Our History
1980
Visited the Soviet Union during the US boycotted Olympic games and gave speeches prior to the Olympics in Tbilisi, Georgia on human potentialities and possibilities for Soviet-American cooperation in various fields.
Gathered a group of diverse Americans at Esalen Institute to discuss the worrisome state of the US-Soviet relationship. It was at this historic meeting that the decision was made to found the Esalen Soviet-American Exchange Program. And it was also at this meeting that TRACK TWOs chairman of the board, Joseph Montville coined the term “Track Two Diplomacy,” diplomacy that parallels government diplomacy. Founders of the Exchange Program, Dulce and Michael Murphy, first Executive Director and founder Jim Hickman and founder Mary Payne were in attendance, as well as current board member Jay Ogilvy and advisor John Marks.