February 24, 2006

Ambassador Marcie B. Ries Remarks at the Conference on Tolerance Organized by the Ballkano-Egyptian Organization “Nefreta”

Tirana International Hotel

Good morning. Thank you for your invitation. I have had the opportunity to read about your organization and about the community you represent. I know about the long history of the Ballkano-Egyptians in Albania and the many contributions they have made to Albanian society.

We are very pleased to have Ms. Peek here and thank her for her willingness to share her rich experience with Albanian audiences. February is the month that the United States celebrates the contributions of Americans of African descent to our country, and the many struggles that they have faced in making these contributions, and so it is very fitting to have this conference and Ms. Peek here at this time.

I also am aware of the disadvantaged position of the Ballkano-Egyptian community in Albanian society. Overcoming prejudice is one of the many challenges that this community faces. Promoting mutual understanding and tolerance is the first step to overcoming prejudice and discrimination.

The United States strongly believes that part of democracy is affording to all racial and ethnic groups the feeling that they are part of that society, that they have equal rights and protections.

Americans feel strongly about this not because we have a perfect society when it comes to questions of race and ethnicity, but because we believe all members of society should have the ability to express their voices and be heard and have equal opportunities to fulfill their dreams and ambitions.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has spoken of the “long journey” toward equality the United States has taken because of our heritage of slavery. In fact, we rarely apply the term to ourselves, but this “long journey” was indeed part of the process of democratization in the United States, the process by which the United States began to include a part of the population, especially Black Americans, that had been excluded for so long by openly racist and discriminatory laws and practices.

Now, we are still on this journey. But I think one important result of the Civil Rights movement and the fight for equality in the United States has been the change in attitudes on the part of the vast majority of Americans, who recognize the importance of inclusion and the dangers of prejudice, discrimination, and racism.

Secretary Rice, who grew up in the segregated American South, understands deeply what discrimination means, and understands also the role that both civil society and government play in protecting the rights of marginalized groups. But Secretary Rice, and her predecessor, Colin Powell, and the other members of President Bush’s cabinet who come from ethnic and racial minority groups, are also living examples of how far American society has come in the past forty years.

Americans of color have advanced in large part because brave leaders, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, from whom I am pleased to hear you draw inspiration, have had the courage to fight for their rights.

And so, I applaud the efforts your organization is making to help Albania become a more tolerant and more equal society, and to make all Albanians more aware of your culture, history, and contributions. I wish you all the best in your endeavors, and thank you once again for inviting me here today.