President’s Report

June 1, 2005

Dear Friends and Colleagues of CCI,

The last six months have passed in a swish! Thanks to many of you, we have just trained the largest volume of Russians ever for a spring season!

Even greater news is that our core training program, PEP, is meeting its targets and moving into full sustainability as we predicted it could. As most know, last year we were notified that funding for "economic development" programs for Russia was being stopped due to budgetary constraints, so we geared up to see if Russians would eventually pay the full costs.

This year Russia's entrepreneurs are paying more for PEP training - and applying for the program at the same pace as before, meaning that the unheard of attempt at program sustainability is succeeding!

Year 2006 will be a critical year for PEP's transition to sustainability. Russian program fees will continue to rise, and we at CCI will rely increasingly on seasoned volunteers to help carry out major PEP functions.

Thankfully, many of our 30,000 American volunteers feel that PEP is so important for US-Russia relations in the years to come that they want to play greater roles in PEP's future. As June began, we've all been brainstorming how to create new levels of volunteer activity. An exciting strategy has been launched to maximize the talents of volunteers and to create a CCI community across the country.

Nothing is more needed today. Russia still matters. Russia must be kept in the fold of the accepted nations of the world. Western media over the past two years have continually misinterpreted events in Russia. Further, journalists are completely in the dark about what's happening at Russia's grassroots where dynamic entrepreneurs and private sector builders are beginning to take responsibility for the future of their towns and cities. This is a hopeful turn of events.

Western media needs to take a much deeper and longer view on Russia than the instantaneous knee-jerk reactions of late.

Friends across America, thank you so very much for the enormous amounts of in-kind training, transporting, housing, and sharing of American culture you have provided to PEP's Russian entrepreneurs. You may be sure that your civic club, your community, your city and your state live warmly in the hearts of these Russians across that vast country.

I leave for Russia on June 20 and will post reports from there. The best of summers to you!

My best to you,

Sharon Tennison
President