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2012SAVE THE DATE

On March 13, 2012

at the Hay AdamsAcross the Street from the White HOuse

Diplomatic Connections is Hosting Another

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March 13

8

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DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS

COVER STORY PAGE 36

Admiral Leasing 5Amtrak 7Apartments, Corporate Housing 1Ashton Judiciary Square and Crescent Falls Church 1

British Embassy – Range Rover Evoque 44British School of Washington 47

Chile, Embassy of – Interview with MG Oviedo 72

DC Livery 4Dewberry – Architects, Engineers & Consultants 19Diplomatic Connections Reception, March 13th, 2012, at The Hay-Adams 8Diplomatic Connections Reception, April 18th, 2012, at The Madison Hotel 13Double Tree Hotel by Hilton Hotel Bethesda – Washington, DC 76

Elysian Hotel in Chicago 95

[The] Fairfax at Embassy Row 6, 54 & 92Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts * INSIDE BACK COVER

[The] Hay-Adams 9Helga’s Catering 77

InterContinental Hotels Group 89InterContinental New York Barclay 90InterContinental – Willard InterContinental Washington, DC 90InterContinental Cleveland Clinic 91InTouch USA Wireless Communications 2

Jim Coleman Cadillac 24Jumeirah Essex House in Manhattan, New York 96

Martin Luther King Memorial 82Moroccan Ambassador Interview 20

[The] Naderi Center – Rhinoplasty & Cosmetic Surgery 3Nyumbani 78

[The] Peninsula Beverly Hills * INSIDE FRONT COVER [The] Peninsula Beverly Hills * Interview 64

Protocol Partners 2

Saudi Arabian Airlines 48Swissotel Hotels and Resorts * Chicago 94

Trump International Hotel & Tower * Chicago * BACK COVER

UNESCO – Michaelle Jean 14United Nations, Angelina Jolie 32United Nations, Christina Aguilera 36United Nations, Every Woman Every Child 28United Nations, Javier Bardem 56

US Limo System 4

War on Terror 26Washington Hospital Center 10Wings Jets 11

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDawn Parker

AssIsTANTs TO THE EDITORChanel Cherry

Ashley Gatewood

BUsINEss DEVELOPMENT ExECUTIVEsDwight Boswell, Evan Strianese, Kendra Edmonds,

Jim Colford, Roberto Bruni

ExECUTIVE AssIsTANTKyle Byram

DEsIGN & CREATIVEKDG Advertising, Design & Marketing

[email protected] Designer Larry Smith

DIPLOMATIC CORREsPONDENTsand CONTRIBUTING WRITERs

Roland Flamini, James Winship, PhD, Monica Frim,Mark Kennedy, Meghan Lawson, Lawrence Dunham

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EMAIL: [email protected]

DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONs WEBsITE DEsIGN & DEVELOPMENT

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Marc Highbloom, Vice [email protected]

Maria D’Urso, Project [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERsChristophe Avril and Gustavo Gargallo

To order photos from the events go to:www.diplomaticconnections.com

Send any name or address changes in writing to:Diplomatic Connections

4410 Massachusetts Avenue / #200Washington, DC 20016

Diplomatic Connections Business Editionis published bi-monthly.

Diplomatic Connections does not endorse any of the goods or services offered herein this publication.

Copyright 2011 by Diplomatic ConnectionsAll rights reserved.

Cover photo credits: Christina Aguilera, John Shearer/WireImage; Sister Mary Owens and Congressman Van Hollen, Christophe Avril, Diplomatic Connections; Christiane Amanpour, UN Photo/Rick Bajornas; Angelina Jolie, Jason Tanner/AFP/Getty Images; Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, Mario Scanurra/Spanish Film Academy; Victoria Beckham, Danny Martindale/Getty Images; The Judges from The Voice, Steve Granitz/WireImage; Zara Phillips, British Embassy; Rob Roche and Anna Micic, The Peninsula Beverly Hills; Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images.

13

iplomat eception RAD ppreciation iplomat ppreciation eception RAD

2012SAVE THE DATE

Diplomatic Connections is Hosting Another

On April 18, 2012

at the Madison HotelJust Blocks from the White HOuse

in Washington, D.C.

April18

SaveDate Madison2012.indd 2 10/25/11 2:34:47 PM


Ambassador Allan Culham, Permanent Representative of Canada to the OAS; the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and Deborah Lyons; Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Canada


which modern country has a refugee from a third-world

country risen through the ranks of social work and journalism to become the viceregal head of state, second only to the Queen? Give yourself a pat on the back if you answered “Canada.” Canada has a dual parliamentary system with a prime minister (currently stephen Harper) as the political head of government, while Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign head of state, represented by the Governor General. Canadians are justifiably proud of the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean (the title is hers for life), who


served as Governor General of Canada and commander-in-

chief of the Canadian Forces from 2005 to 2010. A Haïtian

immigrant and former journalist, she performed her duties,

typically ceremonial, but occasionally political, with imperial

aplomb but always humanized by her plebian roots. Now as

UNESCO Special Envoy to Haïti, Mme Jean was the guest of

honor of the Embassy of Canada and the Permanent Mission of

Canada to the Organization of American States (OAS) recently.

For a state figurehead, Michaëlle Jean holds nearly rock

star status in Canada. Ambassador Allan Culham, Permanent

Representative of Canada to the OAS, called her a “center

post of Canadian society” and a “role model for Canadians

of all ages” in his introductory remarks at a reception held

in Mme Jean’s honor. In recalling her appearance at the OAS

earlier that day, the Ambassador said, “She embodied the best

of being Canadian, the best of being Haïtian, the best of be-

ing a citizen of the Americas.”

Just what is it that makes Michaëlle Jean so charismatic?

Much has been written about her photogenic attributes: her

radiant smile, her stylish clothes, and her glamour — all

wonderful qualities, but not really requisites for the makings

of an effective leader. But add intelligence, empathy, poise,

and the ability to relate to people from all walks of life, and

there emerges a person with heart and a passion to improve

the lives of those less fortunate.

According to Deborah Lyons, Deputy Head of Mission at

the Embassy of Canada, “She brought to the role of governor

general a grace — a giant-sized grace — contagious warmth

and a relentless commitment to her role. And those charac-

teristics that she brought to the job as governor general she

now brings to the job as special envoy to Haïti for UNESCO.”

Michaëlle Jean’s solidarity with the plight of Haïti’s shat-

tered lives after the earthquake of 2010 is practically ingrained.

For Mme Jean knows something about broken people. Even

before the earthquakes, the hurricanes, the floods, and the

cholera outbreak that put Haïti on the forefront of international

aid, Haïti’s violent political past shaped her identity.

“I grew up in Haïti under the yoke of Duvalier’s dictator-

ship and it was awful under Papa Doc. I saw so many people

disappearing. I saw public executions. I saw families being

burnt alive by the macoutes (Duvalier’s henchmen). I saw

that. I went through it. My own father was arrested and

tortured,” she told Diplomatic Connections.

In 1967 her father fled to Canada. The next year Mi-

chaëlle, then 11 years old, her sister and her mother joined

him in Thetford Mines, Quebec. But her father, a former

school principal, remained a broken man unable to readjust

Above: The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean and Peter Paproski, Pan American Health Organization

Right: Claudiane Charleston, Embassy of Canada, and the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean


B y J a m e s A . W i n -s h i p , P h . D .

to a normal life after all he had been through. Her parents’

marriage fell apart and Michaëlle moved with her mother and

sister to a basement apartment in Montreal. She studied at

universities in Canada and in Europe, earning multiple de-

grees in languages and comparative literature. She is fluent in

five languages: French,

English, Italian, Spanish,

and Haïtian Creole.

From her humble

beginnings, the young

Michaëlle cultivated a

“can-do” attitude that

she attributes to her

politicized upbringing.

“I was raised by par-

ents who had one very

important principle:

never be indifferent…

We could not live in

a world completely

disconnected from the

realities in Haïti. We were

told that you must take ac-

tion, you must be engaged,

you must make a contribu-

tion. You have a role to play.

And that was very heavy on

us as children because our

parents always insisted that

we have our eyes wide open

as to what was happening.”

Her parents lived by

those principles. They

refused to let their children

attend school because they

objected to the practice

where school children were

forced to raise their arms in allegiance to Papa Doc.

“My mother just couldn’t stand that, so she kept me home.

She was a good teacher. The first time I went to a regular

school was in Canada. But my mother taught me so well that

other children were also sent to her,” Mme Jean explained.

With barely a hiccup between her position as governor

general and her present role as UNESCO Special Envoy to

Haïti, Mme Jean immersed herself in advocating for worldwide

support for the rebuilding of Haïti. “It takes a lot of energy,”

she said. “But it is worth it because it is all about hope.”

As Mme Jean spoke to the guests at the Embassy of

Canada, her gaze drifted to the stunning view of the Capitol

Building, radiant against the soft light of a dusky sky. “I

cannot help but think of President Obama’s speech when he

was elected,” she said. “We watched it in Canada… We had

opened the official resi-

dence to students, and on

the giant screen we watched

together, and I remember

how much hope it ignited

in the students, young men

and women who were really

witnessing this historical

moment… We saw how

hope can galvanize a whole

nation, and the world.”

Indeed, hope engages

the people of Haïti in the

aftermath of the devastating

earthquake — hope for the

future but gleaned

from a past that in-

cludes historical ties

with both Canada

and the United

States. Settled by

French colonists,

Haïti and Canada

share a linguistic

connection as the

only independent

nations in all of the

Americas to have

French as an official

language.

Once the richest

French colony, Haïti

was also the most brutal — until the Haïtian Revolution put an

end to slavery and spearheaded the establishment of Haïti as

an independent nation in 1804. More than 6,000 freed slaves

from the United States immigrated to Haïti, but many later

returned due to poverty and difficult living conditions. A series

of despots, coups, and political assassinations kept the country

in near constant turmoil. And blood money — Haïtians were

forced to pay millions in restitution to the French for their losses

from the slave trade — kept the country in lingering poverty.

The United States sought to help. After 1915 American

Sameh Safty, conseiller politique, French Embassy, and Mrs. Sameh Safty. Mary Welch Culham and Ambassador Allan Culham, Permanent Representative of Canada to the OAS.


Forces established ports, roads, and health and educa-

tional programs, and set the boundary between Haïti

and the Dominican Republic. All the while Haïtians

pushed for more control of their own country. But after

the Americans left in 1934, the dictatorships continued,

the longest being the brutal “Papa Doc/Bébé Doc” Duva-

lier regime. It lasted from 1957 until 1986.

But if the world sees Haïtians as a resilient people

who go from one catastrophe to another, Mme Jean is

determined to change that perception. “I can no longer

bear to hear of the so-called resilience of the Haïtian

people,” she said in her address to the Permanent

Council at the OAS . “Resilience is but the last resort

before death.”

According to Mme Jean, the future of the Haïtians lies not

in resilience but in resilient solidarity and self-determination.

Haïtians are not looking for handouts, but investments and a

trust in their strengths. “They yearn to be recognized as cred-

ible, capable players in their own destiny, not as perpetual

scroungers.”

In keeping with UNESCO’s mandate to build peace

through education, science, culture, and communication,

Mme Jean sees education as the underlying factor that will

make all of Haïti’s aspirations possible: from rebuilding

the infrastructure to championing the culture. “You cannot

rebuild the country if you don’t add on the cultural compo-

nent. Haïti’s richness is in its culture and Haïti has so much

to offer,” she said.

Michaëlle Jean pleads passionately for universal support.

“I want the whole world to be audacious and to respond to

the call and to support Haïti’s aspirations for its human and

sustainable development… We can all work together to

accompany Haïti, not to do for Haïti but to do with Haïti,

knowing that we cannot fail because if we do, it will be a

huge failure for all humankind.”

Sobering words for an optimistic vision. n

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Michaëlle Jean, then Governor General of Canada

UN P

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/Esk

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19

UN P

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/Esk

inde

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By Roland Flamini

Someone wrote recently that the Arab Spring has become “the Winter of Arab Discontent.”

In Morocco however, the narrative has so far been different. Timely constitutional reforms

initiated by King Mohammed VI averted the levels of unrest that have beset other Arab

countries. In a national referendum on July 1, Moroccans voted overwhelmingly in favor

of a new draft constitution incorporating the reforms; and on November 25, new elections

will put the new constitution into practice. Interviewed by Diplomatic Connections,

Moroccan Ambassador Aziz Mekouar (who is leaving Washington shortly after more than

nine years) pointed out that while the changes in Morocco fit into the context of events in

the Arab world, they are the latest stage in an on-going process.

Ambassador Mekouar: What the Tunisians and

Egyptians were demonstrating for, we already had

in Morocco — a multi-party system, because we’ve

always had a multi-party system in Morocco, free and

fair elections, and a family law that gives women equal

status with men. But we had some protests on Febru-

ary 20th, and on March 9th, the king made a speech

appointing a commission to draft a new constitution.

