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IN BRIEF
AICF LAUNCHES
NEWCHAPTER
by
Stanley R. Rader
The author accompanies
Plain
Truth
Editor-in-Chief Herbert
W. Armstrong on his frequent
visits with heads of state and
other leading internationa/ dig–
nitaries.
PASADENA, February 1O, 1977:
Mr. Armstrong and 1returned yes–
terday from the cold-bound Mid–
west, where the debut of the
Milwaukee Chapter of the Am–
bassador lnternational Cultural
Foundation (AICF) was warmed
by the memorable performance ín
recital there of Cellist Mstislav
Rostropovich. We were accorded
an enthusiastic reception by the
local cultural, intellectual and
business communities, as well as
by members of the Worldwide
Church of God who gathered for
combmed services addressed by
Mr. Armstrong on the preceding
Sabbath.
Of the inaugural AICF concert
there, the Milwaukee
Journal
mu–
sic critic wrote: "Total artistry,
simple and direct, is the essence
of Rostropovich.. . .'· Rostropov–
ich himself was quoted in a front–
page article of the same issue:
" Music, you know, is a language
from the heart that surmounts
every barrier. " Surmounting bar–
riers, building bridges: different
ways of saying what AICF is all
about. and what Mr. Armstrong's
world-girdling work is all about.
Yet another way of making this
point- and making it with tremen–
dous impact-was the inaugural
issue of OUEST
177.
which excited
favorable comment and enthusi–
asm not only at AICF headquar–
ters in Pasadena, but throughout
the publishing and media indus-
The
PLAIN TRUTH April 1977
tries here and abroad. Mr. Arm–
strong describes the raison d'etre
for QUEST/ 77: " OUEST/77 is a
unique magazine. lt arrives on the
world scene at the most critica!
time in human history, in a most
interesting, exciting, dynamic,
crucial, and yet dangerous and
imperiled time.
"QUEST/ 77's unique purpose?
To take its
r~aders ,
issue by issue,
on a thrilling, responsible, unprec–
edented quest for an appreciation
and understanding of the impor–
tan! and beaut iful aspects of
human existence.. . .
" Never did any generation live
in a world such as you and 1are
privileged to live in today. Gigantic
leaps ahead just in our time in
importan! sciences and tech–
nology. The literal explosion in
Surmountlng bsrrlers, building
brldges: dlfterent wsys ol
SBy/ng whst AICF ls
e//
Bbout,
snd whst Mr. Armstrong's work
ls
a//
sbout.
knowledge production. Unbeliev–
able leaps ahead in the means of
travel , jet and supersonic. We
have mass communication world–
wide by radio and television. You
can dial instantly any telephone in
the United States from such world
capitals as París, London, Rome.
Men cavorting about on the moon
and landing safely back on earth.
Close-up pictures from Mars by
Vikings 1and 11. The magic of the
printing press, the computer,
every laborsaving device, shorter
workdays and workweeks, mass
travel. lt would seem we have
everything. Man has achieved the
absolutely incredible-mostly in
the very last century.
" But at the same time we live in
a world where it is unsafe to walk
on the sidewalks here on earth .
Crime is rampant even in residen–
tia! neighborhoods. Racial vio–
lence threatens law and order.
Governments of nations are top–
pling at the rate of one a month.
Nations are armed to the teeth , so
that even a small nation could, by
error, set off a nuclear war that
could blast all humanity from this
earth , eliminating all our magical,
fantastic advances, our increased
leisure time and pleasures, our
tremendous advances in medi–
cine, our lengthened, more plea–
surable lives.
"The human potential is truly in–
credible. Yet mankind's number
one problem today is that of
human survival. Why? Why this
tragic paradox?
" lssue by issue, OUEST/ 77 will
become the magazine of our time.
Not in a 'rel igious' sense. But in a
way that will make sense to a new
international audience we have
never reached before. The actual
potential of man is so absolutely
incredible ít is almost brain shat–
tering. Too good to be true? Not at
al l. Our quest will be intriguing,
entertaining, exciting; it will be
thorough, scholarly, thought pro–
voking . And it will give enlíghtened
and true understandíng.
"Some have said to us, 'We've
heard the voices of doom, all the
bad news; give us the good news
for a change.'
" Weshall."
My next column will probably be
written from the troubled continent
of Africa, where Mr. Armstrong
and 1 are due to arrive in a very
few days. Since our departure in
November, the Geneva Confer–
ence has unfortunately come to a
dead end, and bloodshed and vio–
lence have increased. Hopefully,
we will be able to contribute
something tn the way of a bridge
between peoples in that part of the
world.
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