Do-it-yourself Diplomacy. Are you the "One"?

The Center for Citizen Initiatives trains people like us to be Citizen Ambassadors for the American People. They then arrange our trips to nations where we can act as authentic Ambassadors — modifying the message of the corporate tools and Neocon bullies that the US State Department sends to spread chaos, weapons, fear, and aggression abroad. We will have an opportunity to represent a broader spectrum of the hearts and minds of the American People.

There are open positions for Ambassadors to Russia beginning later this spring. You've been invited to apply and to help prevent a war that neither the people of Russia nor the people of the United States want.

The Center for Citizen Initiatives [CCI] is inviting you to be an Ambassador to Russia this year, 2017, and in doing so, to leave the world a much better place than you found it.

Dear Friends and all who will receive this message:

People everywhere, regardless of party affiliation, are thinking …. and saying, ” What can we do to alter the out-of-control course in which our nation and our world finds itself!”

There is something we can do. It has been accomplished before–and we will implement it again. We have become aware that we can’t depend on national leadership–it has brought us to where we are today. Margaret Mead, America’s stellar anthropologist, after studying the movements of human history from early millenniums up to the 1970s, charged us with the following:

“Never doubt that a small group of ordinary citizens can change the world … indeed, it is the only thing that ever has ….”

Human beings, in small numbers, can influence hundreds, next thousands, then tens of thousands and even millions … and in the process alter the course of history. But the small numbers must start somewhere; without them the millions will never be reached.

Be part of the small numbers that gets the initial impetus started in our world today.

Check our invitation HERE [PDF] and request an application to see if this is right for you!

Sharon Tennison,
Founder and President
Center for Citizen Initiatives (CCI)

Last year, in 2016, the Citizen Ambassadors to Russia listened to the concerns of the Russian people. The Russian people wanted to know what the American people believe in and what kind of future they want for themselves.

As a Citizen Ambassador, you will listen to the concerns of foreign citizens and convey the empathy and friendship of the American people. You can establish a dialogue based on shared values and help to repair the damage being done by the aggressive hostility and posturing of the US government. The constant military threats against the Russians have created psychological hurtles that must be cleared. When a recent group of Citizen Ambassadors returned from Russia, they brought back an overarching question from the Russians they met:

“Why Do You Demonize Us When We Are So Much Like You?
Why does America hate us?”

What follows is a composite of the comments and questions that were heard by the 20-person delegation of Citizen Ambassadors on their 2016 trip to Russia. The comments offer insight into the thinking of many of the Russians that spoke with American Citizen Ambassadors in meetings and in casual encounters on the streets:

We Look Just Like You Do.

One middle-aged journalist in the city of Krasnodar commented, “The United States worked hard to make the Soviet Union collapse, and it did. You wanted to remake Russia like the United States — a democratic, capitalist country in which your companies could make money — and you have done that.

“After 25 years, we are a new nation much different from the Soviet Union. The Russian Federation has created laws that have allowed a large private business class to emerge. Our cities now look like your cities. We have Burger King, McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks and malls filled with a huge number of totally Russian business ventures for the middle class. We have chain stores with merchandise and food, similar to Wal-Mart and Target. We have exclusive stores with top-of-the-line clothing and cosmetics for the richer. We drive new (and older) cars now just like you do. We have massive rush hour traffic jams in our cities, just like you do. We have extensive, safe, inexpensive metros in all of our major cities, just like you have. When you fly across our country, it looks just like yours, with forests, farm fields, rivers and lakes — only bigger, many time zones bigger.

“Most people on buses and in the metro are looking at our mobile phones with internet, just like you do. We have a smart youth population that is computer literate and most of whom speak several languages.

“You sent your experts on privatization, international banking, stock exchanges. You urged us to sell off our huge state industries to the private sector at ridiculously low prices, creating the multi-billionaire oligarchs that in many ways mirror the oligarchs of the United States. And you made money in Russia from this privatization. Some of the oligarchs are in prison for violating our laws, just as are some of yours.

