In his book, Melting the Ice Curtain, David Ramseur examines how citizen-diplomats bridged a widening gap in superpower relations during the “Friendship Flight” between Nome, Alaska and Provideniya, Russia, in 1988. At this event, David Ramseur discusses where US- Russian relations stand 30 years later and what we can learn from past diplomacy David Ramseur managed federal grants for academic exchanges between Alaska and the Russian Far East for the UAA American Russian Center. He has served as an adviser to Alaska Governors Steve Cowper and Tony Knowles and to Anchorage Mayor and U.S. Senator Mark Begich.