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| Luncheon Remarks
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May 20, 2008
Alumni Luncheon, Miami Herald Silver Knights 50th anniversary celebration
Ambassador Frances D. Cook (USFS, Ret.)
Thanks to the Knight Foundation and the Miami Herald leadership and staff for organizing this great celebration of community and service!
When I was contacted, last summer, by an enterprising HERALD reporter, and told of plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Silver Knight program, I was embarrassed that I couldn't recall more specifics about the event, and how I reacted, except with incredulity -- as I'm sure is true of most of my fellow alums present today. As this event is, after all, about history, let me take you back briefly to 1963, when I received my award. For the more recent winners, this will sound like the Peloponnesian Wars; to others, it will recall some significant moments in our shared history. In l963:
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--First class postage was raised from 4 cents to 5 cents
--The first discotheque opened, in LA" "Whiskey-a-go-go"
--George C. Wallace was sworn in as Governor of Alabama. In his inaugural address he proclaimed, "segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!"
--Important to Miamians, in February, the USSR informed President Kennedy that it was withdrawing several thousand troops from Cuba
--The Beatles released their first single in the U.S. "Please, please me"
--In March the Supreme Court handed down the Miranda Decision: defendants must have lawyers
--In May, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I have a dream " speech
--Gov. Wallace tried to prevent blacks from registering at the University of Alabama, but President Kennedy proclaimed that segregation is morally wrong and that it is "time to act"
--The first demonstration of a home video recorder took place at BBC studios in London
--President Kennedy, on a visit to West Berlin, gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech
--The U.S. postal service instituted the zip code system (Zone Improvement Plan)
--In August, James Meredith becomes the first black graduate of the Univ. of Mississippi
--In September, 4 children were killed in the bombing of a black Baptist church in Birmingham
--Following intensive testing , all year long, by the U.S. and France, JFK signed the ratification of the nuclear test ban treaty
--In October, South Africa began the trial of a young lawyer named Nelson Mandela, and 8 others, on conspiracy charges
--In November, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, a tragedy that marked my entire generation
--Finally in December, Kenya declared independence from the UK under the former MauMau leader, Jomo Kenyattta.
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After that "scene setter"-- and now that I have you in my time frame-- I'd like to speak about three things, which I hope will be relevant to the lives and experiences of my fellow Silver Knight alums:
Why I am here--
How I spent my time since those exciting moments in 1963 --
And the Middle East, and America's image in the world.
I propose to do this in reverse order -- as our President has just returned from the Middle East, and it is fresh in everyone's minds. And because of his trip, assessments are now being written on America's policies in the region -- a region of the world the Bush Administration has focused American lives and treasure on, like no other, in the past 7+ years. Let me start with a little history here, too.
The Middle East
America's intense involvement with the Arabs and Islam started, of all things, with the work of American protestant missionaries in the region-long before the first oil was discovered in Iran.. Some of those pioneers are still alive, and I have been honored to know some of the early medical missionaries (now in their 80s) to the Gulf. But the Arabs remain a people that we knew little about --except for oil-- until the horror of 9/11 occurred. We Americans actually have a great deal in common with the Middle East's 325 million Arabs, who are divided into 23 states (and are viewed as part of a world community of 1.4 billion Muslims) -- whether it is our devoutness in our faith, the centrality of the family in our social life, or our tradition of hospitality -- or the fact that the minorities in both regions are nonetheless generally of the Abrahamic faiths. To note that we are mutually dependent on each other, is to state the obvious -- America's energy gluttony seems to know no bounds, and the Arabs still generally value U.S. education and products above all others that are on offer (Moreover, today, the sovereign wealth funds of Gulf Arab states are currently bailing out multiple giant American financial institutions, which stepped over the " line" in recent years. No one else has the resources, or the self-interest, to do what the Arabs are doing to bolster our economy, at the current time.) Nonetheless, to cite the Pew Trust, which has done repeated polls in the Middle East, "America's image, in much of the Muslim world, remains abysmal….driven by the perception of American power and fears about how American wields its might…The war in Iraq solidified anti-Americanism in the Middle East, and extended it to other parts of the Muslim world."
