Remarks to Bosnian Youth

And so, this is an exciting opportunity for me to come back to Bosnia Herzegovina. And what I like to do when I’m in a country is to spend some time not only with the presidents and the prime ministers and the foreigner ministers, which is my job. But also the next generation of presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers, who are sitting in this room. And so I look forward to our conversation. I don’t like to give a speech at the beginning of these things because it’s more important that I know what’s on your mind, not that you hear what might be on my mind. If you want to know what’s on my mind, you can go to my website and look at all the speeches I give. But I’d rather see what you want to talk about. And feel free to ask any question you want about any subject you want. And there’s a rule that I follow: you ask any question you want but I give any answer I want. So we both have control over the situation. Who’d like to start our conversation? Yes, ma’am.

QUESTION: Hi, my name is Leila and I come from Tuzla. I would like to welcome you to Bosnia and to our little group here. And greetings on behalf of the people from our country. My question would be, since I’ve noticed that you’ve gone around the world and you’ve always met, at least recently, met with young people, what do you expect from us from this group? What do you expect from these meetings? And where do you see our country, let’s say in the next five to ten years?

SECRETARY POWELL: I do meet with young people everywhere. I met with a young group of Kuwaitis this morning, in Kuwait City. And, yesterday afternoon I met with a group of high school students in Baghdad, who are getting ready to go to the United States for one year of high school. And they are very nervous; they don’t know what to expect. Some of you have been to the United States already so you know.

I expect the same thing from all young people, no matter what country. No matter what country it is, the young people are pretty much alike. They are nervous, they are anxious, they are getting their education, they don’t know what the future holds for them, they don’t know what profession or job they may end up with, they don’t if they’re going to be rich or not so rich. They all think they’re going to be a little rich. But they all are looking to the future and wonder what the future holds for them. And the message I want to give you as I have given to others is: prepare yourself, get ready. Get as much education as you can. Get to understand your strengths and your weaknesses. What do you do well, what do you do poorly? Build on your strengths and fix your weaknesses. Remember that you have an important responsibility to your country and your people. Especially this group of youngsters, who are coming out of a difficult period of your history and you’re kind of the first generation that can leave all of that history behind and build, frankly, a new nation. You relate to each other in ways that perhaps your adult family members do not because you are looking forward and you’re not trapped in the past in any way.

And so my principle message to you is: prepare yourselves for the leadership positions you’ll be occupying. You’re here because you are successful students. You are here because you are bright; you also speak English, as well as other languages. That’s not necessarily a solution, but it makes it easier for me to talk to you. But, the fact of the matter is that you are the best and the brightest of your country. And we are giving you, your leaders are giving you, your families are giving you, one heavy responsibility to carry. You have got to take this country up to the next step. So, wherever you might be going to complete your education, whether you’re able to go to the United States or somewhere in Europe or elsewhere, just remember the investment that’s been put in you by your families and by this country, and the high expectations they have for you to help this country move forward.

So, my message to you just as I spoke to the young people in Baghdad yesterday, who are still fighting a war—their war is not over. Your war is over. You have other problems, other difficulties. But your war is over. They’re still fighting a war. But they are also looking to the future, as to what their obligations will be to take Iraq into a better place.

Yes, sir.

QUESTION: Hello, my name is Damir. I’m here from Sarajevo. Two years ago some of us had the opportunity to meet Mr. Raffi Gregorian of the State Department, and we had a very pleasant conversation with him. And among other diplomatic answers, he stated that in the next two years, and that happened 2001, in the next two years things will change in Bosnia, we will reach some turning point where we will know where Bosnia is headed. The thing is two years have passed just now, and I’m really not happy about this situation. In 2001, I was more optimistic but now it’s . . . I’m really not happy about it. Can you tell me, was that assessment was wrong or what do you think about situation now and the situation in 2001, because you said you visited Bosnia two years ago?

SECRETARY POWELL: Who is that, Gregorian?

QUESTION: Raffi Gregorian.

SECRETARY POWELL: You were the better judge for your own family, your own life as to whether things are better or not. From our perspective, there has been improvement since 2001. Bosnia Herzegovina is now knocking on the door of NATO, hoping to become a member of the Partnership for Peace. It is preparing itself for ultimate acceptance into the EU. It has created new governmental institutions and it has embarked on a process of reform. It is a very complex society and a very complex political system. And, it has to do much more with respect to economic development in order to create jobs. So, that when you go out and get this education I’m busy telling you to get, and to come back and help build your country there are jobs waiting for you so that you can do that. And your Presidency and I spent most of our time in our meeting just now talking about economic matters and investment and trade, as opposed to conflict and who’s mad at whom. So, I know your leaders are looking in this direction as well. What is it that you see in your life that makes you more pessimistic now than optimistic, as you were in 2001? What’s bothering you?

