Ambassador Jehangir Karamat's speech at the Youth Conference
(NPSA and Rising Leaders Fall Conference)
November 20, 2004
Members of the National Pakistani Students Association,
Rising Leaders, and distinguished guests:
It is truly a pleasure to begin my tenure as Ambassador
to the United States by hosting such an ambitious and accomplished set
of young Pakistani-Americans.
Today had been a very exciting day. You had spoken about
your experiences as Democrats and Republicans. You had a discussion about
your involvement in politics. You had discussed various aspects of the
Kashmir dispute. Several successful Pakistani-American professionals spoke
to you about their experiences. It is clear, however, that the Embassy
has placed a priority upon working with and training the youth to be responsible
citizens and leaders, and I am very pleased to know that the Embassy is
part of such excellent youth initiatives as the NPSA and Rising Leaders.
Today marks the beginning of something new—not just for me, as Ambassador
- but for all of us who have come here to be a part of this initiative.
It is a rare occasion when one has an audience of young
leaders who promise to shape the world in which we will live, so I would
like to take this opportunity to share with you a few thoughts about what
it means to be a leader and what it means to be a Pakistani-American.
First of all, there is something very different about
youth leadership. It is fueled by a real sense of social responsibility
and civic duty. That is because it comes at an age where there are few
demands made of you and it is perfectly acceptable for you to be preoccupied
with your own individual concerns. Quite frankly, it is also because the
world is run by adults and grown-ups and many of us have an unfortunate
tendency to underestimate the abilities and understanding of our children.
Fortunately, however, many of us do understand that you have talents that
we do not have: flexibility in thinking, energy, an analytical perspective,
and most importantly, leadership skills.
This is particularly true in the Pakistani-American community,
where the second generation is incredibly educated and talented, and has
the skills required to interact in and lead this society. By using the
Embassy as a base for training and direction, we hope that you will someday
come to move beyond our circle, and even the Pakistani-American community,
to become the leaders of mainstream American society.
Thus far, our community has lobbied as outsiders to the
system, but my hope is that someday you will enter the U.S. political
system. I hope that someday, you will be in the seats—the seats
of Congress, the Supreme Court, and governorships—that are lobbied.
Entering politics is different from just lobbying because it shows that
you are educated and talented enough to join the system, and after you
have joined it, you can use it to achieve the goals that are important
to you.
Compare yourselves to other communities: the Black community,
the Hispanic community, the Armenians, Greeks, Irish, Italians, etc. They
have all entered the system in a major way and without each of their contributions
and activism, America would have been something different today. They
have each become a part of this system and have changed it, and now it
is time that we do the same.
The United States is like a patchwork quilt where people
of different ethnicities make up different patches. Some patches are small
and some are large but without even one patch, the quilt isn’t complete.
Until now, the Pakistani community in the United States has had a patch
in the quilt, and it earned a place on the quilt due to the hard work
of Pakistan’s immigrant generation in the U.S. But it is wholly
up to your generation to make sure that over the course of the next ten
or twenty years, that patch comes to be seen and recognized, and that
it becomes more than just another patch by truly adding to the beauty
of the quilt.
Yet this is about more than minority participation in
the mosaic that represents U.S. democracy. Your Pakistani heritage means
that you can uniquely add value to this system. The theme of Rising Leaders,
“Young Americans of Pakistani Heritage Working to Build a Better
America” is so apt because it represents this idea that the part
of you that is Pakistani can give something to this country that other
minorities cannot. As young Pakistani-Americans, you represent the balance
between East and West. You are therefore a bridge between two different
sets of tradition, history, culture, and society. The United States will
need people like you to be active in civil society and politics, and you
should plan your futures accordingly. It is important to remember that
the United States and Pakistan are not as dissimilar as some people think
and as Pakistani-Americans, you have the potential to solidify the U.S.-Pakistan
relationship more than anyone else can.
As nations, both Pakistan and the U.S. were founded on
the basis of a vision. Pakistan’s founding fathers sought a modern,
progressive state that would be a leader among nations. It was founded
on the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, the protection of minorities,
and the empowerment of all individuals. Most of all, it sought to create
a fair and free society that would do justice to the progressive and liberal
religion that Islam is.
The U.S. and Pakistan are two nations that were founded
upon, struggled for, and will never falter in their pursuit of democracy
and freedom. Pakistan has indeed struggled but it has never faltered.
Pakistan and the U.S. not only share a vision, but have
a shared set of principles. Their partnership is based on the pursuit
of democracy, freedom, and peace. It is therefore no surprise that they
always end up as allies in their pursuit of these principles. In this
way, the history of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship is not significant
in its inconsistency but in its persistence. It is not significant because
of wavering commitments but because of the resilience of the Pakistan-U.S.
commitment to a shared set of principles.
In a globalized world, countries flourish because of
the strength of their diaspora communities. Pakistani-Americans can do
a lot for Pakistan simply by being proud of their Pakistani heritage.
As much as we want you to maintain a distinct sense of
what it means to be a Pakistani, we also want you to be truly American,
because this is, after all, your home and will be for generations to come.
To be a proud Pakistani actually means more than fashion shows, and musical
and cultural events. It means knowing about what Pakistan is—its
heritage, and your heritage. You should maintain an awareness of the issues
that face Pakistan, domestically and internationally. Educate and inform
yourselves on Pakistan-U.S. relations, trade issues, and geopolitics.
You can be helpful to Pakistan by being active representatives of your
heritage in this society.
In all of this, it is important to remember that the
only serious obstacle to our achievement of these goals lies within us.
The Pakistani-American community has developed a culture of caution when
it comes to choosing professions—we cling to certain “safe”
fields, medicine, IT, engineering, and business. During the last fifty
years, we needed people in professions related to science, math, and technology,
in order to build the prestige and affluence upon which this community
is established. For the next fifty years, this community will need politicians,
academics, journalists, and artists in order for it to survive and flourish.
We must change this myth that Pakistanis are inherently good at math and
science, because we can be good at much more if we simply apply ourselves.
You must remember that everyone everywhere has a unique
talent and is a leader in some way. These talents and skills can be developed
into something great that makes for a better individual and a better society.
The key is to find yourself and your niche and then to make it a reality.
At the end of it all, remember that you deserve the very
best and have every right to reach out for it. But also remember that
the ends do not justify the means. Whatever work you do, it should be
with honesty, diligence, and justice. We should be a community that people
look up to and respect and if we have the right means and the right ends,
then we can accomplish anything.
The Embassy of Pakistan has taken several initiatives
to help the community meet its ambitions. In the end, however, we can
only be a catalyst and the success or failure of these initiatives depends
on your involvement. In working to build the community’s support,
however, it is from your generation that I have the greatest hope. I have
many expectations from you and I hope that through this speech I have
presented somewhat of a challenge to you all—and this sort of challenge
I would only present to you because I believe that you have what it takes
to succeed and make Pakistani-Americans a piece that is integral to the
beauty of the American mosaic.
This is my first speech to you as Ambassador and I will
meet you, as members of NPSA and Rising Leaders, at your other events.
And have no doubt that although today we are meeting in my office, the
Embassy of Pakistan, I am counting on someday meeting you in even higher
places; that is, your offices, in the Congress, the Supreme Court, and
the White House.
