Dear CCI Community,
We at CCI continue to deal with Russia’s and America’s challenges regarding COVID.
We are moving ahead with our large June 2022 Citizen Diplomacy Trip to Russia and urge you to participate with us. We will be flexible and sensitive to applicants’ concerns regarding the COVID virus— which unfortunately still remains unpredictable.
Hence, we will continue to advertise our VIP trip, receiving and accepting trip applications all the while.
However, we will require no financial payments until we and you determine whether the COVID viruses are sufficiently subdued. Applicants can opt out at any time.
The Application for the trip is below.
We are eight months away from the date projected for our June 20, 2022 trip.
In September and October, several CCI travelers visited different Russian cities. We are so sorry to report that Dennis Ortblad, a former State Department Diplomat became ill in Saratov and was transferred to a Moscow hospital for treatment. To our utter shock, Dennis expired in Moscow on October 24th.
Dennis’s wife emailed us on October 26th saying, “With a broken heart I must tell you that, like Colin Powell, Dennis passed away due to complications with Covid.” She gave permission to share this information with our CCI community.
Dennis had urged US-Russia rapprochement through writing articles and giving presentations in the years past. He was studying the Russian language to better carry out his non-official mission after leaving his career path.
Our hearts go out to the Ortblad family during this most difficult time. We feel we must continue the very important work which we know Dennis would urge us to do.
We will apprise all of you regarding how the viral situation is developing or regressing across the United States and Russia.
Our big CCI citizen diplomacy trip will happen … even if we postpone the trip until 2023!
More to follow,
Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives