Remarks by U.S. Ambassador J. Adam Ereli
American Women's Association
34th Anniversary Celebration
Manama, Bahrain
October 13, 2008
I would like to thank the American Women's Association (AWA) for inviting me to speak today. It is a great honor and privilege to be here with you.
My wife, Marina, and I arrived about a year ago in August 2007. When we came to Bahrain one of the items on my list as a new Ambassador was to speak to the AWA. I remember my Deputy Chief of Mission, Chris Henzel, had arrived a couple of weeks before I did and said that there was an invitation from the AWA to give a speech. Initially I was cautious because I didn't know much about the AWA and Bahrain, and didn't want to start making public pronouncements. I requested time to better understand the country get the "lay of the land." That was a year ago. Since then Marina and I have learned a lot about Bahrain, what a wonderful country Bahrain is, what wonderful people is has, but most of all we have come to appreciate the value and importance of the AWA.
We've learned that you are celebrating your 34th anniversary and have grown from a membership of 7 to a membership of over 300. That is a remarkable accomplishment, and I'd like everyone to give the organization a round of applause. We've seen the invaluable work that you do on behalf of the needy and less privileged in Bahrain. You mentioned the crafts fair in your preliminary remarks. I remember that one of the first things I did last November was cut the ribbon at the exhibition center. From that first experience on, Marina's and my experience with the AWA has been positive, warm, and frankly nourishing.
I remember that last November you were unveiling the reusable grocery bags for Al Jazira supermarket. I want to offer a word of support for Al Jazira and its management who showed the community how progressive and socially responsible a commercial organization can be. If there is anyone here from the Al Jazira supermarket, thank you for supporting the AWA and for being a good corporate citizen in Bahrain.
I also remember the fabulous preparations for the Cherry Tree Trot. We also hosted an event at our house in December to encourage corporate participants to be generous donors of the Cherry Tree Trot. It was great to see it come to fruition several months later at the Formula One track - what a fabulous event that was. Over the course of this year we have seen the strength of the AWA, the positiveness of the AWA, and the great relationship that the AWA has with the Bahraini and international community in Manama.
Any organization is only as strong as its people. It is this aspect of the AWA that really sets it apart. As Mona mentioned, my wife Marina and I have served in a number of countries. I can tell you that this is the fifth women's group that we have worked with and it is far and away the best. By that I mean that it is the most active, the most dynamic, the best run, and the most harmonious organization.
This is remarkable given the great diversity of membership in the AWA -- in terms of where people come from, their backgrounds, their priorities, and interests. Given that great diversity, to see the harmony and spirit of community of this organization is very impressive. In many ways the AWA is a reflection of the country it serves. Bahrain, like the AWA, is a place of tolerance, where people of the different backgrounds come together. It is a melting pot where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Like Bahrain, the AWA has great leadership. The officers are smart, dedicated and tireless. Like Bahrain, the AWA is open to outsiders. It welcomes diversity and is tolerant of differences. The result is a dynamic, forward-looking organization that is efficient and a hugely positive contribution to Bahrain and the community.
Demonstrating its commitment to promoting environmentalism in Bahrain, the AWA launched a project to sell reusable bags at the Al Jazira supermarket. Showing its charitable nature, AWA members made several significant donations, including BD 1000 to the Bahrain Red Crescent, food vouchers to the National Bank of Bahrain's Rehabilitation Home, clothes vouchers to the Bani Jamrah Charity Fund, a donation to the Aisha Yateem Center for Family Counseling, as well as many others.
AWA also provided important support for the Embassy's Citizenship for Disability Program, hosting a U.S.-Bahrain cultural evening for the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation and the U.S. visitors participating in the program. I myself participated with this group, and can tell you that of all of the things I've done as Ambassador here in Bahrain, this and the Cherry Tree Trot were the most heart-warming events in which I participated.
Participating in these programs reminds you of your own humanity and the blessings we have, and reminds us that those blessings are all the greater when we share them with others. It was a very moving event; I congratulate you and thank you for it. And of course I personally remember what a wonderful job the AWA did with the 2008 Cherry Tree Trot. It was an incredible event with almost a thousand athletes and hundreds of volunteers from the community - including the Embassy and the Navy base - participating. In total, BD 52,000 was raised for local charities, the highest amount we've ever raised.
The AWA this year has a long and distinctive record of accomplishments; you've shown what people working together can do to improve the lives of people in their communities, and for that I offer you my heartiest congratulations and admiration for a job well done.
These activities and successes have had an impact not just on the communities and organizations in Bahrain which with you've worked, but they are also noteworthy and deserving of praise for contributing to the strengthing of relations between the United States and Bahrain. Bahrain and the United States have a deep and abiding friendship; it is a bond that goes beyond politics and strategic national interests. The strength of our relationship is based on the shared values and ideals, and on the kind of people to people connections that the AWA represents. I want you all to know that the United States government considers you to be a very valuable asset, a vital contributor to strong U.S.-Bahraini ties. For as long as I am Ambassador, you will have our unqualified and enthusiastic support.
I also thought it would be useful to share with the AWA membership what we're doing at the Embassy to support women's issues. One of our main areas of focus is to support indigenous Bahraini efforts to help women more fully engage in political and economic life. Working through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) we are addressing family violence and family law issues with the Vital Voices U.S. Study Tour and Freedom House Family Law Reform programs. In April the Embassy sent six Bahraini women leaders to the U.S. as part of the Vital Voices program, which afforded them the opportunity to visit, meet, and exchange ideas with representatives from both non-governmental and governmental agencies who work on issues related to domestic violence. Through the Freedom House project we are supporting a Women's Rights Resource Guide that will serve as a resource for advocates of family law reform in the Gulf and throughout the region. In recognition of October as breast cancer awareness month, we are sending seventy-five leading breast cancer advocates from Bahrain and other countries throughout the region to the upcoming ICF-International Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference.
The Embassy is also promoting women's political and economic empowerment in Bahrain. In advance of the United States elections, we are sending three Bahraini women to the United States to participate in the Women's U.S. Election Exchange Program at American University in Washington, D.C. The focus of the program is to provide participants with a deeper understanding of U.S. electoral politics at the grassroots level, the development and organization of political campaigns, fund-raising strategies, and other aspects of our system. Bahraini women are also participating in the Women in Technology program, Legal and Business Fellowship program, and the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen's Network - all programs designed to strengthen the capacity of Bahrain's women to become full and active members of Bahraini economic life. Our political engagement here in Bahrain is strong, and continues to enhance the role of women in Bahraini society.
On the economic front, the United States Government is again participating in the Women Business Leaders Summit, which is being held in Bahrain later this month. Founded by former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and current Chairman of the American Red Cross Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, the Women Business Leaders Summit links successful female CEOs and executives from the United States with emerging women business leaders from around the world in a unique mentoring program.
I would like to see close cooperation between the American Embassy and the American Women's Association to empower women in Bahrain and in the United States. Our goal should be to provide these women with the opportunity to be fully engaged in making their societies stronger, healthier, and more productive. I welcome initiatives for the AWA and the Embassy to work together more closely in this area.
Finally, let me conclude by expressing my appreciation for everything that the American Women's Association has done to support me and my wife, Marina, during my time in Iraq. I can't tell you how much your support has meant to us. You are truly dear friends to us and great ambassadors for your country. Thank you very much.