2010 Commencement Speech - Criel Greet, Consul General for Belgium in Los Angeles
Posted July 1, 2010
Madame la Présidente, Mesdames et Messieurs les Professeurs, Chers parents, Et surtout chers élèves de la promotion 2010, C’est un honneur pour moi de pouvoir intervenir aujourd’hui à l’occasion de la cérémonie de fin d’année scolaire 2009-2010 du Lycée français de Los Angeles. J’en suis particulièrement ravi puisque, comme vous le savez peut-être, ma fille Carlotta fait partie des étudiants qui célèbrent aujourd’hui la fin de leurs études secondaires. Il me semble que c’était hier que je la tenais par la main pour l’accompagner à son premier jour d’école en CP. Et aujourd’hui, 12 ans après j’ai le privilège de lui parler et, pour cette fois au moins, elle sera obligée de m’écouter… But, dear graduates, since we are in Los Angeles, let me continue in English… You are only 18 or 19 years old but you have come a long way: 12 years of school made you into clever young men and women, well prepared to start an exciting life and discover the world. And speaking of the world, the international environment you are living in now is very different from the one I experienced at the time of my high school graduation. I graduated in 1975 in West-Berlin, the city that came to symbolize the division of Europe and the cold war. My father was a diplomat in East-Germany and I crossed the infamous Berlin Wall every day to go to the French Lycee in West-Berlin. It was chilling to see the wall and realize first-hand what it is to be deprived of some of your basic rights, such as the freedom of expression or movement. As a young boy of 16 years old I even experienced for a number of hours the inside of a dark East-Berlin police station, having adventured too closely to the wall on my bicycle. Fortunately the cold war and the division of Europe are but an unhappy memory of the past, thanks to a peaceful revolution and the continuous support of the United States of America. Today we are facing challenges of a different nature: the environment we live in is threatened by oil spills and climate change; the necessity to develop renewable energy sources is becoming ever more apparent; nuclear proliferation remains a danger; the economic crisis is jeopardizing growth and jobs; terrorists are trying to tear at our values and attack our way of life; and one billion people still live in deep poverty. These challenges and problems are very diverse but have one aspect in common: they are global. They cannot be solved by one country alone. To address these issues we need to cooperate and work together. I believe that there is really no valid alternative. However, to work together efficiently, we need to understand and know each other, first and foremost as individuals. In other words: we have to learn how people in other parts of the world live and work, what their values and priorities are, what hopes and fears they may have, and for what reasons. Now, what does this mean for you as young adults living in Los Angeles? How can you best prepare for a globalized world? Please allow me to express a couple of thoughts and make some suggestions: - first of all, I think, keep an open mind about different cultures and traditions, and show empathy for those who are and think differently from you. Try to meet and understand as many people as you can, for example by travelling or learning new languages. Once you know somebody he or she does not seem foreign anymore, but becomes a friend and a neighbor. I’m sure you all experienced that with the new kid at school or on the block. In the beginning you keep your distances, but after a while you end up as best friends. At my graduation I received from my parents a EuroRail pass. It enabled me (at the time for a mere 150 $) to travel on all trains in Europe for a whole month. And I used it to visit many countries, from Britain to France, through Austria and former Yugoslavia, all the way to Greece (I really wanted my money’s worth of travel!). I had a great time, met many people and came back home excited and enthusiastic about the world and life in general. Also in my later life, and especially in my career as a diplomat, the most rewarding aspect has been the constant challenge of understanding and getting along with different people from different backgrounds and with different ideas. - The second suggestion I wanted to make is: try to do part of your studies abroad, preferably in a country you do not know well. In that context, by the way, your parent’s choice of high school was a wise one: the French school in Los Angeles is a window onto the world. Not many schools in the Los Angeles area could have given you such a solid, bilingual and multicultural education. At the university level an international experience is even more important. In Europe, the Erasmus program allows university students to complete up to a year of their study program in another country, in the EU or beyond, and receive credits for it. The program is expanding rapidly and employers in Europe see the participation in the program as a major plus point in evaluating applications. Many American universities, of course, have similar exchange programs. Personally, I studied in Italy and the U.S. after my college graduation in Belgium. It was for me an eye-opening experience. It was an academic challenge and a defining life lesson. And as an additional wonderful benefit, I met my wife of 28 years in that period! - Third, remember that action matters. Try to invest personally in one or the other of the global issues I mentioned before. You can do this right here in Los Angeles, because change for a better world starts at home. Get involved in an environmental project, fight poverty at your door step, think about alternative energy, do not hesitate to try new ideas. I know that it has been said before, but it is important: think globally, even as you act locally. You can make a difference. - Finally, in looking at the world, do not forget that you graduated from a French school, which is also a European school. Personally I am a convinced European. I believe that Europe –that is the European Union of 27 member states- with its values and its system of cooperation is one of the greatest success stories in modern time, bringing unprecedented peace and wealth to a continent that knew war for centuries. We can and must be proud of that. I think that in many ways, and in cooperation with the United States, we can be an example to other nations in the world. Dear graduates, I don’t want to expand on the many benefits of the European Union and the importance of the transatlantic relationship. I could be carried away and talk for far too long. At this point, I only have one last, but very important remark. You have worked hard in the past few months. Before starting college or whatever activity you planned, enjoy your summer and have lots of fun! You deserve it! Once again, congratulations on your graduation and best wishes for a happy summer.