Remembering President Gorbachev
Michael S. Karlen, CDAC Secretary General

Two days ago President Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev has left this world.

The earth has lost a towering world figure, a uniquely good person, a personified hope to millions and a hero to countless people around the world, including myself.

Victor Benediktov, Chief of Radio Moscow and close friend of President Gorbachev said:

“We have all become orphans.” Yes, on a physical level that is true. But the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy oncesaid: “The message that President Gorbachev is offering to the world at large is both transcendental and universal, so it is bound to be accepted by the entire human­ity. It is only a matter of time.”

What a colossal world figure he was! Yet, so intimately close and warm in a personal discussion and encounter. He had an open heart that loved all, even his enemies and sometimes even to his own disadvantage. Raisa, was once asked what President Gorbachev’s main quality was. Without hesitation she said “it his love for his fellow human beings and it is inborn.”

President Gorbachev has been called “the Avant-Garde” of the good. Yes, he was good and he did do a lot of good. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he did probably more good for humanity than any other person in history.

He was the main force in bringing the cold war to and end, initiating and promoting a new spirit in international cooperation that was based on trust, solidarity, concern and goodwill. He was the main person to let the German reunification happen, he was the responsible person for the transition to self-government and freedom of many Eastern European Countries. And in his own country Russia he granted people freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom to travel, freedom to choose and practice their own religion. He also introduced true and authentic democratic structures of government.

But he also had this unique visionary spirit and I will just mention one example to illustrate that. He said that to embark on the path of complete nuclear weapon elimination would mean passing humanity’s maturity test. I think it is a fabulous image. Imagine the world as a human being and what age would it have in terms of maturity? What age are we at now?

At the height of his Presidency Mikhail Gorbachev was the most popular person in the world. A short Opinion Piece in the New York Times on May 21, 1989 illustrates this well. It runs:
“Imagine that an alien spaceship approached Earth and sent the message: ''Take me to your leader.'' Who would that be? Without doubt, Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev.

Mikhail Gorbachev surely was and remains humanity’s true leader and he surely was and will remain humanity’s true and eternal friend.

Geneva, September 1, 2022