“You sent us experts on elections. For over 25 years we have held elections. And we have elected some politicians you don’t like and some that we as individuals may not like. We have political dynasties, just like you do. We don’t have a perfect government, nor perfect government officials — which is also what we observe in the U.S. government and its officials. We have graft and corruption in and outside of government, just as you do. Some of our politicians are in jail for violating our laws, just like some of your politicians are in jail for violating your laws.

“And we have the poor just like you do. We have villages, towns and small cities that are struggling with migration to the big cities with people moving in hopes of finding jobs, just like you do.

“Our middle class travels throughout the world, just like you do. In fact, as a Pacific nation just like the U.S., we bring so much tourism money with us on our trips that your Pacific island territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have negotiated with the U.S. Federal government to allow Russian tourists to enter both of those U.S. territories for 45 days without the time-consuming and expensive U.S. visa.

“We have a strong science and space program and are a key partner in the International Space Station. We sent the first satellite into space and the first humans into space. Our rockets still take astronauts to the space station while your NASA program has been curtailed.”

Dangerous NATO Military Exercises Threatening our Borders

“You have your allies and we have our allies. You told us during the dissolution of the Soviet Union that you would not enlist countries from the Eastern block into NATO, yet you have done that. Now you are placing missile batteries along our border and you are conducting major military exercises with strange names such as Anaconda, the strangling snake, along our borders.

“You say that Russia could possibly invade neighboring countries and you have big dangerous military exercises in countries on our borders with these countries. We did not build up our Russian military forces along those borders until you continued to have ever increasingly large military ‘exercises’ there. You install missile ”defenses’ in countries on our borders, initially saying they are to protect against Iranian missiles and now you say Russia is the aggressor and your missiles are aimed at us.

“For our own national security, we must respond, yet you vilify us for a response that you would have if Russia would have military maneuvers along the Alaskan coast or the Hawaii islands or with Mexico on your southern border or with Canada on your northern border.”


Itinerary followed by the June 2016 delegation of Citizen Ambassadors to Russia.

Our Syrian Allies

“We have allies in the Middle East including Syria. For decades, we have had military ties to Syria and the only Soviet/Russian port in the Mediterranean is in Syria. Why is it unexpected that we help defend our ally, when the stated policy of your country is for ‘regime change’ of our ally — and you have spent hundreds of millions of dollars for Syrian regime change?

“With this said, we Russia saved the U.S. from an enormous political and military blunder in 2013 when the U.S. was determined to attack the Syrian government for “crossing the red line” when a horrific chemical attack that tragically killed hundreds was erroneously blamed on the Assad government. We provided you documentation that the chemical attack did not come from the Assad government and we brokered a deal with the Syrian government in which they turned over their chemical weapons arsenal to the international community for destruction.

“Ultimately, Russia arranged for the chemicals to be destroyed and you provided an especially designed U.S. ship that carried out the destruction. Without Russian intervention, a direct U.S. attack on the Syrian government for the mistaken allegation of use of chemical weapons would have resulted in even greater chaos, destruction and destabilization in Syria.

“Russia has offered to host talks with the Assad government about power sharing with opposition elements. We, like you, do not want to see the takeover of Syria by a radical group such as ISIS that will use the land of Syria to continue its mission to destabilize the region. Your policies and financing of regime change in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and Syria have created instability and chaos that is reaching all over the world.”

Coup in Ukraine and Crimea Reuniting with Russia

“You say that Crimea was annexed by Russia and we say Crimea ‘reunited’ with Russia. We believe that the U.S. sponsored a coup of the elected Ukrainian government that had chosen to accept a loan from Russia rather than from the EU and IMF. We believe that coup and the resulting government was illegally brought to power through your multi-million dollar “regime change” program. We know that your Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland described in a phone call that our intelligence services recorded the pro-West/NATO coup leader as ‘our guy-Yats.’

