Remarks

Remarks by Ambassador Dennise Mathieu
U.S. Independence Day Celebration
July 4, 2008

Good afternoon!

And welcome to our July 4th celebration, marking 232 years of independence of the United States of America. 

This is a day when Americans celebrate our freedom, indivisible liberty and ideals of democracy, and I am very pleased to be making my first July 4th speech in Namibia,  where we share common values and our bonds of friendship continue to grow and strengthen.  Over the past 18 years the United States and Namibia have enjoyed a productive and cooperative partnership in many development sectors. 

Taking a look at some of last year’s accomplishments and this year’s joint endeavors shows just how far we’ve come together.  Some of our greatest achievements over the past year have been in the field of health – in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis--under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR.  I applaud President Pohamba and Health Minister Kamwi for their leadership in this regard. 

I’m pleased the United States played a major role in the first-ever National Male Conference on HIV/AIDS in February, and in continuing activities to assist Namibian men, especially those in positions of leadership, to better understand their role in stepping up to the plate; assuming responsibility for their actions; and actively participating in prevention efforts to fight the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

Under the leadership of Namibia’s First Lady, Mrs. Penehupifo Pohamba, and with notable assistance from both the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the United States, Namibia also held its first-ever Female Conference on HIV/AIDS, with over 100 women leaders in attendance.  These 2 conferences established a clear way forward for Namibian leaders in responding to the epidemic.

I’d also like to commend the Government of Namibia for the organization of Namibia’s first National Testing Day in May, when more than 30,000 Namibians took HIV/AIDS tests and the Ministry of Health and Social Services rolled out the first mobile testing and counseling centers.  The American people's commitment to a partnership with Namibia to fight HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis remains steadfast. 

Over the past 4 years, annual PEPFAR funding has increased 400 %, from 24 million American dollars in 2004 to $108 million American dollars in 2008.  USAID is continuing its productive partnership with the Ministry of Education to help improve the quality of basic education in Namibia; to support Namibia’s orphans and vulnerable children; and to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system.  

This partnership has brought concrete results – over 7000 teachers trained in math, science, and English teaching that has led to improved test scores; 20,000 orphans
and vulnerable children supported to go to school, stay in school and do well in school;
3,250 disadvantaged girls receiving scholarships to attend school; and 42,900 textbooks
and story books put in the hands of students and teachers to facilitate learning and reading.

We also are on track to sign a Millennium Challenge Compact agreement between Namibia and the United States in the near future.  The Compact will provide approximately 300 million American dollars over a 5-year period for the continued development of Namibia’s agricultural, tourism and educational sectors.

Our other programs, from Peace Corps to arts and educational exchange programs, and from defense cooperation to building Namibia’s capacity to fight money laundering, have been tremendously successful over the past year and will continue to flourish in 2009. 

In the last month we’ve celebrated the successful conclusion of two remarkable programs.  After 15 years of  partnership between USAID, non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Community Based Natural Resource Management Program is rightly hailed as an international model, for preserving the bounty and beauty of Namibia, while empowering its people and strengthening communities.  Likewise, through its Democracy and Governance Program, USAID and its partners have assisted Namibia as it has made great strides in democracy and good governance over the past several years. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, both the United States and Namibia will hold elections in the near future.

There also will be important elections in many other countries throughout the SADC region.  For this reason, I’d like to take this occasion to talk for a moment about what are considered universal democratic values and principles. 

As we know, democracy is resilient and can withstand the test of time.  It’s a partnership between the government, civil society and ordinary citizens.  It’s sustained by our beliefs in freedom, human rights, the rule of law, equal opportunity, tolerance, diversity and personal responsibility – universal values of the human spirit.  Unity in diversity and in diversity, strength.
 
These are the values that have held the United States together as a nation through both challenges and successes, and we believe they are essential to all nations that espouse democracy as a form of government. 

As a country grows in its practice of democracy, the public learns what their rights --
and duties – are as well as the obligations and limits of government.  It won’t always be easy as we’ve learned in the United States -- there will be hiccups along the way, but these, too, are part of the process of democracy. 

What counts is the effort made to nurture and sustain the process and to advance
in such important areas as judicial reform, transparency and good governance,
anti-corruption, and respect for human dignity.  In addition, free and fair elections form the bedrock of any democratic society.

In the United States, the Presidential primaries are over and the 2 major parties – Democrats and Republicans – will hold their national conventions to officially confirm and announce their parties’ candidates for president.  Other smaller parties in the U.S. will put forward their nominees, all of whom will compete in the general election on November 4. 

Last February, an African-American Civil Rights leader visited Namibia and spoke about the progress that the United States has made in providing equal rights for all.  Indeed, America has come a long way from the voter registration drives in Alabama, Mississippi and other southern states during the civil rights era, to today, when Barack Obama has made history as the first African American to win his party's nomination for President. 

Hillary Clinton has also made history, for no other woman has ever run such a close race
in the primary elections.  And, for the first time during these primaries, there was a Hispanic candidate and a Mormon as well.  Senator Obama and Senator John McCain are now the presumed presidential candidates.  This wasn’t predetermined in backroom politics but by the will of the voters. 

During the primaries, they were able to campaign freely and hold public meetings
in all parts of the country.  They each pulled in record numbers of voters, and each nominee had to convince their party members that they were the best candidate for the presidency.  After the party congresses, they’ll do it all over again, but this time they’ll ask all Americans – Democrat, Republican, Independent, and others to cast a vote for them to become president. 

And although the candidates and parties may disagree, perhaps even on fundamental issues, they’ll compete peacefully, and with due regard and respect for political opponents. 

There will be a change of administration in the United States and that’s part of the democratic process.  It can be pretty drastic at times.  During President Clinton’s terms of office, control of the U.S. Congress shifted from the Democratic party to the Republican party for the first time in many years.  And then under President Bush, control of the Congress shifted back again to the Democrats. 

These were major changes – changes that took place peacefully, according to the accepted rules and agreed-upon procedures, without one party intimidating the other.

Was the losing political party happy about this change?  No, of course not. 

But they didn’t resort to violence; instead, they accepted the will of the voters, and they acted in accordance with the Constitution.  And most assuredly, right after turning over power, the losing party sat down to try and figure out what they would need to do differently to persuade the voters during the next election that their party should lead. 

Change which occurs in the democratic process acts as an important check and balance
on the powers of the Executive and Legislature and generates new solutions to national issues.

We hope that Namibia can utilize its own positive experiences to help promote democracy and stability in the sub-region and throughout Africa and serve as an example
of democratic values and practices.  Unfortunately, we’ve witnessed the unfolding of tragic events in neighboring Zimbabwe, where a systematic campaign of intimidation and politically-motivated violence was waged against Zimbabweans who quite clearly voted for change on March 29.

Following the June 27 election SADC’s own observers stated that the election “did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe”; while the African Union stated that
“the election process fell short of accepted AU standards”; and the Pan-African Parliament stated that the prevailing environment did not give rise to the conduct of
free, fair, and credible elections.

We, in the international community, must speak out clearly in support of the people of Zimbabwe and work toward a resolution of the political crisis that threatens Zimbabwe and the region.

Honorable Minister, I trust that we, as democratic nations, share the belief that respect for human rights and the rule of law, will ultimately bring our peoples the best chance they have for prosperity, stability, and peace.

May I now propose a toast in honor of the goodwill and friendship between Namibia and the United States and to the health and well-being of His Excellency President Hifikepunye Pohamba.