Remarks at Georgetown University
By Ambassador Said T. Jawad
06/22/2004
President DeGioia,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please allow me to express my sincere gratitude to you, Mrs.
DeGioia and Georgetown University for hosting tonight’s
magnificent reception. Among the distinguished guests, I am
delighted to see several great friends of Afghanistan. Thank
you all for being here tonight.
I cannot thank President DeGioia and Stewart McLaurin
enough for their vision and leadership in fulfilling Georgetown
University’s mission of bringing people together in service
to humanity. Georgetown University was among the first American
academic institutions that committed itself to the post 9/11
rebuilding of Afghanistan.
The University is one of our significant international
partners helping us achieve our national objectives towards
building a democratic and prosperous state in Afghanistan. In
July 2002 and July 2003, Georgetown University hosted two significant
summits on the recovery and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Both
summits have generated positive outcomes raising public awareness
about our national priorities and encouraging the private sector
to invest in the longer-term development of Afghanistan.
President Karzai delivered his first historic
address to more than 3,000 Afghan Americans here at Georgetown
on January 27, 2002. The enthusiastic audience was emotionally
moved by the President’s strong and visionary message
about rebuilding Afghanistan. He encouraged Afghans to return
home and contribute to the reconstruction efforts, while telling
Afghan students, “You are the future of our country, so
work hard, study well, make money, and bring it to Afghanistan.”
In support of President Karzai’s above message
and realizing the crucial role that education plays in the state
building process in my country, Georgetown University has provided
a number of major scholarships and fellowships to qualified
Afghans to study at the University and then assist in the rebuilding
process of our homeland.
I am thankful to Georgetown University for its
long-term assistance in this regard, which is already bearing
positive results. I am pleased to let know you that a second
Afghan “Hoya,” Ashraf Haidari—recipient of
the Georgetown University Peace Scholarship for graduate studies
at the School of Foreign Service—has recently joined our
Embassy as Government & Media Relations Officer, and is
actively contributing to Afghanistan. I hope that Georgetown
University will continue training qualified Afghans enabling
them to serve and help lead Afghanistan in the future.
Based on our strong relations with the University,
we have also recruited interns from Georgetown. In addition
to working hard to help our Embassy, Georgetown interns with
the School of Foreign Service have learned many skills and gained
first-hand experience in public diplomacy focusing on the post-conflict
reconstruction of Afghanistan. The interns were of tremendous
assistance to us during President Karzai’s recent visit
to the US.
Last week, the President concluded his successful
trip to the United States. He reported on our government’s
numerous achievements and thanked the American government and
people for their strong support of Afghanistan’s reconstruction
since the ouster of the Taliban two and a half years ago.
The President stopped at Fort Drum to thank US
soldiers for their sacrifices. He and President Bush participated
in the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, Georgia. His trip was highlighted
by the distinct privilege of being invited to address the Members
of the US Congress in the Joint Meeting on June 15.
President Karzai also paid his final respects
to President Reagan, who fought alongside Afghans to end the
tyranny of the Evil Empire. We will succeed in our new common
fight against terrorism. The bond of friendship and partnership
between our governments, nations, and various institutions are
growing. We appreciate your friendship and support very much.
Thank you, Stewart, for offering Georgetown’s
facilities for our use throughout President Kazari’s recent
visit to Washington, DC. Had his tight schedule allowed him,
President Karzai would have addressed the Afghan community at
Georgetown again. But he looks forward to doing so during his
next visit to the United States.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the entire
Georgetown University body: the University’s leadership,
faculty, students, and alumni for your sincere assistance and
commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Without partnership
with the international community and dedicated organizations
such as Georgetown, we would be unable to maintain our successes
and achieve our remaining goals.
Thank you.
