THE

'PEACE
~ P O R T
The AMERICANS and
SOVIETS WALK
TOGETHER for PEACE
'ISSUE NO.2 - OEOICATEO TO THE PEOPLE' S QUEST FOR PEACE ON EARTH - ISSUE NO.2
The Peace Community Is Now a Force
Mobilized Citizenry Changes Dynamics of Arms Control

~ w
By JOHN TI RMAN
.... /h: Ronald Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev
W r i ~ the agreement to eliminate major cate-
gories of nuclear missiles in Europe , it will mark a
hi storic moment in t he nuclear age t hat begs expl ain.
inq. How did th e most voci ferous of all Russophobes,
t he President most devoted to military bravura, agree
to such a sweeping accor d?
The specu lation about the President's motives has
already begun . Nancy Reagan wants him to secure his
" place in histo ry," The Iran-contra scandal drove him
to recoup through U.S.-Soviet diplomacy. He wants
to undercut the democrats in 1988. The moderate
Howard H. Baker, Jr., is cal ling the sho ts.
There is quite likely some truth in such musings.
But major arms-control agreement s are more firmly
rooted in the political culture . Indeed, the fact that
arms control was high on the President 's agenda was
due significantly to the ext raordinary outburst of
peace activism occurring in the 1980s.
It was the massive demonstrations in Europe in
1981 that first riveted attention on the new and peri -
lous nuclear stand-off on the Continent. At the same
time, a similar if less strident movement was spread.
ing through the United Stat es, coalescing in 6000 lo-
cal groups that forcefully articulated their concerns:
speaking to neighbors, writing pamphlets, lobbying
Congress. Resolutions were placed on city and state
ballots, and were victorious in nearly every test . A
citizens' diplomacy grew quickly as well, establishing
sister cities in the Soviet Union, beaming televised
space bridges around the world, sending delegations
to Moscow.
The result s of this dissent began to appear, ironic.
ally, only after it was widely assumed that the move-
ment 's vitality had been sapped by Reagan's reelec-
tion . Two years later the House of Representatives
vot ed approval of five bold strokes of arms cont rol.
Among them were restrictions on nuclear testi ng,
chemical-weapons production and anti-satellite wea-
pons tests (the last also enacted by the Senate). The
large majorities by which these measures were vot ed
att ests to the power of the grass-roots peace activism
across the country . Would these politicians have
supported measures that were binding on a reluctant
and popular President if they didn't know that thei r
constituences were agreeable - indeed, insistent ?
Hardly. That legislative performance has been reo
peeted in the 100th Congress, backed by an ecceterat -
ing shift in public opinion.
John Titman is the exec utive director of the Winston
Foundation for Worl d Peace in Boston. This art icle is
reprinted by special permission {rom the Los Angeles
Times, September 24, 1987.
The network of local act ivists has been comple-
mented by the initiat ives of larger and more sophisti-
cated organizations. These advocacy "think tanks"
provide policy analysis, legal support , Capitol Hill
pressure, high-level exchanges with the Soviets, and
many other services aimed at prying open the
cloistered debate on U.S. arms policy.
Their work is impressive. The Natural Resources
Defense Council negotiated directly with the Soviet
government to monitor its nuclear-test site, an un-
precedented move that has improved confidence in
Soviet openness to arms-control verification. The
Union of Concerned Scientists and the Federation of
American Scientists have provided qround -breakinq,
and probably decisive, critiques of "Star Wars." The
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear
War has described the human costs of nuclear war and
thereby discredited the Administrati on's talk of
fight ing and winning such a contest. As a result , the
doct ors deservedly won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Along with the millions of activists, in churches,
city halls and schools, these groups and others have
broadened vastly the public debate over nuclear
policy and have created a climate of skepticism about
Reagan rearmament policies.
The relationship between democracy and repre-
sent ative government is tenuous, especially in a na-
tion the size of the United States. On a jopic that is
as complex and secretive as nuclear weapons, demo-
cracy is constrained, virtually locked out . A small
circle of experts and officials have made decisions,
force-fed them to Congress and then present ed. them
to the public as bipartisan, consensual faits accomplis.
The results of this decision-makingapparatus - 50,000
nuclear weapons, a $300-billion military budget, a
quarter of U.S. science mobilized for weapons res-
search and development - are at least debata ble, but
a product of democracy they are not. (Editor's
emphasis.)
What the peace movement has done in this decade
is to democratize thi s process. Operating on a fraction
PEACE COMMUNITY- please turn to page 24
THE PEACE REPORT - 1
Remembering RUSSIA: After the Walk
By LARRY STENBERG

Crowds greeted the American Soviet walkers wherever we stopped ; this is a typical scene at a village rally.
When I was a young ooy a tn p to the
ocean to play in the breake rs was the high.
light of the year. Every wave was a new
adventure. Someti mes I'd underestimate
their power and be at the complete mercy
of the sea miraculously ending up on my
feet while frantically gasping to stay alive.
I still don't know why I' d stay in the
breaker s for hours eager for the next en-
coun ter . Maybe my level of excitement
exceeded my fear. Withou t realizing it,
I was experiencing enormous exhilaration
and exhaustion at the same time .
Now that the Ameri can-Soviet Walk
has ended, I feel like I have just returned
to the beach aft er being tossed around by
st rong breakers for four weeks.
I'm feeling both exhilarated and ex-
hausted, but the waves haven 't stopped.
People' s faces, images of special places
and events keep rolling over me. The
ASW was the most powerful emotional ex-
perience of my life. I expect a majority
of the American participants feel the same.
For nearly a month we were constantly
bombarded by contac t with Soviet peo-
ple and an unending tide of scheduled
events.
After returning home and spending a
few days at work, it 's clear that I will
2 - THE PEACE REPORT
struggle with cultu ral readjustment. I 16 or more hour s per day, I got my energy
need to carefully unravel what I exper- to keep going and savor the experience
ienced. If the walk has the slight est im- from the warm and genuine response of
pact on nuclear disarmament , every the Soviet people.
minute of time in the USSR will have My great est pride came from observing
been well spent . Regardless, I will never the behavior of other American walkers.
forget the experi ence and will join the We handled very demanding schedules,
other walkers in a deeper committ ment quickly adapt ed to moving an enti re
to work for peace. The walk from Lenin- campsite of 300-plus people, frequent ly
grad to Moscow was crammed with hiqh- dealing with rain and mud, adjusted to
lights. white night s without complaint where
The most fascinating was observing daylight is broken by only a few hours of
the gap between the high tech, advanced darkness, consta ntl y remained open to
military machine and the very simple, fleeting yet frequentl y emotional con-
basic lifestyl e of the Soviet people, a tacts with throngs of Soviet citizens,
lifestyle devoid of most modern ccnven- worked hard to form friendships with
iencies. The Soviet government may con. Soviet walkers, and fit in time to discuss
trol mul ti-billion doll ar missiles com- issues of significance with them. sat at-
pute rized to pinpoint targets halfway tentively through countl ess formal cere-
around the world. but most Soviet cit i- monies and tried our best to sing and
zens live only a few steps beyond Third dance at midni ght concerts given in our
World standards. honor .
The most surprising dynamic was the The most frustrating part of the trip
conti nuous outpouring of friendship and was being under constant surveillance,
affection from Soviet people and the especially at our campsites. Many reasons
depth of their passion for peace. Crowds were given for the vivid presence of uni-
would oft en stand in the rain for hou rs formed military and plain clothesmen. Be-
waiting to shake our hands and greet us ing concerned for our safet y and pretest -
with gifts and flowers. Despite the ex- ing our personal property were the best
hausting schedule which typical ly lasted of reasons. Although I realized there was
Reprinted by special permission fr om The Seattl e Times, July 28, 1987.
certain value in them accompany ing us,
the size and constant visibility of security
seemed far more than necessary. Toward
the end of the walk, I wanted to push out
and have more privacy. When we were
f1l1ally able to completely move around
on our own. Moscow had militia and
military everywhere. The Soviet ecvem-
ment seems to have a deep fear that civil
disobedience may grow from almost any
size crowd. Their police state mentality
reached comic proportions when over
3000 military types policed our Fourth
of July concert which was attended by
the 400 walkers and 25,000 very well be-
haved and disciplined Soviet people ,
nearly all of whom had tickets because of
their political connection.
My most memorable moments occurred
in three different setuncs. The first hap-
pened early in the walk in the beautiful,
lush countryside between Leni ngrad and
Novgorod. We had walked past several
tiny country homes and I was in need. of
a restroom facility. Not in a mood to be
particular, I asked the first friendly face.
Well over dJ1 hour later I found myself on
a sprint to catch up with the o ther walkers
who fortunately stopped for a ceremony
at a war monu ment a few miles down the
roac:l . In bet ween the bathroom and the
sprint, I experienced full-blown Soviet
chann and hospitality. Using the primi
uve bathroom lead. to tea, cakes, ecevee.
saticn, hugs, tears, and eventually an ex.
change of addresses. r left this Soviet
home with a commi tment to write,
learned that the grandmother of the
house had lost her husband and two of
her children duri ng World War Il, and
that the daughte r with whom she lived
was one of two surviving children. All of
their desire to befriend me was inte rpre-
ted by a teenage son who kept apologiz-
ing for speaking broken English, althou gh
I informed him that his English was far
better than my Russian. I will always
cherish the small, handmade Russian doll
the mother handed me when I dashed out
the door.
The second memorable experience cc-
eurred when we walked into Novgorod. I
sensed something electrifying was abou t
to happen when lines of people appeared
five miles out of town and be9an to fold
in behind us for a walk to the Square of
Victory . By the time we were within a
mile of the square, we were being greeted
by and followed by a sea of humanity.
At the square , tens of thousands
joined in. I had. an opportunity to be on
the stage for the formal ceremony where
I etched a permanent image in my mind
of the largest crowd I have ever seen, but
more than mass. it was the feeling of sup'
port and respect for OUt being there that
permeated the air that I will never forget.
The Novgorod crowd was esti mated at
100,000 or more!
The third memorable experie nce oc.
curred in an Intourist hotel which was
a part of Camp Solnechney located just
outside of Moscow. It was abou t 10:00
in the evening. A qroup of dissidents had
been invited to speak to interested Amer-
ican-soviet walkers which had been ar-
ranged after considerable neqotiation.
