Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program – Berlin Day
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Bundestag, Berlin
May 25, 2007
As prepared for delivery.
Thank you for inviting the American participants in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program to this meeting at the German Parliament. It is a fitting conclusion to an important year for the American Class of 2007.
As I look around the room, I see happy, satisfied faces. For me, that’s a sign that this exchange year has been a rewarding experience for this group of very fortunate young people.
The success of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program is due to the ongoing commitment of many people - individual Members, as well as staffers in government offices and exchange organizations on both sides of the Atlantic. This program has been going strong for over 20 years. Its ongoing success is a demonstration of the strength and depth of the German-American partnership. On behalf of the Embassy, I would like to thank all those here today who have been involved with the program.
I would also like to say a word to the U.S. alumni of the Class of 2007. At the Embassy, we are convinced of the value of this kind of exchange experience. You and the German participants are the future of our bilateral partnership. For that reason, it has been one of our priorities over the past year to initiate even more opportunities for exchange between our country and Germany. What I would like each of one of you to do when you go home is to share your experiences with your family, friends and anybody who will listen to you.
It is a unique experience to live and work or study in a different country. Reading a book or watching a movie or discussing international politics in a classroom setting is simply not the same. By living in a foreign country, you see the world in a larger context. It makes it easier to find common ground and work through differences of opinion. We face grave new challenges in the 21st century. Those of us who are privileged to serve in positions of government have an obligation to resolve differences of opinion and define common solutions. But it is your generation that will be most affected by the challenges and wonderful new opportunities of the future. It is up to you to get involved and participate in politics and society.
That was also exactly what I told people when I was in business back in the United States. It was the same whether I met them at trade fairs, in board rooms or on the factory floor. I liked the way John Gardner, the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson, put it. This is what he said: "Freedom and liberty. Duty and responsibility. That's the deal." That makes sense to me. It applies to nations. But it also applies to individuals. You have all been ambassadors in the communities where you have lived. The relationships you have established provide the basis for the kind of strategic partnerships that have served us well in the past and that will serve us well in the years ahead.
Enjoy the program here and your day in Berlin. I look forward to seeing you a little later in the day at my Residence and to talking with you about your experiences over the past year.
