[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11895-11896]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             ONE WORLD NOW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2008

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I submit the following:

                             What I Can Do

                           (By Philmon Haile)

       First of all I would like to thank Kirstin Hayden and all 
     of the One World Now folks for inviting me to speak here 
     today; and for bringing me home from our nation's capitol.
       When I was a younger man I dreamt I could change the world. 
     However, as I grew older and wiser I realized that the world 
     was too big and immovable and would not change. Consequently, 
     I decided to take on a narrower target and change my country. 
     However, as I grew older and wiser, I realized my country was 
     too big, too fixed in its way of doing things, immovable and 
     would not change. I therefore decided to address my city and 
     community. However, once again as I grew older and wiser I 
     realized that my city and community were too large and 
     immovable and would not change. So, I decided that one last 
     time I would try and change those nearest to me: my friends 
     and family. But, as I had learned so many times before, those 
     nearest to me--my friends and family--would not change. The 
     problems I saw in the world included violence, intolerance, 
     and racism. Broken and divided schools and cities, racial 
     slurs, being spoken and glorified through the media. Growing 
     up I heard phrases like ``you're not black enough'', to any 
     African-American who stepped outside the circle and made 
     white friends and listened to any other music other than Rap, 
     or played any other sports besides basketball. I think 
     ``you're not black enough'' is just another way to say you 
     don't have sufficient hate for others. If being black means 
     to hate, then I would rather be green. Of course this isn't 
     what it means to be black. I've heard of genocide and gang 
     violence. When I was born, my home country Eritrea had just 
     finished a thirty-year war for independence from Ethiopia. A 
     war is still going on today between the two countries, with a 
     tense border conflict plaguing the people. I am close to this 
     war because both parents were involved in it, a facet of my 
     personal and family history. These problems are so real to me 
     I pray every night for the safety of grandparents, who--as I 
     speak--continue to live in a war torn country run by a 
     dictator. Because these issues are so real, I spend a lot of 
     time thinking about why this happens.
       I found the problem. People hurt each other because they 
     had no idea what it felt to be the other party. I knew the 
     answer too, and I thought the best way to end all of this was 
     through education; uniting people through education; giving 
     them a chance to learn about each other so they can coexist 
     peacefully.
       Now, as I stand here, old and tired at the ripe old age of 
     17, I finally get it. Perhaps if I abolished my own 
     stereotypes, I could have impacted my friends and family. 
     Their change in turn may have influenced more people and 
     could have changed my city and community and--who knows--
     maybe even my country and the world: a ripple effect like a 
     pebble in the pond.
       Let's be honest with ourselves--anyone who grows in this 
     world has certain established mind sets and we all need to 
     tear them down before we can progress and accept people for 
     who they are.
       In order to be a successful leader, one must be willing to 
     give up certain ideas, decisions and a degree of popularity 
     in order to negotiate, mediate and decide what is in the best 
     interest of the whole. The persona you create around you is 
     how people perceive you. Without a positive attitude I've 
     learned the ability to lead others confidently and work 
     together is greatly diminished. Qualities of tolerance, 
     openness, and optimism are what One World Now represents and 
     instills in all their students, qualities that will reside 
     and resonate forever.
       When I came to Garfield High School, I never thought that I 
     could take Chinese especially for free, or much less use 
     those skills and afford to study abroad. You know, my brother 
     studied abroad just as I hope to. I know my family couldn't 
     afford to send both my brother and me abroad. I know this is 
     the case for many other people traveling on a One World Now! 
     Scholarship. After my older brother, Robel discovered One 
     World Now! I wanted to do it. We have a ``typical'' older-
     younger brother relationship, so he tells me that only upper 
     classmen can be involved, so being the gullible freshman I 
     was, I believed him, only to learn my sophomore year that 
     freshmen were enrolled in One World Now! classes. It is 
     amazing what One World Now! is doing, offering high school 
     students classes in the two most critical world languages: 
     Arabic and Chinese. Believe me, in my position as a 
     Congressional Page, I hear about the Middle East and China in 
     debates almost every day. If our leaders knew Chinese and 
     Arabic and understood their cultures, this world would be a 
     much different place. If they could have been involved in One 
     World Now, they would have a better understanding. One World 
     Now is more than just Chinese and Arabic classes and the free 
     food at Friday leadership meetings: it is a melting pot--a 
     place where I was exposed to many different cultures, races, 
     and religions; a place where I made many good friends. Every 
     week that I went to One World Now classes, I grew a little 
     bit. I sometimes got tired of them saying ``get out of your 
     comfort zone'' and ``be passionate'', but that was what 
     really happened, at every meeting I felt I was stripped of 
     all the walls I put up and just showed the bare and true 
     Philmon. That's how you really gain social skills and grow as 
     a person. There are so many different types of people you 
     don't know how to act, so just act like yourself. That's how 
     you really build character. The change that has occurred in 
     me is something I can't describe, something deep within has 
     changed. I am now able to communicate my ideas better, more 
     powerfully. The only thing I can't communicate is the change 
     that has occurred because it so deep within me, but resonates 
     and I can always feel it. This is all because of One World 
     Now and the opportunities offered me from their influence. 
     Through One World Now, I've really walked a thousand miles. I 
     am a different person than when I was a sophomore.
       When I was invited to be a U.S. House of Representatives 
     Page and I accepted, I felt both sad and happy. The sadness 
     came when I realized I would not be able to take One World 
     Now classes every other day. Before I accepted, I went to the 
     One World Now office and asked how this would affect my 
     membership at One World Now. They told me that I will always 
     be a part of the One World Now family, and that I could even 
     apply to go to China with them this summer. I came to DC sad 
     that I wouldn't be able to take Chinese in a formal Chinese 
     class setting provided by One World Now, but I was determined 
     I would not give up. I found the Chinese Cultural Center, and 
     learned I could take Chinese there. So I went over there and 
     they asked questions like ``how long have you been taking 
     Chinese?'' and I told them one year, so they gave their 
     second year test because they only offered up to Chinese 
     level the level I should have been at. I took the test and 
     they told me that I was too advanced to take their classes, 
     so Teacher Sun (find her in the audience) if you're in the 
     room, you taught me well. So I decided to become a volunteer 
     and asked if they could only speak to me in Chinese. While in 
     DC I still called my old Chinese classmates and teacher, to 
     make sure I was caught up to where I needed to be. I was now 
     ready to reap the benefits of the Congressional Page program.
       In this program I am able watch the debates of our 
     country's architects. I think it is a blessing to watch the 
     people who serve our country pass legislation. I have a new-
     found respect for the Congress of this nation. This program 
     is perfect for me. Young people are asked what they want to 
     be when they grow up, and I always had no idea, so I would 
     fabricate one of the many formulated answers and say 
     something like a doctor or a lawyer, not really knowing 
     exactly what I was saying. Now I think I know. Just like 
     Members of Congress, I want to devote my life to service and 
     make a difference in the world. I would to be an Ambassador 
     and work with different institutions around the world to make 
     a change. Change to bring my home country of Eritrea, and 
     bring its people, my people out of the straggling choke-hold 
     of poverty, to bring peace to the border conflict between 
     Eritrea and Ethiopia. People of these countries are the same: 
     they share the same religion, culture, and values, divided 
     only by politics.
       A quote from George Bernard Shaw describes exactly how I 
     feel:

