One of the pleasures of the turn of the year was receiving an email from my friends at the Mahanoy City Public Library back in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. I have been supporting the Library for the past several years, and I always enjoy hearing about upgrades, new projects, and other goings-on there.

Attached to the email were a few photos of recent changes in the facility. I was particularly interested to see the new-and-improved children and youth room of the Library, dubbed Huebners Corner. It certainly looks like a warm and inviting place to spend time exploring, discovering, dreaming, and learning.

A part of Huebners Corner in the Mahanoy City Public Library.

I know from my own experience that libraries can be powerful tools for sparking imagination, broadening horizons, and opening minds. They are egalitarian, libertarian treasure troves of knowledge and entertainment at no start-up cost or user fee to the consumer, which is particularly important during tough economic times.

Unfortunately, when budgets get tight, libraries get squeezed. The officials doing the squeezing often argue that the internet is a cheaper, more expansive, and more cost-effective substitute. I disagree. Even if one overlooks or blocks the gaming, chatting, and porn, the internet simply does not feed and socialize young minds the way well-stocked, well-run libraries can.

That’s why, in my private capacity, I established an endowment fund to support book procurement and youth programs at the Library in Mahanoy City. It’s also why, in my role as Ambassador, I pushed to create a traveling library program in Samoa, with hundreds of donated books in waterproof crates rotating every few months among villages on Upolu and Savai’i.

In fact, I insisted that one of my first official acts as Ambassador to Samoa be library-related. On my inaugural trip to Apia in February 2010, I helped formally open a new American Corner that we constructed at Nelson Memorial Public Library. The Corner is 736 square feet packed with 1,000 books, 65 magazine subscriptions, a bank of research computers, and weekly story-telling and literature programs.

Another view in the Mahanoy City Public Library.

In 1607, Edward Topsell wrote in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes, “If by covetousnesse or negligence, one withdraw from them their ordinary foode, he shall be penny wise, and pound foolish.” Seems quite apropos. He could have been testifying today at a public hearing about appropriations, books, and young minds.

Among your New Year’s resolutions, please consider stopping at your local library to hug the librarian, check out a book, make a donation, and even volunteer to read stories to children. You’ll be glad you did. (And of course, if you happen to bump into a public official on the street, consider sharing Topsell’s advice.)

It’s the time of year for Top Ten lists, with publications and commentators ranking the best, worst, favorite, most powerful, most influential, or most absurd people, things, and events of the year gone by. Although often entertaining, the exercise can also be a useful way to reflect on the meaning of the past twelve months and to focus one’s resolutions for the New Year ahead.

In that spirt, I thought I’d end 2011 with my own list of the events and efforts in which the Embassy played a meaningful role over the past year that most significantly contributed to positive momentum in the US-NZ bilateral relationship. Given the recent level of activity, it certainly was not an easy job to narrow and order the list. After a good bit of thought and revision, here’s the Top Ten countdown:

10.  Educational Advising

One of our top priorities at American Mission New Zealand has been retooling our programming to emphasize youth education, outreach, and exchange programs. In 2011 we took a major step forward by creating in the Auckland Consulate General a new full-time position of Educational Adviser.

Educational Adviser Drew Dumas chats with students.

As I discussed last month, the Educational Adviser will spend his time visiting schools, giving presentations about educational opportunities in the US, assisting prospective students and their parents with applications, providing information on possible financial aid, and otherwise dispensing information and advice about undergraduate and graduate programs at America’s 4,400 tertiary education institutions.

This effort hits my Top Ten list because, in my view, there is no more powerful way of promoting international understanding than facilitating the movement of young people across borders to study, travel, and otherwise explore. If we had done nothing else in 2011 than establish this position and launch this effort, I would have declared the year a success. I have very high hopes for what our new Educational Adviser, who answers to “Drew,” will do in 2012.

9.  Pacific Heritage Independence Day Celebrations

Our American Independence Day celebrations this year were very special. On the Fourth of July itself we held a reception in Christchurch to honor a half dozen Kiwis who greatly assisted our team in the days after the February earthquake when we were engaged in difficult search and relief activities in Canterbury. In Auckland and Wellington we organized later Independence Day events to celebrate the deep, vibrant Pacific heritage that the United States and New Zealand share.

Hawaiian performers in Auckland.

Through dance, song, food, and video we were able to illustrate the strong cultural links between the native Hawaiian and Maori peoples, as well as celebrate the long history of positive engagement in the Pacific by the US and New Zealand. The two nations have been, are, and always will be Pacific nations geographically, historically, economically, demographically, and culturally. Those are facts worth remembering, embracing, and cherishing.

Our Polynesian celebrations seemed to resonate well with the 1,000 or so invited guests. The Auckland event was particularly exciting because we held it not in the central business district but in the heart of the Pasifika community in the southern reaches of the city. The evening was great fun and provided a strong platform for launching the Mission’s expanded Pasifika outreach program.

8.  TS Golden Bear

The port calls by the TS Golden Bear hit my Top Ten list because they advanced the Mission’s education and exchange programs in particularly powerful ways. Unleashing approximately 300 American university students onto the streets of Wellington and Auckland for several days provided tremendous opportunities for enhancing understanding, building relationships, and generating respect and affection. And frankly, I just really like ships. 

TS Golden Bear in Wellington Harbor.

As I reported previously, TS Golden Bear is a former US Navy ship now used for training purposes by the California Maritime Academy, which is part of California State University system. Early in the year I contacted the Academy, and the president graciously agreed to reorganize the school’s usual Pacific training schedule to include stops in Wellington and Auckland.

