Ambassador's Remarks upon receiving Honorary Doctorate

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 001266 DEPT FOR AF/E Susan Driano SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KE SUBJECT: Ambassador's Remarks upon receiving Honorary Doctorate UNCLASSIFIED - ENTIRE TEXT ¶1. On May 29 Africa Nazarene University awarded the Ambassador an honorary doctorate for his efforts to promote peace and reconciliation. The Ambassador used the occasion for public outreach in support of the reform agenda and reconciliation efforts. ¶2. Begin text of remarks. I accept this honor with profound humility and appreciation. This honor is a wonderful recognition of the deep friendship and partnership between the United States and Kenya. I am particularly pleased to have with me my daughter Elizabeth who is herself today receiving a very important degree - her high school diploma from the International School of Kenya. I am immensely proud of how well she has done; she was one of only 5 seniors to receive an award for continuous 12th grade honors. I know this occasion will inspire her, and I look forward to the date when she will receive a university degree. I wish to thank all those whose love and friendship is so important to me. Given the special ties between the American people and Africa Nazarene University, it is particularly appropriate that you have chosen to convey this honor. The activities of American citizens and their institutions in Kenya is the largest part of our partnership. As the U.S. Ambassador, I am proud of the contribution which Africa Nazarene University is making to promote education in Kenya. The awarding of this honor highlights in a most timely manner the importance of the efforts of all individuals to promote peace, reconciliation, and democratic values. Africa Nazarene University and the 19 other public and private universities in Kenya are at the forefront of transforming this country through education. The students at this university, and the 110,000 students at other Kenyan universities, are broadening their perspectives of the world. You who are graduating today have learned how to become enlightened citizens and responsible members of civil society. The high quality education you have received makes you privileged members of society, and places upon you a large responsibility to contribute to the process of bringing about fundamental change in order to make Kenya a stronger and more stable democracy. Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. in his famous book Politics said: "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost." The greatness - and the greatest crises - of American history are largely a reflection of how we have struggled to achieve such inclusivity and to build democracy on the basis of great diversity, and how this effort has in turn affected our economic and political development. The terribly bloody civil war in the United States waged over the issues of slavery and secession was a watershed in our history because it was fought precisely over the principle that democracy must be a united effort involving all the people. As President Abraham Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address, the war was fought to affirm a government of, by, and for the people - all the people. However, it was only after years of struggle, culminating in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, that African-Americans began to be able to fully enter the political and economic life of their country. The election of President Obama dramatically demonstrates the substantial progress that has been made and reflects what can be achieved when diversity is constructively accommodated in a democratic society and becomes an engine of its development. Kenyans face the same challenge in standing up against tribally-based politics to ensure that the diversity represented in the 42 ethnic groups of this country is harnessed to promote unity and the well-being of all. The American experience demonstrates that widespread education is key to promoting appreciation of the importance of diversity for democracy and development. Education helps instill understanding of human rights, of the principles of democracy, of the nature of economic development, and of the reality of diversity in our societies. Schools, especially universities, bring together students from across the country and allow them to see, hear, and appreciate that their ethnic and regional differences melt away in the classroom and in their lives. The fact that education is expanding so rapidly in Kenya bodes well for the future of this country. The well-educated young people who are the great majority of the population in Kenya are increasingly insisting that the leadership of the country focus on a national, rather than narrowly-based tribal, approach to government and economic management. Youth groups are proliferating throughout the country to provide alternative platforms for dialogue across ethnic lines, and to insist that the coalition government fully implement the reform agenda and address the challenges facing the nation. I challenge you as graduates to be in the forefront of those efforts. The United States will stand by the side of the young people of Kenya as NAIROBI 00001266 002 OF 002 they press peacefully for implementation of reforms: meaningful and timely constitutional review, creation of a truly independent electoral commission, setting up a Special Tribunal to hold accountable those who perpetrated post-election violence, decisive steps against corruption, and major police and judicial, among others. We will stand by your side because we are friends and because the alternative of renewed instability is too terrible to contemplate. The burgeoning activism of young people threatens the vested interests and culture of impunity that protect those who do not want to see the status quo changed. But those vested interests will not be able to hold back the tide of history, because a profound process of change is already underway in Kenya. That process is being led by independent young leaders who refuse to be compromised by the vested interests. The country, and in particular the political class, will increasingly feel its impact. The increasingly high profile activity of these young leaders and youth groups is one of the most inspiring demonstrations that a real democratic spirit is now transforming this country. For those who may be skeptical, let us remember that fundamental change is often brought about far more rapidly than anyone anticipates. You need only look at the example of our presidential election of 2008 to appreciate that fact. I am certain that President Obama enthusiastically supports the youth of Kenya as they work for peaceful change. He recently sent a high-level delegation to Kenya to deliver a clear message on the need to accelerate the reform agenda and to make clear that the U.S. will not do business as usual with those who do not support reform. I cannot say it any better than the President himself - then a U.S. Senator - did in his August 2006 speech in Kenya. "Today," he said, "we're starting to see that the Kenyan people want more than a simple changing of the guard, more than piecemeal reforms to a crisis that's crippling their country. The Kenyan people are crying out for real change, and whether one voted orange or banana in last year's referendum, the message that many Kenyans seemed to be sending was one of dissatisfaction with the pace of reform, and real frustration with continued tolerance of corruption at high levels." He went on to say: "Ethnic-based tribal politics has to stop. It is rooted in the bankrupt idea that the goal of politics or business is to funnel as much of the pie as possible to one's family, tribe, or circle with little regard for the public good. It stifles innovation and fractures the fabric of the society. Instead of opening businesses and engaging in commerce, people come to rely on patronage and payback as a means of advancing. Instead of unifying the country to move forward on solving problems, it divides neighbor from neighbor." "In the end, one of the strongest weapons your country has against corruption is the ability of you, the people, to stand up and speak out about the injustices you see. The Kenyan people are the ultimate guardians against abuses." Then, as if he were speaking to you today, he said: "Looking out at this crowd of young people, I have faith that you will fight this fight too. You will decide if your leaders will be held accountable, or if you will look the other way. You will decide if the standards and the rules will be the same for everyone - regardless of ethnicity or of wealth. And you will determine the direction of this country in the 21st century - whether the hard work of the many is lost to the selfish desires of a few, or whether you build an open, honest, stronger Kenya where everyone rises together." I thank you profoundly for the honor you have bestowed upon me, and - confident in the future of this great country -- I wish you well. End text. RANNEBERGER