The state of Israel, created sixty years ago, had early and continuous support, of all kinds, in huge quantities, from our nation. It's not because of the "Jewish lobby" as some opponents would like to pretend, but because we, as a people, believe in the idea of Israel, and it's right to exist, as a democratic state, in the Middle East. Because of this belief, we have worked, off and on (more "off" unfortunately, in the last 7 years) on peace between Israel and its neighbors, throughout my career-- but most intensively since President Carter succeeded at Camp David. Unfortunately, the situation between Israel and its neighbors has deteriorated mightily in recent years -- whether you look toward the Palestinian front, the Lebanese front, or the Syrian front.
Historically, when no peace process is advancing in the region, it is because the one nation that can work with all sides, has become distracted, or is not putting it shoulder to the wheel with ideas, proposals, incentives, and diplomacy. It is somewhat akin to riding a bicycle -- if you are not pedaling and moving forward, the bicycle falls over. Our current government in Washington has consistently hung back on these matters, seemingly confident (to the extent that they focused on this overarching Middle East issue, at all ) that each side's urgency would create enough of an engine to move peace forward. The one area where we didn't hang back was in an effort to isolate and overthrow the democratically elected Hamas government--democratic elections being a prime administration goal in this "democracy-deficit" region. This left Hamas no where to go but further into the Iranian embrace. That catalyzed armed conflict among Palestinians (many Gazans using the ample armory we had earlier provided to the Palestinian police force), partitioned the occupied territories, and encouraged the Israeli effort to force Gaza into submission. The prospect of a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, based on a two-state solution, tragically, has never been as remote as it is today. Aaron Miller, a friend , who has worked on Middle East peace for both Republican and Democratic administration, says in his new book, The Much Too Much Promised Land, that "the Bush team..in eight years, has managed to put American in the unique position in the Middle East where it is 'not liked, not feared and not respected…we stumbled for eight years under Bill Clinton over how to make peace in the Middle East, and then we stumbled for either years under George Bush over how to make war there… with the result that we are now "trapped in a region which (we) cannot fix and cannot abandon".
In fact, a case could be made that America's foes in the Middle East have actually grown stronger in the past seven years, while its allies have grown weaker. Only last week, one of Washington's preeminent, and moderate, think tanks (CSIS) put it this way, on the eve of the President's trip to the region:
"The Bush Administration has had a remarkable proclivity to see the world in a statis way. The evil are evil, the good are good, and redemption is rare. Rather than see governments' behavior on a dynamic continuum, it (put them in) categories…ranking them according to U.S. needs and desires. The US Government put forth a bold vision of change in the Middle East, based on an assessment largely of U.S. interests…..while that vision inspired some, it frightened many….and the U,.S. vision remains unrealized." " On every issue that the administration has prioritized -- Arab-Israeli peace, liberating Lebanon from Syrian and Iranian influence, democratizing Egypt, stabilizing Iraq and containing Iran -- America's foes have grown stronger, and its allies have grown weaker...more troubling, virtually ALL of these problems are worsening as the administration prepares to leave office." Ultimately, "the conviction that among the most powerful tools that the U.S. government could use against its foes was withholding recognition and refusing dialogue. It is hard to find a single instance in which such boycotts were effective. Rather than being on the ropes, the targets of those efforts -- Hamas, Hezbollah, the Syrian and Iranians government, and more -- are ALL far more secure than they were two years ago. " Put a different way, the Washington Post's David Ignatius last week wrote that the Bush administration has " undercut the very people the United States most wanted to help. In Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, and even Jordan, the moderate voices in the center are weaker now than they were when President Bush took office in 2001." Ignatius concludes, "Iran thinks it's on a roll now, and Tehran's allies are so cocky that it's too late for this administration to make much progress. It had it chances (with Iran, with Syria, with Lebanon) but let them slip. So it will fall to the next administration to relearn the delicate, sometimes devious skills of diplomacy that can rebuild the Arab center…" and give our nation partners, once again, in the region.