When I arrived, heated debate bet ween
dissidents and some bardccre party line
Soviet walkers was in full swing. I quietly
sat next to a Soviet I had not seen before.
Our very short but intriguing ccnversa.
tion went as follows : The stranger tu rned
to me and said, "My name is Nickolas.
I'm from Moscow and '" member of the
communist party."
Having met enough party members, I
responded by introducing myself and
turning to listen to the panel of Soviet
dissidents. A fewminutes passed; Nickolas
turned to me and said, pointing toward
the dissidents, " I want to kill all or them.'
Photo bySharon
The author (Jeft) is loaded with gifts, the
result of.a remarkable disp!ay of
ity and frie ndship of the Idea of ordinary
people walldng together for
Somewhat shocked by his cando r, I re-
plied, "What if they should want to kill
you?"
In a typical party line reponse. he said,
"That is a very int eresting puzzle."
Seeing the slightest opening, I added ,
"Maybe we most want to kill what we
fear and maybe that fear is a mirror re-
flectio n of ourselves."
NiCkolas greeted my comment with a
long pause while he looked back and
forth at the dissident panel and me until
his neck got sore. Finally, he said in a
much softer voice, " And you are as my
father."
On the next breath, I smiled and said,
' -rhank you," which ended our brief
conversation .
About an hour later, Nickolas found
me in the lobby and handed me a postcard
which read " For my American ' Father,'
Yours truly, ' Son.' Peace and love. Please
write ." Nickolas Borison.
The graciousness of the Soviet people
was aStonishing. We were treated. like roy.
alty everywhere we went . One of the
most heart warming example s occurred in
the middle of nowhere.
Our entourage was not looking tor-
ward to camping in an open pasture. We
arrived shortly after a downpou r and
were amazed by the community prepara
tion for our arrival. The open, wet , and
muddy past ure proudly displayed a hun-
dred or more aXe foot wooden plat forms
to keep our tents of f the ground . To the
right of the plat forms wert 16 outhouses
also freshly made and paint ed just for our
comfort. Next to the row of outhouses
stood a mobile water tank which had
been riwed to a long pipe with '" series of
faucets so we could clean up.
The local citizens had. also hooked up
a power line so walkers could use shaven
and hair dryers, alth ough only a hand ful
of walkers had bothered to bring such
modem wonden. But the rear clincher
was setting under a very lar1]e weed-
framed canopy at specially made benches
and tables eati ng a sit -down three-course
meal joyfully served up by local citizens.
The evening was topped off by a large
troop of community singers and dancers
who came to our surrealistic pasture to
ent ertain us around a huge bonfire. That
night I went to bed with mud up to my
ankles and a mounting affection and
Iondness for such giving people.
The most humorous as well as ironic
event started in the Moscow airport but
didn 't end until 12 houn later when we
landed in Washington, D.C. Before de-
parture, we spent an hour in Soviet cus-
toms saying qoodbye to Soviet walken ,
many of whom had become dear friends.
The goodbyes came amidn hugs, songs,
laughter, tean, constant snapping of pic-
tures. and various forms of rowdy behav-
ior. After 12 hours of being mashed to-
gether on our charter flight, we bordered
on ecstatic when we landed on th. good
old USA; we hit U.S. customs tired but in
high gear.
When we st arted shooting pict ures, a
booming voice crackled over the loud
speaker infonning us that picture tak -
ing was not allowed in U.S. customs and
directed us to put our cameras away.
For an instan t, I thought we had taken
a wrong tum and had landed in a strange
country . Our immediate response was un-
controllable laughter and cheers. When
we reqained our composure, we launched
into a 2OQ-voice rendition of "America
the BeautifuL"
Any lisu of mosts should include a
most disappointing. But, for me even that
event had a bright side. After th. re-
span_ from the Soviet people and being
headline news throughout our walk, com-
ing 0(( the plane to a small handful of
TV and news reporters was a disappoint-
ment.
The Conqressional reception scheduled
for UJ on the next day was even more
anti.cJimatic. We filled our buses with
walken in anticipation that at the end of
our hour-plus journey to Capitol hill
would be acknowledged by Congressional
leaden and applauded for our dfom. As
it turned out, only a few members of
Congress sent a staff representative . But,
the twelve of us from the stat. of Wash
THE PEACE REPORT- 3
Remembel"ing RUSSIA': Affer the Walk
On the Road to Peace
inqton were honored and pleased when
Senat or Dan Evans and Nancy Evans en-
tered the room. As it turned out, Dan was
the only member of Congress who
showed up. I left the reception proud to
be from the state of Washington, but it
cut deep to think about cur phenomenal
recepti on in a foreign land and the bare-
ly lukewarm recepti on in my own COUR-
t<y .
Our brief , but intense encounter with
a nation of people who care so strongly
abou t peace heightened my expectation
of what might happen when we returned
home. I should have known better. 1 ex-
pect that the all-knowinq smiles and tears
of older women, the weat hered faces of
the old soldiers proudly wearing faded
war medals, the deep, clear searching eyes
of the healt hy children, the intensity of
hear t and desire to be alive that hangs in
the Soviet air, will peacefully haunt me
for the rest of my life.
When I think of the Soviet Union, I'm
reminded of Helen Caldicon, former
president of Physicians for Social Re -
sponsibility. who in referring to the
nuclear arms race talks about the need to
eliminate our tribal insti nct to create an
enemy.
I returned to my country with a
stronger belief in the potential of our
political system. Part of a song we oft en
sang on the walk, goes, " I' m not a Demo-
crat , I'm not a Republi can, I'm not a
Socialist , I'm not a Communist, I'm a
Pat riot and I love my country because
my country is all I kno w. "
No questi on that song fits me more
than ever before. What 's insane is to be-
lieve that as a nation we have a corner on
the truth, that God is on our side, that
our form of government is the only way.
No one will convince me such a not ion is
anything but the most self-riqhte ous. if
not evil, form of thinking.
One of our walkers wore a button with
the words, "The people should lead, and
the leaders should follow."
On the fourth of July (1981) another
American walker said, "We either learn
t o live together as friends or perish as
fools."
No politi cal and ideological diffe rence
creates the riqht for any nati on to destroy
life on our planet . We must look at our
mot ivation for believing mass develop.
ment of nuclear weapons represents na -
tional security.
So far, all we know is that nuclear
build up represents a drain on fundin g
proqrams that could improve our daily
lives, fuels the national economy, and
helps make a few of us feel safer and
most of us fear we are closer to exnnc-
tion. I'm more certain than ever that to
view the Soviet people as the enemy
makes as much sense as placing nuclear
warheads in San Francisco and pointing
them at Washington, D.C. and New York
4 - THEPEACEREPORT
City. Or to bring it closer to home, plac-
ing nuclear warheads in Chicago with the
barrel poised for Seat tle.
The main purpose of our int ernational
"peace" walk was accomplished in part,
but the immediate future may hold
another important result . We hope to
Photo by Sharon Almerilli
By SHARON ALMERIGI
Standing in a crowd of Russians and
listening to speeches about the horrors of
the " Great War" I had to pinch myself to
see if I was dreaming. There I was in the
U.S.S.R.
The air was charged with excitement .
Americans and Soviets sang, danced, and
embraced each other as if they were long
lost friends. The band music played ,
colorful folk dance rs sang resonantly, and
a pretty young woman in native dress of
fered us the traditt onal greeting of a de-
cora tive loaf of bread with a dish of salt .
I was on the American Soviet Peace Walk,
a :Yhweek journey that took 231 Ameri
cans and 200 Soviets by bus, and on foot,
between Leninqrad and Moscow to show
their desire for an end to the arms race.
Covering the walk asa freelance jouma-
list for radio and print , J walked with the
marchers through villages, ancient cities,
and beautiful farmland , and I was amazed
by the hundreds and thousands of Soviet
citizens who came out to meet us.
In the towns, people lined the streets
and applauded us. There were old men in
suit jackets ado rned with war medals and
ribbons, classes of school children holding
host a similar event in the United States
next summer (1988 ).
If so, my tent and sleeping bag are reo
packed and ready to 90.
Bring on the breakers!
Larry Sten berg, ASWNo. 230
University Administrator
01 mpie, Wash;n on
posters and paper doves, and you ng
couples toting their babies.
Individuals would dart out from the
crowd and stuff flowers, pins, postcards
and presents into our hands. Some even
presented precious icons to us. One Rus-
sian walker said, " It was an eye opener
for me. I wouldn 't have believed that my
people would come out with icons. May-
be I didn't know my people as well as I
thouqht . I knew of Russian hospitality ,
but I didn 't know it could be so tremen -
dous."
I oft en saw a childlike curiosi ty and
admi rat ion in the eyes of the people,
most of whom had never seen an Amer
ican. I was drawn to the "babushkas," the
term used to describe the old women
wearing the standard flowered head
scarves. Reaching for the hand whose
lined face revealed years of suffering and
pain, I felt tears come to my eyes and was
surprised to see there were tears in her
eyes, too.
At each ceremony, eloquent speakers
tol d of the Soviet desire for peace. They
spoke of the terrible devastation from
World War II - the 20 million dead, the
Citizen to Citizen
mass graves, and the thousands of build-
ings destroyed. They are still rebuilding
from that experience, and they never
want it to happen again.
While walking, eating, and camping to-
gether. the Soviet and American walkers
exchanged hours of conversation, ranging
from the personal to the political. They
were so deeply engrossed in getting to
know each other that they barely noticed
the 3
l
h weeks of rain, mud, and relentless
mosquitoes.
The Soviet Peace Committee who co-
sponsored the walk, want ed to treat us
like royalty by bussing us everywhere and
putting us up in their very best hotels.
The American sponsors, the International
Peace Walk, Inc. (IPW), however, argued
long and hard for the privilegeof camping
and walking.
Joe Kinczel, computer analyst from
Chicaqo and one of the IPW Ofl}mizen
said, "The real essence of peace walking is
to get to the earth, to put your feet on
the land and walk. We' re concerned about
nuclear weapons, but a larger issue is
for people' to become unified once again."
Walking allowed the participants the
personal contact to probe the reasons
they each learned to view the other as a
threat . Tom Johnson, direct or of IPW
communications, said. ' 'When I expressed
to the Soviets I met how people in the
United States are afraid of communism,
they were surprised by that. As long as
we perceive them as an enemy wanting to
take us over, we'll continue to have an
arms race. We need to change that view."
