President Obama on 16th Anniversary of Genocide in Rwanda

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
April 7, 2010

Statement by the President on the 16th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda

On this 16th commemoration of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, we devote our thoughts to those who were lost and honor those who survived. More than 800,000 men, women, and children were killed and countless others continue to live with the pain and trauma of their memories and their loss. It is not enough to say "never again." We must renew our commitment and redouble our efforts to prevent mass atrocities and genocide. We are inspired by the spirit of the Rwandan people to move forward and we stand with the people of Rwanda and the international community in commemorating the genocide.

The United States is committed to its partnership with Rwanda and will continue to support efforts to promote sustainable development, respect for human rights, and sustainable peace in Rwanda and the region.

Ambassador Rice on 16th Anniversary of Rwanda Genocide

USUN PRESS RELEASE
April 7, 2010


AS DELIVERED

Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a ceremony on the 16th Commemoration of the Rwanda Genocide, in the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations, April 7, 2010

Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, excellencies, colleagues, distinguished guests, Madam Deputy Secretary-General, it is my honor to represent the United States on this solemn day of commemoration and resolve - and it is my particular honor to be here with brave men and women who survived the genocide unleashed 16 years ago.

There are sorrows that do not fade; there are hurts that are with us always.

The faces of those who were murdered 16 years ago in a whirlwind of cruelty and malice will stay forever with those who loved them. More than 800,000 souls slain in a hundred days of hatred and horror - we still remember, we still mourn, and their blood still cries out from the trampled earth.

Our hearts are full of pain today, even after all these years; but our eyes are clear, and our will must be sure. We are drawn together by private anguish and common purpose - by a boundless grief for those who were lost, and by a shared determination to learn the stern lessons of failures past and put an end to genocide once and for all.

We believe there can be no progress without memory. We believe there can be no justice without remembrance. But we still believe in progress and justice. For the story of Rwanda is not just a tale of murder and despair. Rwanda is writing a new chapter today - despite its past, despite sorrows almost beyond the telling. From great anguish and vast hardship has come new hope.

We bear witness today not just to Rwanda's suffering but also to its renewal - to survivors who have rebuilt shattered homes and restored battered lives - to parents who have taken orphans into their arms and their hearts - to refugees who have found the courage to go home and start anew - to soldiers who have laid down weapons and taken up tools that build - to men and women who have won fresh prosperity and brought new comfort to their neighbors and their region - to leaders and public servants who have strengthened the institutions that enshrine the rule of law and ward off the temptation of turmoil - to ordinary citizens who have searched their wounded souls and chosen healing over strife, forgiveness over grievance, and reconciliation over revenge. Just as genocide cannot happen without thousands of individual decisions to destroy, recovery happens only with thousands of individual decisions to create.

It is no accident that Rwanda, a small land that has known more than its share of sorrow, contributes more troops to international peacekeeping missions than all but five other nations on Earth. Rwandans can surely take particular pride in knowing - as you pointed out - that a Rwandan general serves as the overall force commander of UNAMID, the hybrid UN-African Union operation in Darfur and in knowing that nearly 3,500 Rwandan peacekeepers strive every day to bring new meaning and might to the words "Never again" by serving in Darfur. The United States remains a strong and committed partner for Rwanda as it seeks to honor lives that were so cruelly taken 16 years ago on its own soil by saving lives that still hang in the balance in other lands today.

On this occasion last year, marking 15 years since the start of Rwanda's descent into the inferno of genocide, I bowed my head to acknowledge our faults and our inability to bring the victims back. I said then, "What we can do - both for the victims and for those whose daily lives are still marred by the aftereffects of the genocide - is to rededicate ourselves to our shared commitment to human rights and human dignity. We believe that in war, there are rules. We believe that even in the pursuit of power, there are limits. We believe that even in a violent world, there are rights. We must be voices for action, even if we are sometimes lonely ones."

I believe that still, for now and forever. Ladies and gentlemen, we have both a duty to mourn and a duty to act. We have both a responsibility to remember and a responsibility to protect. Genocide is not unstoppable. Atrocities are not inevitable. They need not be part of the landscape of world politics - unless we let them be.

