Telegram outlining plans for First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s meeting in Bangkok with representatives from international organizations and voluntary agencies to discuss the Cambodian relief situation. It notes that the American Citizens Commission on Indochina delegation—including Bayard Rustin and Leo Cherne—had spent the past week assessing conditions in Cambodia and was recommended to participate in the meeting to share their observations and strong recommendations.
In late 1979, Southeast Asia faced a humanitarian crisis following the fall of the Khmer Rouge; the U.S. government organized relief efforts in coordination with allies and NGOs. First Lady Carter’s meeting convened global stakeholders to strategize aid delivery. Rustin’s telegram reflects his engagement in international humanitarian diplomacy and expansion beyond domestic civil rights into global solidarity work.
Bayard Rustin, Telegram to Rosalynn Carter, November 7, 1979, U.S. National Archives, https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=243699&dt=2776&dl=2169.
