Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council

Our delegation from the Russian Federation consisted of an attorney, a doctor, and humanitarian workers.  The Department of State identified the following goals and objectives for the project:

To introduce Russian social and community workers to best U.S. practices in treating victims of war, torture, natural disaster, and forced migration;

To forge links between U.S. and Russian professional working to mitigate the toll of armed conflict, human rights violations, and extreme poverty; and

To empower ordinary citizens to make a positive difference in vulnerable communities

To that end, the group traveled to Washington, D.C., Pensacola, Dallas, Portland (OR), and New York City for “meetings at organizations with successful psycho-social programs, including select hospitals, universities, legal aid societies, rape crisis centers, and charities; visits to specialized programs treating trauma victims; talks by academic experts in social work and social anthropology; meetings with government officials who partner with community activists to provide services to vulnerable populations; and discussions with government officials who had to contend with devastating events in their cities.”

The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council is grateful to the many people who worked together to make this project a success in Pensacola including Barbara Vititow, Project Coordinator for Feeding the Homeless Plus Team at First United Methodist Church (FUMC), FUMC pastors Wesley Wachob and Geoffrey Lentz, Claire of the FUMC backpack program, and the many other volunteers at the FUMC soup kitchen.  The delegates’ time at FUMC provided them with an excellent orientation to the poverty present in Escambia County and allowed them to experience volunteer work, an important component of the national program.

Mr. Alex Terentev took time out of his day to answer the group's questions about his experience as an immigrant, and Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council member Barbara Henry volunteered as their local facilitator.  Mayor  Mike Wiggins and Elaine Mager prepared certificates of honorary citizenship for the group which Councilwoman Maren DeWeese, and diplomacy council member board member Dr. Leasha Barry and member Lee Little presented to the international guests.

At BRACE, Maralee Sartain addressed the situational poverty created by storms.  Following her presentation, Mary Holloway of the Escambia VISTA Coalition and her VISTA volunteers introduced their work and gave the delegates a chance to learn about the power of volunteerism in Escambia County.  Kelly Stone next spoke on the Trauma Recovery Initiative at the Children’s Home Society, and during lunch on their second day in town, Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council board member Dr. Jania Kietzmann discussed her own work with the children of military personnel and the programs in place to help deal with military post traumatic stress disorder.  

Appointments continued with a tour of a battered women’s shelter given by Valerie Love and with an overview of domestic violence in Escambia County given by Sue Hand, executive director of FAVOR HOUSE.  Fred Sulzbach, director of programming, and Marsha Travis, director of residential programs, also spoke on FAVOR House educational programs.  Executive Director Vickie Horton introduced the delegation to the work of the Gulf Coast Kid’s House; and at Catholic Charities Executive Director Mark Dufva discussed immigration, refugee resettlement, human trafficking, poverty, racism, and social entrepreneurship.  The group also met Bishop John H. Ricard.  

Thanks also to Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council members Dr. Richard Hough and Lydia Scherck and to board members Msgr Luke Hunt, Bradley Proctor, Susan Smart, and Pat Windham for hosting delegates and their interpreters to simultaneous dinners, to Keith and Susan Bullock for taking some of the visitors sailing, and to other community members who spent time with the group on the weekend and during the evenings.