Center for Citizen Initiatives

Bringing Russian and American citizens together in Peace since 1983.

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Citizen Diplomacy: A Critical Need in 2019

Dear CCI Friends,

Please excuse my absence in reporting during these days surrounding the Trump-Putin Summit.  It was critical to take “time out” to re-energize. In order to continue with my increasingly unmanageable workload, I’ve hired CCI’s first staff person since 2009. Maddelyn Bryan, a recent graduate from the University of San Francisco joined CCI on July 1 to train with me as CCI increases its programmatic work beyond what we’ve done during the past ten years.

CCI, to my knowledge, is the only organization in the field of citizen diplomacy between the US and Russia that has remained intact and working since the beginning of the 1980s. By the end of the ‘80s, other organizations closed their doors. We switched from plain goodwill travel programs to training young Russians how to survive in the radically different conditions of the 1990s. This was when the new Russia literally fell apart.

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The Making of the Enemy

Dear CCI Friends,

It is 4 am. I awakened this morning from jet lag in a gated community of private homes on the West Coast.

Swirling around in my mind was, “The Making of the Enemy,” a phrase of past decades. It has never seemed more relevant to me than now.

I had watched the gradual making of “Russia as the enemy” since 2001, although I didn’t register the significance of what I was seeing at the time. I just thought that George Bush, et al, needed to be educated regarding Russia. At first it was mild criticism, then it was blaming, then rejection, demeaning and demonizing along with distancing, ignoring and acting as if Russia didn’t matter … as if Russia and Russians have no significance at all. Strange since it’s the largest country in the world and laden with subsoil riches.

Last evening, an event celebrating the graduation of my grandson was held in their spacious family home in Oregon. Teenagers and friends in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s gathered to acknowledge Sean, a straight A student.

In the clatter of happy voices, one could hardly hear people next to oneself. I chose a sofa on the edge of the room where guests next to me turned out to be local lawyers. Someone mentioned that I had just returned from Russia last night. The lawyer nearest me immediately spouted with drawn face, “What about the disturbances at the World Cup competitions underway?” [Continue Reading]

Away from Office – Taking Sister Cities International Group to Russia

Dear Friends,

I am leaving on May 27th for Russia, taking a Sister Cities International group of officers and volunteers. Our program will be packed and there will be little time to scan or respond to emails.

If you are inquiring about CCI’s August 30 – September 15 trip to ten regions of Russia, please contact Sylvia Demarest at smdranchtexas@sbcglobal.net.

I will return on June 15. For anything of immediate importance, please continue to be in touch.

All the best,

Sharon (signature)
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Travel to Russia With CCI in Autumn

CITIZENS MUST BECOME DIPLOMATS IN 2018!

Are You Concerned We Aren’t Getting Accurate Information Regarding Russia?

Participate with us as we travel to Russia August 30 – September 15, 2018. We will hold hundreds of discussions with officials and mainstream Russian citizens in eight regions throughout Russia. We will delve into both countries’ reasons and concerns regarding why the U.S.-Russia relationship has deteriorated again — and what it will take to rebuild it at this late date, if possible.

WHAT IS NEEDED?

  1. Americans in growing numbers need to travel to Russia to examine the accuracy of our mainstream media, to check different points of view across Russia, to hear Russians’ ideas on US-Russia relations and most importantly make our own analyses regarding how the U.S. and Russia can survive together on our endangered planet.
  2. Russian citizens need to travel to our cities to have discussions about how to redirect this difficult relationship.
  3. Both sides need to halt Cold War II narratives and demonizations which feed fears in both countries.
  4. Both sides need to be prepared to understand the others’ legitimate needs and to negotiate the differences.

TRIP ITINERARY:

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“Bottom-Up Diplomacy” is Working!!!

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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