Our Best Days Are Yet To Come - By Mangala Samarweera

Extraction From colombotelegraph.com

Speech By Mangala Samarweera at Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute

Honorable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States of America,

Assistant Secretary Nisha Biswal,

Distintinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

America is known all over the world as the land of opportunity.

I am certain this aspiration resonates deeply with many of you in the audience, as Sri Lanka herself has recently embarked on a journey of opportunity and hope.

The values of American democracy are enshrined in her history by the collective American experience of fighting to secure those freedoms. Those of us who live in the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ have proven beyond doubt that we too are willing to struggle to transform Sri Lanka into a land of opportunity and plenty.

The non-violent Sri Lankan struggle for freedom encompassed Sri Lankans of all races, religions, classes, castes and creeds in a ‘Rainbow Revolution.’ It led to the elections of January 8th and a subsequent return of democracy to Sri Lanka.

In the context of her peaceful democratic transition, Sri Lanka is an outlier in the age of the Arab Spring and perhaps a role model for transitioning nations. Here in Sri Lanka, instead of bullets, pellets and stones, our citizens united for change by using the ballot box.

The first 100 days of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government have entrenched the importance of rule of law, basic freedoms and good governance.

The apex of the 100 day programme, was of course last Tuesday, when the 19th Amendment to our constitution was passed with only one Member of Parliament opposing.

The idea that ’ is thought to be central to the American dream. Today as we rebuild Sri Lanka on the pillars of democracy, ethnic harmony and reconciliation, we too are dreaming of better days to come

By committing ourselves to the safeguarding of universal values and by respecting international system regulations that sustain global stability, we have seen Sri Lanka emerge from a non-traditional period of self-isolation.

The transformation of domestic political norms and the parallel shift in our foreign policy has enabled a renewed engagement with the world, and especially with our fellow democracy, the United States of America.

The partnership dialogue between our two countries, announced today by Secretary Kerry will formalize this consultative process on an annual basis. We also welcome today’s pledge to support our economic development efforts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our Guest Speaker, one of the world’s best well-known political figures, does not need a lengthy introduction. Yet, perhaps a brief one would not be out of place.

Secretary John Kerry has had an illustrious career from the time of his graduation at Yale to his service in the US Navy, where he returned from Vietnam with Silver and Bronze stars. He built on these no doubt formative experiences with a degree in Law. After a brief spell as the Governor of Massachusetts, he was elected to the US Senate, where he served for 28 years.

In 2004, our honored guest challenged the incumbent George W Bush in an closely contested Presidential Election.

With due respect to my Republican friends in the U.S, I must confess that I was one of many hoping that John Kerry would emerge the 42nd President of the United States.

Despite the outcome of the elections, John Kerry continued to be force to be reckoned with. He became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009, and served in that capacity for several years. Two years ago President Barack Obama appointed him as the U.S. Secretary of State, the 68th of a long line of distinguished individuals to have held that office.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Honorable John F Kerry’s visit is the first official visit by a US Secretary of State in nearly half a century – 43 years to be precise. His visit at this juncture, signifies our little island’s return to the centre stage of International Affairs.

I also hope that it will be the beginning of a very special friendship between our two countries.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In my capacity as the Chairman of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations, I now have the great honor of inviting the US Secretary of State, Honorable John Kerry, to address this august gathering.