Roots of a.p.p.l.e.

I'm not ready to proceed to creation of a.p.p.l.e., but this draft letter marks the transition toward the new organization. Initially Vaiva hoped for major government funding, but that never came through. Just as well, we weren't big enough to handle it.

Dear Cox and/or Durbin,

Let me thank you for accepting, on behalf of the House of Representatives, the petitions of 160,000 Americans seeking greater support from the U.S. government for the restoration of independence to the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. I also appreciate your generous comments at our meeting September 28, and your strong, consistent help in bringing these issues to the attention of Congress and the American public.

My newest project has been tentatively named the American Professional Partnership for Lithuanian Education, or A.P.P.L.E. for short. Our mission is rapidly facilitate the rebuilding of Lithuania's educational infrastructure along Western lines.

The American model for education may be flawed, but, interestingly enough, the Lithuanians consider the Soviet-imposed model utterly dehumanized. One theme that is emerging, quietly but insistently, in the free Lithuanian press is the loss of civility, normal respect and courtesy for one another, and many trace that to educational roots.

Our first objective is to establish a network of professionals in the fields of education and administration who can be used as resources by visitors from Lithuania, and who are interested in traveling to Lithuania to do guest teaching. Preliminary arrangements with Lithuania's Education Ministry are underway, and a seminar program for the summer of 1991 is already being planned for Vilnius.

Everything is going quite well so far, but we need one more thing: Money. Not a lot of money, but some seed funding to get this ball rolling, to acquire some momentum, and to publicize this opportunity to American educational professionals.

It is my sense that I should find very sympathetic ears for this program in both the Departments of Education and State. Do you know who I should get in touch with to apply for an initial grant for development of the program? Would you provide me with an introduction, so I may receive a serious hearing?

Once again, thank you for being so generous with your time during what we all know has been a trying period for the Congress.

Sincerely,


VRV

[She also wrote this alternate paragraph for the CT delegation:]

I would like to thank you once more for your support of the cause of freedom in the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Your encouragement has been of inestimable value to the Baltic-Americans who are trying to assist the process of restoring freedom to these long-beleaguered countries.