Despite fears that our activities would
be limited and closely watched, we t ra-
velled and moved about freely. There
were several visits of American walkers
to Soviet homes and many occasions for
our group to talk freely with Soviet did-
sidents and refuseniks (people who have
applied to emigrate and have been reo
fused).
The walkers ranged i n age from 8
months to 80 and represented a diversity
of occupations: artists, peace actfvitists,
writers, attorneys, mechanics, doctors,
acton . a sheep farmer, a military chap-
lain, a numerologist, marine biologists,
and more. They came from 31 American
states and from each of the 15 Soviet reo
publics. Most of the Soviets were well-
educated Soviet Peace Committee vclun-
teen.
Over the course of the 450mile trek,
deep friendships formed among the walk-
en, and plans are now transpiring for
another American Soviet walk to take
place next year in the Uni ted States .
As a participant in the American
Soviet Peace Walk, I felt I had the c ppor-
tuni ty to witness the history of peace in
the making. Among both the American
and Soviet walkers, I saw a commitment
to the creation of peace and a conviction
that ordinary people around the planet
can bring it about. These dedicated In-
dividuals, many of whom crossed the U.S.
in the Great Peace March, or have worked
toward peace for the past 10 to 20 years,
started me thinking about my part in the
peace movement.
I decided that as a journalist , I can
bring the message from the Soviets we
met who begged us to tell other Ameri
Photo by Sharon Almerigi
By STAN SMI TH
I went to Russia this summer. 1 was
one of 231 Americans out of 5000 apli-
cants select ed to walk with 200 Soviets
in a peace march from Leningrad to Nos-
cow from June 4 to July 8.
We travelled over 400 miles in three
weeks, 1618 hour days, by foot , bus, and
ferry. I have never had a course in Soviet
cult ure; I have only a rudimentary know-
ledge of socialism and communism, and I
don't speak Russian.
Wewere greeted by 15,000 to 200,000
Russian people. We American walkers
were allowed to meet refuseniks, those
denied passports to leave the Soviet
Union, and with "t rust group" members,
those Soviet citizens who openly disagree
with their government's occupation of
Afghanistan and Eastern Europe. Both
meeti ngs were unprecedented in that
private citizens, Soviet and American,
met and talked openly about problems
that heretofore were denied or that
speaking would have resulted in arrest
and/or imprisonment .
I had never met a Soviet before I went
on this trip. Now I can call a Soviet artist,
journalists, militiaman, philosopher , tea-
cher , linquist, and peacenik - friends!
Nothing in my life adequately prepared
me for this trip; it was overwhelming.
cans of their desire tcr.pesce. Perhaps in a
small way this will help to dispel the
myths and stererotypes that keep us sep
arated from our fellow earth citizens.
Sharon Almerigi,
Writer & Radio Show Producer
Studio City, California
II is impossible to answer in so short a
space many questions about the Soviet
Union today. However, there is one that
sane, rational individuals have about
Soviet -American relations more than any
ot her. " Are we as two people so different
that we are condemned to destroy each
other and the whole world?"
No! We are not so different that we
have already been sentenced to die. We
are beautifully and wonderfull y alike and
can live - but we must learn to recognize
and celebrate our mutual dignity and
worth by investing greater energy and
creativity to overcome the barriers of
lanquage, polit ics, and distance .
Current events in the Soviet Union
make the possibility of increased educe-
tional , cult ural, and personal exchange
bet ween our two peoples more feasible
than at any ot her time in the post war era.
Specifically, the current democratic reo
Iorms in the Soviet Union represent a
window of opportunity that Americans
and Soviets alike must take advantaqe of.
Goodwill effor ts, especially citizen-to-
citizen diplomacy, to lessen the antagon-
ism and hostili ty between our two coun-
tries are a vital necessity to lessen the like.
lihood of purposeful or accidental sui-
cide by our species. G l a s n ~ t for the
THEPEACE REPORT - 5
time being is a blue sky of hope for kites
of human nobili ty , courage, integrity, and
honesty of every kind to soar .
One such noble spirit is Ludmilla
Saraskina, a Ph.d in 19th century Russian
lite ratu re, who writes for The 20th
Century and Peace, the journal of the
Soviet Peace Committee . I would like to
share a passage from Ms. Saraskin 's
articl e, " What Children Play at ."
"Now that we have suddenly seen how
small ou r planet is and how very near -
at a distance of several minutes - we are
from each other, the old not ions about
patriotism and civic duty catastrophically
fail to work. One cannot love one's
Motherland and one's ' own,' sitt ingbehind
a tall fence and looking with fear through
a narrow slit at the ' others.' The very
notion about one's ' own' and 'ot hers'
have undergone a radical change. Today
and , we hope, for always patriotic educe-
tion will mean that education of people
who love their Motherland as a part of
the world and who love the whole world
as they love their Motherland . To be a
citizen means not to dig a hole for ot hers,
not to predict inevitable doom for them
. . . to be a citizen means to increase
warmth and love in the world and to be
capable of me rcy and compassion , tru st ,
and understanding .. .
"To st udy peace and bri ng up new
genera tions in t he spiri t of peace as the
only way of life - no less valour and ccur.
age will be required for war, but imm-
measurably more love and patien ce, dedi -
cation, and kindness. So that our children
should not kill each oth er tomor row, we
must teach t hem peace today and learn it
ourselve s."
I read this article quite by accident
during my first week in t he Soviet Union
and immediately asked to meet thi s
writer, Saraskina. Ludmila and I met the
day before I left the country . We talked
about our world. We did not spend our
precious hour to accuse or condemn each
ot her . We did not criticize or even dis -
cuss the faults and follies tha t our two
systems suffe r people to live with . In-
stead, we pledged through an interpreter
to be honest , to criticize our own coun-
t ry only, and to work cooperatively by
sharing information and insights about
common problems and issues demanding
global solutions.
It is impossible to judge the true value
or possible outcome of our single brief
meeting and pledges. Truly , time is the
Pest and final measure of relationships ;
likewise, I believe Soviets and Americans
alike must wait and hope glasnost is more
t han a brief parting of the clouds. Yet ,
inspite of my personal and professional
reservations regarding these matters, I
did come home with joy and hope.
I find tha t in the knowledge that we
are NOT so different , we must NOT des-
t roy each other, The Soviets are a good
6- THE PEACE REPORT
and noble people. I have renewed hope
that the world is not co ndemned to be
incinerated because I kn ow now that the
mamas and papas of the Soviet Union
love their children as all parents do.
They want their children's future to be
free of nuclear terror just as American
parents do. Furthermore, as a "ci tizen
Moscow Meeting
by FREDA AMSEL

0,,;
.. ..
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..

..

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..

..
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..

..
..
.. ..
.....

The Universe Is My Country
Humanity I s My Family
I was one of 231 Amer icans to joi n
200 Soviets in the first peace walk
toget her from Leingrad to Moscow. She
was one of the thousands of welcoming
Soviets that greeted us along the way.
I tossed out a few of the Russian
phrases I learned to do so well, and she
carne back wit h several statements. ex-
pect ing me to know t he language. We
st ruggled to understa nd eac h other and ,
for some reason, she thr ew out t he word :
Hebraic. When I questioned her in fl uent
Yiddish , she was overcome with joy in be-
ing able to converse with me.
She had not spoken Yiddi sh in mor e
years t hen she could remember, and I was
t he only one on t he Walk th at knew it.
She told me of her entire family being
killed by t he Fascists. This was a story I
was repeatedly hearing from many Soviet
citizens who were affected by t he 20
million peo ple t hey lost du ring World War
II. Although I was prepared to accept an
invitation to her flat , I somehow sadly
lost her in the huge crowd.
The next morning, as we were all Visit-
ing a memorial monument . I heard my
name:, "Free-dish-ke," (for Freda) being-
called. Fellow walkers had direct ed her to
di plomat, " I now know, personally , in -
dividuals in the Soviet Union who labor
each day to end thi s insane nuclear arms
race . I find qreet st rength in t he certain
knowledge that we are not alone in our
peace making.
Stan Smith,
Worl d Hist ory Hi gh School Teacher
Moscow, I daho
me. She ca rne il long way by taxi. heari ng
gifts, and present ing me with pho tos to
please take bac k to Ame rica . To whom
and where, she did not say. She just
wanted me to share her story : The prett y
girl in th e cente r of one photo. surround-
ed by her family, was her at 16 years of
age. W", both sobbed uncont rol lahly as
she tol d of t he "fi-yea r bloodbat h" t hat
occurred in her town when t he Fascist s
co nti nually butc hered adults and child ren.
She can st ill remember seeing pa rts of
bodies vih rutin g, after being axed alive.
She la ter married a Russian who died
five years Ol ga . Her daughters and t heir
families all belong to th e co mmunist
part y. Although she knows people who
have left , she herself is retired and co nte nt
to live in Russia. She feels safe and secure
in t he co untry, that she says has been
very good to her. Aware of our talking so
loudl y in Yiddish, I aske d wheth er it was
making her uncomfortable . She assured
me tha t in 40 yea rs, she has never ex-
perie nce d anti-se mitis m.
Wit h thousands of people surrounding
us on each of t he t wo days we met , it was
Iro nic t hat Casey Kuscm, popular disc
jockey of Lebanese nationality. and his
wife, J ean. were at our side bot h t imes.
A priorit y to their peace activist lives is
worki ng towards improving Arab-Israel
relat ions. [ also be lieve . by no cotnci-
dencc . Rabbi Mel Hecht and his wife,
Micki, resident s of Las Vegas, were t here
t he second day to witn ess this occ urre nce.
It is at Rabbi Hecht 's suggestion t haI I am
writ ing t his story to share wit h readers
everywhere. I WOl S una ble to see the
point of taking her pictures, which I
knew were her onl y copies. The Rabbi
explained that she needed to do thi s in
or der to finally lay t he experience to rest.
The inciden t was too emot ional for me
to pursue any additional details. However ,
it is in t he synchronization of all th e
events and circumstances t hat I feel th is
story warrants att ention. It was only one
of very man y experienced by fellow
walkers and I had on our peace and friend-
ship mission.
Freda Arnsel
Numerology Consultant
Northridge, California
We American and Soviet peacewalker s ask our brothers and sisters
everywhere to join t his new walk into the fut ure.
