Ambassador's speeches
Remarks for the Opening Ceremony for the American Corner
Protestant University of the Congo, Kinshasa
April 1, 2008, 12:15 p.m.
Rector Boliya,
Distinguished guests,
Faculty, staff and students,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is indeed a pleasure to be here with you today. I arrived in Congo just over four months ago, and I have enjoyed learning about life in the Congo since our arrival. When cultures meet, our understanding of each other's lives is increased. With our new American Corner, which we inaugurate here today, we are moving both of our cultures forward to a place where we will have a better understanding of each other’s rich heritages and traditions.
Over the past year, we have seen a fundamental transformation in relations between the United States and Congo. This transformation has its roots in our common values as one of the world’s oldest democracies and as one that is just embarking on that path. Our increasingly convergent interests include fighting against terrorism and other transnational threats such as the drug trade, HIV/AIDS, and trafficking of women and children.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also is proud to be active in Congo. Last year, USAID provided $112 million in development aid to Congo, $88 million in humanitarian assistance and $300 million in support for MONUC. In 2008, the assistance level will rise and be used for programs in public health, support for democracy and good governance, assistance to livelihood programs, and to environmental and biodiversity programs, among others.
Today we are taking another important step forward in the direction of developing a comprehensive relationship by providing new opportunities for the people of Kinshasa to know and understand the United States. Today, through the simple power of information sharing, we are bringing our two peoples closer together. With our American Corner here today, we are providing the opportunity and the resources for students and faculty to access information and to support research and intellectual curiosity.
For a long time, American libraries have played an important role in promoting understanding between our peoples. Back when the geographical distance between our countries was more difficult to surmount, books and periodicals served an important role in communication across the miles. As the American author Elbert Hubbard wrote, "I do not read a book: I hold a conversation with the author." In the same way, you, the people of Congo, have been holding conversations with Americans through the books and resources of our American libraries.
To continue that conversation, and to build greater bridges of communication and understanding for the future, the US Mission in Congo is pleased to be opening this American Corner in Congo, in partnership with the Protestant University. The American Corner will provide a window to life and culture in the United States and we are committed to making it one of the best places in Kinshasa to obtain accurate and up-to-date information about political, economic, cultural, educational and social trends in the United States, with the goal of fostering closer people-to-people ties between our two countries. This American Corner joins our American Corner in Lubumbashi as one of two resource libraries available free for people to use.
An important aspect of these Corners is partnership. Our partner here is the Protestant University, which has kindly provided the space and personnel for operation and maintenance of the Corner. None of this would have been possible without the enthusiasm, initiative and resourcefulness of the Protestant University. On behalf of our Embassy here in Kinshasa, I sincerely thank the Rector of the University, Dr. Boliya, and his staff for their collaboration on this joint effort. We are looking to a long and fruitful period of cooperation.
So what exactly will you find in this American Corner? Once fully stocked, the American Corner will contain books, periodicals, CD-ROMs and videos. The book collection includes titles like "Understanding Government," so this is likely a place to come for those of you interested in understanding and following our upcoming presidential elections. We will offer resources across a range of interests, including politics, history, journalism, and culture. Many works of literature by American writers can be found here.
In addition to the resources just mentioned, we expect the American Corner will frequently be the venue for future American Center programs. For example, it will be a center where U.S. scientists and experts, on subjects as diverse as agricultural biotechnology and privatization, will participate and share viewpoints with academics and members of think tanks and NGOs from Kinshasa. It will be a center where students from schools and colleges in Kinshasa can go for guidance about where and how to get information and advice on higher education in the United States. It will be a center where local businesses and NGOs can meet with experts to exchange information about US advances in environment and energy technologies. In short, it will build a stronger relationship and understanding between our two democracies.
Over one hundred American Corners have opened throughout the world already – across Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa. One other American Corner is already open in the DRC, in Lubumbashi, in recognition of the strong relationship we have with the people of that city. The American Corner is also a natural focal point for graduates of American universities and programs to stay in touch with each other and their friends in America. I encourage all alumni of American exchange programs, such as Fulbright and the International Visitor Program, to take an active role in this Corner.
Most importantly, the American Corner is yours. This is a space for you to use to meet, hold events, do research, to go online, or to just relax and read. To work, American Corners must be alive. They must be used. I am confident that this American Corner will be a friendly and lively place that promotes dialogue and mutual understanding between the people of the Congo and Americans. The American Embassy in Kinshasa is committed to supporting activities at this Corner, and we know that the Protestant University of Congo, as our partner, is also committed to this goal. Our success together will depend on the participation and support of its users. This American Corner is ours to build and grow, and will go wherever our imagination and initiative take it.
Thank you.