Thank you.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Signing Ceremony for the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission

On April 6, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Nigerian Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed inaugurated the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission, a strategic dialogue designed to expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests

Treaty Room, US Department of State

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Secretary Ahmed to the State Department for the official launch of the United States-Nigeria Binational Commission. Today, we are taking a concrete step forward that will strengthen and deepen the partnership between our two nations. The Commission will help us work together on issues of common concern and shared responsibility. And we hope it will support the aspirations of the Nigerian people for a peaceful, prosperous, stable, democratic future.

This new vehicle for cooperation grew out of discussions we began during my visit to Nigeria last August. And it reflects the commitment of the United States to this absolutely critical bilateral relationship. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, its largest contributor of peacekeepers, a significant trading partner for the United States, its largest producer of oil, and the largest recipient of direct investment by the American private sector in sub-Saharan Africa. So we have much to learn from each other and we have much to gain from working together.

The Commission will seek to make progress in many areas, but there are four key areas that I want to mention.

First, we will work together on good governance and transparency, which are essential to Nigeria’s democracy and its prosperity. All over the world, we have seen that sustainable economic development that truly is spread equitably among the people depends on responsible government that rejects corruption, enforces the rule of law, and delivers results. The Commission will focus on electoral reform and election preparations in order to achieve free, fair, and peaceful elections in Nigeria in 2011 and beyond. And we will support efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and civil society, along with working with Nigerians themselves to fight corruption.

Second, the Commission will promote regional cooperation and development that creates opportunities and delivers results for all of the people of the Niger Delta. Part of that cooperation will be broader collaboration on security and counterterrorism.

Third, we will work together on energy reform and investment. Nigeria is blessed with natural resources, including oil and gas, yet electricity remains too scarce and profits have not always been invested in ways that benefit all Nigerians, particularly the poorest.

And fourth, we will focus on food security and agricultural development. We want to help provide Nigeria’s farmers with the tools they need to feed their people and lift rural families out of poverty.

These four areas are mutually reinforcing, interrelated, and we believe working on each of them will help to bring progress.

Nigeria will soon celebrate 50 years of independence, an achievement that rightly brings great pride to the Nigerian people. But now, Nigeria, like many countries, must look to the future, and how to create conditions that will protect the gains that independence brought, guard against ongoing and serious threats to its progress.

I know firsthand that Nigerians are strong, determined, resilient, intelligent, but the past year has been a trying one for the Nigerian people. We encourage Nigeria’s leaders to continue working together to address political uncertainties, to strengthen democratic institutions, and ensure stability and accountability. And I want to assure the secretary, the government, and the people of Nigeria that President Obama, the Obama Administration, and the people of the United States will stand with Nigerians.

So let me thank the secretary again for his visit, and I look forward to signing this framework to establish the Binational Commission. Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary. (Applause.)

SECRETARY AHMED: Thank you very much. Madam Secretary of State, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is with deepest sense of responsibility, humility, and commitment that I stand before you to address you on this momentous occasion.

First of all, let me, on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, convey our full appreciation to President Obama and you in particular, Secretary Clinton, for making this day a reality. I know the individual effort you have put in order to actualize the signing of this framework this afternoon. It is very important to us at this point of our history, when we are able, to show as a nation that we are capable of survival. The fact that we have gone through the last few months as a very strong nation indicates that we are a very strong democracy. For it is my belief that no country in Africa would have gone through this and would come out stronger than we did.

We are committed to contributing our quota, but in doing that, we must understand each other. The basis of progress in any part of the world hinges on respect and accommodation.

The United States of America is known for accommodation, is known for respect, is known for commitment to its human rights record, is known for peacekeeping and ensuring that the world is a safer place for all of us.

We will learn and will continue to learn from you. In doing that, our presidential system of government, which has been modeled after your own, would need to be assisted now and in the near future. You have highlighted some of the challenges that we face, but we believe they are not insurmountable because we are open to criticism. Much more importantly, we are aware of our role as sub-regional leader in Africa and a shining example of accommodation and making sure that everybody feels free in a country which is very, very highly complex in terms of multiculturalism, ethnic groupings, and (inaudible) leaders.

Madam Secretary, I am humbled that by signing this Binational Commission Framework, we will move forward in a more responsible way to enhance our chance of being a great nation. And I believe that it is more on our side to gain, even though, as you did say with the deepest sense of modesty, you are also going to learn from us.