6, A redirection of resources from t he military to the co-
ope rative solution of national and global problems.
PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP
July 8, 1987
of nuclear and
A reduct ion of conventi onal weapons to a level that will
make it impossible for any country to engage in offensive
operat ions;
The immediate and speedy eliminat ion
other weapons of mass destruction;
3.
4.
....The above statement , developed out of small group discussions, reflects the
persondl opinions of the individuals whose signatures have been affixed
thereto. The IPW dnd SPC, having issued d joint statement of purpose, dis-
claim dny endorsement or adoption of the foregoing.

THE PEACE REPORT is a nonprofit
publication designed to inspire and to
motivate toward a more peaceful world.
In order to continue our efforts, we do
need your int erest and support . A dena-
tion of any amount will be greatly
appreciat ed. Please send your ccntribu -
tion to: THE PEACE REPORT, 410 West
Coast Highway, Suite 300, Newport
Beach, CA 92663. Phone : 714/6751724.
THEPEACEREPORT - 7
AS WE GO TO PRESS, we have esteb-
Iished a reqular schedule for publishing
THE PEACE REPORT. Deadlines for
material are :
February 1, 1988 Issue NO. 3
MdY1, 1988 Issue No.4
AUCJUJt I, 1988 Issue No. 5
November I , 1988 Issue No. 6
Considered unique in its concept,
""This is a concluding statement prepdred by an expanded group of walkers
written at a meeting at the conclusion of the walk prior to the Americdn
wdlkers departu re from Russid.
5. An agreement among all the nat ions that space be used
exclu sively for peacef ul and cooperative purposes;

i
a We, the participants of the American-Soviet Walk from Leningrad
to Moscow, are committed to seeking an end to t he arms race and
= create a permanent peace. Through person-to-person contact , we
have discovered the deep reservoir of good will between us. While
walking and living together we have learned mutual respect, open-
ness, and tolerance. We affirm that our common humanity is more
compelling th an our differences. We are committed to the resole -
tion of conflicts through peaceful means. We invite people of all
nations to part icipate in a similar process of building tru st, recog-
i t hrough international cooperation can we solve
We call for :
1. :: A dramatic increase of direct contact between citizens
, of all cou nt ries;
2. A verifiable global freeze on nuclear test ing and a pledge
a by all nat ions not to be the first to use nuclear weapons;
a
,
a
By BILL SOMERTON
Some Special
Experiences
Bill Somerton
University Professor
Lafaye tte, California
There were so many special experiences
during t he American-Soviet Walk, it is
difficult to choose one such happening as
the single most significant one. Thw , I
have taken the liberty of giving three
rather typical experiences.
As J was entering one of the towns on
the Walk, I was almost completely SUf'
rounded by Soviet s who had joined the
Walk. Out of the crowd of bystanden
along the road, a large qrizzled man
broke through the crowd, grabbed me in
a near rib-cracking bear hug and kissed
me on both cheeks . As we stood holding
each other with tears streaming down our
cheeks, w'e were in full communication.
Later, I rati onalized that I was crying
because he hurt my ribs - but wondered
why I was crying.
Entering Novqorod. a young Soviet
man joined me and started a conversa-
tion . Turned out he was the editor of the
youth newspaper in the city and, because
of my work with youth, we had a long
and interesting conversation. (I found out
lat er from his discussion with another
walker that 1 was the first person he had
ever had a lengthy discussion with in En-
glish.) As we approached the center of
the city , a large crowd had gathered
arou nd me tryi ng to communicate and
asking for my autograph. This went on
for some time and 1 became completely
separated from the rest of the walkers. In
what was described as a shoul der-to.
shoulder and belly-to-back Soviet crowd,
it was hardly possible to move. Some of
the Soviets, seeing I was lost , came to my
rescue. One moved ahead of me opening a
pathway and one behind me pushed me
through. Before I realized it, I was in
front of the welcoming platform with my
fellow walke rs.
A more lcnq-term experience was my
frequent and lengthy discussions with a
Soviet chemical engineer. Turned out tha t
both of us, being technical people. agreed
fully that drastic reduction in arms deve-
lopment and production was absolutely
essential to the preservation and enrich-
ment of human life.
We discussed means of utilizing the
resources now being wasted on arma-
ments to develop cooperative technical
programs, Americans and Soviets working
together to discuss human problems, both
national and global. I plan to continue
this dialog through correspondence wi th
my Soviet friend.
Anon Quote: "1looked at the enemy and
the enemy was me."

On July 1, 1987, approxi mately 500
America n and Soviet "citizen diplomats"
arrived in Moscow - not on foot but via
the Volga River on a luxury cruiser.
Their jubilant arrival in Moscow, as in
countless ci ties along the way, was noted
by crowds and curious Soviets who greeted
them as well as by the Soviet media who
tracked them all along the route.
This historic walk began in Leningrad
24 days earlier where 231 Americans
joined 200 Soviets at their first campsite
just outside Leningrad. From that point
on, negotiation and compromise became
the focus of the staff from the Interna-
tional Peace Walk (the American walk
committee) and the Soviet Peace Com-
mittee (officially recognized peace group
in the USSR). Where we stayed, camp-
grounds!hotels/ University dorms, etc.
where and how much we walked, where
we at e, where we visited - all these issues
had to be worked out . Clearly. the
Americans and Soviets had two different
perspectives on what constitutes a " peace
walk" and it was exactly these differences
that had to be wor ked out on a day-to-day
basis.
Part of the success of the walk rests
with the ability of the American and
Soviet groups to work together and de-
velop an experience that was meaningful
to bot h. Indeed, the U.S. Sta te Depart-
ment, who chose not to be involved with
the walk as they assured us, " It cannot
even get off the ground!" upon our re-
turn to the United States requested a
bluepri nt of how we made it work !
Of equal importance is the impact of
people meet ing people . All along the
route from Leninqrad to Moscow, we
were greet ed by hordes of Soviets. In
Novgorod , 5000 people were expected to
line the str eets andlor join us as we
walked through town - 25,000 arrived!
And the greetings we received were not
merely handwaving, but more so, em-
braces, hands hakes and exchanges of each
person's hope for "mir y druzbah, "
(peace and friendshi p) .
Naturally, behind every meeting is a
sto ry which space in this newslett er does
not permit . However, if you are int er-
ested in learning more about the exper-
ience of the American Sovi et Walk and
how its success fits into the greater pic-
ture of world peace and nuclear di sarm.
ament, contact Sallie and Alan Oretch,
1134 Judson, Evanston, IlL 60202,
312/49 1-1134. We have slides and many
words to share with you.
And, for those who want to be part of
anot her peace walk, an exciting concept
is being developed for next year. Contact
us and we'l l keep you posted.
Sallie Gratch
Social Worker
Evanst on, Illinois
\
The
Two
Cultures
As viewed by Freda Amsel
AS WE GO TO PRESS, Ed and Adrien
Helm of Washington , D.C., continue their
very busy in thei r involvement
with the United Met hodist Peace and
Justi ce organizat ion and both are adept
at making presentations of their slide and
video photoqraphy of last summer's
American Soviet Walk. Adrien 's cut -
8 - THE PEACEAEPORT
We pu rsue individuality . . .
They promot e duality.
We're taught perseverance . ..
They've learned patience.
We foster competion ...
They function on cooperation.
We cherish our freedom ...
They thrive on disci pline .
We want to succeed in life . . .
They don 't want to suffer any more.
We st rive for future comforts .. .
They struggle with the pains of the past .
We demand a lot from life .. .
They require very little.
We relish ou r possessions ...
They take pride in thei r professions.
They emul ate us ...
We exclude t hem.
Our environment contributes to self ex-
pr ession . ..
Their history compels a need to exist.
They're controlled by bureaucr acy ...
We're ma nipul at ed by greed.
Thei r money is spent on education, monu-
ments, medical care, and retirement ...
Our priori ties are on promot ion, fash-
ion, fur niture, and entertainment.
Thei r country is the "Motherland,"
Wecall ours "Uncle Sam."
reach of her experiences in the Soviet
Union was highlighted by her column
on the Opinion pages of USA Today,
a national newspaper with a circulation
in excess of five million copies. That 's
getti ng her peace message out to a t re-
mendqus number of people. Conqret u-
lati ons!
ATPRESSTIME. . .
The Oldest Walker Voices His Perspective
Photo by KDKidder
"Dear Friend s at Novgorod :
"There are no words to describe how
deeply moved we Americans have been
by the reception you have given us. We
ing "Mir y druzhba" (peace and friend -
ship) - and someti mes weeping when
they weren't smiling their unfeigned de-
light at seeing a large body of Americans
who, like themselves, wanted to end all
war.
At each village and town , and at one
big collective farm, the local officials
greeted us. Almost always they told us of
the sufferings of their commu nity during
World War II. Along the way local
choruses and dance groups in beautiful
costumes entertained us - the first
America ns that many of them had ever
seen. And always, a lovely young woman
in local costume offered us bread and
salt - an ancient symbolic act of hospr-
tali ty.
At Novgorod , the oldest Russian city ,
it fell to me, the oldest walker , to repre-
sent the Americans. I had never seen such
a de nse crowd in my life. Estimates went
as high as 100 ,000 who turned out to
greet us, and there was no mistaking the
excitement among the Russians. They
were wit nesses to an unprecedented
eruption in their midst of a lot of Ameri-
cans who, by their very presence, were
sayi ng that they did not agree with the
belligerent foreign policy of the Reagan
administration. As I looked down on all
those faces in the Ncvqorad squa re, here
is what I said:
Pat Herson of Van Nuys, California, is the smiling ambassador for peace greeting
these Russian women at a village stop on the American Sovie t Walk from Leningrad
to Moscow during the summer of 1987.
controlled all aspec ts of the logistics and
politics of the venture. It seemed to this
walker that their efficiency in the logis-
tical realm greatly exceeded their leader-
ship in the direction of Americen-Soviet
friendship and disarmament .
But all of this changed, as I expected
it would, when we arrived in the Soviet
Union . From the first we were over -
whelmed with the most generous and
thoughtful hospit alit y. And the walkers,
a great many of whom seemed to be mo re
interested in personal relationships than
in politics , were asto nished by the indi vi-
dual outpourings of friendship they en-
countered at every turn. And the re was
continuous evidence of the expansion of
Socialist democracy under the popular
policy of glasnost .