QUESTION: Yeah, the thing is at that time we can see that the situation was ascending every day, we were building institutions. But after the elections in 2002, all those institutions we built two years ago or a year ago, we are dividing it in three parts again. That’s what’s going on right now. I mean, we have new institutions built in these last two years but I think the progress is not enough, the ascending was slowing down I think. The thing is if in these two years we reached that turning point, I was optimistic about that turning point, but now I’m not about it. Did we reach it or not? Was the estimate wrong? Are we gonna reach it later or something?

SECRETARY POWELL: Yeah. I’m not sure that I have an answer for you. The one thing I’m pretty sure of is that you have to build the forces that keep this country together and not go into different directions. And that takes time because it is such a complex nation and a complex political system. And so, everything has to be done to encourage those forces that keep it together, because individually they won’t be economically viable. They will not. And therefore, you have to find a way to build and not only build the three parts together more strongly, but reach out to the neighbors as well, so that you become part of something even bigger, regionally and then ultimately into the EU.

Do others feel as he does that you know things are not going the way you’d like to see it? Well, let me try somebody else. Yes, this young lady looks like she wants to speak.

QUESTION: Oh well, I’m simply agreeing with him that the state is horrible. But, what I want to know and what I want to do here is to give every nation its identity, because people are afraid that if we, I don’t know, merge economically, we merge in a simple state or one state, one nation, and every national group will lose its national identity. And people, especially after the war and after the whole history we have, not just the war, we are much older than this world thinks we are. So, the people are generally, I believe with reason, afraid that their special identity, as I know I’m a Croat, is being, I don’t know, damaged in the course of that.

SECRETARY POWELL: I can understand that concern and that fear that you might lose your identity that you’ve had for so many generations. But, you know, the United States is a little like that and we have far more identities than you have and in fact I was talking about that with someone earlier today how we have people who come from all over the world to the United States and we’ve found ways for that diversity to be a strength, not a weakness. Everybody comes…my parents came to the United States because they had economic difficulties where they were living in Jamaica, in the West Indies. They never stopped being Jamaicans until the day they died. They always referred to Jamaica as home. Jamaica was home. And if you ask, pick any nationality you wish to, they always have that concept of home, the place they came from.

But never the less, my parents, and experiences all over the United States like this, consider the United States their new home. And so, they felt comfortable in this new home, but they never lost their identity. Now, there is no reason—even though the stresses may be greater, they may be more difficult to do it—there is no reason why you can’t build a common identity without losing the individual identities that make this such a rich place: culturally, socially, politically, a very rich nation. And so, it’s really going to be done though, coming back to an original point, it’s going to be done by the young people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s going to be done by your generation. And, you’ll have to find ways to get to know each other, to appreciate and understand each other better and to commit yourself to building a nation that has these individual identities and not let the individual identities be a source of weakness in the nation, but a source of strength. It can be done, it has been done. I’m proud to say that I’m in a nation that has done it.

Someone else.

QUESTION: I’m Neven Savic, I’m from Travnik. I would like to ask you a more personal question.

SECRETARY POWELL: Uh-oh.

QUESTION: I’m interested in why didn’t you take part in the presidential election in the year 1996.

SECRETARY POWELL: I was a soldier for most of my adult life. Thirty-five, more than 35 years as a soldier. And I never had an interest in political life. I follow issues in my country, and I understand politics, but I never had any interest in running for political office. I was a soldier. In fact, during those 35 years as a soldier nobody ever knew what party I belonged to: was I a Democrat, was I a Republican? And the answer was I was none, neither. Because as a professional soldier I never expressed a political point of view or identified with a party, I thought that was inconsistent with my code as a soldier. For that reason I never had an interest in partisan politics.

And then when I left the Army, eleven years ago, I no longer could say that. I could now participate in politics. And people would ask me, "would you be interested in running for office?" And I thought about it in 1994-1995, and took a very hard look at myself and looked at my family and the needs of my family, and made a decision that this really wasn’t for me. It wasn’t something that I was moved to do. It wasn’t in my heart to do, and for me to have done it; I would not have been true to myself. Because it was not something I wanted to do, I was doing it because people were pressing me or expecting me to do it. But, it was not something I wanted to do and so I decided to do it, and I went into other kinds of activities.

I worked with youth programs for four years. I wrote a book, did some other things. Somebody here has read my book, maybe? Then when President Bush, who does have the passion and the heart for it, when he became President, he asked me if I would come back in the government to serve in an appointed position. And I said I would be most pleased to do so. And then, I came back to be Secretary of State.