Proposals poured in from political parties and from

associations — not just NGOs, but groups like the

soccer association of Casablanca. The new constitu-

tion shifts a lot of power from the king to the prime

minister, and it’s a real state-of-the-art constitution,

very inclusive. The turnout for the referendum was

74 percent, despite the opposition’s call for a boycott,

and the acceptance rate was 98 percent.

Diplomatic Connections: In your view, have

these changes secured the future of the monarchy

in Morocco?

Ambassador Mekouar: The reforms are not


H.E. Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador of the

Kingdom of Morocco to the United States


about the monarchy, which in Morocco is really very solid.

The legitimacy of the monarchy is very strong. It’s more

about modernizing the political life in the country. I believe

that all this was not to preserve the monarchy in a way of self

defense, but part of the king’s vision about how the country

should be governed.

Diplomatic Connections: In other words it was not a

pre-emptive strike prompted by what was happening else-

where in the Arab world…

Ambassador Mekouar: No. It was the continuation of

the king’s vision. The monarchy is really very popular in

Morocco; the dynasty goes back four centuries. The bond

between the Moroccans and the monarchy is really very

special. If you travel around Morocco, you realize that King

Mohammed VI is kind of a sacred figure.

Diplomatic Connections: If you had to focus on a single

aspect of the new constitution that you considered the most

important, what would it be?

Ambassador Mekouar: There are several important aspects,

first of all the Moroccan identity. The constitution speaks of

how the Moroccan identity is the fruit of Islamic, Amazigh

(which is Berber), Arabic, Jewish, African, and Anadalusian

influence. It insists on a culture of human rights and freedom

of speech. For the rest, the chief of the government (prime

minister) will be appointed by the king, like everywhere else,

but has to come from the party that won more seats in the

elections, and chooses his own ministers. But the powers of the

government are very important, much more so than they were.

The judiciary will be totally independent. So basically what

you have is the legitimacy of the monarchy on one side and

the legitimacy of the vote on the other, working together.

Diplomatic Connections: How far apart are the new

constitution and the expectations of opposition groups like

the February 20 movement?

Ambassador Mekouar: The February 20 movement is

a group of young people which is not cohesive and we don’t

know exactly what they want. I think they would like to

see better governance, an end to corruption, and equality

of chances for everyone. But that’s not the constitution;

that’s how the constitution is put into practice. If you look

at the French or Danish constitutions, the new Moroccan

constitution is not that far away.


Diplomatic Connections: What about the Islamic

challenge?

Ambassador Mekouar: The Justice and Development

Party (PJD) claims to be Islamic. They say that a country

that’s 90 percent Islamic should be governed with that sensi-

tivity. But they play by the rules: they run for elections, and

they believe in democracy. You also have the other Islamic

movement, the Justice and Charity movement, started in the

late 1970s. They reject any kind of Western-type democracy:

they want the end of the regime and to restore the caliphate.

Their following is not large: they’re there; they’re tolerated,

but they are not violent. There are, however, violent people,

and we have had violence, but not the Justice and Charity,

and we don’t have al-Qaida.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the next stage in the

process?

Ambassador Mekouar: The next part in the process

will be elections on November 25th, and whoever wants to

run will do so and we will see how it’s going to play out. This

is really new in Morocco because the government and the

prime minister will have new powers, the parliament will

have new powers. If you ask me what will happen, I don’t

know. You have reforms coming from the top down, which

is unique in the region. But one thing is certain: you have a

society which is ready.

Diplomatic Connections: What’s the worst-case scenario?

Ambassador Mekouar: What worries people most is the

economy — employment and the means for a good life. The

Moroccan economy has been doing well for the past five years,

so the big challenge as always is how much this growth will

trickle down to everyone. The level of poverty has dropped

down from 15 percent to 9 percent. But not everything is rosy:

we have a lot of issues — education, although the govern-

ment has spent about 20 percent of its budget on education,

unemployment, especially among young people. Things are

improving, but nonetheless we still have poverty, we still have

a big gap between the rich and the poor. I must say that gap is

exactly the same number as the United States, but that doesn’t

make it good. We have a deficit in the budget, higher than last

year, because of the rise in the prices of oil and food.

Diplomatic Connections: One commentator has said

that the king also needs to tackle high-level corruption and

cronyism, especially within his inner circle. Would you like

to comment on that?

Ambassador Mekouar: I don’t believe that there is

any member of the government or any high official who is

corrupt. Some years ago the king created an

anti-corruption commission which has the

power to investigate,

including a website where

they can expose corrup-

tion. The prime minister

doesn’t have any money,

and neither do the people

around him. As for high-

level cronyism: The prime

minister is Abbas al-Fassi;

the foreign minister Taieb

Fassi Fihri is his nephew,

but he had his own career

long before his uncle

was prime minister. Fassi

Fihri’s brother heads the

electrical power company,

but he built his career in

the company; the latter’s

wife is the minister of

health — a politician who

won her parliamentary

seat in Casablanca. You

have a group of careerists who happen to have reached their

positions at the same time, but none of them was appointed

by the prime minister. It’s a prominent family with a long

tradition in public service going back centuries.

Diplomatic Connections: The pattern of protest in the

region seems to be to press for regime change in countries

run by autocratic leaders like Hosni Mubarak, but for reform

in the case of monarchies like Morocco and Jordan. Why do

you think that is?

Ambassador Mekouar: It’s about legitimacy. There’s a

connection between the people and the monarchies, there’s

a bond. What is the legitimacy of the autocrats? All of them

gained power through a coup. None of them can claim to be

legitimate: their power is backed by the military, and that’s

their problem.

Diplomatic Connections: What do you think is going

to happen in Egypt?

Ambassador Mekouar: Seventy-five million people.

That’s a lot: I don’t think they’ve figured it out yet. I don’t

think that anybody knows. But Egypt is a country with a

high level of intellectuals and I think they will end up by

doing well. n


L ittle known fact about 9/11: Although U.S. airspace was

closed immediately after the terrorist attacks in New

York and Washington, D.C. one special aircraft did land in

DC on Thursday, September 13th. The passengers were Brit-

ain’s three spymasters arriving for urgent consultations with

their American counterparts: Eliza Manningham-

Buller was then head of MI5 (domestic intel-

ligence), Richard Dearlove directed the British

Intelligence Service or MI6, and Francis

Richards was director of the Government

Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

As Sir Christopher Meyer, British ambas-

sador to Washington at the time, remembers it in

his memoirs “Washington Confidential,” “After their

meetings we had a drink together on the terrace [of the

British Embassy residence on Massachusetts Avenue]

late on Thursday night. The worry was a further strike by

Al-Qaida. There were rumors of trucks carrying ‘dirty’

nuclear devices.”

This week, Eliza Manningham-Buller (retired since 2007)

recalled that terrace discussion and revealed early differences

of approach between the Bush administration and Britain, its

closest ally, over how to respond to the terrorist attack.

“Despite talk of military action, there was one thing we

all agreed on: terrorism is resolved through politics

and economics not through arms and intelligence,

however important a role these play,” she said

in a speech broadcast by the BBC to mark the

10th anniversary of the attack. She described

9/11 as “a crime, not an act of war.” What

made it different from earlier such crimes was

its “scale and audacity, not its nature,” she said.

By “all” she meant the British intelligence chiefs.

Declaring a “global war on terror,” as the Bush adminis-

tration had done, in their view, exaggerated the nature of the

threat, was offensive to Muslims, and even legitimized the ac-

tion of the suicide bombers. In their view, fighting terrorism

was police work, supported by a diplomatic effort to improve

By Roland Flamini


relations with the Arab world, countering the Jihadists’ nega-

tive propaganda narrative about the West, and a vigorous

outreach to Islamic communities back home.

As it turned out, Tony Blair didn’t agree with them. The

prime minister quickly bought into President Bush’s more

aggressive approach, and the U.K. was soon standing —

in Blair’s phrase — “shoulder

to shoulder” with America in

the “war on terror.” When the

Bush administration opened its

offensive in Afghanistan, and

later in Iraq, British troops were

there alongside their American

comrades.

In 2007, when Tony Blair

stepped down to be succeeded

by Gordon Brown, the word

went out from 10 Downing Street

to stop using Bush’s war cry, “war

on terror” — a decision that did

not endear Brown to the White

House and its neo-conservative

advisers. Instead, British spokes-

men began to refer to “the strug-

gle against

extremist

ideology.”

The

British also

launched

programs

called “Con-

tact 2” and

“Prevent”

respectively

designed

to undermine the credibility of

conservative Islamic preachers

in Britain whose teaching was

considered subversive. The government poured money into

youth programs for Muslims in an attempt to prevent them

being recruited as Jihadists. Both programs are currently

being reviewed by Britain’s coalition government.

As the United States this year marked the 10th anniversary

of the traumatizing events of 9/11, remembering its 3,000

victims, and revisiting the debate over its implications,

two things were different: in May, the decade-long hunt for

Osama bin Laden had finally ended when the arch terrorist

planner of 9/11 was cornered and killed in his Pakistani

hideout by U.S. Navy Seals; and in the commemorative

speeches by President Obama and other officials the “global

war on terror” slogan was conspicuously absent.

Since 2009, the

White House refers

instead to “overseas

contingency

operations.” And

while there was

no formal

announcement

of a change of

catchphrases,

Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton

confirmed recent-

ly that “war on

terror” was — in her words

— “just not being used.”

But “What’s in a name?,”

to quote Shakespeare. The

anti-terrorist offensive has

gone on without the “global

war on terror” label — as

it happens, more success-

fully. With Osama bin Laden

killed earlier, and Anwar

al-Awlaki, the American-

born al-Qaida leader in

Yemen, “droned” in late

September together

with the organization’s

propagandist Samir Khan,

and possibly also its most

capable bomb-maker

Ibrahim al-Asiri, the

terrorist group must be

wondering whether if it has much of a future.

The hope is that damage done to al-Qaida’s leadership will

discourage disaffected young Muslims from seeking to join

it. Now would be the time (to return to Eliza Manningham-

Buller) to launch a major drive to discredit jihadism among

Muslims, and to reach out to Muslim communities. Now,

while the drones that can dispense death out of a clear blue

sky have the terrorist leadership really spooked. n

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A group of children performs at the special event, “Every Woman Every Child,” in support of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health on September 20, 2011 at the United Nations in New York.

By Meghan La wson


Saving one life is no easy feat. But saving the lives of

16 million women and children? That’s nothing short

of bold.

Although ambitious, this is precisely the goal set by the

United Nations for 2015 as part of the Every Woman Every

Child (EWEC) initiative.

On September 20, world leaders joined celebrities, key

business figures, and global activists in New York for a recep-

tion hosted by the Millennium Development Goal Health

Alliance in support of EWEC. Spearheaded by UN Secretary

General Ban Ki-moon, the initiative has brought together

governments, multi-lateral organizations and private sector

players in a global effort to address the health concerns facing

women and children.

“Progress is being made toward a world in which the

needs of every woman and every child are met,” said United

Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria and

MDG Advocate, Ray Chambers. A spending report released

by the UN earlier that day demonstrated that pledges made

in 2010 amounting to $40 billion for EWEC were on track to

being fulfilled.

“Tonight is about harnessing the energy of new partners

Top: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) meets with Christy Turlington, model and maternal

health advocate.

Bottom: Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News’ This Week and former chief international

correspondent at CNN, addresses the special event “Every Woman Every Child.”

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and new ideas to achieve this vision through the MDGs; we’re

now in a sprint to achieve the 2015 targets,” Chambers told

the crowd.

The extensive appeal of the landmark goal was illustrated

by the mosaic of attendees in the ballroom of New York’s

Grand Hyatt Hotel. Journalist Christiane Amanpour, actress

Jennifer Connelly, activist Desmond Tutu, music artist 50

Cent, supermodel Christy Turlington Burns, and Queen

Rania of Jordan were all in attendance.

“I used to think I woke up from my coma in order to give

people the gift of music,” multi-platinum hip hop artist 50

Cent told attendees. “Now I know my music is merely a plat-

form to reach others in a positive way,” he said before commit-

ting to providing one billion meals to women and children.

With less than four years remaining before the goal’s

deadline, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed the im-

portance of such unexpected partnerships. “Every Woman

Every Child has shown what can be achieved through close

cooperation between the UN, governments, and the private

sector,” he said. n

A view of Ivorian women and children at Karnplay transit camp, in Nimba County, Liberia, where 774 people are awaiting transfer to a more permanent camp within the county.

Misseriya women and children from the village of Goleh in Abyei district, Sudan,

watch from a distance the arrival of the United Nations Mission in the

Sudan (UNMIS) team and traditional community leaders, who came to

advocate the need for peaceful co-existence between Misseriya and

their Dinka neighbours on the route they share in search of pasture and water.

