Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Digital Library Collections This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections. Collection: DeGraffenreid, Kenneth E.: Files Folder Title: World Peace Council 04/01/1982-08/15/1982 Box: RAC Box 29 To see more digitized collections visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected] Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/ WITHDRAWAL SHEET Ronald Reagan Library Collection Name DEGRAFFENREID, KENNETH: FILES Withdrawer SJW 9/2/2016 File Folder WORLD PEACE COUNCIL 4/1/82-8/15/82 FOIA F02-0083/01 Box Number 29 PRADOS 2937 ID Doc Type Document Description No of Doc Date Restrictions Pages 179963 FOLDER MEMOS, CABLES, NOTES 23 5/18/1982 B 1 The above documents were not referred for declassification review at time of processing Freedom of Information Act - (5 U.S.C. 552(b)] B-1 National security classified information ((b)(1) of the FOIAJ B-2 Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIAJ B-3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIAJ B-4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial information [(b)(4) of the FOIAJ B-6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIAJ B-7 Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement purposes ((b)(7) of the FOIAJ B-8 Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA] B-9 Release would disclose geological or geophysical information concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIAJ C. Closed In accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed of gift. WITHDRAWAL SHEET Ronald Reagan Library Collection Name Withdrawer DEGRAFFENREID, KENNETH: FILES SJW 9/2/2016 File Folder FOIA WORLD PEACE COUNCIL 4/1/82-8/15/82 F02-0083/01 PRADOS Box Number 29 2937 ID Document Type No of Doc Date Restric­ Document Description pages 179963 FOLDER 23 5/18/1982 Bl MEMOS, CABLES, NOTES The above documents were not referred for declassification review at time of processing Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)] B-1 National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA] B-2 Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA] B-3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA] B-4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial information [(b)(4) of the FOIA] B-6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy [(b)(G) of the FOIA] B-7 Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA] B-8 Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA] B-9 Release would disclose geological or geophysical information concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA] C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed of gift. ···-------­- United States Department of State Washington, D.C. WORLD PEACE COUNCIL: INSTRUMENT April 1982 OF SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY The World Peace Council (WPC) was tion cannot always be reconciled founded in 1949 as the World Com­ with the desired image of independ­ mittee of Partisans for Peace and ence and nonalignment. In 1949, fol­ first adopted its present title in lowing the expulsion of Yugoslavia 1950. It was based in Paris until from the Cominform, the WPC expelled 1951 when it was expelled for what its Yugoslav representatives. Simi­ the French Government termed -"fifth larly, the Sino-Soviet dispute led column activities." It moved to to the WPC's ostracism of China, Prague and then in 1954 to Vienna, which later became a major critic of where it remained until banned in all Soviet fronts. Nikita Khrush­ 1957 by the Austrian Interior Min­ chev's revelations of Stalinist ex­ ister for "activities directed cesses at the 20th Soviet Communist against the Austrian state." How­ Party Congress in February 1956 and ever, it continued to operate in the suppression of the Hungarian up­ Vienna under the legal cover of the rising by Soviet troops the follow.ing newly established International In­ November cost the fronts considerable stitute for Peace until· its move to popular support. After the Soviet­ its present location in Helsinki in led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The International Institute Augnst 1968, Moscow, in order to for Peace subsequently emerged as restore discipline, replaced nearly a separate Soviet front with strong all major Communist-front officials. links to the WPC. Although opposition to Soviet con­ In recent years, the WPC has trol occasionally occurs within the expanded its activities while try­ WPC, the leaders are usually able to ing to broaden its appeal and sound confine dissent to private meetings less like a cold war propaganda of commissions or subcommissions. vehicle. It has sought support in Dissenting views seldom find their the Third World by posing as an in­ way into the large-scale WPC-spon­ dependent body identifying with sored public gatherings. When, for such causes as