Embassy Row: Go Fly a Kite
James Morrison
Washington Times
05/30/2006
The kite was a symbol of defiance in Afghanistan among many
who hated the brutal Taliban regime, which declared the hobby
a violation of Islam and severely punished those caught flying
one.
In Washington, dedicated supporters of a free Afghanistan see
the kite as a symbol of hope, especially for thousands of Afghan
street children.
French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte hosted the annual kite
gala at the French Embassy earlier this year to raise money
for the Aschiana Foundation, which supports the homeless children.
"The cause of all children is sacred throughout the world,
but Afghanistan is a special case," he said. "The
country was destroyed by the Soviet military occupation and
then by the rule of the Taliban."
Our correspondent Gail Scott reported that the ambassador also
expressed pride in the French troops in Afghanistan, who are
part of the NATO peacekeeping force. However, he added that
all efforts will be futile unless Afghanistan can feed, shelter
and educate the street children.
"Nothing will last unless we give the next generation,
boys and girls, an education, and, first of all, hope,"
he said.
Afghan Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad praised the guests for their
help.
"We truly appreciate this support for education and for
Afghan children," he said. "You are investing in education
and our children, and this is the most important and valuable
investment that Afghanistan and the international community
can make in order to build a new Afghanistan and to strengthen
a civil society there."
Marie Kux, who founded the U.S. wing of the foundation, said
the foundation has helped up to 7,000 children in the past 10
years. Aschiana, which means "the nest" in Afghan,
funds training centers and outreach programs in the capital,
Kabul, and other cities.
"In aiding Aschiana, we, as individuals, are showing the
power of compassion and awareness of our social responsibility,
realizing we are all at risk if we do not help one another,"
she said.
First lady Laura Bush sent a message of support.
"The Aschiana Foundation has already brought help and hope
to thousands of the working street children of Afghanistan,
and I applaud their many successes," she said.
'Sister republics'
The new Swiss ambassador emphasized the shared heritage of his
country and the United States, which he said are often called
"sister republics," when he presented his diplomatic
credentials to President Bush.
"Our two countries share a long-standing history of friendship
and good relations that arises as much from similarities in
their approach toward the world as from differences in their
respective size and background," Ambassador Urs Ziswiler
said in the White House ceremony earlier this month.
"If Switzerland and the United States of America are sometimes
referred to as 'sister republics,' it is because the exchanges
connected with the political organization and structure of our
countries are unusually deep."
Mr. Ziswiler noted that Switzerland modeled its federal institutions
after the United States and that Americans were inspired by
the Swiss tradition of direct democracy when the founders drafted
the Constitution.
The ambassador also said Switzerland shares many of the United
States' foreign policy goals.
"My country, too, has to confront the challenge of issues
related to combating terrorism, weapons proliferation and other
threats," Mr. Ziswiler said.
The ambassador previously was the second-highest official in
the Swiss foreign service as head of the political directorate
in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
He served as joint ambassador to Canada and the Bahamas from
1999 to 2004 and has held posts in the former Yugoslavia, Argentina,
Israel, Congo, Nigeria and Norway.
•Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or
e-mail [email protected].
