|
||||
|
||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Transcript of Remarks at the International Education Week 2004 ECA Exchanges Fair Ceremony U.S. Department of State
Deputy Assistant Secretary Miller Crouch: On behalf of Assistant Secretary Patricia Harrison, I would like to thank everyone for coming. We are going to have a very brief welcome from the Deputy Secretary at this time. I would like to introduce Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage, who has been and continues to be an inspiration to the whole exchange community and certainly to ECA. Mr. Armitage presided over the opening of the Fulbright Program in Afghanistan, the Fulbright Program in Iraq; he presided over the request that we increase our ambitions for the President’s budget submission, for fiscal year 2006. He has held us to a strict standard of excellence - and he knows how to give you the stick and he knows how to give you the carrot. In my 32-year career, I have never seen a leader who can meet him. Mr. Armitage. (Applause) The Secretary was up at the Humphrey's reception the other evening and he came down to us, and, of course, Grant Green and I are still in the office and he was really thrilled with what he saw, because you've really, really got a good thing going. I'm joined by two of our graduate Fulbrighters, graduate studies from Iraq, just returned about a week, week and a half ago, and I want to acknowledge their presence. I saw an undergraduate -- where are you? -- from Iraq. There you are. Welcome. As Miller said, I had the honor of presiding over the resumption of the Fulbright program. And whether it's Afghanistan or Iraq or any other Fulbrighters, but particularly for Afghanistan and Iraq, what this means for us is this is a bet from our nation, a long-term bet on the success of both Iraq and Afghanistan, and that's what the Fulbrighters really represent in a way. But moreover, all of our visitor programs in one way or another are ways that we tie ourselves together with other nations. And the Secretary and I spend the majority of our time, as you could imagine, working with big problems, tough problems of security and the war on terrorism and all that, and here I can come down this morning and see all of you, who show an extraordinarily uplifting face, who are the best that we have to offer and what you're offering to the world. I've said from time to time that we had a great problem in this nation after 2001; we started exporting our anger and our fear, rather than what is more traditional for us, which is our hope and our enthusiasm. You know, when I look at these or talk to you all about these visitors programs or see your displays, I am reminded yet again that it's not just a matter of us reaching out to the world; think of what these three young men and all of the others who are part of these visitor programs are doing for us. They're educating our population. They're showing us the beauty and the wisdom that exists in other cultures, in other societies. They're really teaching our own population about other cultures. I've described Americans as reluctant internationalists. I think Americans, left to their own devices, would like to not have to be bothered with the problems of the world. We don't have that luxury and we haven't for some time. So these reluctant international citizens of ours are learning from you all. It's not a matter of we're doing so much with you or for you; it's what you're doing and all of your colleagues here assembled in the various university schools, high schools even, around the world. So let me thank you for just the extraordinary things that my American colleagues here in ECA do for us every day. As I said last year, I very much envy you, because when you can come to work in the mornings, it's hard work and you work long hours, but when you do come to work in the morning you know that you're going to do something positive, you're not playing defense, you're going to make a big difference to how we're perceived in the world and how the world perceives us, which is so incredibly important in these very difficult times. Now finally, a word about the only idea I've had for four years. (Laughter.) And Tom was kind enough -- or Miller, rather -- to show me there are CultureConnect ambassadors who are involved with the sport of basketball. It's perhaps the only idea I've had in a long time -- (laughter) -- but basketball is an international language now and it seems to, in another way, have connected us. Not at a political level. It's not what we wanted. But at a personal, human level around the world. So I'm proud of them, just as I'm so proud of every one of you. For our international visitors, I welcome you. As I say, don't be hesitant to teach us a bit. We need it. My citizens, our citizens, need it. We are reluctant internationalists. And as you found out, we don't know much about the world -- many of us, many of our citizens. We've had the luxury of not having to because of the safety and distance afforded by our two great oceans. But that's no longer afforded to us, so we are kind of putting a burden on you to educate our citizens, to really help us be better citizens of the world, just as you're, whether you're Iraqi or whether you're from Norway or from wherever, Morocco and others I've met today, you're really, really helping us to be better citizens of the world, just as you've had to become citizens of the world. So, Tom and Miller, thanks so much for having me down here today,
and I'm sure these words will be carried to Pat. We're proud of you.
We envy you, the Secretary and I, very, very much. And I could only
exhort you to, as they say in Japan, even greater efforts because it
makes such a big difference to our nation. Thank you all very much,
and let me thank you. Miller Crouch: One of our Iraqi Fulbright Fellows has asked to speak. Baraket Jassem: Hello everybody. My name is Baraket Jassem. I am from Iraq, Baghdad. I am very glad to be with you. I am very glad to be with Mr. Armitage. It is a great honor and a great chance to meet you. Through this program, the Fulbright Program that I am enrolled in, and all the exchange programs that you’re involved with, it’s a great opportunity for our people overseas, for Iraqi people, for Moroccan people, for Norwegian people, and for American People, it’s a great chance for us to speak and to share the understanding that we need in this world, after 9/11 attacks. It’s a great responsibility for us, and we are lucky. And we’re committed to sharing our experience with the American people. I have been in colleges, and I have been in elementary schools, and with all these kids, I said, “Forget about the war in Iraq, ask me different questions about the food, about the history, about geography,” and there were all these wonderful questions from these kids that show, they want to know what is Iraq, besides the war. And they were very grateful, they wrote me very beautiful things. I have been in high schools and I have shared this great experience that I was given, thanks for the commitment of the U.S. government. To bring students from all over the world and to send the students, the American students, to different parts of the world to share experience, to share understanding. Thank you very much. (Applause) Miller Crouch: In concluding the ceremony, I’d just like to recall a passage in the Secretary’s autobiography where he says he worked for a general, and the general wanted, when he left command, the officers to recognize the work of their troops. I see Travis Horel, our DAS over there for professional exchanges, Tom Farrell, DAS for Academic exchanges, and on behalf of Assistant Secretary Harrison and myself - and I’m sure Mr. Armitage joins me as the senior managers in ECA and with the Department - I’d like to have a round of applause for the people who do the work in ECA. Thank you very much - that concludes the ceremony. (Applause) END
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||
|