You have to do, and learn this early, you really have to do in life that which you believe in and you’re comfortable doing. Don’t do what others tell you to do and don’t let the expectations of others drive your choices, because you have to live with your choices. They don’t live with your choices; you live with your choices. And so, always be searching for the right thing for you to do in life. How many of you know what you want to do when you are…I don’t know let me pick an age. How many know where they want to be when they’re 35? You do? Where do you want to be?

QUESTION: In an embassy.

SECRETARY POWELL: In an embassy! Alright! (Laughter.) We got one! You want to be an ambassador by age 35? Well, great.

QUESTION: I’m just starting college now and I’m probably going to study international relations in Belgrade.

SECRETARY POWELL: But you don’t want to run for office?

QUESTION: No.

SECRETARY POWELL: See. (Laughter.) Who else is that confident of what they want to be when they’re 35? You do?

QUESTION: I’ll certainly be in politics and support youth politics in this country. And support youth politics that is literally dead in this country. I want to put that on its feet.

SECRETARY POWELL: Now the ladies know what they want to do. Do any of the gentlemen know what they want to do? No? There’s one, okay. We know what you’re, you’re going to rebuild this country, I know what you’re going to do.

QUESTION: Of course, uh, actually I studied graphic design, and I’m working as a graphic designer right now. So, I see myself working in an agency…which belongs to me, I own the agency…so, but after that a bit later, I can see myself working in politics, working, I don’t know, being appointed somewhere in government or something. Actually I am involved in a political party here in Bosnia. But that’s the same thing that happened in 2002 when I was a bit disappointed with the people’s choice, a bit. I am an optimist, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. But, still 2002 was quite…

SECRETARY POWELL: It wasn’t your favorite year, huh?

QUESTION: Yeah, that’s right.

SECRETARY POWELL: But you know, whatever you do, whether you are in an embassy or in politics, or sports, or whatever you end up doing, make sure that as you work hard at that and become more successful and make more money, always remember to give something back. Always, serve your society in some way, because there are a lot of people in your country, just as there a lot of people in my country, who have not yet been successful in life, especially young people. So, just make sure that you give something back as you become more successful; you have a greater obligation to reach down and help those who are wondering whether they will ever be successful. And don’t walk away from that, don’t walk away from them. Because that’s part of the obligation that you now have as successful young people, to help others.

QUESTION: You just said…I’m Irena from Sarajevo…Mr. Secretary, you just said that we should do what we want, not what is expected from us. And you are representing the States that has done a lot for our country; you’re financing our troops to be sent to Iraq. I’m just afraid is that a good move for this country at this moment?

SECRETARY POWELL: We’re pleased that your nation has been willing to send some troops to Iraq, a small contingent. You have particular expertise, unfortunately, in things having to do with explosive ordinance and mines. The people of Iraq need this kind of expertise, and you are generous enough as a nation, as a government, to provide it. A difficult political choice, it’s dangerous, but it’s also important.

There are 25 million people in Iraq who are trying to escape a terrible past, as you are escaping a terrible past. And they need help. They were living under a dictator, who for 35 years destroyed the country. And there are still people left over from that dictatorship who are trying to go back to the past, trying to take them backwards. And the people of Iraq don’t want to go backwards—they want democracy, they want freedom. And the United States and its armed forces and armed forces of many other nations are in Iraq to help the people of Iraq. And it’s dangerous, lives have been lost, increasingly the lives being lost are Iraqi lives as they defend themselves: Iraqi police, Iraqi military. Why are these terrorists killing their own people? To give them democracy? To make life better for them? Why are they doing it? Why are they blowing up cars? Why are they going to recruiting stations and blowing up police trainees? To bring democracy to Iraq? No, they’re doing it to go back to a dictatorship.

And so, what your young soldiers will be doing is important work and they’re doing it for a good cause. And not because the United States expected it, but because your government came to a decision that it would be a good thing to do, and join this coalition of nations that is determined to help the people of Iraq to a better future. Just as a coalition of nations came to Bosnia and Herzegovina to help your people to a better future. It was much more peaceful here, nobody was lost, and we’re glad of that. But, sometimes you have to take these kinds of risks and face this kind of danger for a better cause.

QUESTION: I would like to know who has been the most influential person in your life and why? And also if you have a motto for your life would you like to share it with us, especially the decision making process? What are the questions you always ask yourself?

