Celebrating Diversity through Chicago Art

On May 29, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Ambassador and Mrs. Brzezinski with Swedish Minister of Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth and Ulf Adelsohn

On Friday, we hosted a lively art opening focusing on the theme of multiculturalism viewed through the lens of Chicago art. The exhibit was sponsored by the State Department’s “Arts in Embassies” program which enables each Ambassadorial couple to adorn their home with American art in order to share our culture with others. See photos from the party here.

The sun was shining and a tantalizing breeze flowed through our residence promising the imminent arrival of summer as we opened our home to a dynamic array of guests— from art connoisseurs to young activists running programs supporting tolerance within Sweden to radio hosts and the Minister of Culture— and brought the house down singing and swaying to the amazing Stockholm Gospel choir who sang traditional, Chicago-inspired gospel songs.

The story of Chicago for me personifies the American dream. Like many Chicagoans, I’m the daughter of immigrants who came here to give their kids a better life and better opportunities to grow, get an education, achieve their goals, no matter how far-fetched they seemed.

I grew up on the Southwest Side of Chicago, in an idyllic neighborhood of different cultures, faces and names, all living shoulder-to-shoulder in modest, square houses. My neighbors on one side were Mexican-Americans, on the other side African-Americans, and across the street they hailed from Lithuania, Poland and India. We didn’t see our differences in culture or religion. Instead we focused on our similarities like a mutual love for kick-ball, Michael Jordan or Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

This feeling that “we are all in this life together” is what I have striven to bring to Sweden through our Arts in Embassies Program. I am not an art connoisseur but I took this task very seriously by spending weeks in Chicago, scouting out art and artists with a story of multiculturalism and a message of tolerance. I wanted to highlight not only the art, but the story and identity of the artist as a commentary on their work. I also could not have implemented this vision without the hard work, faith and professionalism of the State Department’s Arts in Embassies directors, in particular Robert Soppelsa, the curator who I worked with closely. I learned so much from Bob and his talented team, thank you!

The nine artists I was fortunate to include are all amazing artists but more importantly amazing, socially responsible people. They range in age from their 20s to 80s, and hail from Puerto Rico to Poland. Each uses their work to enact positive change in their communities and mentor the young generation focusing on a message of hope and tolerance.

Having a greater purpose beyond one self and a strong engagement in the outside world is something I have found to be integral to the Swedish culture as well. And I’m very proud to have the opportunity to bring Chicago art here to Sweden, to celebrate all we have in common as Chicagoans, Americans, Swedes and citizens of this world.

Please view this link to see the artists and their great work on the State Department’s web site.

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Fighting Corruption and Bribery Globally: The State Department and the Department of Justice Working Together to Build Partners Around the World

On May 25, 2012, in Mark, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Lanny Breuer, the Chief of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, addresses the members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sweden.

This week I welcomed to Sweden a US Government Official who is spearheading one of our most important overseas priorities:  fighting corruption and bribery in the four corners of the globe.  US Embassies can play a very important role by usefully interpreting for the host government and the host society key US policy goals, and the tactics being taken to implement them, and in so doing build partners.  The success of the US Government’s campaign against global corruption and bribery will be most effective when there is a seamless web of bribery fighting that spans the world. It will be less effective if the US is the only country fighting overseas corruption and bribery.

 
Overseas corruption and bribery harms those who are the least empowered, and it prevents business decisions from being made on purely commercial terms.  The Department of Justice enforces America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the law which penalizes and sanctions overseas bribery.  Lanny Breuer, the Chief of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, supervises prosecutors who investigate allegations of overseas bribery.  Mr. Breuer has taken a very proactive approach to enforcing the FCPA, and given that both American and overseas companies can fall within the jurisdiction of the law, I invited Mr. Breuer to Sweden to spend two days explaining to both public and private audiences in Sweden his priorities and approaches.

 
On both days, Mr. Breuer had a very full schedule.  On Monday, we hosted a business roundtable so that leading American and Swedish business leaders could  listen to and learn from Mr. Breuer.

Mr. Breuer then met with Sweden’s Ambassador for Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) Lisa Svenson, to listen to what Sweden is doing to promote a more ethical corporate culture, and to offer useful advice based on his own experience.  (Yes, Sweden has an Ambassador at its Ministry of Foreign Affairs for CSR, and it also has an Ambassador for Anti-Corruption, which gives you a sense of how important these goals are to the Swedish Government.)

We then hosted a lunch roundtable for Mr. Breuer with U.S. Embassy staff at our Embassy Diner, so that our team here can also learn from Mr. Breuer and follow up with key Swedish interlocutors after he departs.
After lunch, Mr. Breuer met for over one hour with the Swedish Minister of Justice Beatrice Ask, and her leading prosecutorial and investigative section heads.  That meeting focused on international anti-corruption, but also narcotics smuggling, organized crime, and violent extremism.  This was a key meeting, as both of these individuals are pivotal to effective overseas law enforcement collaboration.  At the end of the day,  Mr. Breuer gave a major address to the Swedish Bar Association – this was a very high level gathering of former judges (including the former Chief Justice of the Swedish Supreme Court), police officials, and leading Swedish lawyers.  It was an impressive gathering.

