On November 20, IREX celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special event at the Library of Congress. Ambassador William Burns and Senator Richard Lugar each gave addresses before policymakers, partners, funders, friends, and IREX staff.
IREX Board Chair Avis T. Bohlen welcomed guests and introduced IREX’s new president, Ambassador W. Robert Pearson, who spoke to IREX’s "wonderful history, very dynamic present, and very bright future.” He then introduced the evening’s first speaker, Ambassador William Burns.
Noting the great challenges facing the United States and the world today, Ambassador Burns emphasized the need for American leadership in maintaining international stability, and the need to utilize soft power in addition to hard power. Ambassador Burns celebrated this moment in time, "where we’ve reminded ourselves and the rest of the world of what American democracy is capable of….for the sense of possibility and promise that is so much a part of America.”
Regarding the role of IREX, Burns commented, “During my three years as ambassador in Russia, I became convinced that programs managed by IREX are among the very best investments we’ve ever made in that complicated, consequential, and endlessly fascinating country….I’ve seen the same accomplishments by IREX in my years of service in the Middle East.”
Following a short break, former IREX president Mark Pomar debuted IREX’s short film Forty Years of Building Relationships and Sharing Expertise [9]--viewable on IREX’s website. The film takes a look at the history of IREX and provides a snapshot of IREX programs today.
The final speaker of the evening was Senator Richard Lugar, to whom IREX presented an award recognizing his support of international exchanges and development. Senator Lugar emphasized the value of international cooperation between individuals, establishing bonds that governments alone cannot. He noted that too many Americans do not have extensive experience working and traveling overseas, and that this is “a handicap to our public diplomacy that we must overcome, both by encouraging Americans to travel and by investing in outreach programs of the type that IREX has managed so successfully.”
Senator Lugar reminded the audience of the value of US national power beyond that of our military, and that our foreign policy cannot be strengthened by a reactive approach. “In this context, the impacts of an exchange program, a teacher training operation, or a media freedom project are not always apparent in short-term geopolitical events. But they can reverberate over the course of decades if we maintain our focus.”
IREX wishes to thank the Ford Foundation for their generous support of this event and to express gratitude to all of those who were able to join us at the event and to all the staff, participants, and others that have made IREX’s first 40 years so successful.
Links:
Senator Lugar's Complete Address [10]
Video: Senator Lugar's Address (2 parts) [11]
Video: Ambassador Burns Address [12]
Video: IREX- 40 Years of Building Relationships and Sharing Expertise [9]