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Above: Artist 50 Cent performs at the special event “Every Woman Every Child” to support the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.

Top left: Actress Jennifer Connelly attending the “Every Woman Every Child” Initiative at the United Nations held recently.

Bottom Left: Women and children of Abu Shouk Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in El Fasher, North Darfur, use Water Rollers for easily and efficiently carrying water. With its large drum capacity (usually 75 litres), the device frees women and children from having to spend a large portion of every day dedicated to collecting water for their households. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has distributed some 3,000 such rollers across Darfur.

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambas-sador Angelina Jolie speaks to the audience during a ceremony on October 3, 2011, in Geneva to present the Nansen Refugee Award to Yemen’s Society for

Humanitarian Solidarity (SHS). Before an audience of 200

government officials, diplomats, donors, and aid workers, Jolie was

recognized for completing 10 years as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, while the founder and 290 staff of SHS received the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award for their life-saving work helping tens of thousands of desperate boat people arriving on the coast of Yemen from the Horn of Africa.

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On October 3, humanitarians and Hollywood

came together to honor the work of a Yemeni

aid group. Actress Angelina Jolie joined United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António

Guterres to present the annual Nansen Refugees

Award — the highest honor in the field — to

Yemen’s society for Humanitarian solidarity (sHs).

“The staff of sHs often risk their own lives to

save others — rescuing people from the waves

in rough seas and working in extremely volatile

security conditions. Their devotion to saving

refugee lives is extraordinary,” Jolie told the

audience at a ceremony in Geneva. The society

and its founder, Nasser salim Ali Al-Hamairy,

were awarded the prestigious prize for their

life-saving work on the southern shores of

Yemen, where a staff of 290 rescue thousands

of refugees fleeing the Horn of Africa.

Now in her 10th year as a UNHCR Good-

will Ambassador, Jolie also used her star

power to make an appeal for people currently

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attempting to flee somalia because of crip-

pling drought and ongoing civil strife. “We

must not forget how desperate they are when

the only alternative is to risk death at sea and

put their lives in the hands of ruthless smug-

glers,” Jolie stated at the televised event.

For her own part, the American actress

was also honored at the UNHCR ceremony

for her decade of advocacy work for the

rights of refugees around the world. “Now

I know she is the very best of Goodwill

Ambassadors in the humanitarian world,”

High Commissioner Guterres declared

while presenting Jolie with a gold pin

reserved for long-serving staff.

“It is an honor to work on behalf of

refugees and I look forward to the next

10 years,” Jolie said. n

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visits a young patient in the children’s ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, Pakistan. J

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A malnourished and dehydrated baby cries as a doctor applies an intravenous drip to increase fluid intake at Banadir Hospital in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

A mother cradles her malnourished and

dehydrated baby at Banadir Hospital in the Somali capital

Mogadishu.

Parents wait with their malnourished and dehydrated children in a corridor at Banadir

Hospital in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Somalia is gripped by a devastating drought and famine that has already killed tens of thousands and is leaving many hundreds of thousands more, particularly young children and babies, in desperate need of emergency life-saving humanitarian assistance from the outside world. August 10, 2011, in Mogadishu, Somalia

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Christina Aguilera lends her voice in the fight against hunger by filming a new PSA for Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief effort launching this fall in KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell restaurants worldwide to benefit the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and others. Nearly one billion people are going hungry around the globe and Aguilera is raising awareness as global spokesperson for World Hunger Relief and Ambassador Against Hunger for WFP.

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has grown up in the spotlight, and now she is using her fame

to turn the spotlight on combatting world hunger, especially

as it affects women and children. “A child dies every six

seconds of hunger,” she explained in an interview with Oprah

Winfrey, “After having my own child, I just had to be part of

it and do something about it to help change that situation.”

Naming Aguilera an Ambassador Against Hunger in 2009,

World Food Programme executive director, Josette Sheeran,

noted that, “Christina Aguilera’s passion and dedication to

hungry children runs deep, and it will make her a wonderful

champion in the fight against hunger.”

Aguilera has combined her star appeal with the global

outreach of “Yum! Brands” — parent company of KFC, Taco

Bell, and Pizza Hut — the world’s largest restaurant chain

with more than 38,000 outlets spanning 110 countries and

more than a million employees and franchise

associates. Serving as spokesperson for “Yum!

Brands’” global efforts, Aguilera has combined with them to

raise more than $85 million for the World Food Programme

and other hunger relief agencies, which has helped to provide

more than 350 million meals to aid families and children in

areas of the world most severely impacted by food shortages.

Her efforts have also encouraged millions of volunteer hours

to aid hunger relief efforts in local communities in the United

States and across the globe.

Audiences have watched Aguilera grow from a precocious

child talent appearing on Star Search into a third-generation

Mouseketeer on the 1990s Disney Channel revival of the

“Mickey Mouse Club” that included Ryan Gosling, Britney

Spears, and Justin Timberlake among the cast members. Her

recording career has seen her style undergo multiple transfor-

mations that show both the power and versatility of her voice

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and her willingness to experiment with very different

sounds and strikingly contrasting personas. Aguilera began

as a bubble gum pop star, flirted with Latin pop/rock,

experimented with a mix of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues,

detoured through electropop and synthpop, tried out some

raunch rock sounds and lyrics. Through it all she has

managed to maintain a distinctive sound and a popular

style that has brought her commercial success and a mix of

pointed criticism as well as critical acclaim.

Ms. Aguilera is the winner of multiple Grammys and

has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. She has

achieved four number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100

charts and is the only artist under 30 to make Rolling Stone

magazine’s list of 100 greatest singers of all time, ranked at

number fifty-eight. Her musical range is demonstrated by

the diverse styles of the artists with whom she has collabo-

rated, including Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Andrea

Bocelli, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones. She has a star on

the Hollywood Walk of Fame located close to the Golden Age

of Hollywood star, Greta Garbo, and the queen of Broadway

musicals, Julie Andrews, two of the performance muses,

along with 1950s rhythm and blues jazz singer, Etta James,

Aguilera says she most admires.

Ms. Aguilera co-starred with Cher in her first feature

film, “Burlesque” (2010), earning a Golden Globe nomination

for Best Original Song for “Bound to You,” which she

co-wrote and performed. In 2011, she appeared as a coach/

judge on “The Voice,” where she joins with artists Blake

Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green to identify and

nurture young talents. The show will return to the air for a

second season in February 2012.

Christina Aguilera’s music has always been touched with

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(L-R) Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee-Lo and Carson

Daly attends NBC’s “The Voice” press conference in Los Angeles, California.

U.S. actresses and singers Cher (L) and Christina Aguilera pose during

a photo call promoting the movie “Burlesque” in Berlin, Germany.

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her real-life experiences, and her lyrics often times touch not

only heart strings but real societal issues and critical global

needs. One of her first broadcast outreach efforts featured

her as a street busker with an open guitar case raising money

for food aid. Accompanying herself, she sings the haunting

words of her hit song “Beautiful,” words that touch on the

pain of exclusion and prejudice and offer the reassurance to

the listener that, “You are beautiful, no matter what they say.”

Juxtaposed against these words are the images of hungry

children and Aguilera herself visiting with school children in

Guatemala and Haïti who have received meals through the

World Food Programme. “The sun won’t always shine,” the

lyrics remind listeners, “but tomorrow will find a way.”

Clearly touched by her visits to World Food Programme

sites in the field, Christina was able to put her experience in

very personal terms. “I’m a singer, songwriter, actress, mother,

and a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme. I’ve

traveled the world performing since I was young but saw noth-

ing compared to what I saw in Haïti and Guatemala with WFP.

The work I do with them is life-changing. For the kids I met

that were fed by the work we do, their lives are changed.”

Christina Aguilera is nothing if not a high-powered

marketing machine. She markets her own lines of jewelry

and multiple fragrances and has served as spokeswoman for

numerous products over the years. She has also combined a

love for fashion — Versace, Roberto Cavalli, John Galliano,

Alexander McQueen, and others — with her performances

and music videos. The World Food Programme has tried to

capitalize on this marketing juggernaut by featuring Agu-

ilera on its homepage as well as on Facebook and Twitter

in an effort to promote greater awareness and to encourage

contributions toward combatting hunger across the globe.

WFP’s Facebook page recently passed the 100,000 fans mark,

perhaps a drop in the bucket when a billion people go to bed

hungry, but an important opening wedge to the 750 million

people who will sign on to Facebook on the same day.

In the words of a World Food Programme spokesperson,

“WFP is the largest humanitarian aid organization in the

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world. We feed around 100 million people every year —

around 1,000 for every one of our fans on Facebook. That’s

why we care about how many fans we have on Facebook.

Because each time that number grows, we have a new oppor-

tunity to tell someone who can make a difference about the

work that we’re doing and the help that we need.”

Aguilera’s newest hunger outreach effort comes in the

form of a multimedia campaign sponsored by “Yum! Brands”

that includes a widely-broadcast public service announcement

(PSA) that is being played not only on traditional outlets but is

also widely accessible on the Internet and in social media. In

the PSA, Aguilera sings a hauntingly emotional and romantic

a capella version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” She stands

on a darkened sound stage surrounded by children holding

sparklers, literal points of light. “My new PSA for World

Hunger Relief,” Aguilera points out, “is a twist on a classic lul-

laby but also a reminder that every night, millions of children

go to sleep hungry. It gives children a voice and shows how,

together, we can give every child a chance to dream.”

Though most audiences will recognize the old familiar

lullaby’s words and tune, unless they listen closely, they may

not notice that the words Ms. Aguilera sings are actually taken

from the less well-known third verse of the children’s song.

Then the traveler in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark;

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

Those words are a poignant reminder that hunger is so

vast and debilitating a global problem that people are often

overwhelmed by its dimensions and paralyzed into inaction

or simply become inured to the ugly realities of hunger and

malnutrition because the problems seem insurmountable. In

the PSA, the children wave their sparklers in such a way that

the visual imprint left spells out the word “HOPE,” and that

is precisely the overarching theme of Aguilera’s involvement

with the United Nations World Food Programme: “Turning

Hunger Into Hope.” n

For additional information or to contribute to the World Food Programme visit:www.wfp.orgwww.FromHungertoHope.com

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Selling Britain in all its aspects is a major function of the U.K. embassy

in Washington — and at no time more vi-tal than in these economic times. Which is why, on one evening in October, a car was parked in the middle of the well-manicured lawn of the British Embassy residence on Massachusetts Avenue. This was the 2012 Range Rover Evoque, the smaller, sleeker and — boasts its makers — the most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever produced; and the British

NEW RANGE ROVER

EVOQUE UNVEILED

AT BRITISH EMBASSY

B r i t i s hE m B a s s y

Land Rover Ambassador Zara Phillips takes delivery of a new Range Rover Evoque at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

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Victoria Beckham helps launch the Evoque in Britain,

October, 2011.


Making a Worldof Difference

The British School of Washington offers a high-quality, British-style education to children ages 3-18, preparing students to meet the growing challenges of a rapidly changing world. We encourage independence and self-discipline in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of diverse opinions and cultures.

[email protected] • www.britishschoolofwashington.org

British School of Washington

ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald

was giving a reception as part of

the new model’s American launch.

The president of Jaguar Land

Rover, Andy Goss, was on-hand to

list the new model’s vital statistics,

including, lower emissions and a

fuel consumption rate of 22 – 23

miles to the gallon, lightweight

construction techniques (the

Evoque uses 35 lbs of recycled

plastic), and a smooth and respon-

sive turbo-charged powertrain

line-up. Historically, the British

automobile industry has a strong

identity in the global market, and

Land Rover and Jaguar are key elements in that successful

line-up. So British cars are spearheading Britain’s economic

recovery efforts. Or — as a British Embassy press release put it

— “The Evoque is a great example of how hard U.K. industry

is working, with its partners in government, to transform its

image and ensure the U.K.’s world-class manufacturers are,

once again, at the heart of a strong and balanced U.K. economy.”

Jaguar Land Rover launched the Evoque in Britain

earlier this month with flashing lights — and Victoria

Beckham on-hand to add a touch of glamour to the

presentation. But the first U.K. delivery was made to Zara

Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and a

British equestrian star. To build and price your own Range

Rover Evoque visit: www.landrover.com/us/en/rr/ n

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Saudi Arabian Airlines Director General, Engineer Khalid Almolhem cuts the ribbon formally inaugurating the airlines’ Regional Head Office in Vienna, Virginia, which also houses the airlines’ Call Center for North America.


audi Arabian Airlines recently inaugurated its state-

of-the-art Americas Regional Headquarters facility

in Vienna, Virginia. The facility houses the Call

Center for the United States and Canada, including

an advanced call management system, as well as the

Washington-area ticketing office, sales, administration, and

human resources departments. Designed as part of Saudi

Arabian Airlines’ program to match its own modernization

and global outreach with that of the continuing economic

development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the regional

headquarters facility reflects Saudi Arabian Airlines’ continu-

ing commitment to expanding its routes, modernizing its

equipment, and maintaining superior customer service.

