speeches 2007

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey D. Feltman at the Barbeque in honor of YES students and families

July 8, 2007

Ministry of Education Director General Mr. Fady Yarak;

Director of the Equivalence Committee Mrs. Suhaila Tohme;

YES students and families:

This is the third year that I’ve hosted an Independence Day barbeque for Youth Exchange and Study students and their families.  It’s an event I enjoy very much and I’m pleased that members of my Embassy team can join me in welcoming you to the United States Embassy today.

Tonight’s event has several aims.

First, we want to celebrate the 231st anniversary of America’s independence together.  We are celebrating July 4^th  in much the same way that Americans throughout our 50 states celebrate America’s national birthday—outdoors, with good friends, and with food from a barbeque.

I’d like to offer thanks -- to the Ministry of Education and to our partners at Amideast for their support of the YES program.

I am pleased to welcome back to Lebanon, 27 YES students who spent the past year in the homes of American families, studying at high schools throughout the country.   

It takes courage to leave one’s family.  But these 27 young Lebanese Ambassadors to America demonstrated exceptional courage, determination and resilience, leaving families and friends during last summer’s war to start their YES year departing Lebanon on a U.S. Army helicopter. You made us all very proud and I heard many wonderful reports from the Department of State about your accomplishments in the United States.

We are also saying good bye tonight to our YES Class of 2007—47 youth ambassadors for Lebanon, who in a few weeks, depart for the United States.  I know that the American families who welcome you will learn as much from you as you do from them.

To the YES parents here today, thank you for entrusting your children to us.  You can be very proud of your sons and daughters who represent the best of Lebanon to Americans.  I understand that you may be nervous or uncertain about sending your children so far away but I hope you will talk with the parents here tonight who have lived through those separation anxieties to be reassured by their experiences.

Leaving family and the familiar is part of the history of the peoples of our two countries.  Those who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4^th, 1776, were a very diverse group of men, descendants of different countries, practicing different faiths and coming from different family backgrounds.  Nevertheless, they came together to proclaim the United States of America a free and sovereign nation.  As I think about America’s struggle for freedom, I see many similarities with Lebanon’s own struggle.  Achieving genuine sovereignty and independence was neither quick nor easy for America; we understand how difficult it is for the Lebanese to achieve the same.

But, our experience has taught us that regardless of the difficulty in establishing an independent nation, it is goal worthy of the struggle and sacrifice.  As the Lebanese people seek to secure an independent, sovereign, prosperous, democratic and united Lebanon, they can be confident that the United States will continue to extend its support and encouragement.  The partnership of our two diverse and democratic countries — Lebanon and the United States — offers the hope for a better future for our two peoples and the promise of peace and prosperity, stability and security, for both the Lebanese and American peoples.