The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2015 25 the best of our diversity and tolerance. We took them to the American Cultural Center, the American Language Center and the Moroccan Jewish Museum. Our students were surprised to learn of the Jewish presence in our land, which predates the Muslim conquest. Dear to my heart are the projects I created that bring Moroc- can and American students together. My goal here is to bridge the gaps and find common ground between our peoples. All of my initiatives begin with a statement of principles and objec- tives, and end with an evaluation—a technique I saw practiced with great effect in the United States. I recently had the good fortune to be recognized by the State Department as a “Gold Star” IVLP alumnus. This meant a second trip to the United States in 2015, where I learned about the technology now available to enable teachers and students to use social media and Skype as effective learning tools. I was particularly pleased to learn that volunteerism lacks a manda- tory age of retirement. My hosts in Nebraska demonstrated that hospitality to guests is not an exclusively Moroccan cul- tural trait, but part of the American social fabric, as well. I am committed to sharing my Gold Star experience with as many of my countrymen as possible. By working together, we can break down the artificial barriers of misunderstanding that keep us apart. I am truly grateful to the individuals who participate in the IVLP, including its managers, volunteers and participants, for showing us how we can better our communities and leave a positive legacy to our sons and daughters. A teacher in his native Morocco, Said Elkaoukaji is a Gold Star alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program. Making Friends in Uruguay BY FRANK E. BAXTER I love Uruguay. From the moment I arrived there in September 2006 to begin my assignment as ambassador, I knew Uruguay and I were going to get along well; perhaps even be best friends for life. In fact, we are! The people of this South American repub- lic, tucked in neatly between Argentina and Brazil, are as warm and courteous as you will find anywhere on earth. Still, there were some points of contention between me and the wonderful country my wife and I would call home for about three years. The Uruguayan coalition government, which assumed power the year before I arrived, contained prominent factions that took a not-so-rosy view of the United States. Poll- ing in those days revealed more than a little anti-Americanism. I was determined to strengthen the bonds between our two nations. One exchange still stands out from the rest for me. We had invited a number of Uruguayan public school teachers and administrators to visit their counterparts in the United States, at our expense, but we soon found they weren’t keen on going! The teachers belonged to organizations that ascribed to a num- ber of negative stereotypes about the United States. I stepped in to convince them their trip would be invaluable to them professionally, and even more importantly, would benefit the children they teach. Eventually, they agreed to go. On their return to Uruguay, they had only positive things to say. As I anticipated, the America they saw, and Americans they met, allowed them to throw by the wayside years of stereo- typing and negativity. All were open to continued contact with our institutions and to future exchanges, which would involve visits by U.S. experts and professionals to the South American republic’s cities and towns. Thus was built a positive relation- ship between our embassy and a plethora of Uruguayan insti- tutions responsible for the curriculum and instruction of the country’s young people. This experience and many others quickly convinced me about the high value we should ascribe to international exchanges. Technology empowers young people with access to instruction and ideas the youth of my generation could only have dreamed of—a very good thing, in my opinion. Still, there is no substitute for the person-to-person encounters interna- tional exchange programs offer. These experiences may lead to an indelible positive impression and even enhance a bilateral relationship should these visitors advance in their careers (they often do). This salient fact ought to be on the menu that all U.S. chiefs of mission receive before beginning their assign- ments; perhaps near the section highlighting high-end plates of American or Uruguayan beef. U.S. ambassador to Uruguay from 2006-2009, Frank E. Baxter is co-chairman of Alliance College-Ready Public Schools in Los Angeles, and chairman emeritus of the global investment bank Jefferies and Company Inc.