Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Monday at the State Department... When does the SOS sleep??

With what seemed like no rest after a trip to the Middle East, Hillary hosted Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs George Yeo Yong Boon at the State Department in Washington, DC on Monday, April 27th.

The Secretary said Singapore is "a nation that is right at the core of global commerce."

She also thanked their government for their efforts on behalf of the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the medical work provided in Afghanistan.

The two diplomats met to discuss issues of mutual concern.

At the end of their remarks to the press a question was posed about the the swine flu outbreak and Hillary responds.

Read their full remarks to the press here or watch below:

Hillary also gave remarks at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate held at the State Department.

She spoke about the plans that she and President Obama and the entire administration have for climate change and the work they are planning to do.

This statement struck me as quite beautiful yet realistic and sobering:

"Being good stewards as we must be of this fragile planet that we inherit together, requires us to be pragmatic, not dogmatic. We have to be willing to embrace change, not just repeat tired dogma. And I think we have to be ready to do whatever it takes and whatever the earth demands to succeed in addressing this common danger to our future.

I remember many years ago, as a young woman, seeing the first pictures that came back from space of earth, and looking at that blue and green orb as it spun on its axis, and I remember being so struck about how it was this place of light and life in what appeared to be just darkness and no life, so far as we knew.

We now bear the responsibility in this generation, and the United States is ready to do our part. We are ready to listen and learn and to participate as a partner and also as a leader at this critical juncture.

We want to be sure that that fragile planet we inhabit continues to provide for the greatest opportunities for our children and generations to come. But in order to do that, we have a historic responsibility to come together and actually create a new history."

Read her full remarks here or watch below:

Hillary also attended and spoke at the "Operation Step-it Up" and Career Gear Event hosted by Patrick Kennedy, the Under Secretary for Management.

She spoke openly about her mothers experience growing up in a foster care system:

"I have a longstanding interest in adoption and foster care issues dating back many, many years. My own mother actually was sort of informally fostered after her teenage parents couldn’t take care of her and her grandparents were similarly unable. And so she went to work in a home with a family taking care of their children, but the mother of that family was especially sensitive, so she made it possible for my mother to finish her work in the morning, getting the children of the house out to school, and then go to high school. So she actually was able to graduate from high school, which was an extraordinary accomplishment. And I wonder what would have happened to her if she hadn’t had that support."

Read her full remarks here or watch below:

2 comments:

Jackie said...

Hillary has so much energy, she never stops. Especially when this country faces so many problems. She is committed to keeping us safe, and won't rest til she get's it done.

Anonymous said...

Can she keep up this frenetic pace?? I felt tired all during the primary just watching her endure, and now I feel tired seeing her "everywhere" simultaneously it seems! Wow is all I can say! I hope she is enjoying her role, and has no regrets about leaving the Senate.

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