Saudi Arabian Airlines director general, Eng. Khaled

Al-Molhem, presided over the ribbon-cutting event. He was

joined by Saudia’s general manager for passenger sales &

services North and South America, Mr. Khalid Albalawi. Also

attending the event were several members of the Saudi Ara-

bian diplomatic community in Washington, D.C., including:

Minister Dr. Saud Alsati, cultural attaché; Dr. Mohammed

Aleissa, deputy cultural attaché; Dr. Mohammed Alomar,

commercial attaché; Mr. Adel Almubarak, military attaché;

Photo above shows Saudi Arabian Airlines Director General, Khalid Almolhem (second from the right) after cutting the ribbon formally inaugurating the airlines’ regional Head Office for the Americas in Vienna, Virginia assisted by Khalid Albalawi, General Manager Passenger Sales & Services for North & South America (right) while members of the Saudi diplomatic community look on.


Colonel Ahmed Alghatani, medical attaché; Mr. Suleiman

Alshuaeby, Saudi Arabian representative to the World Bank;

Mr. Adelrahman Almufadee, Saudi Arabian representative to

the International Monetary Fund; Mr. Ahmed Alkhilafee, pro-

tocol officer; Mr. Bader Almeeagil; General Khaled Alnabhani

and former Saudi Arabian Airlines Vice President of Saudia

Cargo Mr. Mohammed Albaiz.

The regional headquarters facility is part of Saudi Arabian

Airlines’ effort to develop its network by upgrading technical

infrastructure, purchasing advanced aircraft to modernize its

fleet, expanding the number of cities it serves worldwide, and

enhancing customer services. Currently, Saudi Arabian Airlines

flies five times a week from both John F. Kennedy International

Airport in New York and Washington Dulles International.

Daily flights are planned from these cities starting in 2012.

Also in 2012, Saudi Arabian Airlines will join the Sky-

Team Global Alliance of airlines, offering customers access

to destinations across the Arab Peninsula, the Near East,

and South Asia not currently served by SkyTeam members

through its major hubs in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

Leo van Wijk, chairman of SkyTeam, welcomed Saudia to the

alliance: “Saudi Arabian Airlines is a significant player in the

Middle East and covers a considerable part of the Arabian

Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. Its membership in

SkyTeam will enable us to compete more efficiently within

the region.” Saudi Arabian Airlines Director General, Eng.

Kahled Al-Molhem, noted that joining SkyTeam will enhance

his airline’s services: “The SkyTeam network provides our

customers with excellent connections to most parts of the

world. Through the exchange of services and knowledge be-

tween all member airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines can achieve

qualitative improvements, made available to our customers.

These include airport services, ground services, and first class

and business class passenger lounges.”

Saudi Arabian Airlines operates Boeing B777-268 aircraft to

the United States, with sleeper seats in first and business class.

All seats are equipped with a state-of-the-art in-flight entertain-

ment system that features, in certain aircraft, up to 40 channels

with varied programming including: movies, pop videos, chil-

dren’s programming, video games, digital maps, audio channels,

and a landscape camera. As part of its overall fleet moderniza-

tion program, Saudia has placed orders for twelve B777-300s

and eight B787 “Dreamliners” with Boeing and for 12 Airbus

A330-300’s to add to its current fleet of 50 Airbus planes.

Saudi Arabian Airlines uses as its logo a stylized version

of the Saudi Arabian national emblem. The design, promi-

nently installed on the aircraft tail, is circular and features a

crescent moon fully illuminated against the shadow of a full

moon as well as the gold crossed swords and golden date

palm that symbolize the Saudi Arabian nation. The crescent

moon is a reminder of Saudi Arabia’s Islamic cultural roots.

The crossed swords represent the unification of the country’s

regions and the founding of the modern state under King

Abdulaziz Al-Saud. The date palm recalls both the critical

importance of oases to sustaining human life in the midst of a

desert land and the parallel benevolence of tribal leaders and

the royal family in providing for their people. In this way, the

airline’s brand becomes a visual link to the past, present, and

Saudi Arabian Airlines currently flies 10 times weekly from the USA to Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Riyadh) – 5 flights weekly from New York JFK International and 5 flights a week from Washington Dulles International (IAD). The flights are via Boeing B777s

with sleeper seats in First and Business Classes with world-class in-flight cuisine.


future of the nation it serves.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has played an integral part in the

development of a vast country that has been linked more

by air than by roads or railways. The airline was born in

1945 when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented

King Abdulaziz with a single Douglas DC-3, which was

immediately put into service linking Saudi Arabia’s three

main cities — Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dhahran. The original

DC-3 was quickly supplemented with the purchase of an

additional four DC-3 aircraft by the Saudi Arabian govern-

ment, and in 1946 the airline scheduled its first international

flight for Beirut returning with pilgrims bound for Mekkah.

The rapid expansion of Saudi Arabian Airlines has been

driven by two vitally important motives: in a country five

times the size of California to connect the country’s scattered

urban centers and link remote towns and smaller cities to

them; and to respond to the demand from pilgrims in the

global Islamic community who wished to make the pilgrim-

age to the Two Holy Mosques in the Kingdom of Saudi Ara-

bia. In more recent years, international business expansion

and the transportation needs of a rapidly growing number

of Saudi students studying abroad have also encouraged the

airline’s expansion and modernization in both passenger and

cargo services.

Saudi Arabian Airlines’ deep commitment to supporting

Saudi students studying abroad is nowhere more evident than

in the carrier’s sponsorship of Saudi Arabia’s National Day

celebrations by the Saudi Student Association at Marymount

University in Arlington, Virginia. More than 50,000 Saudi

Arabian students are currently studying in the United States,

and they represent a critical investment by the Kingdom in its

long-term development and its expanding international role.

“Saudi Arabia has grown to become a full contributor to the

global community, promoting national goals of diplomacy,

tolerance, and innovation,” noted Saudi Arabia’s ambassador

to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir in his National

Day message. “As we look ahead to a bright future, we con-

tinue to invest in the citizens of Saudi Arabia who will be the

ones to strengthen the place of our nation in the world.”

The goal of both the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Higher

Education scholarship programs and Saudi Arabian Airlines’

support for the National Day celebrations at Marymount

University is to promote dialogue and cultural exchange

through student-community interaction. Celebrations at

Marymount opened with verses from the Holy Qur’an and

included a visual presentation honoring the history of the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its developmental accomplish-

The Saudi National Day

celebrations were organized

by the Saudi student leaders

of the Saudi Student

Association at Marymount

University including...

Meznah Al-Rebiaan, Princess

Mashaal bint Naïf Bin Abdulaziz,

Ibrahim Al-Meajel, Princess

Nouf Bint Naïf bint Abdulaziz,

Abdallah Alshehery, Abdulrahman

Albalawi, Hamad Albalawi,

Ismail Hameedeldeen and

Mugren Almugren.

A program consisting of

games, skits, contests and

speeches from various

guests and notable

personalities provided

the highlight of the event.


ments. Dr. Matthew Shank, Marymount University’s new

president, welcomed the more than 600 students and guests,

including university officials and members of the Saudi Ara-

bian diplomatic corps in Washington, D.C. Notable among

the program attendees were HRH Prince Muhammad bin

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and HRH Prince Nawaf bin Naif bin.

The event was organized by the Saudi student leaders of the

Saudi Arabian Student Association at Marymount University,

including Meznah Al-Rebiaan, Princess Mashaal bint Naif Bin

Abdulaziz, Ibrahim Al-Meajel, Princess Nouf bint Naïf bint

Abdulaziz, Abdallah Alshehery, Abdulrahman Albalawi, Ha-

mad Albalawi, Ismail Hameedeldeen, and Mugren Almugren.

As the major sponsor of this National Day event, Saudi

Arabian Airlines set up an exhibition booth that gave away

special gifts, promotional items, printed literature, and also

provided Arabic coffee and hors d’oeuvres to all visitors. The

airline also provided the main prizes in a raffle held as part

of the program, including executive pens, Apple iPods, and

iPads. Mr. Khalid Albalawi, general manager – passenger

sales and service for North and South America, headed Saudi

Arabian Airlines’ participation in the event.

Meznah Al-Rebiaan, President of the Saudi Arabian

Students Association, noted that the aim of the National Day

celebration was to give an accurate picture of the Kingdom

of Saudi Arabia and “to share our cultures, our customs, and

traditions.” Princess Mashaal bint Naïf bin Abdulaziz, deputy

president of the club, observed that the Kingdom “is living

in an historic era of rapid steps to take our country into the

ranks of the leading developed countries,” and hoped that

the Saudi scholarship students “will return to our homeland

to contribute to continuing progress and development.”

Princess Nouf bint Naïf bint Abdulaziz recognized that,

“National Day is a chance for the students to give back to

the Kingdom our sincere thanks,” and added that studying

outside their home country makes the Saudi students eager

to participate in events such as this — that “remind them

of the atmosphere of the Kingdom and the bonds of brother-

hood which unite them.”

It is easy enough to think of airlines in terms of hardware

and advanced technology, human resources and revenue, air

routes and revenues. The stories of Saudi Arabian Airlines

continuing expansion and its support for the Saudi Arabian

students’ celebration of Saudi Arabia’s National Day at Mary-

mount University make clear that Saudi Arabian Airlines is

much more than a national carrier and a business venture.

It is a vital part of the sinews that knit the nation together. n

As the major sponsor of the Saudi National Day celebrations at Marymount University, Saudi Arabian Airlines set up an exhibition booth that gave away special gifts, promotional items, printed literature and also provided Arabic coffee and hors d’oeuvres to the booth visitors.

Events that dazzle. But no one shines brighter than you.

54

Events that dazzle. But no one shines brighter than you.

55


Actor Javier Bardem addresses the General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee (or Fourth Committee) on the issue of Western Sahara, a disputed territory on the northwest coast of Africa bordered by Algeria, Mauritania, and Morocco. Mr. Bardem is making a documentary film about Western Sahara entitled “Sons of the Clouds.” Javier Bardem spoke at the United Nations in New York City on October 4, 2011.

UN P

hoto

/Eva

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der


2011 has been a year of unprecedented

change in North Africa. From

Tahrir square to Tunis

to sana’a, protests en

masse have dramatically

reshaped the political

landscape of many North

African countries — but

not all.

Making up a large

portion of the northwest

African coastline, West-

ern sahara is a disputed

territory bordering Mo-

rocco, Algeria, and Mau-

ritania. Despite being

one of the most sparsely

populated areas in the

world, Western sahara is also home to an active

and long-standing liberation movement.

Morocco began occupying the territory in

1975, precipitating a refugee crisis that has seen

some 165,000 people flee to camps in neighbor-

ing Algeria. since this time, however, the voices

for change among the saharawi people have

largely gone unheard.

One Hollywood

veteran is now working

to change that. On

October 4, actor Javier

Bardem appeared before

a special committee at

the United Nations to

speak about self-deter-

mination and the refu-

gee crisis amongst the

population of Western

sahara.

A native of spain,

Bardem has appeared in

more than 25 movies,

including “Biutiful,” “Eat Pray Love,” and “No

Country for Old Men,” the latter of which won him

an Academy Award in 2007. The actor has now

turned activist with an address before the 193-

nation General Assembly’s Fourth Committee at

UN P

hoto

/Eva

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Inse

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to: U

N Ph

oto/

Stua

rt Pr

ice


UN P

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UN headquarters in New York.

“The people of the Western Sahara are suffering under repression

inside the occupied territory,” Bardem said in a statement before his UN

appearance. “They are suffering in refugee camps in the Sahara Desert,

where they have been forgotten for decades. But no one hears of their

suffering.”

Bardem told reporters that his dedication to this issue stems from

the fact that Western Sahara was colonized by his native Spain in the

19th century. “I don’t know if it’s guilt,” he told reporter Christiane

Amanpour. “It’s more. It’s more responsibility.”

“When you are in the refugee camps, you feel some sense of shame

of what we did to them,” he said.

After a process of decolonization by Spain, Western Sahara

was annexed by Morocco, igniting a conflict with homegrown

guerrilla fighters, the Polisario Front. Nearly two decades of

internal conflict ensued until the UN brokered a ceasefire

and settlement plan in 1991. Although a referendum on the

territory’s fate was part of the deal, it was never upheld, and

major world powers have remained ambiguous about sup-

port for the population’s aspirations for statehood because of

geostrategic and economic concerns.

