Citizen Tours Europe to Discuss World Peace : He Chooses Diplomatic Route

Ron Hegge may not be George Shultz, but he recently spent 3 weeks acting like him. The businessman from Laguna Beach toured six European countries, where he met with princes, prime ministers and other political leaders to discuss world peace.

Hegge, 41, is part of the Beyond War Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto that promotes world peace. Hegge and another member of the foundation went to Europe as citizens in hopes of opening more dialogue on the issues of world peace and nuclear arms reduction.

“The biggest accomplishment was the ability of a couple of ordinary citizens to connect with leaders on that level,” Hegge said.

Hegge visited Spain, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and Hungary. Besides interviewing dignitaries, Hegge talked to people on the streets.

Widespread Concensus

“I was struck by the universality of the street interviews,” Hegge said. “The average everyday citizen recognized that dialogue between the superpowers is a necessity. It was a clear consensus.”

Hegge said he was surprised that Peter Varkony, the foreign minister of Hungary, said he was as interested in world peace as some of his Western counterparts. Noted Hegge: “He said, ‘We’ve set a course along the path of peace and it’s up to the people to make sure that it is kept.’ ”

Hegge was also impressed by the comments of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, coordinator of the United Nations’ humanitarian and economic assistance efforts to Afghanistan, during a meeting in Geneva. Khan expressed hope that the world would move away from racial prejudice and at the same time achieve arms control.

“He said, ‘Everything in the world has changed but our thinking,’ ” Hegge said.

Just after Hegge returned from Europe, another member of the Beyond War Foundation, Fred Lentz of Fullerton, was meeting with President Reagan. Lentz, 45, a social science teacher from La Habra High School, was part of a Beyond War contingent that presented Reagan with the 1988 Beyond War Award on Thursday at the White House.

Lentz is a Vietnam veteran who interrogated Vietnamese prisoners of war for Army intelligence. He began working with Beyond War in 1983.

“In being over there and talking to the Vietnamese--some of them ordinary citizens--I discovered they’re not a whole lot different than we are,” Lentz said. “Yes, we have different cultures, but we both want peace, decent homes and good educations.”

The organization this year also voted to give Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev the 1988 Beyond War Award for contributions toward world peace. On Nov. 19, the group’s taped presentations to both leaders will be broadcast in the United States and the Soviet Union via satellite. The film also will include Hegge’s discussions with other world leaders.

In the past, Beyond War has linked audiences in as many as 160 cities via satellite to see films of their national awards ceremonies or live dialogues with foreign leaders.