2008 Speeches

Ambassador Robert B. Nolan’s Introductory Remarks on the
Occasion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2008

His Majesty the King,
The Right Honorable the Prime Minister,
Senior officials of the Government of Lesotho;
My colleagues from other diplomatic missions;
Members of Lesotho’s vibrant civil society;
Representatives of the business community;
Members of the press corps; and
Ladies and Gentlemen –

We are gathered here today to remember the life and legacy of an extraordinary American – a man who reminded our country of the true meaning of its own legacy of freedom and equality.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an individual with the vision to see the world as it could be, not merely as it was, and the bravery to dedicate his life to turning his vision -- his dream -- into reality.  Dr. King was a critical witness to the gulf between the noble ideas upon which the founding fathers of the United States created the nation and the lack of equal access by all American to the rights enshrined by our Constitution.  Dr. King’s words inspired average Americans to bridge this gulf, to close this divide.  He dreamed, in his words, “that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

Dr. King was a great orator, a strong moral leader, and a charismatic advocate for social justice.  These labels, however, could also apply to a number of individuals.  We Americans set aside a special day – a national holiday – for Dr. King because he showed us what was best in the human spirit, and that great social change could be forged out of courage and moral conviction rather than from violence.  Dr. King’s struggle to overcome racism, bigotry, and inequality improved the lives of all Americans and many citizens of the world, regardless of race, gender, or economic background.  As Dr. King stated, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  Thanks to his words and work, the U.S. is now closer to the ideal upon which it was founded, and for that, all Americans owe him their gratitude.

After civil rights victories in the United States, South Africa, and other nations since Dr. King’s times, his legacy has as much relevance today as ever.  We all strive for improvement of our conditions.  We all wish for a better society for our children and grandchildren.  Dr. King’s life and ideas set an example for achieving social change without violence through compassion, conviction, and hard work.  I am reminded again of Dr. King’s words – “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable...  Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”  We all have goals, but my challenge to you today, on Martin Luther King Day, is to be a member of this group of dedicated individuals when it comes to fighting for a bright future for Lesotho.  Lesotho needs a core group of individuals who will sacrifice and struggle for the future of this beautiful nation.  This group must be acknowledge that progress on development, or HIV/AIDS, or political enfranchisement, is not automatic or inevitable, and that they will work to insure it.  If you are a member of this group, then I promise today that you have a friend in the United States Government and the American people.

As a manifestation of this friendship, the U.S. Government offers considerable assistance to the Basotho people.  The Government of Lesotho has taken advantage of the programs of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, we will give $362.5 million over the next five years to help create the type of water, health, and private sector infrastructure which we see as key to Lesotho’s development.  Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, we grant over $12 million a year to the Basotho people to help defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS – a threat to the very existence of the nation of Lesotho.  Through the U.S. Peace Corps, we provide the time and energies of some of our nation’s most capable volunteers to assist in the improvement of countless lives here in the mountain kingdom.  Through these programs and many more, the U.S. Government extends the hand of friendship and support to our Basotho partners.

Together today, let us rededicate ourselves to being the type of agents of change which Dr. King advocated.  Let us acknowledge that one person can make a difference, and moreover, that each of us already possesses the innate ability to be that person.  Just as we share some of our financial and technical assistance with Lesotho, we are also proud to share pieces of our cultural history which serve as moral lighthouses for all Americans.  The experience of Dr. King is one of the brightest of these lighthouses, and I hope that we will share a bit of this light with you today.

We will now watch a short film about the beginning of Dr. Martin Luther King’s activities as a civil rights leader.  I hope that you will find something new about his life and times in this documentary, “Citizen King.”  We will only be watching a small portion of this magnificent two-hour documentary produced for PBS, the American public television network.  In this twenty minute excerpt, we will witness how Dr. King’s convictions led him towards his life as an agent of social change.  Once again, thank you for joining us today, and I look forward to an active question and commentary period after today’s presentations.

May God bless you.

Khotso, Pula, Nala