“In response to that US sponsored violent government take-over of the elected government of the Ukraine with a presidential election scheduled within a year, Russians in the Ukraine, particularly those in the eastern part of the Ukraine and those in Crimea were very afraid of the anti-Russian violence that had been unleashed by neo-fascist forces that were in the militia arm of the takeover.

“With the takeover of the Ukrainian government, ethnic Russians who composed a majority of the population of Crimea in a referendum participated by over 95 percent of the population of Crimea, 80 percent voted to unite with the Russian Federation instead of staying with Ukraine. Of course, some citizens of Crimea disagreed and left to live in Ukraine.

“We wonder whether citizens of the United States realize that the Southern Fleet of the military of the Russian Federation was located in the Black Sea ports in the Crimea and in light of the violent take over of Ukraine that our government felt it was vital to ensure access to those ports. On the basis of Russian national security, the Russian Duma (Parliament) voted to accept the results of the referendum and annexed Crimea as a republic of the Russian Federation and gave federal city status to the important seaport of Sevastopol.”

Sanctions on Crimea and Russia — Double Standards

“While the US and European governments accepted and cheered for the violent overthrow of the elected government of the Ukraine, both the US and European nations were very vengeful of the non-violent referendum of people of Crimea and have slammed Crimea with all sorts of sanctions that have reduced international tourism, the main industry of the Crimea, to almost nothing. In the past in Crimea we received over 260 cruise ships filled with international passengers from Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and other parts of Europe. Now, because of the sanctions we have virtually no European tourists. You are the first group of Americans we have seen in over a year. Now, our business is with other citizens from Russia.

“The U.S. and the European Union have put sanctions on Russia again. The Russian ruble has been devalued almost 50 percent, some from the downturn of worldwide price of oil, but some from the sanctions the international community has placed on Russia from the Crimea ‘reunification.’

“We believe you want the sanctions to hurt us so we will overthrow our elected government, just like you put sanctions on Iraq for the Iraqis to overthrow Saddam Hussein, or on North Korea, or on Iran for the people of those countries to overthrow their governments.

“Sanctions have the opposite effect than what you want. While we know sanctions do hurt the ordinary person and if left on a population for a long time can kill through malnutrition and lack of medicines, sanctions have made us stronger.

“Now, we may not get your cheeses and wines, but we are developing or redeveloping our own industries and have become more self-reliant. We now see how the globalization trade mantra of the United States can and will be used against countries that decide not to go along with the U.S. on its worldwide political and military agenda. If your country decides not to go along with the United States, you will be cut off from the global markets that the trade agreements have made you dependent upon.

“We wonder why the double standard? Why haven’t the member states of the United Nations put sanctions on the U.S. since you have invaded and occupied countries and killed hundreds of thousands in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

“Why is the U.S. not held accountable for kidnapping, extraordinary rendition, torture and imprisonment of almost 800 persons that have been held in the gulag called Guantanamo?”

We Know the Costs of War

“We know the terrible costs of war. Our great-grandparents remind us of the 27 million Soviet citizens killed during World War II, our grandparents tell us of the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s and the difficulties arising from the Cold War.

“We don’t understand why the West continues to vilify and demonize us when we are so much like you. We too are concerned about threats to our national security and our government responds in many ways like yours. We do not want another Cold War, a war in which everyone gets frost bitten, or worse, a war that will kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people.”

“We want the elimination of nuclear weapons. Unlike you, we have never used a nuclear weapon on people. Even though we consider nuclear weapons as a defensive weapon, they should be eliminated because one political or military mistake will have devastating consequences for the entire planet.”

We Want A Peaceful Future

“We Russians are proud of our lengthy history and heritage.”

“We want a bright future for ourselves and our families…and for yours.”

“We want to live in a peaceful world.”

“We want to live in peace.”

None of the questions, comments or views will tell the full story, but they give a feel for the global aspirations of ordinary Russians — their hope that their country and its citizens are respected as a sovereign nation with a long history. They know Russia has its flaws, that there is room for improvement in many areas. This is true of every nation, including the United States. Russians are bewildered that they are demonized as an outlaw state or an “evil” nation. It is just extraordinary and disturbing.

