October 21, 2003

Remarks by Ambassador Guest at the opening of the Conference on Minorities, Cultural Heritage, and Contemporary Romanian Civilization
(as prepared for delivery)

This morning we open an event intended to reflect on Romania's rich and multicultural past, and to connect that past to the bright, just, and socially responsible future that all Romanians deserve.

I am honored to share in this moment. My point of departure, of course, is my own country, America - a place of immense diversity, where different faiths, nationalities and ethnic groups together are greater than the sum of their parts. A country that is, in that respect, not unlike Romania, the diverse heritage of which should empower this country, not divide it.

America's history is full of ideas, inventions and episodes that have helped spark mankind's greatest progress. But our history also contains mistakes and terrible failings. The shame of slavery, and of racial segregation. The dishonor of human beings being persecuted - even murdered - because they were black, or Hispanic, or gay.

These are not just mistakes: in a true sense, they are tragedies. And the responsibility for ensuring that these kinds of tragedies are not repeated is shared by all of us. That responsibility must be internalized within each of us.

That, in fact, is the subtext of a debate I've watched in this country over whether Romania participated in activities associated with the Holocaust. At times I've asked myself why this issue has been so traumatic for some in this country. The historical evidence is clear, after all, that Marshal Antonescu, and others around him, did participate in such activities.

My friends, if we are to face the future with confidence, we must acknowledge, and understand, and build upon the past. We cannot be afraid to shine a light on our failures and on the failures of those that passed before us. If we do, then those who follow us in life may be condemned to repeat the mistakes that we have made.

This is not a question of guilt, nor is it one of assigning blame. Rather, it is a question of responsibility - the responsibility that we all share of acknowledging that acts did indeed occur that never should have occurred. The responsibility of understanding why those acts were allowed to occur. And the responsibility of ensuring that no minority - Jews or, quite frankly, any other group - should be marginalized, or persecuted, or even be assigned some lower status among citizens simply because they are minorities.

This is elementary human justice. It should unite as human beings all of us who have gathered in this hall this morning. And it should unite this country, not divide it.

The Romanian Government has taken a number of welcome steps to address the issue of Romania's wartime past in a positive spirit:

• Romania's Parliament has passed legislation that punishes those who would deny the Holocaust.
• The Government has taken steps to ensure that those judged by history as war criminals will not be memorialized as heroes.
• And it is moving forward with cooperative agreements aimed at fostering academic studies of documents related to Romania's wartime past.

I commend the Government wholeheartedly for all of these steps, Mr. Minister. More broadly, I commend the Government for establishing Romania as what I truly believe to be a model of ethnic tolerance and diversity in all of Central and Eastern Europe. And I thank those that are here today, including the Project on Ethnic Relations, for the roles you have played in partnership with the Romanian Government toward this end.

Romania has shown its commitment to ensuring that the civic rights of ethnic Hungarians, Ukrainians, and other groups are assured, and that issues affecting those communities are addressed.

And although more needs to be done to address the stereotypes that are held about the Roma, I applaud the Government of Romania for putting into place one of the most imaginative programs I'm aware of, aimed at improving access of Roma to healthcare and education, and at ensuring the protection of their rights on the same basis as the rights of other Romanian citizens.

The conference that we open this morning is intended to strengthen links between community groups in Romania and abroad in order to promote democratic values, protect minority rights, and combat discrimination aimed at minority groups, especially among youth.

My Government and my Embassy are proud to have provided some of the funding needed to get this event off the ground. We're also proud of our financial and moral support for the "Jewish Heritage Trail" project, designed to trace the history and roots of Romania's Jewish community. I look forward to learning of its progress.

I hope that, over the coming days, those of you who are participants will form friendships, build bridges, and forge alliances. That is, after all, what lives well-lived are all about.

You have my good wishes and support as you approach the work of this conference. Thank you.