History of the ICCC

The idea for the International Committee for the Children of Chechnya arose in the spring of 1995, when a group of Russian soldiers' mothers, Buddhist monks, and Quakers set off from Moscow to march into the war zone in Chechnya.

The Mother's March for Life and Compassion eventually made it to Grozny. Along the way they witnessed killings and brutality, they met and spoke with soldiers and officers from both sides in the war, and they were welcomed by Chechen mothers. The marchers put their own lives in danger by going on the march, and the Chechens who welcomed and helped them put their own lives in danger as well.

The Mother's March for Life and Compassion called on the soldier of both sides to put down their arms, and they called on Russian and Chechen leaders to sit down and talk. The Marchers called on the rest of the world to witness what was happening in Chechnya.

Several women in Boston wanted to honor the bravery of the marchers and the Chechens who welcomed them. We decided to create a committee that would support the work of peace makers in Chechnya. We decided to work on behalf of the children in Chechnya, to support the efforts of their parents, teachers, relief workers, doctors and all others who share the beliefs of the Mother's March.

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Board of Directors

Dr. Khassan Baiev (Chairman) is a Chechen surgeon who lives in the United States and works to promote the health and safety of Chechnya's future: its children. He is the author (with Ruth and Nicholas Daniloff) of "The Oath" (Walker & Company, 2003), a memoir of his experiences in Chechnya's two most recent wars. Dr. Baiev has been honored by Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders, Physicians for Human Rights, and Amnesty International. khassan@chechenchildren.org

Ruth Daniloff* is an author and journalist with a long-standing interest in human rights in the North Caucasus. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Smithsonian magazine and other publications in the US and abroad. She is co-author, along with Dr. Khassan Baiev and Nicholas Daniloff, of "The Oath" (Walker & Company, 2003). ruth@chechenchildren.org

Ramzan Magomedov is an investment manager with May Management in Portland, Oregon. Born in Chechnya, he immigrated to the United States in 1992. He has a degree in veterinary medicine from Saratov University. In the U.S., he studied at the Minnesota Agricultural University. He is on the board of the Tigard Rotary Club and is president-elect of the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce. He joined the board of the International Committee for the Children of Chechnya in December 2004.

John F. Sinclair, DMD, is a retired general dentist who joined the board in 2007. He enjoys rural living and salt water fly fishing and said he is proud to be blessed with wonderful family and friends.

Gwendolyn Whittaker* is a fiction writer with an interest in humanitarian and human rights issues, especially in the former Soviet Union.

Contact: gwendolyn@chechenchildren.org

*Founding member of ICCC