Before I conclude my speech, Your Excellency, let me also express our appreciation to your government for having (inaudible) of the country of interest which you have now delisted. It is, in fact, very gladdening news to all Nigerians and all black people that people should not be just taken as a country, especially when we don’t have history of state-sponsored terrorism. We are working very much hard on this and our legislations are going to prove that we’ll be a very important partner in terms of fighting global terrorism and other vices.

Accept my warmest regards, and through you, Your Excellency, my personal warm regards to that very, very important American world leader, Mr. Clinton, and your daughter, Chelsea. I thank you. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you so much, Secretary.

MODERATOR: The Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Government of the Federation are signing the Framework for the Establishment of a Binational Commission between the Government of the Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the United States of America.

(The agreement was signed.) (Applause.)

SECRETARY AHMED: Very good. Good.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Very good, very good. Thank you so much, and thanks to your distinguished delegation as well. Thank you, sir.

SECRETARY AHMED: You’re welcome.

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Mozambican, U.S. Coaches Speak Universal Language of Sports

By Jim Fisher-Thompson

Members of a group of basketball coaches from Mozambique say they gained valuable insights while on a visit to America - the most important of which is that sports is a universal pursuit that binds people together."Sport makes people a family," said Ricardo Pitrosse Rafael Faife, who along with fellow coach Lucilia Alexandrina Rodrigues Caetano spoke to America.gov through an interpreter near the end of their March 15-25 visit to the United States.

Faife, a professor of physical education who coaches basketball at Zuze Primary School in Tete province, said: "Sports ... is based on skill and practice. You can take things from basketball that create a fountain of abilities you can use in your personal life, which makes you better and connects you with humanity."The two were among a dozen Mozambican basketball coaches who participated in an exchange program organized by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). During the visit, the group met with American coaches and players in the Washington metropolitan area.

Caetano, who coaches women's basketball at Universidade Politécnica in Maputo, said the visit, which also included observing practices, games and sports clinics at schools and elsewhere, was very productive. "We've learned a lot, not only about sports but also about American culture.

"She was especially pleased, she said, "to see girls play basketball at two schools we visited and [I] noticed the strong desire, or grit, that motivated them on the court. One thing we learned from watching both the boys and girls play is that the group, or teamwork, was emphasized over individual performances.

"Faife added: "We saw something on the technical level that was very advanced for the athletes. At a high school in Maryland, we saw a ... machine that shoots out basketballs to the players, making practice much speedier, and allows players to practice by themselves."While football (called soccer in the United States and other countries) is still the most popular sport in Mozambique, both coaches said basketball's popularity was growing among schoolchildren and university students. Caetano added, "We saw some things on the [U.S.] trip that we haven't seen before and would like to encourage" back home.

Faife said he was impressed when the group watched 5-year-olds playing in competition. "I noticed the referees were not as strict with the rules of the game because the kids were so young. So, we realized that you can teach kids that young to play but you don't have to be so strict, which gives them the encouragement and incentive to keep playing."On the cultural level, Caetano said, "I noticed how concerned American people were about the well-being of other people. In the meetings and conversations we had, we've seen that communities are very organized to help those who need help. People take from themselves to give to others.

"We went to a boys and girls club in a needy area," she said, and "we saw how people had come together to work on sports programs for young people to help them out." On another occasion, she said, "we visited a basketball league for people in wheelchairs who were missing one or two legs, and the desire they had to play was just incredible. This left us with a very happy feeling.

"A high point of the group's visit was their interaction with Teresa Edwards, an Olympic gold medal women's basketball champion and former professional player. In 2009, Edwards traveled to Mozambique as a sports envoy for the United States and met many of the coaches who were on the current trip. In cooperation with the U.S. Women's National Basketball Association, Edwards traveled from her home near Atlanta to run a coaching clinic for the Mozambicans at DeMatha High School in Maryland.

The Mozambican coaches also met with and received coaching tips from George Selleck, a former All-American basketball player for Stanford University in California who is the founder of Sports for Life Inc., an organization dedicated to enhancing youth development through positive participation in sports.

Source: U.S. Department of State.

Senator Kerry Praises Rwandan-U.S. Student Exchanges

By Jim Fisher-Thompson

Washington, DC - Monday April, 5, 2010 - Rwandan exchange students and their American counterparts from Massachusetts recently received encouragement from Senator John Kerry, the son of a U.S. foreign service officer, in their efforts to foster greater cultural understanding through examining the past.

