Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Our long-time friend and advisor Douglas Mattern, president of the Association of World Citizens, passed away 20 July 2011 in California. Doug spent decades dedicated to a more peaceful and secure world. His absence creates a great void in our on-going efforts to empower individuals to learn about global affairs and become actively engaged in local-to-global issues.

Rene Wadlow, Association of World Citizens Senior Vice President and Chief Representative to the United Nations office in Geneva, is preparing a memorial album of photos, letters and memories to be presented to Doug Mattern's widow Noemi this September on behalf of the Taiwan branch of Association of World Citizens. Please contact Rene Wadlow <Wadlowz@aol.com> to contribute to this memorial.

Doug Mattern's obituary (below) appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday, August 5. Also posted below is Rene Wadlow's obituary of our beloved World Citizen Hanna Newcombe, who joins many of our pioneers - Robert Muller, Lucile Green, Jeffrey Segall, Lola Kristof, Martha Killebrew, Bill Hough - who are leaving their legacy for us to continue.

With a heavy heart come warm wishes for your good health and happiness as we continue our journey together.

Susan Zipp
UN Delegate representing the
Association of World Citizens

The following article was published in the San Francisco Chronicle on August 5, 2011:

Douglas Mattern, a longtime resident of Palo Alto, passed away July 20 after a long illness. He was 78 and is survived by his beloved wife, Noemi. After serving 4 years in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Mattern attended San Jose City College, San Jose State University, and Stanford University, where he worked, audited classes, and learned his profession as an engineer in material science. He became an expert in Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy. In 1980, he was hired by Data General Corporation and later by Apple Computer to design, build and manage fully staffed Failure Analysis Labs that were considered by many engineers as the best in Silicon Valley. He retired in the year 2000. His hobbies included mountain hiking/climbing, sports, and astronomy/cosmology. Mr. Mattern was known for scores of letters published in The Palo Alto Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and The New York Times. In addition, he had 200 articles published in magazines on peace-related issues. In 1975, he co-founded and became President of the Association of World Citizens (AWC). AWC organized major peace conferences in San Francisco, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York City, and Taipei, becoming an international peace organization gaining official NGO (Non-Government Organization) status with the United Nations. In the 1980s Mr. Mattern was invited to be a speaker for the U.S. delegation on Citizen Diplomacy trips to the Soviet Union. On these and other trips, there were many interesting stories, most of which are detailed in his book, Looking for Square Two. Mr. Mattern received several awards, including the Albert Einstein Peace Award from the International Association of Educators for World Peace, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for World Peace from the Federation of World Peace and Love. Truly a learned, compassionate citizen, not only of his community but of the world, he leaves an indelible mark on those who were privileged to know and share his life.