resolution, “Expressing Support for the People of Ukraine on the One-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” to criticize the current Biden policy in Washington as eschewing diplomacy to prolong the war, which he said is ultimately the worst thing to happen for the people of Ukraine, and the world.