Since he first traveled to Western Sahara in 2008, Bardem

has been working on a documentary that he hopes will shine

a spotlight on the plight of the territory’s population. Set to be

released next year, “Sons of the Clouds” will highlight human

rights abuses suffered by Saharawis and broadcast them to a

wider audience.

“What I’m trying to do is to really have the

right to do what any other citizen has, which is

the right to speak and say what I think about

certain things,” Bardem told reporters in the lead

up to his appearance at the UN. n

UN P

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/Luk

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UN P

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(from

top)

: UN

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UN

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Brya

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Above: (L – R) Spanish actor Javier Bardem,

actress Julia Roberts, director Ryan Murphy,

producer Dede Gardner and actor Richard

Jenkins attend “Come, Reza, Ama”

(Eat Pray Love) photocall during the

58th San Sebastian International Film

Festival in San Sebastian, Spain.

Left: Actors Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts

attend the premiere of “Eat Pray Love’”

at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.

Brya

n Be

dder

/Get

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ages

Carlo

s R.

Alv

arez

/Wire

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Below: Actors Javier Bardem and

Penelope Cruz arrive at the 83rd

Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak

Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Right: Javier Bardem and Penelope

Cruz in Madrid, Spain.

Mar

io S

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Film

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Mar

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The Peninsula Beverly Hills has a well-deserved reputation

for luxury at every turn, elegant service, superb food and

drink, and an unmatched staff dedicated to the comfort of

its guests. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the hotel is

undergoing a complete enhancement of all of its rooms,

suites, and villas.

The number 20 has

become a focus of many of

the hotel’s promotions this

year. Guests who book two

paid nights at the hotel will

receive a third night for

$20 (through December 22,

2011). In addition, guests

will receive a $20 breakfast

credit for each day of their

stay. Valet parking is avail-

able at $20 per night. As a

welcome, guests will receive

two “Pen 20 Cocktails” (a special anniversary drink made

with rum punch, fresh blackberries, and ginger) upon arrival,

a 20th anniversary gift, and 20 percent reduction on all spa,

food, and beverage charges.

Diplomatic Connections recently had the opportunity to

speak with Rob Roche, The Peninsula’s director of marketing.

He describes his position as “education and awareness.” He’s

responsible for making The Peninsula Beverly Hills known

not only in the Los Angeles area, but across the world. In his

own words, his goal is “to make potential guests more aware

of the hotel and its capabilities during this twentieth anniver-

sary year and to highlight our

brand-new rooms, suites, and

villas — enhanced to honor

the hotel’s past and to assure

that the tradition of outstand-

ing service to guests continues

into the future.”

Diplomatic Connections: The hotel is celebrating its

20th anniversary. What are

some of the special things

that are happening during this

anniversary year?

Rob Roche: We want to

really focus on what makes The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The

Peninsula Beverly Hills. That’s not only the guests that we

have who have been coming back — some of them — for 20

years, but also the staff. And many of them have been here

for 10, 15, or 20 years themselves. So we’ve tried to combine

those two things. During the week-long celebration of our


Mr. Rob Roche, Director of Marketing and Ms. Anna Micic, Director of Travel Industry Sales, sitting in the new California Suite at

The Peninsula Beverly Hills.


actual anniversary week, which just happened to be Monday,

August 8th, this past summer we did a re-enactment of the

ribbon-cutting ceremony. We invited the mayor from Beverly

Hills from 1991 to come back and help us do that as well as

the current mayor. We had a ribbon-cutting ceremony with

them and then really celebrated that day with the staff. We

did a breakfast for them, a recognition ceremony for service

rendered, and a commemorative yearbook of the staff that

had been here a long time.

Diplomatic Connections: Weren’t there charity events

as well?

Rob Roche: One of the most important things we did

throughout the whole year was in an effort to give back to

the community that has been so generous to us. We are

very famous for our afternoon teas here at The Peninsula, as

all Peninsula’s around the world are. So we decided to do a

special tea for each one of the charities that are closest to our

hearts. Our idea was to do something special for each tea.

For instance, we did Children’s Hospital – Los Angeles and

we included jelly beans as part of the high tea because it was

kid-friendly.

Diplomatic Connections: What were the other charities

you supported with these special afternoon teas?

Rob Roche: Recently, because of Breast Cancer Awareness

Month, we did the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and then

earlier in the year we did the Beverly Hills Education

Foundation. For the upcoming holidays we’re focusing on

the Make-A-Wish Foundation®. What we’ve done is to focus

on each charity for a month or two or three. Then, we

donate a portion of the proceeds from the tea to the charity.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the history of the hotel?

Rob Roche: One of the inspirations for the hotel came

from The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, Texas. It was

a luxury hotel of the highest order, but built on a residential

scale and surrounded by beautiful grounds and gardens.

Achieving a similar effect was what was hoped for here at

The Peninsula Beverly Hills. With only 193 rooms and villas,

our goal is to be a luxury hotel that provides great comfort,

highly-personalized service, elegant dining experiences, and

unusually close attention to detail.

Diplomatic Connections: You mentioned that the hotel

has been undergoing a complete renovation. What changes

have been made?

Rob Roche: When a hotel that has been around for 20

years and has done so well for all of those years decides to

make a change like renovation to all of its rooms, it’s not

something that’s done lightly. We told our regular guests

that we were planning some changes and asked them to tell

us what desired changes might look like to them. When we

got the answers, it was clear across the board that our guests

didn’t want us to change anything.

That was the good news. But now we still had rooms

and suites and villas that really did need literally to be brought

down to the cement and the walls in order that something

new could be put in. Basically, what we did was to take

everything out of the room so that everything you see is brand

new, but it’s just a little bit more current version of what was

Beverly Suite Patio


there before. So, when you walk into the room it’s a brand-

new room, but it looks very similar to what it did before.

Obviously, we took the opportunity to upgrade the

technology, so we have Tangerine® global television. We were

one of the first hotels to have TiVo® in the rooms. All the

other systems – telephones, heating, air conditioning, and

lighting – have been upgraded as well.

Diplomatic Connections: What makes The Peninsula

hotels unique?

Rob Roche: It is really the staff. When people choose to stay

at The Peninsula Beverly Hills they expect the hotel to

be beautiful; they expect everything to be clean and neat, to

be perfect. But what they are surprised about is the warmth

and the friendliness of the staff. And, really, for us, when all

the physical amenities are in place, what we do is the

physical experience. Because when anybody stays with us

as a guest, especially at the five-star level, they’re not going

to return home and tell you how nice the bed was or how

clean this property was. They’re going to tell you about this

amazing experience they had at The Peninsula. That’s what


makes us different from everybody else. We try to create an

experience.

Diplomatic Connections: Talking about The Peninsula

Beverly Hills “experience” makes great advertising copy, but

can you give us an example of what you mean?

Rob Roche: Let me tell you a true story. We had a husband

and wife and a couple of kids here on vacation from New

York. When they got back to New York and were putting

their kids to bed, they realized that their little girl had left her

stuffed animal here at the hotel. They called us frantically

saying that we had to find this thing. We looked and looked

and looked for the animal. but we could not find it. They

called every day for five days checking to see if we’d found

the missing stuffed animal. Finally, it popped up in our laun-

dry room. Who knows how many times it had been washed?

The laundry department gave it to our Director of Guest

Relations, who, independently of anybody else, decided on

her own to take this stuffed animal and take pictures of it all

over the hotel . . . having breakfast in the dining room, sitting

outside a cabana at the pool, and in the room where the fam-

ily had stayed. Then she hand wrote a letter to this little girl

telling her what her stuffed animal had been doing while they

were separated. She put the animal in a box with a blanket

and sent it off to the little girl in New York, addressed to her

in care of her parents. Let me tell you, the phone call and the

letter that we got from these parents was just unbelievable.

Diplomatic Connections: What are some of the events

that you host for the international community?

Rob Roche: Because of the more intimate size of our hotel,

if there is an international event coming into Los Angeles

or Beverly Hills, we’re typically getting just 15 or 20 rooms

of that because we’re catering to the very top corporate

executives for that event. We make certain that we have any

kind of assistance needed available for these guests: that our

concierge is staffed properly, that appropriate transportation

is available for wherever they need to go, that itineraries or

programs are printed if needed, that translators are available

at a moment’s notice.

Diplomatic Connections: What kinds and numbers of

events do you do each week?

Superior Suite Living Room


Rob Roche: It can be anything from a corporate dinner

for 15 executives hosted in our board room, to a company

having 40 people in-house for training or a planning event,

to an evening cocktail party and reception. Each week, I

would say that we do 10 to 15 special events, and they can

range anywhere from five people to over a 100 people. We’re

not talking about huge numbers, but we are talking about

people who need and expect a great deal of high-quality

service and attention.

Diplomatic Connections: What about weddings? Have you

done a variety of weddings from different cultural traditions?

Rob Roche: We have done very diverse types of weddings

here in the hotel from Muslim and Indian weddings to Japa-

nese weddings, to Jewish weddings, to Protestant, Catholic,

secular, and non-traditional weddings. It’s typically on the

smaller side because, again, our hotel is only 193 rooms and

our meeting space is in proportion to that number of rooms.

Diplomatic Connections: Are you set-up to handle a

variety of either dietary or cultural requirements so far as

food service goes?

Rob Roche: Our executive chef can meet any dietary re-

quirements our guests might have, whether it’s for a guest or

two or whether it’s for an entire event. Obviously, the more

time we have for an event, the easier it is for our staff to make

it happen exactly as our guest wishes.

Diplomatic Connections: How do you handle security

for larger events or for international visitors?

Rob Roche: We have on a daily basis, a truly stellar security

team. There really isn’t, a day that goes by that we don’t have

some sort of celebrity or dignitary or top corporate executive

or somebody that needs unobtrusive but vigilant security.

When somebody requires more security than what we nor-

mally have in place is our guest, which actually does happen

quite often, then our security team works with the incoming

person’s security team. They figure out what is needed where,

and when, and how, and how much, and all the other things

needed by a tight security detail.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Mr. Roche.

If you would lIke to contact Rob Roche, dIRectoR of maRketIng, foR moRe InfoRmatIon on the PenInsula beveRly hIlls and Its facIlItIes, emaIl: [email protected] oR call 310.788.2340

Deluxe Suite Bedroom

An Exclusive Oasis With A Prestigious Address

(1-800) 462 7899 • peninsula.com/beverlyhills

71


By Roland Flamini

rior to his Washington posting last year, Gen. Ovie-

do, an infantryman, was commander of the Chilean

Army’s northern district. Trained in the U.S. as a

paratrooper, he also holds a master’s degree in strategic

studies from the U.S. Army War College. In a wide-rang-

ing conversation, Gen. Oviedo, 52, spoke of his hopes for

a joint U.S.-Chilean disaster relief rapid deployment force

combining American technology and Chilean experience

in confronting earthquakes and tsunamis.

Diplomatic Connections: What exactly does a military

attaché do? The popular perception is that he is some-

thing like an authorized spy.

General Oviedo: That perception is a myth that was

sustained for a long time. Nowadays our main job is to

represent our armed forces to the armed forces of the host

country, maintaining a military-to-military relationship,

developing exchange programs of officers and warrant

officers, and managing the mutual defense agreements

established between the two countries. We’re part of the

embassy staff. In my particular case, I represent the Chil-

ean Army, and I’m also responsible for all Chilean Military

Personnel working in different places in the United States

– for example, an officer respectively at Fort Benning, GA,

in the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Coop-

eration, and at the Combined Arms Center (CAC) at Fort

Leavenworth, Kansas; also,a

lieutenant colonel with the

82nd Airborne Division in

Fort Bragg, NC, among oth-

ers. Our relationship with the

U.S. Army is very special; we

have joint operations with the

U.S. Southern Command in

Miami, and the Army South

in San Antonio.

Diplomatic Connections:

The Chilean Military is one of

four armed forces in Central

and South America that holds

HARNESSING MILITARYORGANIZATION FORHUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS

annual bi-lateral talks with the U.S. military, and last year,

after the talks Col. Fernandez, one of the participants

said: ”There are key issues that must be discussed,” What

are these issues?

General Oviedo: Well, in this year’s bi-lateral, held in

October, one of the key issues was how to react more ef-

fectively in disaster relief, perhaps by establishing a rapid

reaction force to respond to emergencies. Unfortunately,

Chile has some experience in dealing with such disasters;

we have a lot of earthquakes – the last one [in Feb. 2010]

was one of the biggest ones, provoking a tsunami. So

we’re trying to build a relationship based on our experi-

ences and lessons learned in how we face these emergen-

cies.

Diplomatic Connections launches

a new series of interviews with

foreign defense and military

attaches in washington by

engaging in dialogue with Army

General Humberto Oviedo

Arriagada, chief of the army

mission and assistant defense

attache at the embassy of chile.

IN THIS ISSUE...