"I've found as I've traveled around the world that cultural understanding and building relationships" are critical to world peace, Massachusetts Democrat Kerry told the 38 participants of the educational exchange program Facing History and Ourselves at a breakfast he hosted on Capitol Hill March 25.

"We have to face history and each other as individuals," said the former 2004 presidential candidate, now chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, because "it's critical to things that are right in moral and human terms."

And "what you are engaged in," he told the secondary school students, is "a very important person-to-person, grassroots effort because you can't know where you're going if you don't understand where you've been."

The students interacted over the past two years through mutual visits and communicated over the Internet, examining "what makes a community strong and what can tear it apart," explained Margot Strom, executive director of Facing History and Ourselves.

The U.S. students from Massachusetts visited Rwanda in July 2009, and their Rwandan counterparts reciprocated with a March 2010 visit to the United States as part of the overall two-year exchange program, which is funded by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs ( http://exchanges.state.gov/ ).

In Rwanda, the Americans discussed and toured sites of the 1994 genocide that killed upwards of 800,000 Rwandans. During their U.S. tour, the Rwandans were immersed in an examination of the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s.

At the Senate breakfast, members of both student groups shared their experiences and danced to traditional Rwandan folk music, wearing Rwandan dress.

Elizabeth Brederson, a student at Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts, told America.gov the Americans' visit to Kigali last year was "truly amazing. We grew together by learning the importance of community, and it was surprising how quickly we all came together and supported each other."

Saying "the world came too late and too slow" to assist Rwanda in 1994, Kerry urged the students to continue to find ways to bridge "levels of misunderstanding" that can still occur between nations and groups.

"These challenges don't go away," he told the youths. "I wish people behaved better, and hopefully they will because of efforts like yours."

Facing History and Ourselves is an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to engaging students from different backgrounds and countries in an examination of racism, prejudice and anti-Semitism. The organization reaches 1.9 million students a year through a network of 50,000 educators worldwide. Its Web site ( http://www.facinghistory.org/ ) counted more than 700,000 visits from people in 215 countries and 2.6 million page views in 2009.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Secretary Clinton Congratuates the People of Senegal

Washington, DC - Sunday April 4, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of Senegal as you celebrate your fiftieth anniversary of independence on April 4. This is an historic milestone and an opportunity to honor Senegal’s culture and accomplishments. Our two nations share an enduring partnership based on mutual respect and common values, including our respect for human rights, the rule of law, political and social justice, and transparency.

Senegal is a champion for democracy, a defender of freedom, and an ally in the fight against terrorism in all its forms. We commend Senegal for its participation in peacekeeping operations around the world, from Haiti to Kosovo to Sudan. And we look forward to working together to continue promoting responsible democratic governance, broad-based and inclusive prosperity, and a firm commitment to civilian rule throughout the region and beyond.

Your commitment to sustainable economic development and widening the circle of prosperity provides a foundation for the Millennium Challenge compact we signed last September. Under this partnership, we will work together to support Senegal’s efforts to eliminate corruption and to promote economic liberalization, poverty reduction, and accountable, transparent, and sustainable development.

Like many Americans, I fondly recall my own visits to Senegal, where I experienced the warmth, hospitality, and tolerance of the Senegalese people. Every day, the people of our two countries are trading, collaborating, and learning from one another. Through Peace Corps programs and an array of educational and cultural exchanges, Americans and Senegalese have forged close bonds that enrich us all.

On this occasion, we celebrate Senegal’s progress and its promise for a secure, prosperous, and democratic future. I offer the best wishes of the American people for a joyous and safe holiday, and I reaffirm the commitment of the United States to our enduring friendship.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Statement by the Press Secretary on the New Kenyan Constitution

April 2, 2010

Office of the Press Secretary, The White House

The United States welcomes the Kenyan parliament’s overwhelming approval of a new draft constitution. We are encouraged by the strong statements made by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga in support of the draft. A unified effort to see this important reform element through can help to turn the page to a promising new chapter of Kenyan history.

The people of Kenya will soon have the opportunity to exercise their will through a national referendum. The United States will continue to support the Kenyan people in their efforts to ensure that future generations will enjoy peaceful, democratic, and transparent governance. We urge all Kenyans to focus on the future of their nation and to unify in support of a peaceful and credible referendum and electoral process.