Perhaps one of you from Caucus 99 Percent will stand for us, and for the "real" American People, as a Citizen Ambassador to Russia this year.

__________________________________________
The list of Russian questions and concerns, above, was compiled by Ann Wright, one of the Citizen Ambassadors who traveled to Russia in 2016.

Ann Wright is a 29-year US Army/Army Reserves veteran, a retired United States Army colonel and retired U.S. State Department official, known for her outspoken opposition to the Iraq War. She received the State Department Award for Heroism in 1997, after helping to evacuate several thousand people during the civil war in Sierra Leone. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia.

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Pluto's Republic's picture

Bill Richardson has been working tirelessly for years as a Citizen Ambassador to North Korea. Richardson is a former Congressman, Governor, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and Secretary of Energy.

According to Richardson:

The Obama administration’s policy of strategic patience with North Korea is not working. The danger is not that they’re going to attack us or our allies, but that they’re going to sell enriched uranium to bad actors—to al-Qaeda, to Pakistan, to Iran, to ISIS.

It’s important that the Obama administration engage North Korea in some kind of negotiation like Iran’s. In exchange for reducing their nuclear arsenal, we should make a deal so that North Koreans get foods, fuel, and humanitarian assistance. The country is falling apart economically.

This is the job that Richardson has given himself, on behalf of the "real" American People. On an earlier trip, he was joined by another Citizen Ambassador, Google's Eric Schmidt. Schmidt is urging North Korea to allow more open Internet access and cellphones in order to benefit the people of North Korea and bring them closer to the world of humankind.


Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, second from left, and former Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson, second from right, look through an information technology text book at the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang, North Korea. At left is director of Google Ideas think tank, Jared Cohen. The textbook is titled "Aries Net+ Certified Technician First Edition Version 3.0." (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Schmidt, the executive chairman of the U.S.-based Internet giant Google, is the highest-profile American business executive to visit North Korea since leader Kim Jong Un took power a year ago.

On Wednesday, Schmidt toured the frigid quarters of the brick building in central Pyongyang that is the heart of North Korea's own computer industry. He asked pointed questions about North Korea's new tablet computers as well as its Red Star operating system, and he briefly donned a pair of 3-D goggles during a tour of the Korea Computer Center.

Schmidt has not said publicly what he hopes to get out of his visit to North Korea. However, he has been a vocal proponent of Internet freedom and openness, and is publishing a book in April with Google Ideas think tank director Jared Cohen about the power of global connectivity in transforming people's lives, policies and politics.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
lotlizard's picture

@Pluto's Republic A couple of Eric Schmidt’s ideas that easily harmonize with totalitarian ends:

If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.

I actually think most people don’t want Google to answer their questions. They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next.

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thanatokephaloides's picture

...... already know that ordinary working-class Americans don't want this war. They know that we're just as much victimized innocent bystanders as they are, the fact that we live here notwithstanding.

You see, when we remade Russia in our own image in the 1990s, we also started remaking ourselves in the Russian image. We may be alike capitalistic nations today, with middle-class citizens peering into their vehicular collision creators smartphones and tablets as they wend their way to work, but instead of making Russia a representative democracy we managed to destroy what little such we ever had.

And any educated Russian adult already knows all of that.

But reinforcement of that fact, and Russians watching actual Americans listen to them telling us the same, can only help matters. And right now those matters need all the help they can get!

I wish this enterprise every success!

Give rose

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

mimi's picture

@thanatokephaloides
From thanatokephaloides' comment:

many informed Russians ... already know that ordinary working-class Americans don't want this war. They know that we're just as much victimized innocent bystanders as they are, the fact that we live here notwithstanding. ...

And any educated Russian adult already knows all of that.

But reinforcement of that fact, and Russians watching actual Americans listen to them telling us the same, can only help matters. And right now those matters need all the help they can get!

I wish this enterprise every success!

