To the Editor of the Baltic Times.

Dear Sir,
A year ago you published an article that I had written about a set of soft power “tools” that we have invented in England designed to bring all the world on board and working together to tackle their greatest problems, starting with climate change.

One of those those tools was a Paddle for Life, signed by world leaders to be used as a perpetual trophy for a boating regatta to start the ideas in any country. In late 2013 President Grybauskaite signed three Paddles for Life for China, the United States and the European Union.

At the signing ceremony in Brussels I was deeply impressed by the great enthusiasm towards the EU by the young Lithuanian team . In our conversation, Russia was mentioned and  I became aware that I had forgotten all about Russia in my work. I realised I had made a big mistake.

I immediately wrote to President Putin and suggested to him that Russia might like to use the ideas as a great project for their young people after the Sochi Olympics. The events after the Sochi Olympics led to me believing that all was lost, but I decided to try again.  I had a positive response from the Russian embassy in London and I now believe that with the help of the people of the Baltic states these ideas can bring peace to the Ukraine, help to weld the European Union together and change the course of world history.

One of the soft power tools is a children’s story for people of all ages. It can be adapted for any country.  On Christmas Day I adapted it for Russia and it is now in Moscow being considered by the Foreign Office.  I have also sent it in PDF form to all my friends and contacts around the world.

I believe that if this story was translated into Russian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian, made available to all through PDF’s on you website, and then the people of the Baltic states used their renowned media skills to spread it throughout Russia, then President Putin will quickly be made aware and be delighted to take part.

I hope that through this letter I can inspire the people of the Baltic to read the story and take part.  They will change the course of history, within weeks!

Sincerely,

David W. Train, former Olympic Coach