opposition to U.S. example, Soviet human rights ac­ "aggression" in Vietnam, anticolo­ tivist Andre Sakharov sent a message nialism, and assistance to "liber­ in 1976 to a WPC-sponsored forum on ation movements." In NATO coun­ disarmament in York, Great Britain, tries, it has exploited fears of it was not read to delegates as nuclear war by stimulating and/or Sakharov had requested. At meetings sponsoring antinuclear rallies and in 1977, non-Communist participants advocating Soviet-supported disar­ embarrassed WPC leaders by askin~ mament policies. questions about hwnan rights viol::c-­ The WPC and similar fronts peri­ tions in the U.S.S.R., but none odically have faced internal prob­ of this found its way into the le~s because their Soviet affilia- official reports. More recently, An informal research study for background information the December 1979 Soviet invasion of WPC between Council sessions. The Afghanistan apparently once again Presidential Committee has 26 vice generated dissension within the WPC. presidents (of which 11 are known Two months elapsed before the WPC to be members of pro-Soviet Com­ issued a statement endorsing the munist parties) and 146 members. Afghan invasion. It holds regular annual and occa­ sional emergency meetings. WPC MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION President Ramesh Chandra, a mem­ The WPC has attracted the support of ber of the Politburo of India's Moscow-line Communist party, some prestigious non-Communist fig­ chairs the Committee. ures--literary, humanitarian, scien­ -- A Bureau of the Presidential tific, religious, and others--who Committee, consisting of the WPC are motivated by a genuine concern president, vice presidents, and for peace and not dissuaded by the representatives of selected na­ preponderance of Soviet and pro­ tional peace committees, imple­ Soviet personnel in key WPC leader­ ship and decision-making positions. ments decisions and plans future activities and "programs of ac­ Total membership information has tion." It meets three to four never been made public. Most of the members, moreover, do not belong times a year. to the WPC itself, but to affiliates -- The Secretariat, a full-time at the national level. The WPC executive staff appointed by the claims that 135 national "peace Presidential Committee, is respon­ committees"--e.g., the U.S. Peace sible for proposing new activities Committee, the Soviet Peace Com­ and for implementing Council, Presi­ mittee, the Syrian Peace Commit­ dential Committee, and Bureau decisions. teo--make up its network of local chapters. FUNDING Historically, it has been the function of the fronts to mobilize The WPC claims to be funded by con­ those elements of society not nor­ tributions from national peace com­ mally reached by local, Moscow­ mittees, donations to its World linked Communist parties--for ex­ Peace Fund, and special collections. ample, sympathizers not wishing to The evidence, however, strongly sug­ commit themselves entirely to party gests that the bulk of its expenses discipline and those interested are met by the Soviet Union. In ad­ only in particular issues or moved dition, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, by certain emotional appeals. Lenin Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Cuba saw the potential of international provide material and financial sup­ port to the WPC, usually in the form mass organizations as a means to 1 marshal public support for party di­ of airline service and hotel expenses. rectives. In the 1930s during the According to the Soviet English­ "popular front" period, Willi Munzen­ language weekly Moscow New~ (No. 19, berg, a veteran Communist organizer working for the Comintern, spoke 1 cynically of international front In a letter published in the New organizations as "innocents' clubs." Statesman (October 17, 1980), a cor­ The WPC is organized into four respondent identified as Ruth Tosek, principal bodies. a "former senior interpreter for several of the Moscow-controlled or­ -- The Council, which meets every ganizations," stated that "all funds 3 years, is the organization's of these organizations, in local and highest authority comprising repre­ in hard currency, are provided above sentatives of cooperating interna­ all by the Soviet Union, but also by tional organizations and national other East European satellite coun­ peace committees. tries on ~he basis of set contribu­ -- The Presidential Committee, tion rates, paid by the governments elected by the Council, is nomi­ of these countries through various nally responsible for running the channels." 2 1981), the Soviet Peace Fund helps said in response to questioning that to finance "some" of the WPC's "large the WPC's account~ were not inde­ public initiatives." 2 Writing in pendentl y audited but rather were 20th Century and Peace (April 1980), reviewed by the WPC itself.