Forum2000 response

As many of you know, I had the great pleasure of being involved with the FORUM 2000 proceedings this past week. Thank you for your patience for my babblings about Madeleine Albright, Vaclav Havel, and my personal favorite, Michael Zantovsky.
Here are the highlights:

“How many times a week do you eat goulash?”
“How many times a week do YOU eat goulash!?”

FORUM 2000, above all, gave me a chance to form legitimate friendships with Czech students. We had a chance to sit down and satisfy some mutual curiosities. Working together is different from socializing together. Pubs are great, but kind of random and insincere. FORUM 2000 grouped like-minded, motivated students who came together for a common purpose. Early mornings coupled with late nights and the same people day after day turned us into a tight little group.

There were a few “problems” around the NATO gala dinner on Saturday night. One of the Czech students gave us a wonderful insight, “If it is a problem that can’t be solved, we don’t try to solve it. We go to the pub.” We did not abandon the dinner but we stuck around to observe how the Czechs dealt with “problems.” By the end of the evening, all that is Czech seriously infatuated me. The more we shared, the more we had to share and I would do it all over again.

“How many times a week do you eat goulash?”
“How many times a week do YOU eat goulash!?”

Thursday and Friday, I sat in on the panel discussing global corporate responsibility and accountability: the NGOs vs. an assortment of conservative Englishmen moderated by Tom Spencer. He absolutely the kind of character one would want in a kitchen cupboard. Every time one reaches for a teacup, there is Tom with a running dialogue, being very funny and very English. After a moment of commentary, however, the cupboard door shuts again.

We were particularly amused by the Senegalese farmer who “made eyes” at me in passing. “How you do-in’?”

Friday evening kicked off the NATO conference with a reception at the Lord Mayor of Prague’s residence. That is where I met Madeleine Albright. Her first words were, “I cannot deal with lipstick in this shape.” Apparently, she was sans lipstick and borrowing some from her assistant, Jamie Smith. Jamie proceeded to pull her in front of a mirror and put the very strangely shaped lipstick on Madeleine. It was wonderful. Madeleine Albright is a very real, genuine person with a wonderful sense of humor. That evening H.R.H., the Prince of Jordan gave a wonderful speech and though we never spoke, his security detail and I are very close, old friends.

“To Elizabeth, Thanks for the support, Best Wishes, Madeleine Albright, Oct 16, 2003” After Madeleine signed my copy of her memoirs, I insisted that Michael Zantovsky (former Czech Ambassador to the US, visiting NYU prof, among many other things) sign his footnote on page 117. His short inscription was inspiring to me. He knows I am new to this subject matter (international relations, politics, public policy, etc.) He also recognizes that I am catching up as best I can- reading, asking and discussing. He is generous with opportunities and for him to say “To Elizabeth, a talented student” absolutely means the world me.

The NATO conference was work and it was the first time I have ever really felt treated like a girl. We organized interviews with Radio Free Europe, put together a press conference and made sure the delegates had the documents they needed. We listened from the wings and during coffee breaks had the opportunity to talk with some of the most brilliant and important players in Greater Middle East analysis and policy.

Saturday evening was the black-tie gala dinner at the Kampa Museum. We were expected to memorize the seating and escort the delegates to their tables. I got the chance to use my Czech with the security guards at the museum because Madeleine was due to give a speech but there was no podium and no light. The “male lampa” arrived just in time. Her speech discussed her experience and analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian situation; I have copies if any of you are interested in reading it.

After the final NATO statements on Sunday, the Inter-religious meeting featuring H.H., the Dalai Lama, closed the conference. By this point, I was exhausted. Vaclav Havel spoke, the Prince spoke again, and so did an assortment of religious hoo-has.

I’m almost done.

This morning (Tuesday) Madeleine Albright spoke on a number of topics with Michael Zantovsky in front of Czech and American students. A student who ask if the western view of democracy needs to be adjusted to accommodate Middle Eastern cultures. She responded most notably with, “Imposing democracy is an oxymoron.” If the Editor approves it, I am going to use that as a premise to my article for The New Presence as it is relevant, researchable, and somewhat controversial. She asked us to remember when democracy was not an Asian value either.

At this moment, I am still exhausted, having two glasses of champagne at a reception on a rainy day is not helping, but I am happy. I have a new prize possession, a stack of business cards an inch thick, and the prospect of a life passion in the Foreign Service.