Our First Line of Defense
Let me turn now to a smaller, much smaller topic - the diplomats, who are America's first line of defense, and will , hopefully, be listened to again by our leadership in Washington. I spent 32 years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. The United States currently has diplomatic relations with 189 nations around the world. We have a total of 267 "missions" to staff (167 embassies, 64 consulates general, and a collection of special purpose offices - such as the U.S. Mission to the United Nations). In them, work representatives from 27 federal agencies who have representation abroad, all working under the American Ambassador, who is the personal representative of the President of the United States. The State Department has slightly less than 58 thousand employees, including foreign and civil service, and , abroad, 37 thousand foreign service "nationals" (locals of the country where we are assigned). At the pinnacle of this collection of staff at State is the small group of less than 7 thousand U.S. Foreign Service Officers. We serve across the world, in places that are oft-times unhealthy, dangerous - either for your sanity or your waistline-or worse! We speak dozens of languages, many quite exotic (and of no use anywhere except in the country where we are stationed), and develop the skills to run mid-size corporations, in the course of our careers. And, we have a very long list of names , in the State Department lobby, engraved on a memorial plaque, listing those who died abroad , unarmed --from hostile action, while serving , in the Foreign Service, at one of our posts. Let me put our Service in perspective: the total uniformed military (active and reserve) is 217 times larger. A single U.S. army division is larger than the Foreign Service. The military has more uniformed personnel in the state of Mississippi than the State Department has diplomats worldwide. In fact, the military has more uniformed military band members than the State Department has diplomats. Do you sense that I think we are understaffed for the huge job we have to do? That has been the case, sadly, for a long time. Because we don't have a domestic constituency to lobby for us, some of us feel that Congress - or our political appointee bosses -are only interested in us, when we are being shot at. But the hard work of building peace happens in every mission we have abroad, every day. You can't do your job in the Foreign Service, unless you are an optimist, at your core. You have to believe that you can make a difference, that in the course of your career , you can have a positive impact for our nation. I have seen some colleagues destroyed by the career we all freely chose (and went through a bruising battery of tests to enter). I have seen some families torn asunder by the constant moves, and hardships. But I've also seen many more energized and honored by the opportunity to represent our nation. Your Foreign Service is patriotic, very hard working, under rewarded, over tasked, and very, very proud to represent this great nation abroad. I hope you'll remember my hearty band the next time you think, perhaps, unkindly, of the Federal Government. We might be relatively voice-less domestically, but abroad, the know us-- trust me, they know us.
How I Continue to Serve
It is not unusual for someone with my background to stay engaged abroad, when they leave the service. One of the ways I have done so is through my involvement with NGOs - non-governmental organizations , or charities. Let me speak to you about two. Both work in the Middle East, but also across the world. They are two organizations you might not have heard of , but both have made efforts here, in Miami, in recent months to become better known:
- The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) is a, non-profit, humanitarian organization formed in 1997 to honor the vision of Nobel Peace Laureate George C. Marshall ,by helping war-torn countries, to help themselves, in ridding their lands of the scourge of landmines.
- Mines affect millions of people in 70 countries worldwide. They maim or kill thousands of innocent people each year while instilling fear, paralyzing communitites and denying use of productive land.
- Mines are small, usually buried, often made of plastic, and difficult to find. Highly trained dogs are among the best detectors of landmines available in the field today.
- In one day, a human can search 50 square meters of land suspected of mine contamination, but a mine detection dog team may search up to 1,500 square meters in the same period of time. Over an average working life of six to eight years, a typical mine detection dog searches nearly 1.5 million square meters of land. We have never lost a single dog to a landmine explosion - that is how good they are.
