Ambassador Perry's Speeches

John F. Kennedy Building Ribbon Cutting (21 Nov 08)

Your Excellency the Vice President,
Honorable Ministers,
Members of civil society and the diplomatic corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon.

In 1963, the United States commissioned the construction of the building we see before us, and named it in honor of our great President John F. Kennedy.  It has stood as the centerpiece of learning in Sierra Leone here at the Fourah Bay College, the oldest university in Sub-Saharan Africa, since that time.  It is a symbol of the United States and Sierra Leone's shared commitment to learning and education.  We are proud to see that despite a decade of conflict the building has been in continuous use, and we are proud that it will now be able to provide a more welcoming environment to the young minds of Sierra Leone.
                                                                   … John F. Kennedy himself

John F. Kennedy himself vigorously supported the cause of education in the United States, around the world, and all the way to the moon.  The rehabilitation of the JFK building, a $220,000 commitment over the last 18 months, coincides with the 45th anniversary of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  As many of you may know, John F. Kennedy is one of America's great leaders, and is remembered especially fondly for his role in establishing the Peace Corps. 

The Peace Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then-Senator John F. Kennedy challenged students at the University of Michigan to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries.  From that inspiration, President Kennedy established the Peace Corps as an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship.  It is in that spirit of peace and friendship that we come together today.  I am pleased that we have with us several Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and I thank them for their service.  I hope that in the coming years we will have the financial freedom to welcome the Peace Corps back to Sierra Leone, as we strongly believe that volunteers would have a great impact here in the future as they have in the past.
                                                                   … The United States originally

The United States originally commissioned this building because of a belief that education drives social and economic development.  We wanted to provide an environment conducive to learning for the young people of Sierra Leone because an educated populace is crucial to a successful democracy.  Throughout the years, the building provided that environment, and nurtured those young minds.  Over the last year and a half, we renovated the JFK building because of that belief.

In addition to cutting the ribbon on this building today, I would also like to take the opportunity to announce a project that is just beginning with an organization housed inside the building.  The histories of the United States and Sierra Leone are strongly linked.  Among other offices, the John F. Kennedy Building is home to Sierra Leone's National Archives. 

In the interest of preserving our shared history, the United States has committed $30,000 through the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation to preserve and digitize some of the most important documents in the archives.  This project will commence at the beginning of next year, and hopefully we can come together again at the end of 2009 to unveil a virtual archive website, which will serve as a resource to scholars and interested individuals around the world.
                                                                             … I would like to recognize

I would like to recognize the coordinators of that project, Mr. Albert Moore of the Archives, and Mr. Oliver Harding, who is the head of the Fourah Bay College Library.

I would like to thank our USAID Mission in Sierra Leone for managing this project, and also USAID's partners, CARE Sierra Leone, Catholic Relief Services, and MODCON Construction, who have worked hard to give the JFK Building a makeover for the students of the Fourah Bay College and for the people of Freetown.  I hope that the young people of Sierra Leone share our pride in this building. 

It is a gift the American people have given to the people of Sierra Leone because we believe that you have the power to rebuild this country, and we are here to help you do it.

Thank you.