Ambassador

Ambassador Schoonover's Welcome Speech to Peace Corps Trainees
Lome - Togo, Saturday September 26, 1998

     I can recall when I was a volunteer in the first group of volunteers to go to the Philippines, one of the first 200 volunteers in the Peace Corps. I was excited and yet apprehensive as I stepped off the plane in Manila to be met by a warm welcome from our Filipino hosts and a very different culture. There was also that blast of warm humid air and a whole set of different images and scents than those I was accustomed to. Those two years as a volunteer and subsequent years with Peace Corps Washington and as Associate Director in Peace Corps Tanzania certainly set my life in a direction I am sure I would not have followed had I chosen to teach in Baltimore, or any place in the U.S. public school system. I would not have met my husband in Tanzania where he was assigned with the United States Information Service and would probably not have gone on to join the State Department where I have worked for the last 20 years.

     Most likely you are also excited and yet apprehensive about what is in store for you in the areas you will serve. I believe the greatest gift the Peace Corps gave to me was the freedom to be independent at an early age, the freedom to imagine, to invent with little or no resources, try things outside of the constraints one's own culture sometimes can impose. Once you begin to experiment, as the saying goes today, "think out of the box", you never really get back in the box and that has made all of the difference.

     Why are we here? What is the United States' interest in Republic of Togo? We have in the past few years revitalized our interest in the whole continent of Africa, starting with the emphasis on trade and commerce established by former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, and leading up to President Clinton's historic African trip earlier this year. Our national interests argue for continued engagement in support of democratization and respect for human rights, to strengthen the procedures for the protection of American citizens, to combat the growing problem of transnational crime (particularly the use of Togo as a transit point for illicit narcotics). In addition we want to promote political and economic solutions which will lead to greater stability in Togo, and by extension the sub-region. At the same time, our humanitarian values dictate our continued involvement at the grassroots with programs that improve health, reduce the spread of infectious diseases and contribute to development at the village level.

     How does the Peace Corps fit into our United States Mission in Togo? While the late President Kennedy was in office, he established the foreign affairs country team concept. The country team is headed by the Chief of Mission, who is the Ambassador. It consists of key representatives of the United States Government assigned to the country: the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and heads of agencies such as the United States Information Service, the Peace Corps, and key elements of the Embassy such as the political, economic, consular and administrative officers and the Regional Security Officer. In large embassies, there may be as many as 30 different USG agencies represented on the country team. Your Director, Margaret Diop, is your representative on the country team. We meet to discuss and exchange matters of common interest and concerns such as security issues as they affect our US citizens and emergency evacuation plans in the event such actions become necessary. In addition we discuss political and economic indicators in Togo, and potential commercial opportunities.

     Our resources devoted to Togo are limited and yet our influence is definitely felt. Our objective is to promote policies that contribute to a resolution of the country's long political crisis and aid Togo's economic recovery. To emphasize our message of democratization and economic reform, we offer small project assistance through Self Help and Human Rights grants. In addition, we have successful participation in USAID's regional health project, an active series of public diplomacy and cultural programs through USIS, and, of course, a long-standing and highly regarded Peace Corps program, one of the oldest continuous PC programs in existence.

     Probably the most contact you will have with the Embassy will be through information you receive through the Peace Corps headquarters on any matters of interest or concern to Americans residing or vacationing in Togo or travel advisories concerning near by countries. Probably our biggest business with you individually will be with the consular office in dealing with loss or stolen passports, voter information and information we may send through our warden system.

     May I welcome you to this fascinating country, fascinating part of the world, and wish you the best of luck in the work you are about to undertake here. I urge you to get involved, enjoy the culture and the people. Be prepared to change and be changed personally. Being a volunteer can be a truly enriching experience.