SECRETARY POWELL: Hmm, that’s interesting. The first question I’m asked a lot, "who is the most influential?" And it’s impossible to answer. The first answer is my parents, my family. They had expectations for me also, but ultimately, they let me do what I wanted to do. They did not want me to be a soldier; they wanted me to be an engineer, or a doctor, a lawyer. "All your cousins are doctors or lawyers and you’re going into the army? Ach, terrible." They were mad at me for years because I wouldn’t leave the army. Until I made general, then it was okay. Now you’re a general it’s okay. My mother went around saying, "my son the general, oh." All it took was one star and that was enough. One was enough for my mother. My mother was very proud. I lost my mother by then, but after complaining all these years, "when are you going to get out of the army, nobody stays in the army." Finally I made general, and she said, "maybe you ought to stay." And my other relatives, they stopped complaining when they heard that you get a pension in the army. As long as you get a pension it’s okay, you could stay.

But it was, they had expectations for me, but I wanted to be a soldier. The real expectation they had for me was not just to be an engineer, or a doctor or something else or a lawyer, but to be a good person. Be a good citizen and to raise a family, take care of your family. And the real expectation they had, which all of us in the family had, was don’t shame us. Whatever, you do don’t do anything that shames the family. And that expectation was also something I internalized and all of my cousins internalized.

With respect to her second question, about rules for decision-making or mottoes, I have a set of them that I have in the back of my book. And we’ll get a copy to you, but you then said how to make decisions. And we’re taught in the military a very formal way of making a decision, because it’s for battles and you better make good decisions for battles, because you’re putting people’s lives at risk. So the general practice I have is: 1) make sure I understand the problem. Analyze the problem, make sure you’re not confused, make sure you understand the real mission that you’re trying to accomplish. Once you have a good understanding of what you’re trying to do…you’d be surprised how hard that can be, you get distracted and people try to tell you, "no, no, no, this is what you think." No, figure out what it is you’re trying to do, determine what you’re trying to do.

Second, gather all the information you can. I flood myself with information from everybody I can. My staff is up here and they give me lots of information and then when they’re not looking I go and get more information. I call people and I read stuff and I just flood myself with information, so that I have all of the facts, all of the guesses, all of the assumptions available to me. And as directly as I can, because people will try to keep the bad stuff or they’ll try to make everything good before they give it to you, so I always try to get all the raw information I can. Then I try to analyze it and I try to look at every alternative. In the military this is drilled into us, just don’t pick the first alternative or the first idea that comes along. Make sure you have considered every possibility and when you have all the possibilities in front of you, then analyze each one to see what’s good and bad about your choices, your variety of choices, and then compete them against each other to see which one makes the most sense. Through that process you’ll usually be directed toward what the right answer it. Then when you do all of that, you go with your instinct anyway. This is true now. Get all of the information you can and do it analytically, but when you’re really not sure at the end of it all, and you’re looking for that last little thing that says to you, "do this, not that." That’s the time when you use your instinct, what feels right.

And as you get older and as you have gone through many experiences in your life and you’ve had failures in your life and you’ve had successes in your life, you’ll gain experience that informs your instinct. You will have so much experience up here that your instinct becomes more and more reliable. You’ll find that as you get older and as you go through life. So, get all the stuff you can find, get all the information you can, think it through and then use your instinct to make that final decision of what feels right.

As you go through life like this and make decisions and gain experience you’ll fail. Many times. You will have terrible days. I’m sure you’ve had terrible days already, where you just don’t want to get up the next morning. It’s just terrible, oh. I flunked an exam. I did something I’m not happy about. Or somebody disappointed me and this is terrible or I had a bad personal relationship, terrible. I won’t go into that any more deeply, but it’s all part of life, it’s all part of growing up: to fail. I fail every day at something. And the only thing to do with a failure is to look at it and say, "okay, what did I do wrong?" Not, what did somebody else do to me, or what did someone else do wrong. But, what did I do wrong? What did I miss? What mistake did I make that caused this failure? Maybe a lot of other people were involved, but don’t be mad at them. There’s nothing you can do about it. There’s no rewind button. You can’t play the tape again. So, you look at what you did wrong. What did I do wrong? Once you’ve figured that out and analyzed that, then learn, okay. In the future, I won’t make that kind of bad decision or poor choice. Then once you have kind of analyzed it and figured out what you have done wrong and you’ve internalized it and fixed yourself, then take that failure and roll it up into a little ball, and throw it over your shoulder and never think about it again.

I’ve seen too many people in life who would like to live what happened yesterday, what happened the day before, what happened the week before, and they are forever telling you about what happened to them two years ago. I don’t care. There’s nothing we can do about what happened two years ago, or two weeks ago, or two days ago, or two hours ago. You always have to be looking forward and not let failure and disappointment hold you back or be a weight on your shoulders. Learn and throw it away.

My staff is going like this, so, I have to go now. I wish I had a lot more time but I have enjoyed meeting you and I wish you all the best. Could we take a group picture of some kind?

(Applause)

He stopped talking, so we can take a picture.