Dear CCI Friends,

I’m taking the month of January off for the first time in about 20 years. I am healthy, doing well, still deeply committed to our mission … however, my internal hardware and software greatly need a rest. This is a better time than most to take time off. The presidential election is over, Joe Biden will begin his presidential responsibilities, international relations are relatively quiet, although the Capital take-over is huge for the moment.

I may post articles written by others from time to time.

Back to you February 1st, if not before.

Be well!

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Happy New Year – 2021!!

Dear CCI Friends,

Please know that we treasure our relationship with you, we are grateful that you work with us to create peace and goodwill between all nations of the world.

Thank you for supporting diplomacy over groundless rumors, intentional conflicts and war-making, particularly with Russia and her peoples.

We look forward to working toward new breakthroughs between Americans, Russians, Chinese and all peoples of the earth in 2021.

All Lives Matter!

Thanks for supporting our work with your voice, your travel with us, and your steadfast communicating Truth to your friends, neighbors and political leaders.

Our task is huge in 2021, thank you for helping us change the direction of our own country in the next 365 days!

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives
And CCI contributors across the U.S. and world. Each of us Matters!!

Dear CCI Friends and Followers,

We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season, albeit perhaps different from former holidays. This year is making all of us creative as we communicate love and well being to our families and friends, many of them at distances far from ourselves.

I believe there is a good possibility that this whole COVID scare will prove to be healthy for our nation and for us as individuals. I watch and listen and realize that it’s making us more thoughtful, more resourceful … and it’s waking up many of our friends and family members for the first time … that we are mortal and life is not a certainty. This makes us begin to ask questions and go internally for what could be termed ‘spiritual’ or deeper answers about life. If our whole nation is going through this process, which it seems that it is, it seems to me that we will also have to examine our role in the world as a country.

Currently, we as a nation have begun championing racial equality, gender equality, indigenous persons equality, etc., accepting all other persons as equal to ourselves … isn’t it time that we realize that Russian and Chinese people also deserve to be considered equally important as ourselves and forego demonizing them?

Today I received a huge piece of mail with large black letters saying,

“TAKE A STAND AGAINST HATE AND EXTREMISM!”

I pondered … YES! YES!! We need to take a stand against all Hate and Extremism wherever it manifests! In the Republican Party, in the Democratic Party, on our streets, in our media, wherever it exists! And let us look at the nations of the world as people and countries with which we can align, work out our differences and forgo attempting to remain the “Unipolar Nation,” stop creating wars that cripple other nations and run us Trillions of $$$ in debt.

Let’s do our part to spread Acceptance and Goodwill to ALL people and nations across our small planet in 2021!

And may you and your family stay healthy and well during these coming months!

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December 1, 2020

Dear CCI Friends across the time zones,

We feel compelled to take as many Americans as possible to Russia in 2021.

WHY?  Today most Americans assume that Russia and Putin are our “enemies.” Our U.S. media has increasingly denigrated Russia and demonized Putin for more than a dozen years. This has been patently dangerous. Given the nuclear weapons between us, all media and rumors must be investigated.

TRIP PLANS:  We will take 100 Americans to Russia to explore the following:What is Russia’s reality today? What do they think about their leadership? What are Russia’s intentions in the world? What issues are pushing our countries closer to nuclear war again and why? How to work with Russia as a rising power in our world? What are their concerns about relations with us? Finally, we need to know whether Russia is a threat to us, or not.

CO-LEADING:  We are honored that Ambassador (ret.) Jack Matlock, our quintessential Ambassador, will co-lead our June 2021 delegation. Jack was the Ambassador to the USSR during President Reagan’s era. He created the strategy for the tense Reagan-Gorbachev meetings and still keeps a close eye on U.S.-Russia relations. He will give us morning lectures in Moscow and share insights with us throughout our fact-finding trip.

CCI’s INTENTION:  To better understand the U.S.-Russia relationship and to make our research known to Congress members, business leaders, NGOs and fellow citizens, hopefully to stimulate wider debates among them all.

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