Washington, DC
[Remarks as Prepared]
Thank you, Karen, both for your work leading USAID’s Asia Bureau, and for serving as today’s emcee.
Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to USAID Washington. I am excited today to conduct my first swearing-in ceremony as Administrator for our incoming Mission Director to Timor-Leste, Zema Semunegus.
I just had the pleasure of meeting Zema, her brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces Helina and Leah, who are here with us today. I know well that these jobs are a family affair, so I’m glad you could be here too.
Thanks also to Counselor Chris Milligan and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Craig Hart for being here, and to Asia Bureau’s leadership for shepherding this process for an important mission.
Ambassador Coelho, I’m so glad you could join us today as well. Since its independence just 18 years ago, Timor-Leste and the United States have developed an important relationship rooted in our mutual desire to strengthen democracy, improve the conditions and health of the Timorese people, and generate opportunity for future generations.
As the Ambassador well knows, this is a critical moment for democracy––and a critical moment for Timor-Leste, a bright spot in a region facing rising authoritarianism.
Before I get to why Zema is the right person at the right time to lead USAID’s Mission in Timor-Leste, I want to reflect for a moment on just how far Timor-Leste has come, from the long, tumultuous road to independence to today.
The brutal regime of occupation prior to independence is still so fresh in our minds. I can still recall the footage that an Australian camera crew smuggled out of the country showing the hundreds of pro-independence demonstrators being attacked in what we’ve come to know as the 1991 Santa Cruz Massacre.
It would take another eight years and many more innocent lives tragically lost, but the Timorese people won independence. And the world saw the bravery of the activists who put their lives on the line to achieve freedom and universal rights for their people.
As a journalist reporting on the challenges of the UN’s transitional administration, I saw firsthand how fragile and volatile the situation in the region remained for some time. More than half the country’s properties destroyed, resources looted, tens of thousands of Timorese people displaced and scarred.
Yet, in 2011, I spoke on behalf of President Obama at a reception honoring one of the many leaders in the fight for independence, then Prime Minister of a free and democratic Timor-Leste, Xanana Gusmao. It was an especially remarkable event because it took place in the Embassy belonging to a free and democratic Indonesia. A simple logistical detail––the location of the event––stood as a significant testament to the power of democratic change.
Timor-Leste’s fight for independence and strengthening of its own democracy reminds us that by advancing democratic principles around the world, we are not just striving to achieve freedom, rights, and dignity for the individuals within nations, but also to achieve peace and stability among nations.
Today, Timor-Leste has an important message for a world witnessing the genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Western China, Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and a campaign of ethnic cleansing leading to the displacement of 2 million Tigrayans in Ethiopia: However powerful the forces are that rely on violence as a solution, the acts of courage and conscience of ordinary people can change the course of history.
Rebuilding and developing a path forward for self-governance proved difficult, but the strides the Timorese people have taken have been tremendous. Over the last two decades, Timor-Leste has made remarkable progress forming democratic institutions and running fair and credible elections.
And I am proud to say that since 2001, USAID has been an active partner, providing over $350 million in development assistance to build a more prosperous, healthy, and democratic Timor-Leste.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to building the country’s capacity to address systemic challenges of extreme poverty, high maternal and child mortality rates, infrastructure deficits, unemployment, and food insecurity. And while the country weathered the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic with few cases and no deaths, rising numbers over the past few months are troubling, and USAID continues to provide emergency assistance to bolster the health system’s ability to respond.
Guiding a team to achieve meaningful results that build on USAID’s development gains is something Zema Semunegus knows a little bit about. While we only just met this afternoon, her reputation for innovative thinking, relationship building, empathetic leadership, and even the occasional prank precede her.
I note Zema’s mischievous streak because her childhood friend and partner in crime Mehret [Meh-RET] is here, and I feel obligated to warn you all in the room to make sure your seat is secure before you take it!
But beyond a good sense of humor, Zema’s resume shows the technical expertise she brought to disaster response efforts in the Horn of Africa and Eastern Europe; to democracy and governance efforts in Ethiopia; to South Sudan as Deputy Mission Director; and to the Program Office for USAID West Bank and Gaza.
Lasting change does not come from technical expertise alone, though. It requires the open mindedness and courage Zema exhibited on that first lonely flight from Ethiopia, as her family sought greater opportunity for her and her siblings in America. Zema’s zeal for building bridges between nations develops out of her immigrant story and is a vital part of USAID’s mission to create a better quality of life and enhance opportunity in developing countries.
Lasting change also requires an unwavering willingness to care for colleagues and partners, so that whatever challenges may come, they know there is someone in their corner who has their back.
And it requires the level of devotion and love for people and cultures that Zema has shown throughout her career in foreign service.
Zema, I know your BHA colleagues are going to miss your leadership, your active and empathetic mentorship, and the grace you brought to bear through challenging times. But that legacy sustains in the work of all those who’ve looked up to you since you began with USAID over two decades ago. And the Timor-Leste Mission is lucky to have you at the helm at a moment of great challenges and even greater opportunities.
Through today’s challenges and those ahead, we will be here for you. So thank you for taking this next step for the Agency. We wish you the best as you transition to Dili and look forward to seeing the strides you’ll make to strengthen the partnership between our two democracies.