War & Peace
Ray Young, Craig Hullinger, Beth Ruyle, Troy Scott



Nov. 9, 2016 

4:00 pm, Herald-Tribune Community Room
followed by a Meet and Greet at:

5:00 pm, Vineyard Wine Bar 1528 Main St, Sarasota

 Program Sponsored By

 Sarasota Sister Cities
sarasotasistercities.org
and
Military Officers Association-Sarasota Chapter
sarasotamoaa.com

 Our Panel will discuss issues of War and Peace. Each panelist will make a short presentation about how our efforts can help to ensure world peace. A group discussion will follow the presentations followed by a Meet and Greet where we can continue the discussion.
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The Sister City Association began in 1956 during the United States presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. After viewing the horrific devastation of human life and property resulting from that tragic moment in world history, Eisenhower thought “citizen diplomacy” might help to reduce the threat of war.

“Citizen diplomacy” in Eisenhower’s way of thinking was an actual “eyeball to eyeball” interfacing of everyday citizens, meeting personally on each others “turf” (in the U.S. and overseas); learning how each lived, carried on their daily lives, overcame whatever challenges they faced, to bring about an enhanced understanding, and thus respect, of all global citizens. It was envisioned this could be accomplished through exchanges (visitations) of citizens, engaged in the arts, business, civic activities (service clubs, boy/girl scouts, etc), education, sports and government.

Sarasota Sister Cities will present a discussion of how citizen to citizen diplomacy works with and compliments military involvement and deterrence. Our three panelists will describe real world experiences and some of their thoughts on how we can continue and improve our efforts as citizen diplomats. Each presentation will be 5 to 10 minutes long leaving substantial time for questions and discussion.

The session will be moderated by Raymond Young Ph.D., Vice President of Education for Sarasota Sister Cities.

Troy Scott is a Past President of the Sarasota Military Officers Association - Sarasota Chapter and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Sarasota Sister Cities. He is a United States Army Colonel Retired and a veteran of the Cold War and two tours in Vietnam. He will discuss Army Civic action programs in Vietnam, Europe, and South America and efforts of the Army to maintain and improve relations with allied nations and individuals. 

Beth Ruyle is the Past President of Sarasota Sister Cities and a former Member of the Illinois Commission For The Support of the Guard and Reserve. As the Director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association near Chicago she worked on a number of citizen diplomatic efforts in support of peace. She will discuss citizen interchanges with the Soviet Union and China.

Craig Hullinger is Vice President of Communications of Sarasota Sister Cities, a United States Marine Corps Colonel Retired, and a veteran of the Cold War and two tours in Vietnam. He will discuss efforts to build and improve relationships with civilians in war zones.  He will describe the Combined Action Program and efforts to win the hearts and the minds of the people and how Sister City exchanges helped prevent World War III.



Craig Hullinger Presentation

"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."


  General Eisenhower before the Canadian Club, Ottawa, Canada, 1/10/46

Monte Cassino, Italy



World War 1 and II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War were brutal and resulted in the deaths of many people. We must work to prevent war.

We visited Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos in 2015. Bizarre having little kids pose in front of the Killing Fields monument near Angkor Wat. Everyone was touched by the war. Our driver lost his father and grandfather in the genocide that followed the war.


  
Nuclear weapons ensured that we could destroy our enemies and they could destroy us.
MAD   Mutually Assured Destruction


The one thing we agreed with Communists was not to destroy our countries.


Cold War Bomb Shelter


Take Cover From Nuclear Attack


So How Did We Successfully Avoid Armageddon?

Military Deterrence and People to People Engagement. 




Saying Goodby to our Vladimir Russian Hosts 2014








I am convinced that citizen contacts with people from around the world helps prevent wars.

Everything I learned from the Boy Scouts, Church, and social work also applied to the US Military in the Cold War and Vietnam.



Winning the Hearts of the People.


Rules of War
The Sister City Association of Sarasota



Sarasota Sister Cities and an Israeli Soldier on a Tank


I've known War and I've known Peace

Peace is better



On the Great Seal of the United States the eagle grasps an olive branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left talon. The olive branch traditionally has been recognized as a symbol for peace.

The olive branch has thirteen olives and olive leaves balanced by of thirteen arrows. They represent the thirteen original colonies.

Olive Branch and Arrows

War and Peace

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