Has your child thought about writing to one of our leaders championing a cause? In 1982, 10-year-old Samantha Smith was worried that our country was going to get into a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. So, she wrote a letter.
Samantha wrote a letter to Soviet General Secretary Yuri Andropov with a plea to avoid a nuclear war. Not long after Andropov received her letter, the Soviet newspaper, Pravda published it and included comments from Andropov.
Samantha also sent a letter to the Soviet Ambassador of the United States, Anatolly Dobrynin.
Samantha not only got a response from General Secretary Andropov but an invitation to come to the Soviet Union which her parents and she did in 1983, having the American press calling her the youngest ambassador.
Tragically, two years later Samantha and her father died in a plane crash. However, her mother along with some of her classmates visited the Soviet Union to find several memorials in her honor.
Samantha’s impact has been long-lasting. Her mother formed the Samantha Smith Foundation focused on initiating exchange programs between young people of different cultures and nations.
Also, in honor of Smith’s continued dedication to peace, the Soviet Union issued limited-edition postage stamps in her likeness.
So, when your young one decides to contact a leader, encourage it. You never know when the next Samantha Smith will emerge.
Innocence to Influence features youths that have made an impact on society by using initiative, ingenuity, and determination. Our kids could be the next generation of influence.
