It seemed that Israel was going into a long period of peacetime.  Now, it seemed, that Nachman’s great dream to make part of the Army, at least, trained for peaceful uses.

His eight years experience with using the army also for civilian purposes, like he and his department implemented in  Friendly Countries, who asked for Israel ’s help, and his work and cooperation with the American Peace Corps on such matters, made him passionately enthusiastic about adopting the methods for many armies in the world.  He approached the Israel Veterans Association, and through them submitted his plan for the peaceful use of the Armed Forces to the World Veterans Federation.  

Below is the Proposal put before the Convention of The World Veterans Federation:  

a)          a)        The world is full of people wearing uniforms.  Millions of people spend months and years of their most beautiful youth within the military framework.  We stand no practical chance to cancel the military organizations of the different states.  Therefore we ought to look for mans and ways how to give a positive expression to the potential and ability inherent in the bodies.  

b)         b)      There does not exist an International Agency more suited than the WVF composed of ex-servicemen knowledgeable of the potential and the challenge standing in front of establishing and carrying out this proposal.  

c)          c)        The general idea has been brought before this organization some time ago, and the first steps were taken  to study and enquire into the subject: noted isa the research effort of Mr.Hanning, whose paper will be forthcoming.  We must consider how to hasten the process and study the problem with a spirit appropriate to its difficulties and potentialities.  

d)         d)         The State of Israel is in possession of a long tradition of the “plow with the sword” (book of Nehemia).  This proverb served as a lait-motif to Israel ’s community life for the last decades when there was required a combination of building and development with the proper frame of Defence.  

e)        e)          Ever since Israel ’s sovereign existence both principles were adopted and advanced.  The methods of utilizing armies for constructive efforts of building the country and not just defending it.  Dignitaries from foreign lands who came to visit Israel were made aware of our efforts and achievements in this field. Many of them were duly impressed and asked us to advise them on the establishment of similar patterns in their own countries.  As of today, some twenty countries are receiving the aid of Israeli advisers, technicians and experts.  The majority of our work is done in African countries, but also in Latin-America, and Asia .  The Israeli experts, most of them ex-servicemen and officers whose experience and know-how acquired in Israel enable them to advise the Developing Countries how to utilize their military organizations for the development of their countries with a maximum of ability and efficiency.   

f)          The Israeli delegation is hereby inviting all sister organizations and representatives to come and visit Israel in order to find out our wayy of doing these things and visit the courses we are conducting for foreign cadets who came to Israel to learn Technical and agricultural  subjects to implement in their countries.  We propose to establish a contact with The Secretary General of the WVF in order to put at the disposal of the organization a number of vacancies  in such a course of three months in Israel .  

f)                    Details of the proposal:

g)        g)          1) the use and application of military organizations for the purpose of development and constructive work.  Priority will be given to opbjectives of first national needs, the importance of which is self-evident from the point of view of their size and challenge.  This inorder not to take the place of civilian agencies, but to supplement their work. (Developing countries that are not in needed of large military organizations are establishing organizations called “National Services whose tasks are education and constructive work.)

2) The use and application of the armed forces for the purpose of education.  Each army should and can be turned into a large national school   whose duty will be educating the young people, as well as increasing their ability and value as constructive citizens in their society.

This educational task is composed of two main subjects: general education  in the system of adult education.  An army which is based on national conscription may strive to achieve  a standard of elementary school education for all its soldiers.  The second objective is Vocational Education.  This will come as a supplement to the general education and not in its place.  It is required to work out an integral educational program which will make full use of the different training programs which the army requires anyhow.  (Armour Corps.

Soldiers may easily adapt to truck driving).  

h)       h)           A suggested outline for WVF activity:  We have to move away from the position we hold today.  This is a subject both sympathetic and natural for our organization and may give us a new impetus for our work, and create fasvourableechoes in the international arena;

1)                              The AVF will assume responsibility, for creating an international  consciousness and a positive international public opinion that will be inducive for countries that are willing to try this programs.

2)                               We shall continue to prepare materials for an international seminar designed to discuss these matters.  The seminar will be held at the earliest possible date, and will include experts knowledgeable in these subjects.

3)                               Issue a call to Veteran Organizations throughout the world to put their members at the disposal of this work, both in their own countries and as volunteers for a period of time, in developing countries.

The WVF is the first international non-governmental agency that takes an interest in this, potentially important, subject, and has wisely acted in inviting Colonel Nachman Karni to speak and advise on this matter.  Colonel Karni is the man in Israel responsible for the introduction of this subject, and has acquired a manyfold experience in this field, being in charge of applying exactly such programs in Africa , Latin-America and Asia .  We hope that the conversations he had held with the heads of the Federation , as well as with delegates from different countries, will contribute to the advancement of our work. 

We are looking forward for proposals of imagination and courage.  This activity holds within in a great potential yet undiscovered.  Let us do it together and with clear thinking.  

All these beautiful plans, were dreamed, proposed and discussed, but didn’t have a chance to be implemented.  When Nachman retired in July l968, and made the above proposals, there was no cloud of war in the sky.  He went on to New York to establish his company NAREX which was to be a business of helping developing countries in establishing  industries, later called joint-ventures.  But in October l973, the sky darkened again with clouds of war.  On Yom Kippur, Israel was attacked by Egyptian armies who crossed the canal, and by Syrian forces who attacked in the Golan Heights .  Israel fought for its life on both fronts.  And paying a very high price in lives and wounded, turned the wheel of war, beat the Egyptians and the Syrians.  Crossed the Canal again and pursued the Egyptians into their land.  With a twist of justice, the African Countries, including those that were being helped by Israel , severred  Diplomatic Relations with Israel , sent all the Israelies home, and the big dream never came to be.  When Saadat came to Jerusalem in November l978, peace was signed with Egypt in l979, the African Countries  resumed their relations with Israel ,  Nachman was already not among us.  The dream remained a dream, and today sounds like a fantasy.