People to People

In 1956 President Eisenhower established the Citizen Ambassador Program, also known as People to People, under the auspices of the State Department. He envisioned groups of Americans traveling to other countries of the world, meeting citizens there with similar livelihoods and interests, and improving America's image abroad in ways that formal diplomacy could not achieve. My parents joined one of the very first tours, traveling to Russia in 1957. A rather scary adventure then with what little we knew about the place; I had serious concerns that they might have trouble getting home! To say that Mother and Dad enjoyed the tour is an understatement - they talked about that trip for years. And the friendships formed among their traveling companions lasted the rest of their lives.

In 1996 I received two invitations - one for Chile and the other for New Zealand/Australia. With somewhat overlapping travel dates I couldn't do both so I opted to go Down Under. Wonderful experience. Beautiful countries and wonderfully hospitable citizens.

Last week I received another invitation, this time for Israel. I'd really like to go! I recall that Mother and her sister Mary enjoyed their trip to Israel and Egypt very much (well, maybe everything but the camel rides.) But I think I'd better decline. Each tour has a theme. That early one was based on agriculture (visiting communes, etc.) and with Dad's background in animal husbandry and agronomy the invitation was a natural fit. The theme for this upcoming tour in December is medical education and healthcare.

Having had no training in those fields I doubt that I could contribute much to meeting discussions - in fact, I wouldn't try for fear of sounding like a nincompoop! I'm puzzled as to why my name came up in connection with such a theme. I'm allowed to recommend alternate persons for my slot, but have no one in mind to suggest. Ah, well. No doubt the directors of the private foundation now running the program will find a more suitable candidate.