- We currently have nearly 900 dogs "sniffing out" landmines and saving lives in 27 countries around the world, in programs in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Eritrea, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka and Thailand. We plan to provide 30 more dogs to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq and Lebanon in 2008.
- The U.S. Government matches the private funds MLI collects, to train local handlers and provide essential infrastructure so countries can help themselves in freeing their land from the horror of landmines. No U.S. military personnel are EVER used to clear landmines in a foreign country.
- It costs us $20,000 to acquire, train and deploy each dog. Sponsors may name the dog, receive progress reports and visit the beneficiary nation to see the fruits of their investment.
Innovative program headed by Diana Enzi, wife of the Wyoming Senator -- MLI's Children Against Mines Program (CHAMPS) fosters a sense of global citizenship and informs American youth about the plight of children in mine affected countries. Students have raised money to send mine detection dogs named Apollo, Arizona, Brownie, Champlain, Connecticut, Granite, Lilo, Lipscomb, Parky, Shadow, South Hadley, Stitch, Tornado, Vermont, and Wyoming to help save and improve the lives of children in Afghansitan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Lebanon and Sri Lanka. Our website is www.marshall-legacy.org.
The other organization I'd like you to know about is Save A Child's Heart. I also proudly serve on the board of this Isareli-based international humanitarian project, which, quite simply, saves the lives of children --from developing nations-- who suffer from life-threatening congenital heart disease. We also work to create centers of competence, and train medical personnel, in the sending countries. It is based in Israel at the Wolfson Medical Center, where a team of 70 dedicated experts volunteer their time without any payment. We work to cover the round-trip airfare for the tiny patients, and their accompanying parent/or nurse; and we have built a type of "Ronald McDonald house", near Wolfson, where they stay until their surgery, and recuperate afterwards. (We are building a new house, larger, and there are naming opportunities for a those who might be interested.) And we have covered the costs of bringing nearly 50 physicians and nurses, from the developing world, to Israel, for training in pediatric cardiology. Importantly, the Israeli government, under PM Ehud Barak, issued a decree saying that no hospital charges would exceed $10 thousand for any patient, and that is a big help too (as anyone can appreciate who knows the costs of cardiac surgery in our own country). Who do we help? 43% of the children have been from Africa; 45% from the Palestinian Authority areas, Jordan and Iraq; 5% from Moldova, Russia, and other former USSR states; and 7% are from China, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. A total of over 1,900 children have been treated --and saved. We have a waiting list of over 1000 children. We have to increase the volume of surgeries performed, and hope to do 250 in 2008. Won't you help? Our website is www.saveachildsheartus.org.
As you can see, old Foreign Service Officers don't fade away. They tend to keep doing the same kind of work! It is "pay back" time in my life, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I hope you haven't minded my taking advantage this podium to promote two of "my" causes. More importantly, I hope you'd consider joining us in this life saving work.
A Lot of Help Along the Way
Finally, let me just say a word about why I am here. I am here not only because my school nominated me, as a Silver Knight, those many years ago, to the Miami Herald, and I had the good fortune to be selected by the judges. I am here because I had a lot of help along the way-as I suspect is the case of many of you in this audience. I had teachers and professors who encouraged and challenged me to reach high. I get a bit troubled, these days, when I hear kids responding , to the perennial question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with the response: "Famous". I hope that is a passing fad -fed by those awful TV "competition" shows and People magazine. In my house when I was growing up, we had National Geographic, Life Magazine, and Book of the Month Club. We also had parents who saw that the homework was done, every evening-and helped with it if that was needed. We didn't have a lot of money, but we had support, and love . We were challenged to dream very big. And, we had parents who really cared about how we turned out. Let me ask my biggest supporter, who is here today, to stand and be recognized. My mother turned 94 last week, and I am very blessed to have her still with me, encouraging me every day, in every way.
Thank you Miami Herald, and the Knight Foundation, for this superb gathering, and for allowing me to share some of my thoughts with this very distinguished audience.
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