A Life in U.S.-Soviet Russia Exchanges
From Airlie House to Moscow: A Life in U.S.–Soviet Exchanges. This post is the first of three. They were initiated by the failed summit in Alaska. It was between two men who cannot be trusted. Achieving peace in Ukraine requires diplomatic exchanges. These should be based on discussions between Ukraine and Russia. Additionally, a neutral country with broad diplomatic appeal is needed. Right, the United States is a questionable choice given the inept group that went to Alaska.
The First Post: Introduction
The early 1980s were still the heart of the Cold War. The United States and the Soviet Union faced off in every arena—military, political, ideological. But in 1981, I began a journey that would transform my own life. It also changed the lives of many others. This was the path into citizen-to-citizen exchanges between Americans and Soviets. What began with training courses in Washington, D.C., soon expanded into decades of educational collaboration, personal relationships, and a vision for global understanding.
Training for a New Kind of Diplomacy
Before setting foot in the Soviet Union, I participated in a training courses at the Airlie House in Washington, D.C. These sessions were remarkable not only for their scope but for their boldness at the time. We heard directly from Soviet historians, dissidents, and émigré scholars. They shared their stories. They also shared their critiques and nuanced understanding of life inside the USSR.
Even more unusual, we were exposed to oral research reports from Soviet scholars themselves, delivered through intermediaries and visiting academics. The intent was clear. Before traveling behind the Iron Curtain, Americans needed a deeper historical and cultural grounding. The Airlie House became a crucible for that preparation.
First Encounters: Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev (1981)
Armed with this preparation, I joined my first delegation to the Soviet Union in 1981, visiting Moscow, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and Kiev (now Kyiv). The experience was transformative.
The First AHP Delegation (1983)
By 1983, I became part of the first delegation organized by the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP) to the USSR. This group brought together psychologists, educators, and Soviet experts for meetings in Moscow, Leningrad, and Tbilisi (Soviet Georgia). You can read about the AHP Soviet Exchange Project: 1993-1990 and Beyond.
This delegation was groundbreaking in its insistence on human-to-human dialogue. We discussed psychological research, educational practice, and the shared challenges of human development under very different political systems. I
The delegation of 30 North Americans was led by Francis Macy. Macy was a Soviet scholar, Russian speaker, and director of the AHP. He pioneered collaborations with the USSR both before and after its dissolution. As the Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Safe Energy (of The Earth Island Institute), he led many delegations. He organized numerous teams. These delegations connected Americans with their Soviet counterparts. These delegations focused on psychology, ecology, and sustainable energy. He served the U.S. Peace Corps from 1964 to 1972 (incl. directing programs in India, Tunisia and Nigeria).
Also leading the group was Anna Kucharev, the delegation “Sherpa,” and Paul von Ward, an experienced diplomat. The project involved sending delegations of North American psychologists and educators to the Soviet Union. The primary locations were Moscow, Leningrad, and Tbilisi. These delegations participated in educational and cultural exchange programs. For the period 1983-1989, delegations returned to the same cities annually developing deeper and deeper collaborations. In 1988, the first delegation of Soviet educators, psychologists, and researchers arrived in Atlanta. This would be the first of many Soviet, later Russian delegations, also involving teachers and students from five Russian cities.
Out of this, I was asked to become the Director of the AHP Soviet Exchange Program in 1987. This role would define the next two decades of my career.
Two Decades of Exchanges
As Director, I collaborated with colleagues in Georgia. Together, we led more than 20 delegations to the Soviet Union and Russia. This took place from the early 1980s until 2021. These exchanges expanded far beyond professional meetings. They became avenues for teachers, students, and ordinary citizens to discover each other’s lives. They challenged stereotypes reinforced by their governments.
The highlight of these decades was the Global Thinking Project (GTP)—a pioneering initiative in educational collaboration. American and Soviet students started working together in the late 1980s. This collaboration extended into the 1990s. They worked on science-based projects across six Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Puschino, Chelyabinsk, and others. The GTP utilized early internet connections, classroom exchanges, and face-to-face visits. It became a model of how education could serve as a bridge across geopolitical divides. We established the first telecommunications network linking American and Russian schools in 1989.
Legacy and Reflection
Looking back, it is evident how the trajectory evolved from the Airlie House briefings in 1981. The progression continued to the Global Thinking Project exchanges of the 1990s. This journey and beyond demonstrates the power of citizen diplomacy. Political leaders often faltered in sustaining trust. Meanwhile, ordinary educators, psychologists, and students built lasting relationships. These relationships continue to resonate today.
For me, these decades reinforced a simple truth. Authentic peace is not built in treaty rooms alone. It is built in classrooms, community centers, and personal friendships.
Brief Summary
- 1981: Attended training courses at Airlie House, D.C., with Soviet historians, dissidents, and scholars.
- 1981 trip: First visit to the USSR—Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev.
- 1983: Joined the first Association for Humanistic Psychology delegation of psychologists and educators to Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi. Became Director of the AHP Soviet Exchange in 1987.
- 1983–2021: Coordinated 20+ delegations to and from the USSR/Russia.
- 1990s onward: Directed Global Thinking Project student exchanges across six Russian cities, linking U.S. and Russian schools.
- Legacy: Showed that enduring dialogue and citizen exchanges build stronger bridges than official diplomacy alone.