Aft er sightseeing in the beautiful cit y
founded by Pet er the Great , we had the
painful experience of visiting the Piskary-
evskoye Memorial Cemetery which holds
the bodies of bearly 600,000 victims of
the 900-day Nazi siege of Leni ngrad.
From that solemn and unforgettable
starting poi nt , our Walk began. As 230
Americans and 200 Soviet walkers went
into the count ryside , people poured out
of picturesque farm houses to greet us.
We got armlcads of flowers. Our poc kets
soon bulged with littl e gifts that childre n
and young people and old people (mostl y
women) gave us, and ou r daypacks and
hats and shirts were festooned with pins
and emblems.
At every crossroad , peasants lined up
and shook our hands and joined in chant-
"Good morning, God!"
With these cheer y words a feisty
young legislator began her invocation in
the Colorado Sta te Assembly one day last
June. The next order of business was the
introduction by Representative Dorothy
Rupert of a dozen of the 22 Colo radans
who would soon leave to take part in a
peace walk in t he Soviet Union. After
this ceremony , we set out on our journey
carrying a lett er which Governor Roy
Romer had prepared for us to take to the
Soviet people - a letter which expressed
a strong desire for peace and disarmament.
Romer was only one of 23 officials in
various states who had endorsed the Walk,
and 35 United States senators and repre-
sentatives had lent their support to the
unprecedented vent ure.
The first stop on our trip was the
grounds of a private school in Virginia.
There , from June 8 to J une 15, 230 walk-
ers, including 80 veterans from the Great
Peace March, camped and took part in an
orientation program designed to get us
acquainted with each other and to suggest
ways in which we might cope with the
Soviet reality we were abou t to encounter.
Soviet disside nt emigres came to our
camp and offered their version of Soviet
reality , but the State Depart ment barred
a representative of the Soviet Embassy
from coming out to meet us race-to- face.
We had to content ourselves wit h a video-
taped interview with that official.
However , Jack Kidd, a disside nt re-
tired U.S. Air Force General , did come to
our camp in response to an invitation
from William Mandell, one of the walkers
who, unscheduled, led several informative
sessions.
General Kidd , a farner nuclear war
planne r, gave a chillingly realistic apprai -
sal of the danger of nuclea r weapons, and
he presented plans he had developed for
ridding the wor ld of this menace . Recent -
ly, he had discussed the nuclear danger
with a group of retired U.S. and Soviet
generals, all of whom are try ing to put
their full weight behind moves for disar m-
ament . (You can obtain copies o f Kidd 's
entire program, which he calls "St ar Light"
by writing him at Route I , Box 70A,
Earlysville, VA 22936.)
The walkers were clea rly more im-
pressed by what Kidd and Mandel had to
say than they were by the rema rks by Bill
Court ney, U.S. Consul General dsignate
for Kiev. This career di plomat st rove
qood-nat uredl y to fill us with all the
standar d suspicions about Soviet motives
and intentions.
Worry about attacks from the right
seemed to be the main conce rn of Allan
Affeldt and Joe Kinczel who effectively
By FRANKLIN FOLSOM
THE PEACE REPORT - 9
hope we can prove wort hy of the trust
you have shown us.
"I have been introduced as the oldest
American walker. I was 10 years old
when the walkers and peasants in this
country overthrew their masters and too k
charge of thei r own lives. I was 10 years
old when the new Soviet government
issued its first decree which was an appeal
for peace.
"When my son was 10 years old, I was
a seaman on a ship that brought supplies
to the Red Army. By that time Soviet
society had grown strong enough to drive
the war.maklnq Nazis out of this land .
"When I left home to come on this
walk, my t o-veer-old grandson asked
to tell Soviet children that American kids
want peace.
" Now this old man wants to make a
prophecy for the futu re. The peace move-
ment throughout the world is growing the
way this peace walk grew today. Four
hundred of us started out this morning.
At every crossroad people joined us. As
we ent ered the city, first scores, then
hundreds joined us. Finally, thousands
came off the sidewalks and became a part
of the human river that has filled this
great square.
"In this same way, the peace move -
ment is beginni ng to grow in the United
States. There are more than 5000 peace
organizations in my country, and my
prophecy is that before anot her 10 years
pass, the peace movement in the world
will force the elimination of all nuclear
weapons everywhere. Before the year
2000, there will be universal disarmament.
Then there will be no mo re need to
organize walks against war. The Soviet
peopl e, the American people - all people
everywhere - will be able to walk
together in peace.
"Mir y druzhba !"
Aft er these words, it was my duty to
introduce the youngest marcher who was
only eight months old and whose parents
spoke for her . Several other American
families with children made the enti re
walk, and the kids were a great hit .
At one stop, a Soviet mother saw that
one of our babi es did not have a carri age.
She rushed home, got her own baby
carriage and brought it as a gift.
Acts like that occu rred all along the
route . Women ope ned their homes to
walkers who needed toil et facilities . The n
they ope ned their refrigerators and im-
promptu parties developed. Aft er a few
of these parties, walkers were invited to
stay overnight in farmhouses , and they
accepted, somehow ca tchi ng up with the
walk the next day.
As we proceeded , walking sometimes
and riding in buses someti mes, we had
among us many Soviet walkers who spoke
English, and a few Amer icans spoke Russ-
ian. During the hours and days of walking
and camping together - or stayi ng tc-
gether in hotels or dorms - friendships
began to develop across national lines. I
10- THE PEACE REPORT
for one saw a great deal of Muhahatsho
Hikmatov, a chemist from Dushanbe in
Tadjikistan, a cit y which has just corn-
pleted a sister-city agreement wit h my
hometown of Boulde r, Colorado. Also, I
saw a great deal of Nick Burlak, an
American-bern Soviet citizen who served
in the Red Army and met American
troo ps at the Elbe in World War II . Nick
is a write r and, I found , is the brot her of
Ann Burlak, famous in depression years
as the Red Flame, an organizer of sout h-
ern text ile workers and the unemployed
in America.
When the walk was over , I carried a
message from Nick to his sister who now
lives in Boston where I went to visit my
son, Michael .. . in many ways the Walk
had unexpected dividends in human ex-
perience .
A bad cold that developed into a net-
too-serious case of pneumonia kept me
from having all the experiences I should
like to have been part of in the latt er half
of the Walk. But I did hear about the ex-
periences that walkers had visiting chur-
ches and synagogues. One of the walkers
was a cleric in the Russian Orthodox
Church. Among the American walkers
were a rabbi and a woman who is an
Episcopal deacon. Several times Soviet
dissident lay persons met with walkers,
and a few ti mes they tried to join us but
were unsuccessful, apparentl y because of
the behi nd-the-ri mes diligence of local se-
curity guards at hotels who didn 't under-
stand glasnost.
At all times we had access to repre-
sentatives of the huge Soviet Peace Com-
mitt ee which acted as our host and did a
wonderful job of making arrange ments
for us. A new organization, the Soviet
Greens, was represented on our Walk by
its vice presiden t, Gregory Temkin. This
group combines concern for peace with
ecological concerns and incl udes many
scientis ts and conservationists. The Soviet
Peace Committee welcomed this new
group and generally opened up wide
opportunities for us to communicate with
the Soviet people. For example, on the
last day in Moscow, Genrick Borovik, the
writer who is the new head of the Soviet
Peace Committee, was host on an hour-
long TV program which focused on the
Walk, and reached, I am told . about 120
million viewers. On this program, on July
II. I read to this vast audience a draft of
a concludi ng state ment that summarized
what we walkers wanted to tell the world
after our three weeks toget her (see page 7
for text of this statement).
The International Peace Walk did not
issue any official stateme nt when we had
completed our mission, bei ng con ten t to
let a rock concert be the final statement
of cooperation between the Soviet and
American citi zens. Bands from both the
USSR and USA entertai ned Muscovites
for hours in the Moscow lznaulov Sta-
dium, and General Secretary Mikhail
Ocrbachev sent to the concert a message
greeti ng the Walk.
I thought something of more substance
than a rock concert should conclude the
Walk, so I read the followi ng to the
Soviet people who were viewing the TV
program:
"The Soviet -American peace walk ar-
rives in Moscow at a moment of great
hope. The peace movement is growi ng
throughout the world in response to the
danger to all human life that comes from
the evergrowing stockpiles of nuclear
weapons and other weapons of mass des -
truction. The great hope at the moment is
that a first step toward nuclear dtsa rme.
ment will take place very soon. The reo
moval of one class of nuclear weapons
would be an impor tant beginning. We
hope that no new crisis or no old stub-
born ness will block this initial move
toward freeing all humanity from the
greatest da nger it has ever had to face.
As we cit izens from two very different
societies have walked together, we have
begun the process of buildi ng friendship
and tr ust . We are confident that this co-
ope rat ion can con tinue and grow. We
foresee tha t we can wor k together on all
kinds of imaginative venture s that can
preserve the fragile planet on which we all
make our home.
Together we may - in a world of
peace - develop new non-pollut lnq
energy sources such as bringi ng power
from the sun do wn to the ear th. Without
such international cooperation there may
be no earth left on which any of us can
live.
With all this in mind we Soviet Amen-
can peace walkers step toward tomorrow,
and we ask all our brothers and sisters
everywhere to join this new walk into the
future.
With this I conclude my report on the
American Soviet Walk. Steps have already
begun toward having a similar walk in the
U.S. next year in which large numbers of
Soviet citizens will participate. Informa-
tion about this Walk can be obtained
from the Int ernational Peace Walk, Inc .,
4603 Cheltenham, Bethseda, Maryland
20814, Phone : 703/6522463.
Franklin Folsom
Writer
Boulder, Colorado
AS WE GO TO PRESS _. . Bob Borden of
Vict orville, California, has kept hi mself very
busy since the Walk edit ing and supplyi ng
condensed video tapes from abo ut SO hou rs
of raw footage taken during the Leninqrad-
to-Moscow Walk for use on cable and reg-
ular TV stations and by other walkers for
presentations all over the country. On UN
Day, October 25th, he joined Jim Pott er
at a Model UN Day event at Mission Viejo
where he recorded the entire event wit h his
camera. His dedication and work towards
promo ting peace and goodwill among all
is truly appreciated by everyone sharing
the results of his considerable talents in this
area of communication.
