Remarks for Ambassador Jeanine Jackson

ALC Annual Student Ceremony

September 8, 2007

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. 

Good evening students, teachers and administrators of the American Language Center. 

It is a great pleasure for me to be here this evening to honor our students. We have organized this ceremony to recognize the ALC students who have successfully completed at least three class sessions during this past academic year.  This represents between 120 and 200 hours of English instruction! 

Some of you have completed specific cycles in the ALC program and a number of youare actually graduating from the ALC English Program tonight. 

We congratulate each one of you.  You come from a wide range of professional backgrounds.  Some of you are from the national government; others from private business; some from NGOs or international organizations.  Among you are economists, doctors, magistrates, secretaries and students. Yet, you have all found the means and the time to devote to improving your English.  This takes courage and perseverance as you try to manage work or other studies, family, and community obligations while devoting many hours per week to study English, here at the ALC, and at home.

I am sure the reasons for learning English are as numerous as the students to be honored tonight.  But most of you probably committed yourselves to improving your English for professional reasons.  You have goals and you know that English will help you reach them.  We are very proud of you for what you have accomplished and for making education an important part of your life. 

The US Embassy in Burkina Faso continues to support and promote the American Language Center and its objectives of teaching English and American culture to Burkinabé and to the international community because education is so important to us as Americans. 

WE know, as YOU know, that education opens the door to progress, it provides people with choices -- a choice in life, in careers, in lifestyle, and in political and economic systems. Education means freedom.  Education gives you the ability to be well-informed and knowledgeable. 

It is often said that knowledge is power.  Yes -- Knowledge is power to choose;   power to change; and power to channel knowledge into productivity for the benefit of mankind.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Education is the key to Burkina Faso’s future. We congratulate the government of Burkina Faso for making EDUCATION its top priority.  A very important part of education for the current and future generations of Burkina Faso is the ability to communicate in our interconnected world. And much of that international communication is in ENGLISH. The military need English for international peace-keeping missions. Pilots need English to fly planes safely. Business people need English to expand their markets. Scientists, doctors, engineers, politicians, secretaries, teachers, project managers, taxi drivers, lawyers, diplomats, students --- all need English. 

An association in Ouagadougou that works with young adults and recent graduates on employment issues reported that more than 50% of the jobs advertised here in Ouagadougou require or at least prefer candidates who have English language skills. English is indeed important -- not only in Europe or Asia or the USA, not only at international meetings or universities or big corporations, but right here where you live, in Burkina Faso.

In 1985 at the opening ceremony of the American Language Center in Ouagadougou, Ambassador Leonardo Neher declared that the ALC symbolized a new initiative toward the reinforcement of good relations between the United States of America and Burkina Faso.  More than 20 years later, the American Language Center represents our government’s firm commitment to promote education and the English language, to share our culture, and to reinforce the good relations between our two nations.  Thank you for being a part of this on-going relationship.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in the American Language Center and in its teachers and administration to advance your English skills. 

Thank you for allowing us to work together with you to bring you closer to accomplishing your goals and realizing your dreams.

Congratulations to everyone.

Thank you.