Mon 30 Jun 2008
As an American, I equivocate the beginning of my country’s government with two events. First, the brave signatories who penned their names on the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Second, the beginning of George Washington’s presidency in 1789.
However my identity as a cosmopolitan draws me to bask in the narrative which American history books relate about the founder of America’s foreign policy. Even before the United States became a country, a key figure was sent to represent the American colonies in hopes of gaining allies in the War against the British Government. His career laid the foundation of this country’s wisdom in the realm of foreign policy and because of it, I am humbled to be a staff member at an Institute which calls itself after his name, Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin understood how to enter a room with diplomats and officials from other countries and exit that same room having earned the respect and trust of individuals. As a staff member at the Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Initiative (BFTF), I hope that each of us here can learn how to be a Benjamin Franklin. We, here and now, all have the opportunity to connect our selves to the world by means of trying to understand the individuals at BFTF despite the perceptions we may have of an ethnic background, a nationality, or a political affiliation.
Being a “Benjamin Franklin” after all, begins with understanding how to map the world from the faces of individuals. Do not forget Kelsi Steele’s challenge to you!
