As prepared for delivery...

Bicommunal Support Program Orientation
“Leadership and Community Service Youth Initiative”
Hosted at American University, Washington, DC

Remarks by Ambassador Klosson
Fulbright Center, June 29, 2004

Good morning, first of all, let me congratulate you on being selected for this very important educational program – it’s the fifth year we have undertaken this initiative.

I’m pleased to join you today as you prepare for your trip to Washington.  It’s an exciting time to be going to the United States in the wake of two very important summit meetings in Dublin and Istanbul that showcase common ground between the United States and Europe.  You’ll also probably hear a lot about our upcoming presidential election in November. 

As you know, we have been through the most intensive UN effort in history to solve the Cyprus problem.  Unfortunately, that effort did not succeed.   We were disappointed and agree with UN Secretary General Annan that it represents another missed opportunity.  The implications of this vote by the people on both sides -– which we obviously respect -- are only beginning to be absorbed.   The way forward, despite our continued support for an eventual solution, remains unclear absent reconsideration by Greek Cypriots.  I’m sure this is something that you will find time to discuss among yourselves, and I would be interested to hear upon your return any conclusions you might have reached.

For our part, we  believe that the Greek Cypriots’ commitment to a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution needs to be demonstrated.  The best way to do so would be to support the Secretary General’s call – which we strongly endorse – for the international community to take steps to eliminate unnecessary restrictions and barriers that have the effect of isolating Turkish Cypriots and impeding their development.  Easing their isolation will encourage Turkish Cypriots to remain committed to a settlement and reunification.  The United States is working to implement the Secretary General’s recommendation on this score.

While we are focused on measures to help Turkish Cypriots, we are not turning our back on decades of support for bicommunal programs.  We will continue to support organizing and funding such activities.  I am very proud of our ongoing programs in health, the arts, education and academic exchange, community development, infrastructure improvements and historical preservation. On the island, the way forward is to expand, not restrict, contact between the two communities.  The Turkish Cypriot decision to relax restrictions on crossing the Green Line just over one year ago has resulted in over three million crossings.  Recent decisions make it even easier for Greek Cypriots to visit north Cyprus and for others to travel as well.  But more needs to be done.

Everyone who is genuinely interested in promoting a comprehensive settlement has a stake in even greater contact, communication, reconciliation and cooperation.  Barriers built over many decades need to come down.  Confidence in a shared future needs to be strengthened.  People-to-people contact is the best way to build that trust.

This is the thinking behind the Embassy’s Leadership and Community Service Youth Initiative.  As university students and as leaders of tomorrow, you can play an important role shaping the future of Cyprus and in fostering a future solution in whatever profession you choose.  We hope your four weeks in Washington will help you develop new skills and understanding to do just that. 

With this in mind, you were selected both for your academic strengths as well as your leadership skills and interests in community service.  The concept of leadership has changed radically in the twentieth century.  We no longer think of leadership as solely a function of raw power-- not in a Machiavellian sense.  The powerful simply say “go;” a leader says “let’s go.”  The powerful inspire fear whereas a leader inspires confidence and elicits enthusiasm.  You will learn through programs like this that being a “leader” in the 21st century is no longer the same as being the “boss.” 

In Washington, as you heard earlier this morning, you will have a formal program of learning together.  You will also have many opportunities to get to know each other informally -- at work, at play, and relaxing.  We hope that this overall approach will help you establish relationships, even friendships, that will serve you and Cyprus when you return to the island.  We hope the time you spend together will reinforce mutual respect and expand your horizons, both with respect to Cyprus’s past but, equally important, toward its future.  There are no preconceived outcomes – what you get out of the program will be up to each of you and your interaction with your fellow students.  As a country that cares about Cyprus, the United States hopes to create opportunities through such initiatives for Cyprus to move to a better tomorrow.   That future, however, is in your hands.  Even with support of the international community, there won’t be a solution unless leaders on both sides – in and out of government – summon the courage to accept difficult compromises and explain them to the people.

As you know, the theme for the program is Community Service and Leadership.  We chose this theme because one of the great American traditions is our culture of volunteerism, aimed at helping others in need.  There are many examples in our history of leaders who helped others throughout their lives.  The rapidly expanding grassroots community service movement led to the passage of the National & Community Service Act of 1990.  This legislation, signed by former President Bush, created both a private, nonprofit organization (the Points of Light Foundation), and a new independent federal agency, the Commission on National and Community Service. Through grants and national coordination, the Commission supported four streams of service: service-learning programs for school-aged youth, higher-education service programs, youth corps, and national service demonstration models.  You will see first-hand explanations of each of these models of service.  I hope that you will be inspired by the stories you hear from community service leaders you’ll meet in the Washington, D.C. area. There may well be lessons applicable to similar community service projects in Cyprus.

Your program will take place at American University, and you will live in the dormitories there.  The university has a history dating back to America’s founding fathers.  George Washington conceived the idea for a great “national university” to be established in the nation’s capital city.  In 1893, his dream was finally realized when American University was chartered by an Act of Congress.  Since this time, American University has continued to prosper in Washington by hosting a great variety of international programs.  This track record in international training makes AU an ideal place for Cypriot students to spend a month together. 

In your applications and interviews, all of you professed that you want to understand and influence how the world works.  You were selected for your commitment to help build  -- with your own hands -- a better kind of community.  We admire this drive and commitment in each of you; the aim of this program is to help you fulfill it. 

Now, let me offer some free advice about your stay in the U.S.  First, don’t be surprised  if some Americans you meet have never heard of Cyprus.  That presents an opportunity for you to educate them about this beautiful island with its difficult past but great potential for the future.

Second, Washington, D.C. is my hometown.  It is a beautiful city with wonderful museums and beautiful monuments.  You’ll have many opportunities to sample the American way of life.  I encourage you to walk along the Potomac River, enjoy a baseball game in nearby Baltimore, try the great local cuisine - such as Maryland crab cakes -- or have a snack at one of the many restaurants near Capitol Hill.