National Peace Essay Contest

Awards Program

On June 21, Secretary Bill Richardson made a special address to the 1999-2000 Peace Essay Contest winners at United States Institute of Peace's thirteenth annual Banquet honoring the contest's First-Place State Winners. Held at the historic Meridian House in Washington DC, the banquet included remarks from Institute President Dr. Richard H. Solomon, Education Program Director Pamela Aall, and Senior Fellow Princeton Lyman (former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa). At the conclusion of the evening a special awards ceremony was held to present each of the state scholarship winners, with a certificate commemorating their award, and to announce the national first, second, and third-place winners. In his keynote address, Richardson praised the students for their accomplishments and shared some of his insights into the difficulties of international negotiation and mediation gained during his many years in public service -- including his experiences as a member of Congress and as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Highlights From Secretary Richardson's Address

In April 1997, Secretary Richardson, who was then U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was dispatched by President Clinton to Congo/Zaire. While there, he arranged the first meeting between the President of Zaire, Sese Seko Mobutu, and rebel leader Laurent Kabila. In his remarks, he talks about a meeting with Kabila, and highlights the importance in peacemaking of establishing a personal relationship with the parties to the conflict -- Kabila, in this case -- and of preparing for the effort by defining one's own goals as a mediator. In the course of his remarks, he refers to Ambassador Daniel H. Simpson, who was American Ambassador to Congo/Zaire at that time.

Secretary Richardson discusses his experience in a complicated negotiation in the Congo.
(Video) (2:15 running time; 4.5 MB download; video instructions)

The National Peace Essay Contest state winner from New Mexico, Rob Shafer, asks the Secretary about negotiating with the North Koreans about the release of two American military men. In December 1994, Richardson was on a one-day "fact-finding mission" to North Korea, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. While there, he received a request from Secretary of State Warren Christopher to see if he could engage the North Koreans and help gain release of the one captive who was still alive as well as the remains of his dead comrade. Although accompanied by a State Department official, Richardson was not representing the State Department, a point he makes in his talk. Richardson presented the North Koreans with the possibility of a constant negative news exposure for them if he refused to leave the country and they refused to release the American soldiers, a good illustration of building leverage in situations where you have little with which to work.

Secretary Richardson talks about his experience "Negotiating on the Edge" in North Korea.
(Video) (5:33 running time; 7.6 MB download; video instructions)

In December 1996, while still a congressman from New Mexico, Bill Richardson intervened in Sudan to secure the release of some Red Cross workers who were being held by one of the factions in the Sudanese civil war. This story carries many lessons: the importance of the personal appeal, an understanding of the underlying needs of the parties to the conflict, use of deadlines to move negotiations forward, and, finally, a creative broadening of the negotiation package (offering to help many of the children in the region) to make it acceptable to the wider audience that would have to support the deal.

Secretary Richardson illustrates the importance of give and take in mediation during a mission to the Sudan.
(Video) (4:48 running time; 7.2 MB download; video instructions)

Remarks by Senior Fellow Princeton Lyman, former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.
(Video) (12:24 running time; 17.1 MB download; video instructions)

Remarks by Sara Loubriel-Carrion of Puerto Rico & Thomas Tsai of Texas. Sara and Thomas were chosen by their fellow state-level winners to speak about the group's week in Washington.
(Video) (5:02 running time; 9.4 MB download; video instructions)