安东尼·布林肯国务卿在非洲和侨民青年领袖论坛上的讲话
 
美国非洲裔历史与文化国家博物馆
华盛顿特区
2022/12/13
 
布林肯国务卿：大家早上好。哇，看到这令人难以置信的礼堂座无虚席真是太好了。我希望你们在来这里之前多少吃了些早餐。但我在这里只是想说：欢迎来到非洲和侨民青年领袖论坛（African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum）。
利比里亚维阿（Weah）总统阁下在座。（掌声）塞拉利昂马达·比奥（Maada Bio）总统阁下在座。（掌声）感谢你们。感谢你们二人前来华盛顿出席美国-非洲领导人峰会（U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit）。此次能有你们亲临意义重大。
我还看到众议院外交事务委员会（House Foreign Affairs Committee）主席格雷格·米克斯（Greg Meeks）在这里。（掌声）也许还有其他国会成员在座。非常高兴今早有你们的出席。
对今天早上加入我们的所有人——非洲侨民成员、非洲和美国青年领袖、在网上收听的美国和非洲的学生们——感谢你们大家为加强非洲国家和美国的纽带所做的一切。
我们今天在美国非洲裔历史与文化国家博物馆（National Museum of African American History and Culture）——国家的宝藏——聚会，是再合适不过的。它的顶层——我不知你们是否有机会参观过——博物馆的顶层有一个题为“文化的表述”（Cultural Expressions）的展览。它部分探讨了非洲侨民的贡献，以及他们如何通过时尚、艺术、舞蹈、语言、美食和音乐塑造了美国的文化和生活。
在整个展览和博物馆，我们从展品中看到独特的文化，例如，皮埃尔·蒂亚姆（Pierre Thiam）带来的一本食谱，这位了不起的厨师通过他心爱的Teranga餐厅，把塞内加尔的美味带到了纽约市。再比如，有一面美国国旗，旗子的颜色被泛非旗帜的颜色替代，起名为“非洲裔美国旗”（The African American Flag），在我们整个历史上的抗议运动中它一直是非洲裔美国人和非洲人骄傲的象征。
正如这个博物馆所展示的，美国继续因非洲侨民而变得无比丰富多彩：从特雷弗·诺亚（Trevor Noah）尖锐的喜剧——我们将怀念他登场的《每日秀》（The Daily Show）——（掌声），到提姆斯的阿尔特 （Alté of Tems），我手机上碰巧有她——（掌声），到玛米·比内（Maame Biney）的速滑，我手机上没有她——（笑声）——以及其他许许多多。
我们经常看到侨民返回与他们相连的国家，并为那里的人民增进权益。今年8月，我在刚果民主共和国遇到了一位你们有些人可能熟悉的人——NBA名人堂的某个成员——迪肯贝·穆托姆博（Dikembe Mutombo）。他的基金会为3万多名患者提供了高质量的医疗服务，无论他们的经济状况如何。我还可以说迪肯贝非常、非常高——是一个非常、非常棒的人。
侨民对非洲国家和美国的过去、现在和未来的重要性是这个活动成为非洲领导人峰会的最首批活动之一的原因。
今年早些时候，在南非，我有机会阐明政府对撒哈拉以南非洲地区的新战略。这项战略基于一个关键词——伙伴关系，并且认识到，除非我们共同努力，否则我们无法解决任何我们共同的优先事务。这项战略认识到非洲侨民和年轻人将对塑造和加强这一伙伴关系具有的巨大作用。实际上，这正是你们已经在做的事。早在8月时，我有机会在华盛顿这里与侨民中的成员和非裔美国青年领袖见面，倾听一些他们正在从事的工作。
一位调动气候融资以加强南非水行业复原力的年轻领袖，现在正在分享她在美国政府机构学到的内容。刚刚在马拉维获得抵抗传染病经历的另一位人，正在与美国的非营利机构和企业分享她的见解。其他一些人在扩大儿童受教育机会，开展环境研究，为非洲国家和美国的年轻人创造就业机会，明确显示出为什么侨民对这两个大陆的人民都是如此无与伦比的财富。正是这些相互联系，这些往返互动，以及非洲国家和美国均得到的惠益，才是如此巨大的力量。
美国致力于确保让年轻人能够继续通过他们的才能和辛勤努力，造福于非洲大陆人民和美国人民。我们有许多项目正在这样做——例如“青年非洲领导人计划”（Young African Leaders Initiative）——以及通过我们的经济发展项目，例如女企业家学院（Academy for Women Entrepreneurs）项目。这个项目从2019年启动以来，现在已经为非洲各地5400多名妇女提供了她们创业和扩展小企业所需要的培训和关系网。
在未来几天里，我们将宣布追加投资，让学生更容易参加我们国家间的交流项目，增加非洲侨民的贸易机会，并且支持非洲的企业家和小企业。这些投资中的每一项都以一个总体目标为指导：继续发展我们的伙伴关系，以便我们能更好地应对我们面临的共同挑战。最终，我们可以为我们所有人建设一个更安全、更有保障、更繁荣的未来。
现在，我非常高兴和荣幸地请尼日利亚维阿总统阁下讲话。维阿总统，我恰巧在卡塔尔观看世界杯，当时没有机会与您详细交谈，但我要感谢您为加强利比里亚和美国的纽带所做的一切——掌声）——包括通过您对利比里亚海外侨民的支持。也感谢您和您的家人为支持这个目标所做的一切，包括相当名副其实地，进了几个球。（笑声）
所以我在那里——美国和威尔士的第一场比赛，我有机会为您的儿子蒂莫西加油，他为美国男子足球队在世界杯上踢进了第一个球。（掌声）但最棒的一点是，快速回头看到您在看儿子进球时的面目表情，我可以看到那种特殊的骄傲，整个体育场都在为他欢呼。所以我猜这就是有其父必有其子吧。女士们、先生们，有请利比里亚总统。多谢大家。
（掌声）
 
