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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks by J. Brady Anderson,
Seeds of Peace Reception
USAID Administrator
July 18, 2000
Thank you, John, and good afternoon.
Before I begin let me also acknowledge and thank the many Seeds of Peace supporters in this room: our supporters in Congress, our colleagues from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Jordan and Greece, and our friends from the NGO and diplomatic communities.
And thanks also to the staff and students of the Seeds of Peace program, who have done so much to bring the world's people together.
It is an honor for me to be with you this afternoon.
You know of course that you are all visiting Washington at an auspicious time: last week, just a few miles from here, President Clinton began hosting a historic summit with Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat.
Peace begins with compromise and commitment. But to flourish, it also needs the bonds of human understanding-the ability to place yourself in someone else's shoes, and see the world through their eyes.
In this new century, as the world gets smaller, these bonds of friendship across borders and between cultures will become even more important, for they remind us to acknowledge our differences and celebrate that which we have in common.
For seven years now, Seeds of Peace has been doing exactly that.
From its first class of forty-five, Seeds of Peace has grown to the point where today it graduates more than one thousand students from ten countries.
These young men and women will take the lessons they learned in Maine home to their countries, to their neighborhoods, and to their families-and it is no exaggeration to say that the world will be the better for their efforts.
I am proud to announce that this year, USAID will provide about $700,000 to Seeds of Peace.
Much of this funding will help Seeds of Peace graduates from the Palestinian territories, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries participate in follow-up programs at the Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem.
These funds will also bring together students from Greek and Turkish Cyprus-and help Seeds of Peace continue its new program in the Balkans.
Peace is a commitment-it is a choice we make over and over and over again. I am proud that USAID is helping young men and women all over the world make that choice.
To the Seeds of Peace graduates of 2000-congratulations.
Today, you look to us for leadership, but the day is fast approaching when the world will look to you.
When that day comes, I know you will remember the lessons you learned and the friends you made at a summer camp in Maine.
And that will be the legacy of Seeds of Peace.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
