Travel Dates: April 1 – 16, 2017

Please see the message from the Center for Citizen Initiatives below:

CITIZENS OF GOODWILL MUST TAKE THE LEAD AGAIN!

You Can Have a Role in Rebuilding Relations and Trust between the U.S. and Russia

Dare to make a difference!  We invite you to apply for the first-ever Mega Delegation of up-to-100 American citizens who will travel to Russia in April of 2017 to hold hundreds of discussions with Russians from all walks of life in 10 regions throughout Russia. Too many travelers go to Moscow, spend a few days, talk with a limited number of people set up for them and come back to America with a very limited point of view. Hence this trip will guarantee that we are exposed to multiple points of view and get them documented with surveys and notes from discussion groups in far-flung north-to-south and east-to-western regions.

We will investigate both countries’ perspectives on why the relationship deteriorated to this place again––and what it will take to rebuild equitable relations and trust between these two nuclearized Superpowers.  And hopefully, the spectre of Nuclear War … or surrogate wars of any kind may be avoided in the future.

We citizens have the opportunity to be the human links during this extremely critical juncture––and make no mistake, the situation is extreme and it is critical.  More than ever, we need to have “ears to the ground,” listening and fact-checking assumptions and exaggerations relative to both countries. We need to comprehend both sides of the issues that have grabbed the angst of today’s policy makers. We need to understand the assumptions and major stick points regarding Syria, Iraq, Libya, Iran and China that divide our leaders––then use our voices nationwide and worldwide to call for sane alternatives.  Future outcomes and solutions need to be open, honest and fair to all countries concerned.

WHAT IS NEEDED & WHY?
 
As 2017 begins, we can organize the following:

1)  American citizens need to travel to Russia to make independent analyses of Russia, Russian people, Russia’s interests and points of view––and return home to educate on how to work toward and promote reasonable solutions for both countries. We need to create public awareness and public discourse regarding how to create a sustainable future for us all.
2)  Russian citizens and public figures need to travel to American cities to share their concerns and perspectives for rebuilding constructive relations and accommodating to each others’ politics and needs.
3)  Stop Cold War II demonizations and narratives which feed fears across both nations;
4)  Rebuild citizen and VIP human connections within both populations as rapidly as possible.
5)  Provide “truthful information”––refrain from fake news, rumors, disinformation and fabrications. Continue reading “Travel: Citizen Initiative Delegation (Moscow, Russia)”