Three Walkers Working to Make a Difference
By ROBB TERRELL
_ .ad ccor di nq to Carl Hagelberg, one of the
~ 230 American walkers participating in
the unique event of Ameri can Soviet
citizens going from Leningr ad to Moscow,
each American exposed to the " very
st rong medicine" of the walk was "one in
a million." This included himself, a
27-year resident of Palos Verdes Estates;
Carole Shakely, of Her mosa Beach ; and
Bill Sanders , a na tive Califor nian living in
a condo in Redondo Beach.
While their experiences in the Soviet
Union were unique within the highly
structu red walk, these three South Bay
residents have drawn the same concl u-
sions. Much work is needed to help the
average American ci tizen realize that the
Soviet people are not the bad guys they
are generally believed to be .
" I went there with the impression
that the Russians were the enemy;" said
Carole , a hiqh-schcol English teache r and
mot her of an 18year old son. " But when
these little old women came up to me
during our parades into thes e small vil-
lages and large cities, and they were cry-
ing, pleading wit h us to tell President
Reagan not to drop bombs on them, I
realized the enemy was somethi ng else."
Carl, ez-veers young, atte mpt ed to
hold down antici pation of what he might
see in the Soviet Union, try ing to follow
the advice he has given his six children.
"When you have little info rmation
about a place, all you can do is create a
pict ure in your imagination," said the
for mer TRW engineer. "The ent ire pic.
t ure will be incorrect , so you might as
well not speculate."
Within his over 100 recorded ex-
peri ences, Carl discovered that besides
seeing the soft , calm, quiet people who
do not want world do mination, there was
not the "oppression and st rict authori ty
we imagined ."
" Although the militia was around ,
there were no weapons in sight ," he said,
adding tha t " people anticipa te the op-
pression, expec t it because of the type of
misinformation we get . Then, they react
to what they have imagined."
Bill Sanders had a different preconcep-
tion of the Soviet people . While realizing
they were not the enemy, he imagined
them a drab, homogeneous crowd living
in colorless cit ies und er a uniform, reqi-
mented life. What he found was differ-
ent .
"The large cities were rather gray,"
said the unmarried landl ord , "but, there
was plenty of color in the people. By that
I mean they are each an individual per-
sonali ty. I guess that 's common sense, but
all qroups seem monolit hic unt il you get
to know the individuals and see the varie-
ty . My stereoprype of the Soviet people
was shattered."
While this walk was for some an Intro-
ducti on to Peace Movement action, for
the se three Califo rnia part icpants, this
was nothing new. Dropping what Carole
emphasized as "an illusion of powerle ss.
ness," their collective acti ons before the
Walk ranged from local community work
to part icipating in previous peace walks.
" I teach for peace," said Carole en-
thu siast ically . "In my lessons, I try to
help the students understand that people
are the same everywhere and that each of
us must do something to keep the wield-
ers of the weapons from blowing us all
up ."
Carole also was committed to the
Great Peace March across the United
States in 1986. Unable to attend because
of her teaching, she supported the walk
financi ally, a constant contribution over
the 9 month trek from Los Angeles to
Washingt on, D.C.
" Fort unately, I 'm off in the summer
and was able to go to the Soviet Union."
For Bill and Carl , the Walk in the
Soviet Union was not their first such ven.
t ure. Bill took part in the Internat ional
March for Peace in Central Ameri ca in
December 1985 and Janua ry 1986. Or-
ganized by people in Norway and spon-
sored in the United Sta tes by the Office
of the Americas, the trek from Panama
City to Mexico City was also traversed by
bus rides and with walking. Walkers were
able to talk to people along the way, but
there were major differences between this
walk and the one in the Soviet Union .
"Because we went through several
countries, there were more political fla-
vors," Bill said. "There was also a better
chance to meet people on the st reet be-
cause we were not accompanied by our
peace counterpa rts."
Shortly after their experience , Bill be-
came a volunteer at the Califo rnia Region
SANE/ Freeze office in Santa Monica. He
also gave time to the Office of the Ameri -
cas and to local democratic c1u bs.
Carl also part icipated in a previous
Walk for world peace. His journey was
the Great Peace March. Unlike his younq-
est son, Gus, Carl was una ble to devote
nine months to walking across the ccnti-
nent. Instead, he amd his wife, Ruthie,
walked the first day, and then met the
March where they coul d drive to it in a
day's time.
"I didn ' t participate regularly until
Nebraska," Carl said. "Then, I joined for
10 days. Later, I rejoined in Philadelphia
and completed the rest of the route into
Washington, D.C."
Besides walking various parts of the
globe , both Bill and Carl have taken part
in civil disobedience actions. Last May,
1987, Carl was arrested with several
others for thei r demonst rati on on the
Nevada nuclear test site. Since t he Peace
Walk in the Soviet Union , Bill has also
been ar rested. His arrest was with several
others at the grounds of the California
Air National Guard base at Van Nuys Air
port for pro testing U.S. milit ary aid to
the Nicaraguan contras.
Both men found out about the recent
peace walk fro m the same two local ectiv-
. Ists, Donna Newberg and Marian Ander-
son. Carl knew them from the Great
Peace March. Bill knew them from his
volunteer work.
Carole found out through the network
created by the Great Peace March. None
of the three California part icipants knew
each other before the Peace Walk in the
Soviet Union.
Finding out about the Walk was only
the beginning of getting there. Because
only a limited number of people were al -
lowed t o participa te by the Soviet Peace
Committee, there was an extensive ap pli-
cation to complete. Once this was mailed
to the Internat ional Peace Walk office in
Irvine, Californi a, along with a precess-
ing cha rge, applicants waited for phone
calls.
"They called me and di d an interview
over the phone," Carole said. "They
wanted to know how I'd react to negative
comments about Ameri ca , or what I'd do
if someone told me about some horrible
deed they were about to per form. I quess
I answered the questi ons O.K. , I got to
go."
Beyond acce ptance, there was a $2500
per person cos t to cover airfare and a
week 's orienta tion outside Leesburg, Vir.
ginia, prior to depar t ure. For Bill, the
money came out of savings. Carl tried to
replenish hi s account by sending letters to
all the people he contacts through his
onen:tan Jaguar repair business, his two
satellite cable ventures, and his running
club .
"I did this two weeks before I left , so J
didn 't see the response until I ret urned .
There was $1200 waiting for me."
" I count that qui te a victory," he con-
tinued, " because much of that money
came from some very wealthy and very
conservat ive people. There was one
couple who had been very down on the
Great Peace March . But , through talking
to them rationally and non threateni ngly,
they were moved to where they gave me
$250."
Fund raising for Carole consisted of
individual donations through people in
and around her hometown, Hermosa
Beach.
Other evidence of the diversity of
these three walkers eme rged in their pur-
pose for going.
"On the Great Peace March," said Carl,
"1 found myself saying I was doing some-
THE PEACE REPORT - 11
thing important for the first time in my
life. Gus was there when I said that , and,
of course, disaqreed, saying I had raised
six kids. But , the feeling was there and it
carried over. Solving the nuclear diJemna
is the most import ant thing anyone can
be striving for. The Soviet Peace Walk was
a way for me to help do that ."
What Carl was also hoping for was an
ext ension of the one-to-one relationships
he had created through his Jaquar and
satellite cable businesses since quitting
the large corporation scene at TRW.
"With one-to-one encounters there is
qreat satisfaction that can't be achieved in
huge cor porations or thr ough some dis-
tant , non-personal connection," he stated.
"When you deal directly with someone
and see who they are, it 's easier to get dir-
ect, useful feedback."
Carl's decision to go on the Walk did
not come easily, as did hi s reasons for go-
ing. There were his three businesses to
attend to, and there was leaving his wife.
"There were all sorts of adjustments to
be made," he reflected. "But , gradually, a
bit at a time, I made those adjustments.
Then I sent in the first $500 and I was
committ ed to the project ."
For Bill and Carole, the decision was
simpler. Carole's teaching job gave her
summer vacation, and her son was able to
take care of himself and the house.
Bill had only to make sure his tenants
knew he was away and could call some-
place else when problems arose.
" I had to go because a walk in the
Soviet Union seemed so interesting and
useful," he said in a rare display of anima-
tion. "I t seemed necessary for people in
the United States to see the Soviet people
as personalities. "
And see, he did. Among the lessons he
learned to pass on to as many people as
possible was about the relative economi c
security felt by most of the Soviet citi
zens he met .
"They seemed relaxed about their full
employment. They have universal medical
care. Nobody is economically well off by
our standards, but for them, that seems
O.K. They were surprised how many pee-
ple lack this feeling of economic security
in the United States ."
Bill also learned of the horrors of
World War II, their Great Patriot ic War. It
was in every speech, at every monument,
in the schools he visited, in the museums.
The loss of 20 million people and most of
their industrial machine influences cur.
rent government decisions.
"The people aren't ready for military
ventures," Bill reported. "They would
have to be convinced that any such ven.
ture was for peace. Thi s is the stance of
their government , a posture of defense,
and United States planners should consi-
der this posture ."
The scars of the Great Patriotic War
came face-to-face with Carole.
"These little old babushkas - old grand-
mothers - would come up to me as we
12- THE PEACEREPORT
walked down their streets," she said with
a look of pain, "and they 'd be crying,
pleading with us not ot bomb them. One
of the American women had a babushka
take her aside and cry on her shoulder,
and clut ch her, and say to her , 'Please,
don't shoot us.' This is their message."
Before Carole departed from her Her-
mosa Beach home, she had another mess-
age of her own.
" My focus is on peace," she said of her
mot ives for going on the Walk, "and
achieving that has come to mean indivi
duals taking action to create inner peace
and then working for it around them.
What they must dc.alsc, is realize that the
powerlessness that most people feel is an
illusion. All of us as individuals, actin g to-
gether, against the arms race can stop the
bombs and make peace in the world. My
going on this peace walk was a statement
of that."
Besides the tears of the old women,
Carole, Bill, and Carl went their respec-
tive ways within the walk, collect ing im-
pressions that developed their collecti ve
conclusion that the Soviet people are not
our enemies. Carole collect ed video
images of young people along the route.
Youths eager to communicate throuqh
interpreters, gestures, and music of thei r
own composition, sang and spoke of
peace and of the impor tance of good in-
ternational social relat ions.