       ``This is the true joy in life, the being used for a 
     purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being a 
     force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of 
     ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not 
     devote itself to making you

[[Page 11896]]

     happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole 
     community and as long as I can live it is my privilege to do 
     for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I 
     die, for harder I work the more I live, I rejoice in life for 
     its sake''.

       All this would not be possible without One World Now. Ms. 
     Kristin Hayden nominated me to Congressman Jim McDermott, 
     Democrat from the Seventh Congressional District of 
     Washington State. When I was lucky enough to get into the 
     program, I was then one of ten Pages selected to stay for a 
     second semester to be a role model for the new Pages who were 
     coming in for the Spring Session.
       While in DC, I have thought about my summer a great deal. I 
     would like to travel to China on a One World Now scholarship. 
     I know this will be a fantastic. I am truly excited about 
     traveling this summer. I will never forget what One World Now 
     scholarships have offered me. Opportunities like these don't 
     come every day, and One World Now isn't just an every day 
     occurrence. I can guarantee you that Kirstin Hayden is 
     talented and passionate; able to speak Russian and being a 
     great entrepreneur that started this extraordinary program 
     from scratch.
       This program started five years ago at Ingram High School, 
     with one language, Chinese, and twelve students. Now this 
     program has extended itself to Garfield, Cleveland, 
     Roosevelt, Rainier Beach, and Franklin High Schools--six 
     different schools! I hope that it can continue to spread and 
     impact many other high school students and make the 
     difference in their lives as it has made in my life.
       This reminds me of an anecdote. It is about a young man who 
     tries to make a difference in the world:

       It was high tide and there were thousands of Starfishes 
     washed up ashore, and a man saw a young man throwing star 
     fish back into the sea, and asked
       ``What are you doing?''
       The young man paused, looked up and replied, ``Throwing 
     Starfish back into the ocean.''
       ``I guess I should have asked; why are you are throwing 
     Starfish into the ocean?'' said the bystander.
       ``The sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don't 
     throw them in they'll die.''
       The young man said.
       ``But don't you realize that there are miles and miles of 
     beach and Starfish all along it, you can't possibly make a 
     difference!''
       The young man listened politely, then bent down, picked up 
     another Starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking 
     waves. ``It made a difference for that one.''

       One World Now is the young man making a difference in 
     students' lives. I am an example of that difference being 
     made. And guess what? I am going to make a difference in 
     others lives also. One World Now makes its difference in a 
     very unique way, I think this is why One World Now is so 
     great! It empowers those, like me, who have found their 
     commitment in life. One World Now is worth supporting. One 
     World Now is worth attending. It's lasting legacy, it's gifts 
     to Seattle and to the Nation, are the gifts of students like 
     me. As I grow older and wiser, I realize that the more I 
     serve my community, I change myself for the better, and I am 
     also changing the world.

                          ____________________