End of Cold War Yielded Increased Citizen Diplomacy
After the fall and disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, there was an unprecedented influx of western not-for-profits and citizen-led organizations into Eastern Europe, eager to mend the sour relations between the two opposing super powers. Globalization was becoming a mighty and impactful force, therefore the time had never been better to increase citizen interaction between the former Soviet Union and the United States.
Carol Vipperman, the founder of the Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation (FRAEC), has been formally engaging in citizen diplomacy with Russia for over twenty-one years. The story of FRAEC and Carol illustrate the importance of the private sector in international relations. Surpassing governments and interacting on a citizen level is what citizen diplomacy is all about.
Read her story and continue to submit your own stories!
Posted Tuesday, August 10, 2010