2005 press releases
Remarks by Cultural Affairs Officer Ryan Gliha - ATEL Annual Reading Competition
November 2, 2005
Mr. Rene Karam – President of the Association of Teachers of English in Lebanon (ATEL)
Esteemed Teachers of English
And all of you avid readers of English, welcome, good evening and Eid Mubarak
It is my distinct pleasure that you included me and the U.S. Embassy in this wonderful awards presentation. For seven years now, ATEL has promoted the teaching of English as a foreign language and helping Lebanon’s schools and universities strengthen their programs, a mission shared by the Embassy as one of its most important goals in Lebanon.
I am even more excited that ATEL is recognizing students' achievements this evening that have come as a result of their commitment to reading, perhaps my favorite past-time.
I remember as a young boy traveling to the local library every Saturday, about a 30 minute trip in the car with my mother. We would arrive at the library, walk in the front door and then I would have a tough choice in front of me – right or left. You see, if I turned to the right, I would be in the fiction section, where I could escape into a world of fantasy and adventure, meet interesting characters like Huckleberry Finn, Johnny Tremain, Encyclopedia Brown, or Harriet the Spy.
If I turned to the left, I would be in the non-fiction and reference section. Instead of escaping into the world of fiction, I could learn about the amazing world in which I was living. There I would read atlases and encyclopedias, learning about how large and wondrous the world is and how diverse the people who live in it are. I read about the religions of the world and about ancient history, and began see the world as a bigger place than just my home town.
When I got older and more "sophisticated", when I would enter the library and turn RIGHT into the fiction section, I started reading works of fiction, in translation, from foreign writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, At-Tayeb Saleh, and yes even Khalil Gibran. If I felt like turning LEFT that day, I often read books about world history and politics. I read about what was happening in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. RIGHT or LEFT, I was learning about a world beyond the village in rural Ohio where I was born.
My exploration of my small-town library as a child had a major impact upon the path my life took. Reading about the different languages of the world as a young boy made me anxious to learn foreign languages. So when I went to University, I studied eight different languages, French, Turkish, Greek, Uzbek, Persian, Turkmen, German, and Arabic. But unlike you talented Lebanese students, I still really only read in one language, English.
But it was my early days in childhood where the love of reading was instilled deep in my heart. Now as an adult, I realize that the more we read, the more we learn about ourselves and about different cultures. It was this early love of reading that directly led me to a career in diplomacy and my position with the Embassy. My colleagues at the American Embassy all agree with me on this point: reading is fundamental basis of exploring our world and gaining better understanding
Did you know that there are 52 public libraries in Lebanon? Since my arrival in Lebanon, I have had the opportunity to visit many libraries throughout Lebanon. The U.S. Embassy provides direct support to Lebanon's public libraries. We have donated English books to over 40 of them in this past year alone and recently opened an American Corner in the Municipal Library in Rashaya, with two more planned for Tripoli and Baakleen. I've been to so many libraries; from Tripoli, to Abra, to Rachaya, to Zahle, to Sin El Fil. I ask you, how many libraries have you been to? I would like to encourage all of you, students, teachers, and parents, to use your local libraries and make it a family tradition to visit them regularly. Exploring the library, whether you choose to turn RIGHT or LEFT once you enter will only help broaden your horizons and make your world that much bigger.
Before I
finish, I would just like to make you all aware of a scholarship opportunity for
Lebanese high school students between the age of 15 and 18.
YES program scholarships, funded by the U.S. Department of State, give secondary school students in many Arab and Islamic countries an opportunity to study at American high schools and live with American host families for one academic year. The program seeks to improve cooperation and mutual understanding between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa in several ways. Students will be enrolled in a full academic year of high school study in the U.S., attending classes, labs and extracurricular programs with their American classmates. YES students will also participate in special enrichment activities, including community service, youth leadership training, a civics education program, and other activities that will develop a well-rounded understanding of American culture through interaction with diverse groups of Americans. Likewise, participating students will serve as cultural ambassadors to their American host communities, becoming invaluable resources for Americans whose contact with YES students will provide them with an opportunity to learn about the rich and vibrant cultures of the Middle East and North Africa.
Pre-application must be received no later than Friday November 18, 2005.
For more information and applications please visit:
I am incredibly impressed by the accomplishments of the students over the past year and I look forward to hearing about their favorite books. All of these efforts to support English language education are part of a broader commitment to educational exchange. We are constantly working to expand and deepen the educational ties that have formed the foundation of Lebanese-American relationships for so many years. Thank you and Ramadan Karim.