On Tuesday, Mr. Breuer began the day by giving an interview with the Swedish version of Business Week focusing heavily on the FCPA priorities of the DOJ and how the U.S. can collaborate  with Sweden to fight overseas bribery.  We then traveled

to the Ministry of Justice for an intensive consultation with Swedish prosecutors and police investigators focusing on organized crime.  The inter-agency group that met with Mr. Breuer had prepared carefully a case-study that that described how the Swedish government fights organized crime, and Mr. Breuer was able to offer meaningful feedback and advice.

Lunch hosted by the Swedish Ministry of Justice State Secretary followed, with discussion on how the US and Swedish governments are similar and also differ in how they organize their prosecutorial and police agencies, and deploy resources most effectively to fight crime.  A meeting between Mr. Breuer with the Director of the Swedish equivalent of the FBI followed, in which lessons learned about effective tactics were shared.  Later in the afternoon we were honored to meet with the Prosecutor General of Sweden, who supervises more than 900 prosecutors nation-wide.  The day ended with Mr. Breuer giving a speech on the FCPA to the members of the American Chamber of Commerce here in Sweden.  It was a standing room only audience (See Attached Photo), and Mr. Breuer was both nuanced and constructive on explaining the intricacies of compliance with the FCPA.

Why does this matter?  Because the US will only be effective in fighting overseas corruption and bribery if we have partners who are both committed and effective in joining us.  Sweden is a country that has global reach and credibility, and when their law enforcement joins ours to investigate allegations of corruption and bribery, we will be that much more effective from removing this scourge.

Two very useful days for the US Embassy here in Stockholm.  And a great example of efficient and targeted collaboration between the State Department and the Department of Justice on one of the central challenges of our time:  Anti-corruption.

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An evening honoring courage & sacrifice 

On May 24, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nina Lagergren

This week I had the honor of being invited to an evening championing personal freedom and basic human rights around the world. The headline speaker for the Stockholm 2012 Leadership for Human Rights event was the renowned Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man who personifies courage in the face of repression and the ideal of not being indifferent to human need.

 
The event was sponsored by Sweden’s eminent “PostkodLotteriet”—a for-profit organization leading the way in philanthropic and socially responsible efforts—  and also included speeches by Ambassador Jan Eliasson, who has been newly appointed as Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations as well as two-time Oscar winning actor Sean Penn, now Ambassador-at-large for Haiti.

 
Walking up to the great Concert Hall, I could not help imaging the scores of brilliant men and women who have walked those cobbled stones to accept their Nobel Prize. This feeling was amplified by the powerful humming music and stunning arrangement of gigantic poster-sized faces of men and women around the world from Africa to Belarus fighting for human dignity visible as guests walked up to the grand entrance of the building.

 
The evening was beautifully choreographed to include art, music, poetry and visual mediums interlaced with powerful speeches to underscore the plight of the repressed. Video interviews ranging from the wife of a Belarussian activist who has disappeared,  to rural Cambodian women whose land, and therefore livelihood, is being taken away by the government in order to be sold to private developers for big profit.
Sean Penn delivered a moving reading of Kerry Kennedy’s book “Speak Truth to Power” and I must shamefully admit shaking Sean Penn’s hand and speaking to him briefly was a highlight of the evening not only because he is famous and charming but because one could really feel his fierce passion on these issues.

But the man who charged the room with emotion was Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  His sheer presence and grace brought tears to my eyes. The way he spoke about his experiences standing up to apartheid but also fighting for those with AIDS, tuberculosis and other socially marginalized groups in South Africa injected an energy toward activism in the room that was palpable. One of the most touching moments, captured by the photo in this blog, was seeing the sister of Raoul Wallenberg, Nina Lagergren, relating with the Archbishop in a way that seemed as if they had known each other their entire lives. Wallenberg was also a man who refused to be indifferent to hatred, and is a national Swedish hero who the U.S. Embassy has most recently celebrated by planting a tree in his honor in front of the U.S. Ambassadorial residence. Nina has dedicated much of her life to celebrating his legacy and championing human dignity, and you could see the instant connection she had with the Archbishop around those universal principles.

Ultimately, as Ambassador Jan Eliasson expertly put it in his incredible speech: although we all celebrate our respective national independence days with much fanfare the world is now interdependent. We need an “interdependence day” where we demonstrate “passion and compassion” in order to effect change and enforce human dignity around the world. I could not think of a greater call to action than that!