NEW INTERVIEW SERIES

MILITARY DIALOGUE

Col. Victor Mizon, Col. Jose Lira, MG Humberto Oviedo, Col. Diego Jimenez, LTC Gerardo Ruiz

Mrs. Marianne De Oviedo, MG Humberto Oviedo, Mrs. Franziska Egger, MG Peter Egger

Maj. Michael Cushwa, Col. John Rouse, Mrs. Shannon Graham

LTC Hiroyuki Kawaguchi, Col. Abel Crespo, Col. Jorge Suarez, Col. Cristobal Carrillo

Major General Humberto Oviedo

Chilean military.indd 2-3 10/28/11 12:14:27 AM



By Roland Flamini

rior to his Washington posting last year, Gen. Ovie-

do, an infantryman, was commander of the Chilean

Army’s northern district. Trained in the U.S. as a

paratrooper, he also holds a master’s degree in strategic

studies from the U.S. Army War College. In a wide-rang-

ing conversation, Gen. Oviedo, 52, spoke of his hopes for

a joint U.S.-Chilean disaster relief rapid deployment force

combining American technology and Chilean experience

in confronting earthquakes and tsunamis.

Diplomatic Connections: What exactly does a military

attaché do? The popular perception is that he is some-

thing like an authorized spy.

General Oviedo: That perception is a myth that was

sustained for a long time. Nowadays our main job is to

represent our armed forces to the armed forces of the host

country, maintaining a military-to-military relationship,

developing exchange programs of officers and warrant

officers, and managing the mutual defense agreements

established between the two countries. We’re part of the

embassy staff. In my particular case, I represent the Chil-

ean Army, and I’m also responsible for all Chilean Military

Personnel working in different places in the United States

– for example, an officer respectively at Fort Benning, GA,

in the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Coop-

eration, and at the Combined Arms Center (CAC) at Fort

Leavenworth, Kansas; also,a

lieutenant colonel with the

82nd Airborne Division in

Fort Bragg, NC, among oth-

ers. Our relationship with the

U.S. Army is very special; we

have joint operations with the

U.S. Southern Command in

Miami, and the Army South

in San Antonio.

Diplomatic Connections:

The Chilean Military is one of

four armed forces in Central

and South America that holds

HARNESSING MILITARYORGANIZATION FORHUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS

annual bi-lateral talks with the U.S. military, and last year,

after the talks Col. Fernandez, one of the participants

said: ”There are key issues that must be discussed,” What

are these issues?

General Oviedo: Well, in this year’s bi-lateral, held in

October, one of the key issues was how to react more ef-

fectively in disaster relief, perhaps by establishing a rapid

reaction force to respond to emergencies. Unfortunately,

Chile has some experience in dealing with such disasters;

we have a lot of earthquakes – the last one [in Feb. 2010]

was one of the biggest ones, provoking a tsunami. So

we’re trying to build a relationship based on our experi-

ences and lessons learned in how we face these emergen-

cies.

Diplomatic Connections launches

a new series of interviews with

foreign defense and military

attaches in washington by

engaging in dialogue with Army

General Humberto Oviedo

Arriagada, chief of the army

mission and assistant defense

attache at the embassy of chile.

IN THIS ISSUE...

NEW INTERVIEW SERIES

MILITARY DIALOGUE

Col. Victor Mizon, Col. Jose Lira, MG Humberto Oviedo, Col. Diego Jimenez, LTC Gerardo Ruiz

Mrs. Marianne De Oviedo, MG Humberto Oviedo, Mrs. Franziska Egger, MG Peter Egger

Maj. Michael Cushwa, Col. John Rouse, Mrs. Shannon Graham

LTC Hiroyuki Kawaguchi, Col. Abel Crespo, Col. Jorge Suarez, Col. Cristobal Carrillo

Major General Humberto Oviedo



PB w w w. d i P l o m at i c c o n n e c t i o n s . c o md i P l o m at i c c o n n e c t i o n s B U s i n e s s Q U a R t e R lY | w i n t e R 2 0 1 1 PB

Diplomatic Connections: Is this a plan?

General Oviedo: This is an idea that could become a

plan. We’ve designed some software dealing with preven-

tion, and with examining in detail the causes and after-

effects of earthquakes. With our experience and with U.S.

equipment this is one of the ways we can create a system

to help people not just in Chile, but in other places as

well. We have other areas where we can exchange ideas;

in Chile we have some very bright people who have some

very good ideas. Also, as an Army we have the idea of

working together with the U.S. Army to provide feedback

in areas where we have experience, like training and sur-

vival in high altitude and extreme weather conditions.

Diplomatic Connections: In 2010 the Chilean armed

forces made major weapons acquisitions, I would say a

buying spree: F-16s from the U.S., tanks, ships. The chief

of the Chilean Armed Forces talked about renewing the

armed forces. Is this a period of transformation?

General Oviedo: What you mentioned is framed under

a process of material renewal to replace obsolete weapon

systems, maintaining the idea of protecting the strate-

gic balances in the region. The transformation has been

ongoing for the last eight years. We’re purchasing new

equipment to replace old stock – for example, new tanks

from Germany; in the U.S. we’re refurbishing our M109

artillery [self-propelled howitzers]. But we have a Defense

White Book that defines our defense policy – peace in the

region, a readiness to respond in protecting our interests,

including in the case of natural disasters. We don’t have

a national guard, as you have in the United States, and

that requires greater flexibility from our armed forces to

respond to situations.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the actual size of the

Chilean Armed Forces?

General Oviedo: The three branches – army, navy, and

air force – have developed a structure of forces according

to their needs. The army consists of 38,000 personnel

on active duty; they’re a mixture of career soldiers and a

smaller number of draftees. The Chilean Armed Forces

are not the biggest in the Hemisphere; we’re average for

the region, proportionate to the size of the population of

17 million people.

Diplomatic Connections: Chile hasn’t actually been at

war since the 19th century, right?

General Oviedo: Indeed. It is a situation that makes

us very proud since it is the result of successful foreign

policies that created the conditions and trust in the region

and where the armed forces had contributed in an im-

portant way keeping strong bonds with the neighboring

countries armed forces.

Diplomatic Connections: The closest you came was in

the early 1980s in the dispute with Argentina over posses-

sion of some islands in the Beagle Channel at the south-

ern tip of Latin America, and there were clashes between

Argentinian and Chilean navy units.

General Oviedo: Yes, in fact it was a difficult period but

a specific solution was reached with the help of the inter-

national community.

Diplomatic Connections: However, the dispute was

successfully mediated by the Vatican with Pope John Paul

II’s personal intervention.

General Oviedo: Yes, and now we have very, very good

relations with Argentina – and a very close relationship

between our two armed forces. We’ve formed a combined

unit called Cruz del Sur – Southern Cross – which we are

ready to employ under the United Nations mandate.

Diplomatic Connections: Do you ever envision having

a NATO type alliance in the Hemisphere – something like

the North Atlantic Treaty?

General Oviedo: It’s difficult to say whether it would be

the same model, but we have a very interesting new initia-

tive in the Hemisphere called UNASUR [Union of South

American Nations], and under this umbrella there has

been some discussion about a defense agreement to coop-

erate in facing the new threats the world faces today – ter-

rorism, narco-traffic and so on. We have some initiatives

under discussion in UNASUR, and also in the Organiza-

tion of American States. In the Inter-American Defense

Board [created in 1942, and the world’s longest existing

MG Humberto Oviedo, Mrs. Myriam De Matus, Mr. Roberto Matus, Mrs. Veronica De Kauffman

Col. Hans-Olaf Jessen, RADM Karl-Wilhelm Bollow, MG Peter Egger

Maj. Michael Cushwa, Col. Yoshihiro Iseri

RADM Richard Greenwood, MG Humberto Oviedo

Members of the Chilean Army

Col. Joseph Smith, Col. Diego Jimenez

Col. Yvette Kelley, BG Leslie Purser




Diplomatic Connections: Is this a plan?

General Oviedo: This is an idea that could become a

plan. We’ve designed some software dealing with preven-

tion, and with examining in detail the causes and after-

effects of earthquakes. With our experience and with U.S.

equipment this is one of the ways we can create a system

to help people not just in Chile, but in other places as

well. We have other areas where we can exchange ideas;

in Chile we have some very bright people who have some

very good ideas. Also, as an Army we have the idea of

working together with the U.S. Army to provide feedback

in areas where we have experience, like training and sur-

vival in high altitude and extreme weather conditions.

Diplomatic Connections: In 2010 the Chilean armed

forces made major weapons acquisitions, I would say a

buying spree: F-16s from the U.S., tanks, ships. The chief

of the Chilean Armed Forces talked about renewing the

armed forces. Is this a period of transformation?

General Oviedo: What you mentioned is framed under

a process of material renewal to replace obsolete weapon

systems, maintaining the idea of protecting the strate-

gic balances in the region. The transformation has been

ongoing for the last eight years. We’re purchasing new

equipment to replace old stock – for example, new tanks

from Germany; in the U.S. we’re refurbishing our M109

artillery [self-propelled howitzers]. But we have a Defense

White Book that defines our defense policy – peace in the

region, a readiness to respond in protecting our interests,

including in the case of natural disasters. We don’t have

a national guard, as you have in the United States, and

that requires greater flexibility from our armed forces to

respond to situations.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the actual size of the

Chilean Armed Forces?

General Oviedo: The three branches – army, navy, and

air force – have developed a structure of forces according

to their needs. The army consists of 38,000 personnel

on active duty; they’re a mixture of career soldiers and a

smaller number of draftees. The Chilean Armed Forces

are not the biggest in the Hemisphere; we’re average for

the region, proportionate to the size of the population of

17 million people.

Diplomatic Connections: Chile hasn’t actually been at

war since the 19th century, right?

General Oviedo: Indeed. It is a situation that makes

us very proud since it is the result of successful foreign

policies that created the conditions and trust in the region

and where the armed forces had contributed in an im-

portant way keeping strong bonds with the neighboring

countries armed forces.

Diplomatic Connections: The closest you came was in

the early 1980s in the dispute with Argentina over posses-

sion of some islands in the Beagle Channel at the south-

ern tip of Latin America, and there were clashes between

Argentinian and Chilean navy units.

General Oviedo: Yes, in fact it was a difficult period but

a specific solution was reached with the help of the inter-

national community.

Diplomatic Connections: However, the dispute was

successfully mediated by the Vatican with Pope John Paul

II’s personal intervention.

General Oviedo: Yes, and now we have very, very good

relations with Argentina – and a very close relationship

between our two armed forces. We’ve formed a combined

unit called Cruz del Sur – Southern Cross – which we are

ready to employ under the United Nations mandate.

Diplomatic Connections: Do you ever envision having

a NATO type alliance in the Hemisphere – something like

the North Atlantic Treaty?

General Oviedo: It’s difficult to say whether it would be

the same model, but we have a very interesting new initia-

tive in the Hemisphere called UNASUR [Union of South

American Nations], and under this umbrella there has

been some discussion about a defense agreement to coop-

erate in facing the new threats the world faces today – ter-

rorism, narco-traffic and so on. We have some initiatives

under discussion in UNASUR, and also in the Organiza-

tion of American States. In the Inter-American Defense

Board [created in 1942, and the world’s longest existing

MG Humberto Oviedo, Mrs. Myriam De Matus, Mr. Roberto Matus, Mrs. Veronica De Kauffman

Col. Hans-Olaf Jessen, RADM Karl-Wilhelm Bollow, MG Peter Egger

Maj. Michael Cushwa, Col. Yoshihiro Iseri

RADM Richard Greenwood, MG Humberto Oviedo

Members of the Chilean Army

Col. Joseph Smith, Col. Diego Jimenez

Col. Yvette Kelley, BG Leslie Purser





defense organization] 22 countries together work with the

OAS to advise on military and defense conditions.

Diplomatic Connections: Does UNASUR have a fixed

military headquarters?

General Oviedo: UNASUR has a rotating presidency,

but there is a permanent defense organization in Buenos

Aires.

Diplomatic Connections: For Chile today, who is the

enemy?

General Oviedo: Not the enemy, but the challenge: how

we make the transition from under-developed country to

developed country. There are good economic, social and

cultural indicators that we are very close to becoming a

developed country; it could happen in the next decade.

This is the most important fight for all our institutions to-

day. The army’s most important contribution is to provide

the security for this development. A nation that is secure

and peaceful and gives confidence, that has everything in

order, its institutions working and professional, attracts

foreign investors. For the same reason, you need to stay

ready and prepared: deterrence works when the armed

forces are reliable, efficient, and decisive.

Diplomatic Connections: But although you have had no

war, you did have internal tensions involving the military

– the Pinochet regime, and then the transition to democ-

racy. How did the armed forces make the transition from a

military dictatorship to a democracy?

