When I saw the video of the Senator and Teresa's meeting with Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille, my first reaction was that this is how diplomacy is supposed to work. A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting with foreign leaders, discussing democracy. The United States has a lot of work to do to restore our relationship with the rest of the world, and I think this is a good way to go about it. Of course, the conversation will not always be as cordial as the one in this video, but the only way to have a discussion is to start one. And the only way to resolve our differences with other countries is to find out where we agree and where we do not.
We have to talk to people. With those countries who are our friends and with countries that are not quite so friendly. It's a simple fact that the Bush administration seems not to understand. Thankfully, some of our leaders do.
After reflecting on this video, a couple of other points stand out for me. First, when people of courage come together, their differences are often not nearly as obvious as those things they have in common. Second, that people support the principles of democracy in the same way in different countries all over the planet.
I still don't know much about Mayor Zille, but I like what I know so far. Because she seems to know that conversation is a good thing, but sometimes it takes a little more than that.
Democratic Alliance leader and Cape Town mayor Helen Zille was arrested in the Cape Flats for participating in a march against drug lords, she told SABC radio on Sunday night.
"The last time I saw anything like this was under apartheid when I was taken in," Zille told the state broadcaster, stressing that several police had failed to arrest drug dealers, but arrested protesters instead.
...DA finance spokesperson Douglas Gibson said after hearing Zille on SABC: "Helen Zille has got the courage of a lion.
As a young woman, I attended Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, which was then not segregated.But I witnessed the weight of apartheid everywhere around me. And so with my fellow students, we marched in the streets of Johannesburg against its extension into higher education.
This was the late 1950s at the dawn of civil rights marches in America. And, as history records, our efforts in South Africa failed, and the Higher Education Apartheid Act passed. Apartheid tightened its ugly grips. The Sharpeville Riots followed. And Nelson Mandela was arrested and sent to Robben Island.
I learned something then. And I believe it still. There is a value in taking a stand, whether or not anybody may be noticing it, and whether or not it is a risky thing to do.
When I testified in 1971, I spoke out not just against the war itself, but the blindness and cynicism of political leaders who were sending brave young Americans to be killed or maimed for a mission the leaders themselves no longer believed in. ...Patriotism is not love of power; it is love of country. And sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power. This is one of those times.
Diplomacy and activism are key to creating positive change. Of course, all diplomacy doesn't happen in the conference room. To get an understanding of other countries and the problems they face, it's important to see them first hand.
Kerry visited the Umgeni Primary School and homes in the impoverished area of KwaNgcolosi near Hillcrest in Durban on Friday. The area has a high number of vulnerable and HIV-Aids orphans who are forced to be parents to their young siblings.The Valley Trust caregivers work with 16 local schools and take care of orphans. They address the HIV-Aids pandemic through activities such as music, drama, sports and educational support. The trust is supported by the US president’s emergency plan for Aids relief.
Kerry played a key role in passing the plan as a member of the US senate’s foreign relations committee. The plan provides about R100 billion in aid to fight the pandemic in Africa, including South Africa.
...Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz also visited struggling single mothers in their dilapidated mud houses.
The Senator is expected to travel to Rwanda and Botswana this week.
Comments (2)
Posted by karennj | November 27, 2007 4:32 PM
What a great interview. Of course, there's the wish that this was a Presidential trip with a wonderful President and a First Lady, who could really help with the relationships there from her own history.
Thanks so much for the link. Somehow, this really puts into context how committed both Kerrys are that this is what they do on vacation. They do both look rested and happy.
Posted by wisteria | November 28, 2007 12:33 AM
I agree with karennj that it was a wonderful interview. I think it is wonderful that the Senator and Mrs. Kerry spend their vacation time in this way.