Remarks by Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. at the Completion Ceremony, 11th Group of the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML) at the House of Representatives, Quezon City, May 5, 2011
Remarks by Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. at the Completion Ceremony, 11th Group of the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML) at the House of Representatives, Quezon City, May 5, 2011
Acknowledgements:
§ Honorable Lorenzo Tanada III, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
§ Honorable Secretary Lualhati Antonino, Chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority
§ USAID Mission Director Gloria Steele
§ Atty. Marilyn B. Yap, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives
§ Members of Congress and the Secretariat
§ Members of the academe
§ Graduating Interns
§ Ladies and Gentlemen
Magandang hapon, Assalamu Alaikum.
Ang araw na ito ay para sa inyo and I thank you for inviting me to share this special occasion with you. I am honored to be here with some of Mindanao’s brightest and most promising young people.
You all represent the future, both of your nation and of the world. You carry with you the promise of a better tomorrow, and this week, we were reminded again of what a better tomorrow entails. It is a world without radical hatred based on ideology. It is a world where men like Osama bin Laden are never safe from the hand of justice, and where those who seek to live in peace, security and dignity do not fear the violence of those who act out of hatred and ill-will.
As Secretary Clinton has recognized, the defeat of Osama bin Laden came at a time of historic democratic movements across the Middle East and North Africa—a time when great and inspired people across the world are rejecting extremism and embarking on a pathway of peace. Those the reject these old ways of hatred and intolerance are already moving to build a more secure and prosperous future. And in the words of the Secretary, “there is no better rebuke to Al-Qaida and its heinous ideology.”
You are all part of this future, linked with the brave standard-bearers of democracy around the world through your dedication to achieve. Through your participation in opportunities such as the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML), you are taking concrete steps toward a better tomorrow.
This program is the outcome of a unique partnership between the Philippine and U.S. Governments. And it is the only program in the Philippines that provides highly motivated, dynamic young people from Mindanao with the opportunity to learn more about good governance and public administration and to immerse themselves in actual policy formulation and legislation.
The Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML) has now spanned the tenure of three Speakers of the House of Representatives and three U.S. Ambassadors. This longevity demonstrates that this Program is valuable and making concrete contributions to strengthening awareness of, and respect for, democratic procedures.
Last December, I had my first opportunity to participate and speak at the graduation ceremony of the 10th group of Congressional interns. I am here today, inspired again by your commitment, talent, and motivation to learn more about the inner workings of the Philippine congressional processes. I am very pleased that the U.S. Government has continued this effective partnership with the Philippine House of Representatives.
Many of you might be aware of an internship program conducted by the U.S. Congress which gives similarly committed, intelligent young people the opportunity to observe how our complicated legislative process operates. Both the Philippine House of Representatives and the U.S. Congress share a belief in the importance of providing first hand experiences that help young citizens understand—in a way that their textbooks and university classes cannot—how the institutions of democratic governance really work; how policies are formulated; how laws are crafted and enacted, and how compromises must be made among and between people with differing points of view.
For 50 years now, the U.S. Government, through USAID, has been committed to working with the Philippine Government, with provincial and local governments, with the private sector, and with the people of Mindanao, to accelerate development and to help sustain and broaden peace in the region.
Since the inception of the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders in 2002, 246 of Mindanao’s “best and brightest” young people have completed the program. Many of the graduates have gone on to establish highly successful careers in government and in the private sector and are now contributing to the continued development of their communities in Mindanao.
My warmest congratulations to the twenty-nine (29) young people seated before me. All of you here are among the best and the brightest young people from Mindanao. Your province and your nation need people like you who have the talent, perseverance, work ethic, and education to move the region and the country forward.
I know that all of you will serve as role models to other young people in Mindanao and throughout the nation. Sa inyo naka salalay ang kinabukasan ng bayan.
You will, over the next few days, return to your families and friends in Mindanao. But you will take the insights and knowledge gained over the last four months home with you. I look forward to hearing of your accomplishments over the next several years, as you apply this knowledge and insights to your future endeavors. I am confident that you will all make significant contributions to the further development of the region.
Thank you, members of the Philippine House of representatives, for continuing to support this inspiring program.
I again congratulate all of the interns for your hard work and your successful completion of this program. You have now become part of the Congressional Internship Program for Young Mindanao Leaders (CIPYML) tradition of excellence, and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.