欲查看原稿内容: https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-the-african-and-diaspora-young-leaders-forum/
 
本译文仅供参考，只有英文原稿才可以被视为权威资料来源。

Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum
National Museum of African American History and CultureWashington, D.C.DECEMBER 13, 2022
SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good morning, everyone.  Wow, it is wonderful to see this incredible auditorium full.  I think hopefully you managed to get a little breakfast before this.  But I’m here simply to say this:  Welcome to the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum.
Your Excellencies, President Weah of Liberia is in the house.  (Applause.)  President Maada Bio of Sierra Leone in the house.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you both for traveling to Washington for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.  It means a great deal to have this time in person with you.
And I also saw in the house Greg Meeks, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  (Applause.)  There may be some other members of Congress here as well.  It’s wonderful to have you this morning.
So to everyone joining us this morning – members of the African diaspora, African and American youth leaders, students in the United States and Africa who are tuning in virtually – thank you for all that you do to strengthen the bonds between African countries and the United States.
Now, it is fitting that we are meeting here at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a national treasure.  On its top floor – and I don’t know if you’ve had the opportunity to visit, but on the top floor of the museum there is an exhibit called “Cultural Expressions.”  It explores, in part, the contributions of the African diaspora and how its members have shaped American culture and life – through fashion, the arts, dance, language, food, music.
Across the exhibit and museum, we see the unique culture in objects like a recipe book brought by Pierre Thiam, a great chef who brought the flavors of Senegal to New York City through his beloved Teranga restaurant.  Or a flag of the United States whose colors have been replaced by the colors of the Pan African flag, titled “The African American Flag,” which has served as a symbol of African American and African pride in protest movements throughout our history.
As this museum shows, the United States continues to be enriched immeasurably by the African diaspora: from the piercing comedy of Trevor Noah, who we will miss on “The Daily Show” – (applause) – to the Alté of Tems, who I happen to have on my phone – (applause) – to the speed-skating of Maame Biney, who I don’t have on my phone – (laughter) – among so many others.
Often, we see members of the diaspora return to the countries to which they’re connected, and empower people there.  This past August, I was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I met with someone who may be familiar to some of you – a certain NBA Hall of Famer, Dikembe Mutombo, whose foundation has provided high-quality health care to more than 30,000 patients, regardless of their economic status.  I can also say Dikembe is very, very tall – a wonderful, wonderful person.
The importance of the diaspora – to the past, to the present, to the future – of both African nations and the United States is why this is one of the very first events of the Africa Leaders Summit.
Earlier this year, in South Africa, I had an opportunity to set out the administration’s new strategy for sub-Saharan Africa.  It’s a strategy rooted in one key word – partnership – and in recognition that we can’t solve any of our shared priorities unless we work together.  And it’s a strategy that recognizes the immense role that the African diaspora and young people will play in shaping and strengthening that partnership.  And in fact, that’s exactly what you’re already doing.  Back in August I had a chance to meet with members of the diaspora and African American youth leaders right here in Washington to hear a little bit about some of the work that they were doing.
One young leader, who has mobilized climate finance to make the water sector more resilient in South Africa, is now sharing the lessons that she learned at a U.S. government agency.  Another, fresh off her experience fighting infectious disease in Malawi, was sharing her insights with nonprofits and businesses in the United States.  Others were expanding educational opportunities for children, conducting environmental research, creating job opportunities for youth in both African countries and the United States, and demonstrating exactly why the diaspora is such an unparalleled asset for people on both continents.  It’s these interconnections, the back and forth, and the benefits that flow to African nations and the United States alike that is so incredibly powerful.
The United States is committed to ensuring that young people can continue to bring their talents and hard work to the benefit of people across the continent and to the benefit of people in the United States.  We’ve got a number of programs that are doing just that – programs like the Young African Leaders Initiative – and through our economic development programs, like the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program.  Now, since its inception in 2019, that program has provided more than 5,400 women throughout Africa with the training and the networks that they need to start and to scale small businesses.
Over the next few days, we will be announcing additional investments to make it easier for students to participate in exchange programs between our countries, to increase trade opportunities for members of the African diaspora, and to support African entrepreneurs and small businesses.  Each of these investments is guided by one overarching goal: to continue building our partnership so that we can better address the shared challenges we face.  And ultimately, we can build a safer, more secure, more prosperous future for all of us.
And now I have the great pleasure and the honor of introducing his excellency President Weah of Liberia.  Now, President Weah, I happen to have been in Qatar for the World Cup, and I didn’t get an opportunity to speak to you in detail then, but I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to strengthen the bonds between Liberia and the United States – (applause) – including through your support of the Liberian diaspora.  And thanks for all that you and your family have done to support that goal too, including, quite literally, by scoring a few goals.  (Laughter.)
So I was there – first match between the United States and Wales, and I got to cheer your son, Timothy, scoring the first goal for the United States Men’s soccer team in the World Cup.  (Applause.)  But the best part of that was turning around and getting a quick look at your face as you watched your son score that goal, and I could see the extraordinary pride that was there and an entire stadium cheering him on.  So I guess the apple just doesn’t fall too far from the tree in this case.  Ladies and gentlemen, the president of Libera.  Thank you very much.
(Applause.)