Of course I wish that 'enterprise' success. And I do find Pluto's essay and her comments in this diary very enlightening and am glad to get to know something about the CCI. I looked at the "CCI = Center for Citizen Initiatives" webpage and read their new mission statement and history page.
From CCI's Vision and Mission webpage:

Vision and Mission
Our world has never faced a more challenging era than today.(me: I call that an exaggeration) Massive nuclear arsenals are once again pointed between the United States and Russia. (me: Once again massive nuclear arsenals are pointed between... Me: why once again? Did they ever not point to each other?) Misunderstandings, fallacious accusations, false flags and demonizing propaganda dominate our print media and television screens.(me: and the same dominates our little people's minds).

At CCI, we experienced one other such dangerous period in 1980. We flew in between the two enemy nations and dared to try to understand the challenges on both sides…. our citizen-to-citizen programs began to soften the environment between the two Superpowers of that era. Other American groups also got involved. War was averted and good relations began to grow in the 1990s.(me: Wow, I had no idea about that being the success of CCI. I didn't know that. Sorry)

From CCI's History webpage:

HISTORY:
But unfortunately, over the last two years relations between the two nuclear Superpowers have deteriorated badly. As 2016 opens we find ourselves again facing the possibility of an unthinkable nuclear conflict. Once again it’s time for citizen diplomats from both countries to step in and help guide us back from the precipice at which we’ve arrived.

We begin our new mission armed with the knowledge that our original efforts in 1983 produced magic and miracles beyond anything we could have imagined––and with the belief that 99% of Americans and Russians genuinely yearn for good relations between our two nations. There is no problem between the peoples of our countries.

We only need to overcome our distrust and fears, and rebuild the proper relationships to guarantee security for both nations. (me: why not for all nations?)

I just can't believe that "most educated little German people" have understood the double standards and will ever overcome their distrust and fears and the same is true for "most educated little sub-saharan Africans" I have met. They all can fake it, smile and nod in agreement and "befriend" any ambassador from the US, be it the official ones or the citizen ones.

Just saying why I am so skeptical. Seems to be in my genes and due to my past observations. It's not meant as a critique. I am glad to know about CCI and wished it were that easy as they make it sound in their webpages. I don't remember ever having heard about CCI in the US media in the eighties. If they prevented a nuclear world war from happening, I would have expected to have heard about it in whatever media, mainstream, alternative or international media. But that's probably my own fault, because I have been sleeping at the wheel during those times.

Apologies to those of you who felt offended by my comments of skepticism before.

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Thanks for sharing.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Azazello's picture

I'm the one. I'd gladly be an ambassador to Russia, if it involves free travel. I want to take a river cruise down the Volga.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

mimi's picture

@Azazello
that's 'verboten' among good ol' German socialists... Wink

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for this hopeful essay and for the compilation of Russian issues. Wow. Yes. It brings back a memory of Gorbachev praising the Beyond War effort. I think the Beyond War group actually had a role in bringing Gorbachev to the point of ending the Cold War and challenging Reagan to begin nuclear disarmament. I'm a believer.

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mimi's picture

@pluto and @Azazello
What a pity. Sad
But like Azazello, I want to make cruise on the Volga river. I could ask my son to work on the cruise ship though, as a waiter, and his girl friend as a tour guide. They are good at that and have a lot of first class experience from "western style" cruise line ships. I am sure the Russians would give me "a discount" and both of them a job. If Azazello plays nice, I'll get him a discount too...

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mhagle's picture

Someone speaking for us. Smile

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

orlbucfan's picture

I would love to be a citizens' ambassador! I have always wanted to travel to St. Petersburg, Kiev and Moscow to visit their museums. Their contributions to art, (classical) music and performance art/ballet speak volumes. When I did the Alps' bike trip, hubby and I were sort of informal ambassadors. The Europeans we met were absolutely fascinated by meeting two Americans on a solo bike trip through the mountains. Even with the language barriers (which I have always hated), we had no problems being befriended. Smile Rec'd!!

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.