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Human rights & Human Dignity

On May 23, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer addresses the audience

Yesterday afternoon I had the unique privilege of introducing Margot Wallstrom, the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict at the United Nations, at a seminar for transatlantic challenges organized by the American Chamber of Commerce.

Unfortunately, even in today’s modern world, rape continues to be a tool of political intimidation and warfare. Empowering women in conflict zones to speak out against these atrocities is “a human rights issue, not a women’s issue,” according to Wallstrom. Consequently, global peace and stability will never occur until we empower women to have a seat at the negotiating table in peacekeeping efforts.

Wallstrom is an innovative leader who has made her own path in her career, and never chosen the easiest or most accepted route. She molded her work to fit her convictions, her family life and her creativity, and has mentored younger women to lead from a place of authenticity like as well.

Wallstrom shared the stage with Lanny Breuer, the Assistant Attorney General and Head of the Criminal Division who was introduced first by Mark. Lanny delineated his work on enforcing anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, and the historic uptick of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prosecutions under the Obama Administration.

Although the work Lanny and Margot do seems to have little in common on the surface, in fact, both of them are fighting for human dignity, fairness and democratic values. In the wake of the Arab Spring, there is an outcry for transparency and fair treatment of all individuals and this is the common thread evident in both Margot and Lanny’s work.

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Global Award for Entrepreneurship

On May 17, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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Yesterday Mark and I attended an interesting luncheon held for the winner of this year’s International Award for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research, Professor Kathleen M. Eisenhardt from Stanford University.

Professor Eisenhardt was celebrated for her prescient and extensive research in corporate entrepreneurship, primarily identifying factors that keep entrepreneurial ventures innovative and successful in varying and rapidly changing markets.

In her fascinating keynote speech, Professor Eisenhardt determined that swift decision-making based on an analysis of 3-4 alternatives and an ability to be nimble and adapt to change quickly are critical for a thriving entrepreneurial enterprise. Another interesting point she made was that the best businesses learn to operate on the “edge of chaos”— incorporating a solid structure of rules but not being too rigid— a concept she compared to “being the parent of a teenager” who has to be closely watched but not overly regulated.

According to Eisenhardt, the most effective management teams are very diverse, with a mix of genders, ages and ethnic backgrounds. This is very much in line with Secretary Clinton’s focus on promoting more women in business leadership.

Studies done by the World Bank and United Nations report that strong market growth among European companies is most likely to occur where there is a higher proportion of women on senior management teams. According to research by Forbes Magazine, firms with more women on their boards outperform their rivals with a 42% higher return on sales, 66% higher return on invested capital and 53% higher return on equity.

In addition to the luncheon, Professor Eisenhardt has spent the past several days discussing her findings with students, policymakers and government officials in order to promote goals of innovation and enterprise within Sweden.

The award is sponsored by the Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research (FSF) and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Nutek). In 2008 the Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) joined FSF and Nutek to become the third partner in awarding the Prize.

We were so proud that an American woman won the prize this year, and it was such a privilege meeting her. Congratulations Professor Kathleen Eisenhardt! Go Stanford!

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Keeping it real

On May 11, 2012, in Natalia, by Ambassador Brzezinski
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On Friday, our home was brought to life in a big way. Bright balloons, blueberry lollipops, excited giggles and two giant jumping castles— one indoors and one outdoors— filled every room with the innocent joy of childhood.

The occasion was our daughter’s third birthday and we celebrated by reaching out to the wonderful community in her Swedish nursery school, as well as friends we have made in the past few months and Embassy staff with young children.

The result was a delightful mélange of authentic conversations among parents and a raucous carnival-type atmosphere with kids occasionally shrieking with excitement at the prospect of eating as many chocolate cupcakes as they wanted and running wildly through the formal parlors and hallways of the old European home.

As a mother, nothing could make me happier or prouder than seeing the joy on our daughter’s face as she frolicked with her friends or saw the huge Princess-pink jumping castle for the first time. My husband and I both noted that neither of us had ever had a grand birthday party like that, nor do we really recall having any birthday parties until our teen years and those were mostly at inexpensive pizza parlors like Chuck E. Cheese! This was something really special we hope she takes away from this incredible experience abroad. It’s also a way for us to share this incredible gift and home with as many people as we can.

We strive to make this home as open, inclusive and accessible as possible, and try to be all those things personally. It can be intimidating and formal to enter an Ambassadorial residence so steeped in formality, beautiful art and tradition, but I can tell you that no one was feeling intimidated when they were greeted at the door with inflated balloon animals, Barney songs streaming through the air, a popcorn machine and our sugar-infused daughter whose face was blue from eating too many lollipops.

Nothing strips people of their professional trappings and formality like kids. Keeping it real was the theme of the evening, in the best of all ways. And that is the kind of atmosphere Mark and I hope continue.

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