General Oviedo: In fact it was a special and particular

period of our recent history, Chile has been a democracy

for the last 22 years, and the armed forces played a key

role in this process. In the 1990s, the same armed forces

that had been in power handed that power over to the

political parties, and there were free elections. Under

the political mandate we are apolitical forces under the

minister of defense and our president, the chief of state.

We work very closely with the community; our role is to

support the population – of which we are a part.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, General Oviedo.


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77

NYUMBANIAFRICAKENYA


By Lawrence Dunham

’Agostino, a Jesuit priest living in Nairobi, had fol-

lowed an unusual career path to Kenya. A surgeon

who trained at Tufts University Medical School, the

Providence, Rhode Island, native subsequently joined the Jesuit

order, whereupon he was assigned to study psychiatry. “Fr.

D’Ag,” as he was known by all, spent the next 25 years teaching

and practicing the specialty in Washington, DC. Later, his or-

der sent him to Thailand to work on refugee issues, and finally

to Kenya, where he became involved with the plight of children

affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

At the time, orphans with the virus were abandoned and

relegated to a slow and lonely death, a fate which Fr. D’Ag

refused to accept. Renting a house, he began a hospice to care

for them and many who followed. Over time, with the advent

of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy, compassionate care, and

proper nutrition, his charges began to thrive. The hospice

became a home where children could grow and live with hope

for the future.

Fr. D’Ag passed away in 2006 at the age of 80. During his

later years, when many of his contemporaries were contemplat-

ing retirement and a slower pace, he worked tirelessly to im-

prove the lives of Kenyan children burdened with having HIV.

As a result of his determination and boundless energy, the

Children’s Home now hosts over 100 orphans who are growing

to adulthood. His leadership made it possible for HIV+ chil-

dren to be educated in the Kenyan public schools. His tenacity

ensured that sophisticated ARV drugs are available to them.

The Children’s Home has spawned a state-of-the-art diagnostic

laboratory, an outreach program in the resource-limited areas of

Nairobi, and a village in eastern Kenya, housing 1,000 orphaned

children and adults who have lost their children to AIDS.

In recognition of these significant accomplishments, over

400 Nyumbani supporters joined Sister Mary Owens, Fr. D’Ag’s

long-time colleague and his successor as executive director of

the Nyumbani programs, in Washington, DC, one evening in

September to celebrate Nyumbani’s impact on the lives of those

it has touched. The evening’s theme, “Transforming Lives,”

reflected not only the thousands in Kenya who have benefited

from Nyumbani‘s presence, but the countless others whose

lives have been affected by their association with Nyumbani.

Members of groups in the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., Spain, and

Italy which raise funds for Nyumbani; volunteers from through-

out the world – including high school students from the DC

area; George Washington University medical students – who

have traveled to Kenya to assist in the Nyumbani programs; and

Giving the Giftof Human Dignity

LIVESTRANSFORMING

When Fr. Angelo D’Agostino took in three HIV+ Kenyan orphans in 1992, he

could not have foreseen the profound impact this humanitarian gesture would

have on his life, or on the lives of thousands of others in the years to follow.

officials from numerous governments who have visited Nyum-

bani, all have testified that the experience has affected them

profoundly.

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen told event at-

tendees that he had learned of Nyumbani when his eldest son

volunteered there, an experience which inspired his younger

son to do so as well. On a recent trip, Van Hollen and his son

stayed at the Children’s Home and visited the Nyumbani Vil-

lage in Kitui. While in Nairobi, they met Gabriel, a malnour-

ished, HIV+ 3-year-old, who had been abandoned in one of

Nairobi’s notorious slums. He had been left alone in a mud hut

by his mother to fend for himself. Sister Mary brought him to

Nyumbani where he now is part of the Nyumbani family and is

developing into a well cared for, playful, and loving child. As

the Congressman noted, “In a world where abandoned children

live on a razor-thin margin between life and death, Nyumbani

provides a much needed safety net. It provides medical care,

nutrition, a family, and, most importantly, love, to these helpless

and forsaken kids.”

The event, emceed by former Washington, DC, newswoman,

Kathleen Matthews, honored individuals whose generosity con-

tributed significantly to Nyumbani during the past year. They

included Dr. Ryan Burnette, director of Alliance Biosciences;

Gary Cohen, executive vice president of Becton-Dickinson

(BD), Krista Thompson, also of BD; and Conrad Person, direc-

tor of corporate contributions of Johnson & Johnson. The John

and Patty Noel Award, which recognizes outstanding individu-

als and organizations dedicated to fighting poverty, disease,

and ignorance, consistent with the goals of Nyumbani, was

Rev. Angelo D'Agostino, S.J., M.D.

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen

Mary Lynn Qurnell, President of Nyumbani's U.S. Board

Kathleen Matthews, Mistress of Ceremonies for the 18th Annual Nyumbani Benefit

Sister Mary Owens, Nyumbani's Executive Director, and Fr. Jean Baptiste Mazarati, offered the invocation at the benefit.

Nyumbani article.indd 2-3 10/28/11 12:16:29 AM


NYUMBANIAFRICAKENYA


By Lawrence Dunham

’Agostino, a Jesuit priest living in Nairobi, had fol-

lowed an unusual career path to Kenya. A surgeon

who trained at Tufts University Medical School, the

Providence, Rhode Island, native subsequently joined the Jesuit

order, whereupon he was assigned to study psychiatry. “Fr.

D’Ag,” as he was known by all, spent the next 25 years teaching

and practicing the specialty in Washington, DC. Later, his or-

der sent him to Thailand to work on refugee issues, and finally

to Kenya, where he became involved with the plight of children

affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

At the time, orphans with the virus were abandoned and

relegated to a slow and lonely death, a fate which Fr. D’Ag

refused to accept. Renting a house, he began a hospice to care

for them and many who followed. Over time, with the advent

of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug therapy, compassionate care, and

proper nutrition, his charges began to thrive. The hospice

became a home where children could grow and live with hope

for the future.

Fr. D’Ag passed away in 2006 at the age of 80. During his

later years, when many of his contemporaries were contemplat-

ing retirement and a slower pace, he worked tirelessly to im-

prove the lives of Kenyan children burdened with having HIV.

As a result of his determination and boundless energy, the

Children’s Home now hosts over 100 orphans who are growing

to adulthood. His leadership made it possible for HIV+ chil-

dren to be educated in the Kenyan public schools. His tenacity

ensured that sophisticated ARV drugs are available to them.

The Children’s Home has spawned a state-of-the-art diagnostic

laboratory, an outreach program in the resource-limited areas of

Nairobi, and a village in eastern Kenya, housing 1,000 orphaned

children and adults who have lost their children to AIDS.

In recognition of these significant accomplishments, over

400 Nyumbani supporters joined Sister Mary Owens, Fr. D’Ag’s

long-time colleague and his successor as executive director of

the Nyumbani programs, in Washington, DC, one evening in

September to celebrate Nyumbani’s impact on the lives of those

it has touched. The evening’s theme, “Transforming Lives,”

reflected not only the thousands in Kenya who have benefited

from Nyumbani‘s presence, but the countless others whose

lives have been affected by their association with Nyumbani.

Members of groups in the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., Spain, and

Italy which raise funds for Nyumbani; volunteers from through-

out the world – including high school students from the DC

area; George Washington University medical students – who

have traveled to Kenya to assist in the Nyumbani programs; and

Giving the Giftof Human Dignity

LIVESTRANSFORMING

When Fr. Angelo D’Agostino took in three HIV+ Kenyan orphans in 1992, he

could not have foreseen the profound impact this humanitarian gesture would

have on his life, or on the lives of thousands of others in the years to follow.

officials from numerous governments who have visited Nyum-

bani, all have testified that the experience has affected them

profoundly.

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen told event at-

tendees that he had learned of Nyumbani when his eldest son

volunteered there, an experience which inspired his younger

son to do so as well. On a recent trip, Van Hollen and his son

stayed at the Children’s Home and visited the Nyumbani Vil-

lage in Kitui. While in Nairobi, they met Gabriel, a malnour-

ished, HIV+ 3-year-old, who had been abandoned in one of

Nairobi’s notorious slums. He had been left alone in a mud hut

by his mother to fend for himself. Sister Mary brought him to

Nyumbani where he now is part of the Nyumbani family and is

developing into a well cared for, playful, and loving child. As

the Congressman noted, “In a world where abandoned children

live on a razor-thin margin between life and death, Nyumbani

provides a much needed safety net. It provides medical care,

nutrition, a family, and, most importantly, love, to these helpless

and forsaken kids.”

The event, emceed by former Washington, DC, newswoman,

Kathleen Matthews, honored individuals whose generosity con-

tributed significantly to Nyumbani during the past year. They

included Dr. Ryan Burnette, director of Alliance Biosciences;

Gary Cohen, executive vice president of Becton-Dickinson

(BD), Krista Thompson, also of BD; and Conrad Person, direc-

tor of corporate contributions of Johnson & Johnson. The John

and Patty Noel Award, which recognizes outstanding individu-

als and organizations dedicated to fighting poverty, disease,

and ignorance, consistent with the goals of Nyumbani, was

Rev. Angelo D'Agostino, S.J., M.D.

Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen

Mary Lynn Qurnell, President of Nyumbani's U.S. Board

Kathleen Matthews, Mistress of Ceremonies for the 18th Annual Nyumbani Benefit

Sister Mary Owens, Nyumbani's Executive Director, and Fr. Jean Baptiste Mazarati, offered the invocation at the benefit.




presented to Barbara Albert in recognition of her long-standing

support and assistance to the children of Kenya, and for her

leadership in building the new Nyumbani laboratory, permit-

ting the expansion of laboratory services to the outside commu-

nity on a larger scale.

Sister Mary Owens, who had worked with Fr. D’Ag from the

outset, spoke movingly of the plight of HIV+ orphans in Kenya

today. Although significant advances have been made in aware-

ness and understanding, children suffering from the virus still

come to Nyumbani. She told of a young boy, no older than

four, who had been found wandering in the middle of the night

in the parking lot of a Nairobi hospital. He did not speak. He

had no possessions. A social worker brought him to Nyumbani

in a pair of hospital pajamas. “All we knew was that he was a

boy and that he was African,” she recalled. Ben, as he now is

known, is settling in comfortably and enjoying the “precious

gifts of life, health, and human dignity,” which Nyumbani seeks

to bring to those who otherwise would be denied them.

For information and donations, go to: www.Nyumbani.org

All we knew was that he was a boy and that he was African

‘‘

2011 NYUMBANI BENEFIT ATTENDEES




After years of planning, preparation, and fundraising,

the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the Tidal

Basin near the Mall in Washington, D.C., has not only

been opened to the public, which happened in late August, at

last it has been dedicated. It was a day, in the words of Presi-

dent Obama, “that would not be denied.” More than that,

it was a crystalline mid-October day with bright sunshine

that started with a chill in the air and a few hundred early

arrivers. As the sun rose, the words energized, and the music

inspired, the number of Dr. King’s admirers who wanted to

be there grew to thousands and tens of thousands.

A rare earthquake may have combined with the winds

and torrential rains of Hurricane Irene to force postponement

of the originally scheduled August 28th dedication ceremonies,

but everything was in divine alignment for the rescheduled

dedication. The day had the feeling of an old-fashioned

camp meeting as people streamed out of multiple Metro sta-

tions and made their way across the Mall and Independence

Avenue to reach the Memorial site and West Potomac Park

where the stage, the Jumbotrons, and the media risers were

set-up. Many of these folk might have been missing Sunday

services, some of them right along with their preachers. But

it was a morning . . . it was a place . . . it was a gathering

with the soul of a church.

Harry Johnson, president and CEO of the Washington,

DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foun-

dation, Inc. noted that although rescheduling the dedication

meant a scaled-back event, “This long-awaited moment in

our nation’s history will celebrate the legacy of Dr. King as

well as democracy, hope, justice, and love — ecumenical

tenets for which Dr. King bravely stood.” Dr. King’s young-

est daughter, Elder Bernice King, suggested that postpone-

ment of the dedication ceremonies might have represented a

“divine interruption” perhaps intended to encourage planners

and speakers to focus more on questions of economic justice

in the present more than on the remembrance of things past.

Her brother, The Honorable Martin Luther King III, even

worried aloud that his father was becoming a brand or an

idol more than an ideal. He urged those present to live out

Dr. King’s ideals of love, peace, equality, jobs, food, educa-

tion, decent housing, and an end to war.

