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.

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Hi Friends of CCI,

Surprise! Our RMMA Russian women have had fascinating receptions as they have traveled across the country discussing issues related to bottom-up U.S.-Russia diplomacy. Some 75 to 100 meetings have left no time to post since Atlanta. We still do not have a spare minute.

Today, Russian Orthodox Easter Eve, our Russian friends leave the San Francisco Bay Area and fly to Washington, D.C. for their last stop. Easter Sunday morning they will be speaking at the Bethesda Unitarian Universalist Church.

On April 9 they will be in Columbia and Annapolis where a number of meetings will occur. On April 10 we will meet with Washington insider Paul Saunders at National Interest to discuss the necessity for bottom-up diplomacy. Next we will meet with Senator Rand Paul’s top people, then have a meeting with Ed and Tatiana Lozanski to try to understand what people inside the Beltway are thinking. We have a number of meetings scheduled with NGO’s, George Mason University students and Congressional offices. As soon as our Russian presenters depart for Russia, you will get an assessment of what we have learned from Dallas, Fort Worth, the Bay Area and Washington.

Our ladies are leaving a trail of goodwill wherever they go!

More to follow,

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Highlights from RMMA in the San Francisco Bay Area:

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