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K. Krylov: Briefings in the US about UPF's Work in Eurasia
Written by Konstantin Krylov, Assistant Secretary General, UPF-Eurasia
Friday, July 13, 2012
The countries of the Eurasian region have a common communist past. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, each has pursued its unique culture and manner of development. Due to the nature of my work assisting Jacques Marion, Secretary General of UPF-Eurasia, I travel frequently around the Eurasian nations. They range from near-communist regimes to nations with strong Muslim or Christian cultures. Such cultural diversity is present in nations to the south of Russia and those to the West who are new members of the European Union.
The communist past ensured very complicated relations among all the nations of the region. Having gained some understanding of the history of the region and the current political situations in the various nations, plus having established personal relations with Ambassadors for Peace and being aware of UPF's work in the nations, I attempted to take UPF's outreach to a higher level this summer. In June and July 2012, I visited UN missions in New York and the embassies of Eurasian countries in Washington DC.
In New York, I was able to meet with the UN missions of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Estonia, and Tajikistan. I was received by the UN Ambassadors from two countries and by Deputy Permanent Representatives or Counselors from others. In Washington DC, I had individual meetings with the Ambassadors from Moldova and Kyrgyzstan and the Counselor of the Russian Embassy. I also joined a UPF roundtable at The Washington Times, which permitted conversations with diplomats from the embassies of Mongolia and Lithuania besides making wonderful contacts with Washington DC professionals.
This outreach had positive results for UPF globally, UPF-Eurasia, and my own learning.
For UPF globally
UPF International is active in a large number of nations, and the work in each nation is unique. I was able to brief the diplomats from Eurasia about local activities in their nation, including programs that address situations specific to that nation.
The diplomats were interested in not only our work in their own nation but also how we are building bridges and partnerships with neighboring nations, where in some cases there is historic enmity. They could see UPF's potential as an ally and contributor to the development of their country. Nevertheless, this alone was not enough. In response to their question, “So what can we do together?” Genie Kagawa in New York and Tomiko Duggan in Washington DC introduced UPF's initiatives to establish an interreligious council at the UN, promote family values, and develop various types of peace initiatives. The diplomats could understand that we were not just asking for support in their nation but sharing a vision about how nations can contribute for the greater good. It was moving to see their sincere interest in UPF Founder Dr. Sun Myung Moon's ideas about UN renewal, strengthening marriage and family, and promoting interreligious cooperation. They could appreciate both the grassroots initiatives in their nations and the global vision.
For UPF’s work in Eurasia
The fact that I was able to gain appointments with representatives of most of the 17 nations in our region was beyond my expectation. Each embassy did their homework when preparing for our meetings. They either checked into our local activities or were already familiar with them. The Foreign Ministries of Russia and Moldova called the UPF offices in the capitals of their nations and asked questions that were sometimes blunt and unpleasant. Certainly, the embassies and UN missions did not take these requests for meetings lightly.
At the meetings, we conversed in English so the non-Eurasians could understand; however, sometimes direct questions were asked in Russian. One Ambassador said: “Tell me frankly, what is it that Moon wants in Eurasia?” Some diplomats gave suggestions about potential partners, government ministries that might be responsive, and agendas that could be fruitful. Understanding that we work for the public good and not just for self-promotion, they promised to report back to their country about the meeting and recommend future cooperation.
Every single meeting was positive. All were very memorable and will be helpful in developing UPF in these nations.
For my own work
I had a good learning experience and was captivated by the work of Genie Kagawa and Keiko White at UPF's UN Office in New York and by the activities of Tomiko Duggan at the UPF Office of Embassy Relations in Washington DC and by Antonio Betancourt and William Selig at the new UPF of Peace and Security Affairs, also in Washington DC. My field experience had made me expect certain approaches and views, but they have been adjusted after seeing UPF from their perspective. Working on staff at numerous international UPF conferences, I have seen the visible side of UPF’s work. However, working with the international staff in their offices, I saw the value of UPF from a new angle and gained conviction that UPF has a crucial role in promoting world peace.
It was very interesting to observe the differences between embassies in Washington DC and the UN missions in New York. National representatives at the UN often feel that the global agenda overweighs their national concerns. When discussing UPF, they first of all wanted to understand what UPF is capable of doing at the UN and on a global level. They looked at their own agenda at the UN and were interested in programs that related to it. For example, a representative of Tajikistan involved in the water preservation agenda at the UN was interested in UPF’s ecological programs. Representatives of Ukraine and Kazakhstan are very involved in many agendas at the UN and were interested in forging partnerships with UPF on such agendas. It was eye-opening for the UN missions was to see the level of UPF's interreligious work in 2012 alone. Our affiliation as an NGO with ECOSOC was significant at the UN missions; but that was not the case in Washington DC, where the diplomats were more focused on their own country along with its relations with neighboring countries and the USA. Therefore, they were primarily interested in UPF’s programs on a local level.
It was also very interesting to be at the UPF roundtable on “Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia: Russia’s Role in Stability in Eurasia and the Far East.” I could see that there are bridges to be built between the nations of the former Soviet Union and the USA both tangibly and culturally. A lot of prejudice remains on both sides of the demolished Iron Curtain. I saw the great role UPF is playing to remove the remainders of such borders both externally and in the hearts of the people.
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