Bill, while somewhat bound to one of
the 11 buses as the bus facilitat or , had
less time to venture outside the hectic
walk schedule. Relying on other's stories,
he concentrated on the direct policy
messages that came across at the some-
times three-a-day rallies along the route .
"There was an overwhelming policy to
remember the Second World War. I'd see
it in the parades we'd be in, and at the
memorials. And the enthusiasm about it
and the importance of our being there
was a genuine expression by the people.
The government couldn 't put tears in
their eyes or flowers in their hands."
Carl's accounts were wll documented
in his diary. In it he described the wel-
come at Leninqrad Airport and the chil-
dren 's poem "I want to live and not to
die, learned especially to recite for the
American walkers. His story of the 20 to
50,000 people who lined the stree ts for
miles into Novqorad left him with the
feeling of a "hero's welcome."
At a hotel where the walkers partly
camped and partly checked into rooms,
there was an impromptu ceremony done
by the American Soviet war veterans on
the walk. Carl described his view.
"We interrupted the dance proqram
q:oing on to announce the tribute. The
crowd parted and we, about 10 in all,
walked bareheaded, flowers in hand, to
the campfi re and stood there in silence
for perhaps three minutes. This was
followed by tears and hugs. A big Russian
and I walked slowly, almost bridal
procession pace, back to the hotel,
arms around each other's waists."
Carl al so captured an emotional scene
the morning the Americans left Moscow.
"Looking out the hotel window, 1had
a good view of the goodbyes between
Soviets and Americans. The gestures,
body lanquage, ti ming, exchanging
addresses. All the people are complex
individuals and absolut ely indisting
quishable between Sovietsand Americans."
What the thr ee South Bay participant s
learned on their unique journeys along
the same route from Leningrad to Mos.
cow was that the people of the Soviet
Union are not the enemy in the arms
race.
"The problem is governmental," said
Carl, "and at least one half our responsi-
bility."
"The enemy is not the people,"Carole
said emph atically. "The enemy is some-
thing else."
"The people of the Soviet Union are
not the enemy. This was a belief con-
firmed by the Walk," Bill said. "Govern-
ments decide wars. If the people were in
control, there would be no wars. The
enemy is those who went to gain more
and more power. This exists in the Soviet
Union and in the United States. The
weapons are for the enemy to play
games," in their battles against each
other.
Spreading this common conclusion
takes these "one-in-a-million" Americans
off again in different directions. Carole
has already had a story about her publ -
lished in the Daily Breeze. She has also
done int erviews on two local radio ste-
tions. In the coming year, she plans to use
her video in various edited forms to pre-
sent her impressions of the Walk to her
st udents.
Carl's emphasis for disseminating his
knowledge about the Soviet Union is
upon speaking to people one -to-one.
"The fact that I, a respected, lc nq-time
resident of the neiq:h borhood, went on
the Great Peace March, the American
Soviet Walk, and my arrest in Nevada
changed some of the wealthy censers.
nves around here," he said. "They know
I' m not crazy. So, they sJowly seem to
listen to me. 111 talk to them when I fix
their cable systems, or do work on thei r
cars, or while I'm running with them."
I'm watching to see if I'll push this all
aside," he said contemplatively. "Will I
get back to the old way? Will I ret urn to
the TRW hallways? No! I write down my
stori es and Ruthie types them. Then I
talk to people."
His collection of I Spicture story-
boards of the Walk have already been
used to stimulate discussion and educa -
tion at a small meeting on his block.
"My life has been permanently and
deeply changed. I see myself in a differ -
ent way, now. I'm dedicating my life to
the Peace Movement."
Robb Terrell
Teacher
Lor ton, Virginia
ENORMOUS REGARDS FROM THE SOVIET UNION
,
Greetings, Dear Friends in the U.S.A.:
My name is Valery ; I live in a big city -
Leningrad. 1 am 26 years old; I am a metal
worker whose job is repairing freight cars for
t rains . I love music and I sing in a choir . We
often per form. We performed at the time of
the Peace March in a village market in the
Tosno Region .
I am married. I have a 13yearold dauqh-
ter . I got married whe n my wife got preqn-
nent : she is 32. Soon there will be a second
child.
I recieved your lett er at the time of the
Peace March between Leningrad and Mos-
cow, 19th of June , 1987, du ring your tour
of Tosno, and I at once decided to respond .
Were we to go on such marches often, we
would together be able to sunnount war and
live in peace. We need to be together as
much as possible. to exchanqe different
opinions in order to prevent distrust and
false information. Without question, our
qreat peoples, as all the peoples of the planet ,
want peace, happiness, and prosperity ! Your
and our problem is to preserve the peace!
Your people had to st ruggle very little for
its independence. The Soviet people had to
uphold its independence through bitter wars;
but the most terrible was the war of 1941-
1945. In this war 20 minion people died in
the Soviet Union, while the total for the en-
ti re planet was 50 million people. Your prest-
dent and all the government, the Congress _
those people are adults. But I don't under-
st and why they do not propose to come to
meet our government [i.e., meet each other
half-way ). They constantl y avoid making
concrete/straight answers. You know, the'n!
have been enough weapons amassed to des.
troy the planet several times over. Where will
it all lead? Do not believe/t rust whoever is
for a greater arms buil d-up. They are de-
ceiving you. Do not believe that the Soviet
Union is an agqressor. This is the most peace-
loving nation in the world. Do not believe
such films as Rambo, Amerika, Red Dawn,
EtC. I have seen some clips from these films;
to speak honestly, the producers of these
films should be ashamed.
Write to tell me what interests you ! Ask
as many questions as you like. Write me
your names, addresses, and I will qive you
the addresses of Soviet people . Let us ex.
change all kinds of things : photoqraphs,
postcards, lapel pins, etc.
I wish you and all the American people
happiness, peace, and love.
I await your answer impatiently!
Respectfully,
Valery Olegovich Rosanov
23/06/87
FRIENDS INTHE USA REPLY
Dear Valery :
When I read your letter I shed tears of
joy. I know that we had taken the first
step together to ensure a futu re of peace
for ourselves and ou r children. I too have
a 13yearoId daught er ; I am 40 years old
and my wife is 37. I am a high school tea-
cher (students 1318). 1am the advisor to
the International Friendship Club at ou r
school. Then! are 15 members in the club .
Many will be writing to you . We are very
excited to get your letter . Our dream is to
bring our peoples together in peace. We
share the world and must know more
about each other.
I believe the people of the Soviet
Union want peace. How could it be any
other way considering the brut ality of
war your nation has experienced this cen.
tury ? The people of the United Stat es
also love peace . It is the most inportant
issue. You are right - it is OUR problem.
We must solve it together !
More communications bet ween our
people is the way to build trust. If we can
view each other as members of the same
family - that we an! more alike than dif
ferent - then this too can build a bridge
of t rust to cross the wall of fear. We are
on that journey. Our hands now touch in
spirit . Let it soon be in physical reality.
We would like to know more about
your everyday life and your personal in-
terests and viewpoints. Yes, send us the
addr esses of other Soviet citizens to cor-
respond with .
Our job at school and in the United
States is to promot e peace. We cannot
afford the arm's race. We must keep
weapons out of space. As a teacher, I
teach peace . I am glad to know you.
Write back soon.
Leigh Nicoll
Interna tional Friendship Club
Rancho Alamitos High School
Garden Grove, California
THEPEACE REPORT - 13
This joint walk of Soviet and American citizens, the first of its
kind in the history of relations between the USSR and the USA,
is a specific contribution to strengthening mutual confidence,
understanding and friendship, and is a convincing example of
citizen's diplomacy in action. The Soviet leadership supports
such initiatives because they lead to establishing good neighbor-
ly relations among common people of different countries, de-
stroy old sterotypes and help to create the image of partner and
friend rather than enemy image.
I share the feeling of deep concern expressed in many messages
addressed to me over the threat of nuclear catastrophy looming
over humankind and fraught with the destruction of everything
alive on the planet . From all points of view, including certainly a
moral one, the time has come to get rid of nuclear thinking, beat
the swords into ploughshares and channel the funds thus released
to social needs and creative purposes. We are convinced that the
only alternative to the policy of nuclear suicide and to guarantee
the survival of humankind is to build a nonviolent world free
from nuclear weapons.
Everyone who holds dear peace has the Soviet Union as a firm
and adamant ally in achieving these truly sacred objectives of
humankind. All our policy is aimed at it. We shall continue to
build our efforts so as to make opening and possibilities for ad-
vancing along the way of eliminating nuclear weapons become a
reality .
I wish you and your families good health, happiness,and wellbeing,
world without wars and weapons.
A LETTER VIA TELEX FROM MIKHAIL GORBACHEV TO THE AMERICAN SOVIET WALKERS
children and guaranteeing the survival of humankind will impress
themselves for long in the memory of the participants in the
walk.
3727090
Allan Affeldt, President
International Peace Walk
Dear Friends:
I am thankful to you for the letters, cables, and messages in
which you express gratitude for the cordiality and hospitality
accorded by Soviet people to the participants in the Soviet
American Walk for Peace.
I believe that meetings with thousands of Soviet citizens and
lively discussions of the ways of ensuring peaceful future for our
(Following is the reply by Mikhail Gorbachev to the messages of the
participants inthe Soviet-American Walk for Peace:)
Dear Allan:
As you know, many participants of the American Soviet Walk for
peace have sent personal and collective letters to General Secre-
tary Mikhail Gorbachev. Today, "Pravda" newspaper and the
Soviet TV have published the reply of Mikhail Gorbachev to
those letters. It is a remarkable event in the history of the Soviet
as well as American Peace Movements and one more a convincing
evidence of the success of our joint walk. I congratulate you most
heartily and I ask you to inform all American walkers on the
response of Mikhail Gorbachev. Certainly, it would be most
useful that the American public would have the utmost inform-
ation on the Soviet leader 's response and on the walk itself. With
best regards. " k P id t
Gennkh Borovi , resr en
Soviet Peace Committee
Mikhail Gorbachev
AMERICAN SOVIET
WALK DIRECTORY
1987 - LENI NGRAD T O MOSCOW
BUSNO. 1
Note: Participant names redacted from digitized version.
BUS NO.2
BUS NO.3
BUS NO.4
BUS NO.5
BUS NO.6
Note: Participant names redacted from digitized version.
