Soviet Students Discuss Superpowers' Relations

A delegation of Soviet exchange students yesterday criticized Vice President George Bush's "peace through strength" foreign policy at a panel discussion on Soviet-American relations.

Many of the exchange students at the discussion, which was held at Coolidge Hall, rejected the traditional Cold War approach.

One student said policy discussions should be humanized by emphasizing the common desires of both super-powers for peace.

"I think he should consider that we, also, are people. I think [Bush] thinks of us as a big bear," said one Soviet student.

In response, Jeffrey Clarke '90, a Slavic Studies concentrator, questioned the wisdom of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, suggesting that it provided fodder for the "big bear" image. "That was a mistake--a bad move," one Soviet panel member said.

One of the exchange students said that the "peace through strength" approach could have negative repercussions. "Come with the sword, you die by the sword--I think that is from the Bible," he said.

Another Soviet student said that nations need power to talk to the Soviet Union. "Otherwise, I guess, we wouldn't listen to you."

In closing, the delegation reasserted that the Soviet Union's new foreign policy would be governed by the ideal of peaceful coexistence through competition under Gorbachev and his new political front.

Mark Steinberg, a professor of 20th-century Russian history, mediated the discussion, and questioned some of the Soviet students' assertions about post-revolution Russian history.

"We may have different interpretations of Russian history but we can work through those," said Steinberg.

Soviet Extracurriculars

The students also discussed the informal groups that have become a focus of extracurricular activity among students since the beginning of Mikhail S. Gorbachev's term as head of the Soviet Union. Before then, these groups existed but the government considered them dissident organizations, the students said.

The groups discuss cultural, environmental, and social issues, the Soviet students said. Before these groups were accepted by the government, the only valid extracurricular organizations were formal groups instituted by the government and directed toward students' future professions.

Three members of the Kiev delegation were officers of one of the informal groups, a club called "Community," which aims at promoting the Ukranian culture, language, and customs. They recently completed the first draft of a proposal thatwould link together officials from "Community"clubs nationwide.

Nina Klose '90, who acted as interpreter forthe forum and spent three years living in theSoviet Union, cited the new informal groups andrecent election reform proposals as evidence thatthe Soviet Union is becoming more democratic.

The Soviet students have been both entertainedand entertaining with a week long schedule whichhas included an ice cream bash, many tours and anumber of discussion groups open to interestedHarvard students.

The students were chosen from many Kiev schoolsfor their social, athletic, and science expertise.They had varied interests, but all were members ofa new Soviet project entitled "Informal Groups."

Students said their visit to New York City hadcleared up misconceptions they had held beforetheir visit. "I was expecting guns going off onevery corner every hour," one student said