Dear Friends,
The first experiment of Russians Meet Mainstream America! (RMMA) exceeded our expectations beyond what we could have expected. Difficult questions were asked and honest, insightful answers were given by both Americans and Russians.
The four Russian women who participated were authentic and grateful for the opportunity to be a bridge between our two nations. In each city volunteers worked as though they were in “for-pay” positions. Groups of open-minded local citizens were interested in each question and answer–-attention was rapt. Schools, universities and interested young people asked for contacts with Russian youths. We arrived late at one event expecting an audience of 30 … and found a hundred or more Americans waiting for us. SMMA (the parent program in 1988/89) never attracted such immediate interest, even in its final stages!
During this travel period my usual email reporting was sporadic, please excuse if I didn’t answer requests. I hardly had time to settle travel and urgent matters. The only snag for RMMA was the lock-down tension in Washington, D.C. and our inability to schedule Congressional appointments previous to our travel there. Mentioning “Russia or Russians” in my requests seemed to be a non-starter in each office. The latest strike on Syria may have been anticipated. In any case, it made us realize America needs many such programs like RMMA from here on.