NOTE: Should you wish to receive the
next issue of THE PEACE REPORT,
please see page 7 for information. Thanks
very much for your interest.
THE PEACE REPORT - 15
BUS NO.7
BUS NO. B
BUS NO.9
BUS NO. 10
Note: Participant names redacted from digitized version.
GORBACHEV ON "GLASNOST"
"Openness amd democracy . . . do not
mean that everything is permitted," Gor-
bachev told some edit ors last July. "Open-
ness is called upon to strengthen socia-
lism and the spirit of our people, to
st rengthen moral ity and a mo ral at-
mosphere in society. Openness also means
criticism of shortcomings . But it does not
mean the undermining of socialism and
our social values. "
Soviet officials may speak of Afghan-
istan as a mistake when abroad, but such
an opinion still doesn 't get into its dom-
estic press.
16 - THEPEACE REPORT
'.
AS WE GO TO PRESS, we've learned
that Allan Affeldt and Joe Kinczel are
actively working on American Soviet
Walks for the summer of 1988. While de-
tails are not yet firm, they can be reached
at the International Peace Walk, Inc.,
Temple Heights Station, P.O. Box 53412,
Washington, D.C. 20009, . Phone :
202/232-7055 .
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
THEPEACE REPORT- 17
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
18 - THEPEACE REPORT
AS WE GO TO PRESS, on the 15th of
September, the United Nations for the
second yea r in a row recognized Paul
Portner of the Riverdale Elementary
School for his " Balloon-Messages-for-
Peace" effort which involved more than
1400 schools throughout the United
States in the launching of helium-filled
balloons with letters from schoolchildren
attached with their thoughts for a peace-
ful world. Congratulations!
GLASNOST - usually t ransla ted as open-
ness; a dictionary published in Moscow,
however, defines it as publicity , or public
airing .
PERESTROIKA - t ranslated as a rebuild-
ing, or reconst ruction, reforming or re-
organizat ion .
DEMOCRATSIA - Russians usually infer
it to mean socialist democracy , which re-
fers to more participation by workers in
the choosing of leaders in st ate-run enter-
prises.
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
THEPEACE REPORT - 19
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
20 - THEPEACE REPORT
AS WE GO TO PRESS, we have heard
from many of the American Soviet walk-
ers, induding a letter from Russell Yoder.
He states that he 's given 14 presentations
with his slides and has appointments for
several more. Responses, he says, have
been exciting and very positive in his
home area of Kalona, Iowa.
KD KIDDER, one of the American Soviet
walkers, has a "Peace Act ion Archives"
of photographs of various peace activities
dating back to 1983. For $8.00 you can
become a part of this Peace Photo Bank
network and receive a printout of all
available work . You can reach KD at
Photoworks, 2a Loudoun St. , SW, Lees-
burg, VA 22075, Phone: 703/777-4002.
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
THEPEACE REPORT - 21
Note: Participant directory information redacted from digitized version.
22 - THEPEACE REPORT
AS WE GO TO PRESS Carl and Cindy of
Darnell Designs have indicat ed that Amer-
ican Soviet Walk shirts are still available
to you. You may reach "Designs tha t
make a difference" at 228 West Sixth
St reet , Medford, OR 97501, phone :
503/773-5782.
Note: Participant directoryinformation redacted fromdigitized version.
A SPECIAL NOTE: Several walkers from America and
from the Soviet Russia met in Moscow du ring the last
few days of the Walk to di scuss the possibility of a
join t publication ventu re - specifically, a magazine
dedicated to the development of a better understand-
ing between our two countries and other nations of the
world. The magazine is to be a quality publication of
approximately 100 pages, to be published in two
bindings on a quarterly basis in two languages -
English and Russian , iden tical in layout and design,
except for the two languages. The goal is to create a
publication in which the pursuit of peace and the
preservation of the earth 's environment are to be the
prime subjects of its contents.
For any wishing more information on this project,
please call or write THE PEACE REPORT, 410 West
Coast Highway , Suite 300 , Newport Beach, CA 92663.
Phone: 714/675-1724.
THEPEACE REPORT - 23
Peace is bliss ... Peace is free .. . Peace is love.
From Wrmis 'n STuff, South laguna, CA 92677
PEACE . . . A Definiti on
Peace is the absence of activities and noise . . . a deep st illness. qui et .
Re,:orintecl by special penn,ss,on from
the Los Angeles Times, Sept. 14, J987.
THEPEACECOMMUNITY
Continued from page 1
of the budgets of pentagon and de fense
industry lobbyists, these activists have
given voice to th e hopes of ordinary
Ame rican s, have de manded of official-
do m a reasonable armistice and, perhaps
most remarkably. have affected the per -
ceptions and the behavior of the Soviet
leadership. The peace community is now
a pennanent fixture in the constellation
of American politics, emi t tinq its own
light and ex ert inq a powerful qravita -
tional force.
American and Eurpoean peaceniks
cannot alon e seize the credi t for the INF
accord. Reagan and Gorbachev have been
surprisingly adept and flexible in reachin g
th is accommodation - one aided by West
Eurpoean leaders. But credi t is also due
to th e newly mobilized citizenry that has
changed t he politi cal dynamics of arms
cont rol forever.
Peace is an infi nit e stat e of freedom from outside disturbances
and harassment .. . et erna l repo se.
Peace is thai which gives or maint ains tranquilit y .. .
the action of quietude and silence.
Peace is a stare of trust between govenunents, the absence of war
and tummoil . . . a pact or formal agreement to end hostilities, a
fonnal recon ciliation bet ween contending parties. as a peace treat y.
Peace is the lack of civil clamor and confusion . . . a state of public
qui et or security and order wit hin a community as provided for
by law. custom. or public opinion.
Peace is harmon y in human and personal relationships .. .
mu tual con cord and esteem.
Peace .. . many seek it. few know its Irue mean ing . . .
As more understand. perhaps it could become a reality.
Edit or :
Thank you so very much for yo ur first
dynamic issue of T h ~ P ~ a c ~ Report. It
was wonderful reading the articles and
quotes of such aware peopl e like Dr.
Helen Caldicott, Carl Sagan, Carol Bur-
nett , and yourself. Congratulations on a
fantastic micro magazine with a macro
message.
I' ve been busy mailing xerox letters to
friends an d sponsors of t he American-
Soviet Walk, et c. I' m also in the mi dst of
putt ing my memoirs together of The
Great Peace March as well and scheduling
lectu res and slide shows. These are all
pleasant minor chores whi le t ryi ng to best
utili ze my energies towards t he major
issue - nuclear disar mament.
This small donation is to help support
your very worthwhi le ef forts .
Freda A mse1
Northridge, CA
Peace is a menial or spiritual condition marked by freedom
from disquieti ng or oppressive thoughts . . . a calmness of
mind and heart. a serenity of spirit.
important wor k. I hope to joi n and work
on our next American/Soviet Walk!
Anyone comi ng through Sun Valley
is welcome - Please call me. Let 's keep
in touch.
Lowie Graves, ASW No. 15
Sun VaHey, I daho
208/726-8564
Editor :
What a good project . I' m always con-
cern ed about the number of groups in-
volved in peace movements (t he number
is good) and the dangers of territ oriality
overshado wing cooperation ...
My project is tryinq to collect all the
material . . '. or at least know about all
that is being done about teachi ng peace in
school systems. I'm especially interested
in the parents and teachers for social reo
sponsibili ty. Educators for Social g espcn-
nsibility (ESR) has some excellent eurri-
culum material . You certainly have bitten
off a big chunk ; I'm a rusty old journal.
ism major mysel f and know how relent -
less those deadl ines are . Peace on earth
and qood luck for you r project .
Rosemary Dear, ASW No. 58
Poulsbo. WashingtOll
Edi tor:
Since ret urning home, ta king some
time for.myself. goi ng th rough my photos.
notes. and recordinqs, J am again aware
of t he very intense experience we all
shared on our walk in the Soviet Union.
It was as mentally , phy sically , and
emotionally demanding as I ha d expected
it to be!
I knew instantl y, when intr od uced to
the staff and t he informa tion on the pro-
posed walk in February (1987), that this
was what I wanted to do - to expand my
underst anding and experi ence beyond my
self and home into an area of such im-
porta nce in our world today - the effort
toward promoting true peace for all na-
tions beepnni ng wit h nuclear disarmament.
We have to begin somewhe re and I be-
Iieve each of us will find OUR way to
affect chanqe in the at ti tudes of fri ends
and family and community.
I feel quite frustrat ed to be leaving my
communit y of Newpo rt Beach, California,
for the next year - where I already have
avenu es for peace work - to live in Sun
Valley , Idaho, where I am unknown . I ex -
pect to chanqe that! 1 plan to give talks,
receptions, video and slide showings of
ou r Ame rican-Soviet Walk experiences,
and I plan to read and st udy (and ski) so
that I can become more ef fec tive in th is
Edit or :
How do I intend to use my experience
as a peace walker?
Presently. I have had fou r chu rch
appearances, one high school assembly.
two Chamber of Commerce sessions. one
Lions Club meeting, and in the future will
be malting presentations at two Sunday
School s, two Kiwanis clubs. one Optimist,
two Rotary, one community, and three
churches. plus many one-on-one meetinqs.
So far, I've also writt en one article and
have had two newspaper interviews.
Russell L. Yoder, ASW No. 108
Kalona, Iowa
LETTERS
24- THE PEACE REPORT
"Imagine hO'N much the cause at peace would be served if more individuals and tarruies trom our
respective countries could come 10 know each other in a personal way . . . We should broaden
opportunities for Soviet and American citizens 10 get 10 know each other better."
- Ronald W. Reagan
40th President of the United States
"Ewry gun that is made. every !3rship launched. every rocket fired. signifies. in the final sense. a theft from
those who hlllger and are not fed . those who are coldand are not clothed. The 'M)I1d in arms is not spending
money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers. the genlls of its scientists. the hope of its children.
I like tobelieve that people in the kmgrun are going todomore toercrcte peace thCll our gCMl mments.lndeed.
I think that people want peace so much thai one of these days QOYemments had better get out of the w;ry and
let them have ie
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
5 Star General, United States Army
Supreme tomnancer
Integrated European Delense Forces
World War II
34th President of the United States