The day officially began at 8:00 a.m. with an hour of

music, poetry, and inspirational reflections. It was that

music that greeted those working their way, almost as if in

procession, to the Memorial Dedication site. At 9:00 a.m.,

two hours of speakers and music prepared the crowd for the

formal dedication ceremony and President Obama’s speech,

which was held in the forecourt of the memorial itself, in the

shadow of Dr. King’s presence. Public Broadcasting’s Gwen

Ifill served as master of ceremonies for the morning. The col-

ors were presented by members of the military. The National

Anthem was sung. The Reverend Joseph Ratliff’s invocation

reminded all present that although, “We have crossed the

river, the ocean lies ahead.” Members of Dr. King’s family

spoke, as did leaders of the civil rights movement — Julian

Bond, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Representative John Lewis,


Ambassador Andrew Young, the Reverend Joseph Lowery —

(at 90-years-old, the senior statesman of the group) and former

CBS reporter and anchor Dan Rather, who recalled his days of

covering the civil rights movement as a young reporter.

To add to the sense of what Dr. King called the “beloved

community,” everyone attending was given a white cap,

courtesy of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation –

Dedication co-chair. With lettering embroidered in red and

blue, the caps reminded people to celebrate Dr. King’s life,

his dream, and his legacy. These quickly became the col-

lector’s items of the dedication ceremony, and people could

be seen wearing them around the city long after the event

concluded. The General Motors Foundation and Chevrolet

served as dedication chair. Dedication vice-chairs included:

Aetna, Boeing, BP, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, GE, MacFarlane

Partners, McDonald’s, Salamander Hotels, Travelers, Wal-Mart

Stores, and Zoilëmax Foundation.

Nikki Giovanni added her deft touch with her “sacred”

poem, “In the Spirit of Martin,” at once reverential and

humanizing, not designed to lament Dr. King’s murder but

to make him accessible to future generations by recalling her

friend’s desire always to be dapper and at least a little bit hip.

Reverend Al Sharpton


Aretha Franklin would add the

old gospel hymn “Precious Lord”

to the musical mix of the day.

But certainly the most striking

performance piece was a violin

and rap recollection of the 1955

Montgomery Bus Boycott done

by violinist Miri Ben-Ari with

rap lyrics provided by Poem-

Cees. The violin provided strik-

ing variations on the civil rights

theme “We Shall Overcome”

while the lyrics told the multi-

layered story of the bus boycott

that lasted more than a year and

opened the spillways to the civil rights movement.

The crowd quieted when pictures of President Obama

and his family in the forecourt of the monument plaza ap-

peared on the screen. The First Family walked along the in-

scription wall, and, though the screens were silent, you could

see the parents sharing memories with the children. Greeted

by chants of “Four More Years,” the President focused on the

memory and the legacy of Martin Luther King, whom he de-

scribed as “a black preacher with no official rank or title who

somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most

lasting ideals, a man who stirred our conscience and thereby

helped make our union more perfect.”

The President recalled that without “that shining mo-

ment” of the “I Have a Dream” speech, “without Dr. King’s

glorious words, we might not have had the courage to come

Reverend Jesse Jackson


as far as we have. I raise all of this,” the President continued,

“because nearly 50 years after the march on Washington,

our work, Dr. King’s work, is not yet complete. We gather

here at a moment of great challenge and great change. In the

first decade of this new century, we have been tested by war

and tragedy; by an economic crisis and its aftermath that has

left millions out of work, poverty on the rise, and millions

more just struggling to get by. When met with hardship,

when confronting disappointment,” said the President, “Dr.

King refused to accept what he called the ‘is-ness’ of today.

He kept pushing toward the ‘oughtness’ of tomorrow.” The

President concluded by calling to Americans, “Let us not

be trapped by what is. We can’t be discouraged by what is.

We’ve got to keep pushing for what ought to be, the America

that we ought to leave our children. If we maintain our faith

in ourselves and in the possibilities of this nation, there is no

challenge we cannot surmount.”

Despite the postponement of the dedication ceremonies

in August, from the moment the memorial site opened until

it was closed in anticipation of the storm, and then in the

clear, freshly sunlit hours of Sunday after the storm passed,

the memorial site became a meeting place, a space of wonder,

and a site of informal celebration. August’s gathering storm,

the tempest-tossed trees and drenching rains, followed by

the breaking clouds and the emergent sunlight, provided a

nature-made metaphor for the struggle against racism,

poverty, and militarism that Dr. King led during his lifetime

and the multiracial harmony and equal justice he envisioned

for the future.

Long before the formal dedication ceremonies were

rescheduled, the memorial had already been dedicated 10

thousand times over by the estimated 1.5 million visitors

— multigenerational families, members of the international

community, Dr. King’s brothers in the Alpha Phi Alpha

fraternity, black, white, and brown, Christian, Muslim, Jew,

Hindu, and Buddhist, male and female — who came to see

the memorial for themselves. They brought with them

memories, hopes, fears, and dreams. Each group sees itself

in the memorial, their immediate concerns etched into Dr.

King’s inscribed words. Each knot of friends, family, and

strangers comes not only to honor a man and his prophetic

voice but to place themselves in his shadow, to enter into his

presence, and to come away freshly inspired.

For some, this means recalling their own past and the

role Martin Luther King’s life and death had played in their

growing up and going out into the world. For others too

young to have witnessed Dr. King in life, the memorial

becomes a place where the inanimate likeness of Dr. King

breathes vivid life into what had been classroom learning

and received memory. The sounds of tears and laughter, of

stories recounted, of lives crushed and hopes re-energized, of

preserving the moment in pictures filled with this memorial

to Dr. King and populated by eager strangers inevitably walk-

ing through the frame, of children questioning and parents

explaining, of dozens of foreign languages, of people jovially

jostling to share the crowded memorial space all combine

for a moment to share the potential of Dr. King’s dream and,

however briefly, to become the “beloved community” which

he held dear.

Location may be important in real estate, but it is vital

when it comes to the iconography of American history. The

new King memorial site stands in a direct line between the

Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Offering striking profiles of

Dr. King with the Washington Monument in the background.

It sits nearby the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and is sited

close to the memorials of those who have given their lives

in service to their country. Dr. King is now memorialized

alongside the founders, the saviors, and the preservers of

the Republic. The memorial plaza is surrounded by nearly

200 newly-planted cherry trees so that it will blend into the

springtime cherry blossom landscape of the Tidal Basin. It

will mesh seamlessly into the national celebration that is the

National Cherry Blossom Festival, even as the timing recalls

the April date of Dr. King’s assassination and the blossoms

provide evidence of a symbolic rebirth.

The design of the memorial, conceived by the ROMA

Design Group in San Francisco, derives from a line in Dr.

King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, “With this faith we will be

able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”

The realization of Dr. King’s likeness pulled forward from the

mountain of despair provides a striking visual realization of

the rhetorical vision that Dr. King conjured. The memorial

and the statue of Dr. King face the Tidal Basin, and the main

entrance to the site is from Independence Avenue. This means

that visitors enter the site from the rear with the cleaved moun-

tain of despair providing a gateway into the Tidal Basin and

framing the Jefferson Memorial across the water.

The narrow passage through the mountain is intended

to remind visitors of the struggle for civil rights and to lead

them into the memorial plaza where waterfalls — reminis-

cent of Dr. King’s allusion to the Old Testament words of the

prophet Amos (5:24), “We will not be satisfied until justice


rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream,” in his “I

Have a Dream” speech — will guide them along the 450-foot granite arc of

the Inscription Wall, where a selection of Dr. King’s words from across his

career have been carved in stone. Since the core concept of the monu-

ment is derived directly from the “I Have a Dream” speech given at the

Lincoln Memorial in 1963, none of the passages inscribed on the wall

come from that speech. Instead, the passages selected are intended to

draw visitors into the depth and the richness of Dr. King’s commitments to

equality, nonviolence, and economic justice. A berm insulating the memo-

rial site from the passing traffic on Independence Avenue turns the plaza

into a place of shared experience and granite niches facing the inscription

wall allow places for rest and quiet contemplation.

The centerpiece of the memorial, however, is the statue of Dr. King.

Carved from the same block of granite as the mountain that serves as its

backdrop, Dr. King’s likeness emerges from the “stone of hope” as if his en-

ergy and determination had literally been contained in the rock itself. The

sides of the stone include markings to indicate that the stone literally has

come “out of the mountain of despair.” On one side of the stone are carved

the thematic words that structure the entire memorial, “Out of the mountain

of despair, the stone of hope.” On the other side of the stone are carved the

words that Dr. King himself suggested might be a part of his epitaph, “I was

a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness.” Ironically, however, Dr.

King also suggested that these words might make it too easy to exaggerate

the role of a single leader in the face of a struggle confronted, named, and

resisted by so many. The figure of Dr. King stands resolute, arms folded

across his chest, holding a rolled speech text in his left hand. His look is

neither defiant nor confrontational, but rather a look of determination and

perseverance in the face of adversity. It is the kind of pose he might have

struck after delivering his “I Have a Dream” manifesto and its ringing per-

oration, “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, free at last.”

Brilliantly illuminated at night and standing on opposite sides of

the Tidal Basin, the King Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial stand as

beacons of freedom glowing in the darkness, impassioned markers of the

struggle for freedom against any oppression. The words of Thomas Jeffer-

son and the Declaration of Independence set forth a vision and a promise

of all people “created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain

inalienable rights . . . life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The chal-

lenge put forth by Dr. King has the audacity to say that, more than 200

years later, the promise has not yet been fulfilled, that the tasks of liberty

to realize equality and respect for all regardless of race, class, religion,

gender, or nationality are far from complete. The two monuments carry

on a critical dialogue on America’s possibilities. The dialogue holds forth

the promises of freedom and equality; that demands persistent evaluation

of our behavior over against our proclaimed values and acknowledges our

shortcomings; and that constantly challenges us to find and enliven what

Abraham Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature.” n

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©2010 InterContinental Hotels Group. All rights reserved. Most hotels are independently owned and/or operated.

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InterContinental Cleve/page.indd 1 6/15/11 3:59 PM

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F2100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008

202.293.2100

Luxurycollection.com/Fairfax

Th e F a i r f a x at E m b a s s y Ro w

Nestled among the stately

mansions of Massachusetts

Avenue, The Fairfax at Embassy

Row, A Starwood Luxury

Collection Hotel, is a Washington,

D.C. landmark with a rich history

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years. With its legendary restaurant,

The Jockey Club, The Fairfax at

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be in Washington, D.C.

Traditional and elegant

in style, the 259 guest

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elevated beds dressed in

crisp duvets, 300 thread

count linens, adorned

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The luxurious marble

bathrooms allow for

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The Fairfax at Embassy Row,

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Hotel, is located in the heart of

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D.C. The Fairfax offers superior

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and services to all of its

international travelers.

Shirley Phull, Director of Diplomatic

Sales at The Fairfax at Embassy Row,

serves the needs of the city’s

embassies exclusively through the

partnering and the processing of all

communication between the

embassies and The Fairfax. Ms. Phull

brings experience, talent, commitment

and savoir faire to the fulfillment of the

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Alhambra-US Event at the Embassy of Malaysia


Embassy of Austria with the Ambassador and his wife

Uzbekistan Embassy

President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Chef Timms

Fx Hotel ad 8.11.indd 2-3 8/23/11 3:22:15 AM

92

F2100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008

202.293.2100

Luxurycollection.com/Fairfax

Th e F a i r f a x at E m b a s s y Ro w

Nestled among the stately

mansions of Massachusetts

Avenue, The Fairfax at Embassy

Row, A Starwood Luxury

Collection Hotel, is a Washington,

D.C. landmark with a rich history

that spans more than seventy-five

years. With its legendary restaurant,

The Jockey Club, The Fairfax at

Embassy Row is the epicenter

of international discussion and

American politics. It is the place to

be in Washington, D.C.

Traditional and elegant

in style, the 259 guest

rooms and suites feature

elevated beds dressed in

crisp duvets, 300 thread

count linens, adorned

with rich gold embroidery.

The luxurious marble

bathrooms allow for

tranquil rejuvenation and

quiet contemplation.

The Fairfax at Embassy Row,

a Starwood Luxury Collection

Hotel, is located in the heart of

Embassy Row in Washington,

D.C. The Fairfax offers superior

accommodations, amenities

and services to all of its

international travelers.

Shirley Phull, Director of Diplomatic

Sales at The Fairfax at Embassy Row,

serves the needs of the city’s

embassies exclusively through the

partnering and the processing of all

communication between the

embassies and The Fairfax. Ms. Phull

brings experience, talent, commitment

and savoir faire to the fulfillment of the

various needs of the hotel’s diplomatic

clientele. It is this level of dedication

that sets The Fairfax at Embassy Row

apart from the rest.



Embassy of Austria with the Ambassador and his wife

Uzbekistan Embassy

President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Chef Timms

Fx Hotel ad 8.11.indd 2-3 8/23/11 3:22:15 AM

93

The Convergence of Luxury at Every AngleWELComE To ThE SWiSSôTEL ExpEriEnCE

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94

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95


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20035376 Diplomatic Connections.indd 1 10/14/11 1:29:40 PM

diplomatic connections september-october 2011

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