CAIRO: “So justifiably upset as I am and you might be about American policy, you should appreciate the changes we’ve made and are still making, said James J. Zogby, president of the Arab-American Institute Thursday.
Zogby was giving the keynote speech at the American University in Cairo’s bachelor’s degree commencement ceremony after himself receiving an honorary degree.
“Know that despite everything, millions of immigrants and the children of immigrants as myself from every corner of the globe have benefited from the expansion of freedom and the expansion of opportunity made possible by the sacrifices and struggles generations in America made.and therefore carry your degrees from this American institution with pride, he said. Known for his criticism of the US’s domestic and foreign policies, Zogby chose to talk about his country from a different perspective.
“Like every country, there are two faces to American history, he said. He spoke of how democracy was born in America, “great movements emerged and are still emerging that have changed America and are changing it as I speak.they fought to change the face of America and its culture to expand our freedom and to expand opportunities and to improve the quality of life for countless measures, he said.
Zogby, who is currently campaigning for Barack Obama, continued, “The realization of all this came to me in a very special way when I was given the opportunity and honor to put Jesse Jackson in nomination at the Democratic convention in 1984.
“As I walked to the podium I thought of my father, I thought of his story and I thought of mine. I’m about to nominate for president a great-grandson of a slave and I’m of an illegal American immigrant. Where else but in America could that story be told? he said.
“We are all products of the relationships that shape who we are, but also [we are products] of the opportunities that have been given to us and how we take advantage of them, he added.
The American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated last week its 85th annual commencement ceremony of its graduate and undergraduate students.
The ceremony for the largest master’s graduating class in AUC history, totaling 141 students, was held on June 17. Two days later, 362 students received their bachelor’s degree at the undergraduate ceremony.
“This is one of the most important and memorable days of your lives, after years of hard work.you have finally achieved your goal. You can be proud of yourselves with what you have accomplished. Congratulations to you all, said AUC President David Arnold in his opening address to the graduating classes.
Taher Helmy, senior partner at the international law firm Baker and McKenzie and member of the executive board of Egypt’s International Economic Forum, was the keynote speaker at the master’s commencement.
“Mr Helmy has contributed to a legal cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Egypt.and his dedication to serve the community embodies what AUC stands for, said AUC Provost Tim Sullivan when introducing Helmy.
Helmy gave a personal and moving address that began with a piece of advice to the graduating class: “Follow your heart, he said.
He explained that passion and creativity are what distinguishes people. “How you feel about your work is a measure of how good you’ll be at it.passion and creativity will lead to thoughts and actions, he said.
He talked about his own journey, starting with his undergraduate studies in pre-med. Then on the eve of his graduation, he decided that law is the field for him as it is the “basis of nation-building.
Helmy also spoke about losing his father, a cabinet minister who was shot down with President Anwar Sadat on October 6, 1981. “This is the first time I share this, but I’m telling you about it now because you can survive these situations, events like these can overcome us if we let them, he said.
As a corporate lawyer and a founder of Egypt’s first independent economic policy think-tank, the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, Helmy commented on Egypt’s economic situation.
“Economic reform is like a marathon but you can go the distance, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened, prices have skyrocketed and this is where you can make a difference, you have to help the average Egyptian survive, he said.
“You have to achieve social stability without compromising free-market policies.you are the world’s privileged [with this] education.you have to share it and create possibilities for others, he added.
He left the audience with one final word, “As leading members of your generation, you have to step forward and make a difference.it will take time, but you are equipped for it more than you know.
A student from each graduating class gave a speech on behalf of their colleagues.
For the master’s degree graduating class Sarah El Sokkary, from the department of business administration, represented her class. She spoke of how education at AUC is arming them as they enter the real world, “We have more than potential. We know how to do things and we know how to do them right, and finally our chance to prove this has come to us.
On behalf of the bachelor’s degree graduating class, Madonna Mekhail, from the journalism and mass communications department, said, “Let’s go out there and be something – something big, something useful, something that would make us walk with our heads high.
“All we have to do is aim high, keep moving, not worry about failing and just make use of what we were taught at AUC, she said.