Upon arrival, the crew hosted receptions and conducted tours of the ship for government officials, students, and other community members. The cadets visited local schools, did a good bit of sightseeing, sampled New Zealand nightlife, and even played some rugby. The energy, excitement, and goodwill generated by the Golden Bear visits were unmatched this year, at least until the USA Eagles soared in for the Rugby World Cup. 

7.  Future Partners Forum

Another significant youth outreach project launched this year was the Future Partners Forum, organized in collaboration with Fulbright NZ and the NZ-US Council. Comprising 11 Kiwi students (drawn largely from my Ambassador Adviser groups) and 11 American students (drawn from the pool of visiting Fulbright scholars), the Future Partners attended the plenary sessions of this year’s US-NZ Partnership Forum in Christchurch and conducted parallel panel discussions and break-out sessions.

Several of the Future Partners take a break from meetings to visit Te Papa.

Our goal was to have the Future Partners wrestle with the same agenda as the main Forum, formulate recommendations about the future of the US-NZ bilateral relationship, select a couple of spokespersons, and then present their report to the full Forum at the conclusion of the conference. The students participated fully and energized the proceedings. They were finalizing their presentation in a meeting room at AMI Stadium when the February 22nd earthquake literally brought the ceiling down on top of them.

Refusing to be thwarted, the Future Partners continued their work online for several months, convened for a weekend in Wellington, produced a final report entitled The Power of Partnering: Global Challenges and the Role of the US-NZ Relationship, and presented their conclusions to audiences in Wellington and Auckland.

The quality of their work and the courage and tenacity of the Future Partners made this project a shoo-in for the 2011 Top Ten list. Moreover, given their passion and commitment, I wouldn’t be surprised if several of the participants become influential stewards of the US-NZ partnership in their future careers.

6.  Pacific Islands Forum

Another clear choice for the List was this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), held in September in Auckland. Deputy Secretary of State Tom Nides led the largest and highest-level US delegation ever to participate in the annual event. He was accompanied by the Governor of American Samoa, Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell, and senior officials from the White House, Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, USAID, Coast Guard, and Peace Corps, among other agencies.

Deputy Secretary of State Nides and Foreign Minister McCully meet the press during the PIF.

What was significant, though, was not the size of the delegation but the importance of the work accomplished. We divided the American attendees into several subject matter teams and moved them through a packed schedule of more than 100 working meetings. Concrete progress was made on a variety of matters including disaster preparedness, sustainable development, and fisheries, and partnership agreements were signed to advance climate change adaptation in the Pacific Small Island States.

Our participation at the PIF was an integral part of the ongoing rebalancing of the extensive American engagement in the Pacific which in 2011 included a blizzard of meetings with regional leaders, the opening of USAID’s office in Port Moresby, successfully hosting APEC in Honolulu, concluding major free trade deals, pressing forward on TPP, participating actively in the East Asia Summit, collaborating with ASEAN, opening a large new Embassy compound in Suva and new facilities in Apia, Manila, and elsewhere, and much more … ample evidence of what Secretary Clinton refers to as ‘America’s Pacific Century.’ 

*  *  * 

Stay tuned. I’ll continue the countdown tomorrow.

Today billions of people around the world will celebrate Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, known to Christians as the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Rich with more than two millenia of cultural customs and religious practices, the day will be marked in all corners of the world, in many different ways, but with common elements of prayer, song, family gatherings, festive meals, charitable acts, and exchange of gifts.

The National Christmas Tree, behind the White House.

Some of my most vivid memories of childhood are from Christmas. Candlelight services at Christ Lutheran Church … the powerful poetry of the Gospel readings … joyous hymns, particularly my favorite, Adeste Fidelis ... carolling through town in a brass quartet with my friends … the big town Christmas tree …

… the early years when Santa Claus arrived with tree and gifts as my brother and I slept … the later years when we forayed into the forest to cut the tree ourselves … watching classic holiday movies such as Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life with family … my Dad’s vast model train yard, which only appeared at Christmas … secular gems such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas … and much more.

The municipal Christmas tree back home in Mahanoy City.

Like children we are sometimes distracted by the bright lights and the frenzy of crowded shopping malls. But that’s not what Christmas is about. Rather, the season is about hope, peace, and salvation, manifested in the most unlikely way … in the birth of a baby to parents of humble means, in a manger in a stable, because there was no room at the inn. As recounted in the Gospel according to St Luke:

“It came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. All went to be taxed, every one into his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

“So it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

A traditional Nativity display at the National Christmas Tree.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

“And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. This shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”

Glittering angels and the iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York.

To all of our friends celebrating today, Dr McWaine and I wish you a very Merry Christmas. And to those around the world who must celebrate quietly behind closed doors because of fear of government reprisals, we wish you strength, courage, and glad tidings.

Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας.

I am in Washington this week for consultations. Each year I come back to HQ for a week or two to meet with colleagues at the State Department, officials in other agencies, Congressmen and staff on the Hill, think tank contacts, and NGO and business leaders working on issues relevant to projects at the Embassy. My short time in DC is always the most productive part of my year because of the efficient way in which face-to-face meetings can move projects forward, generate new ideas, obtain approvals, iron out priorities and schedules, and arrange funding.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps.

This time is no different, and it has already been a busy week. First thing Monday morning I visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia to talk about next year’s 70th anniversary of the arrival of American military forces in Aotearoa after Pearl Harbor. The Museum is a marvelous new facility with exhibits covering the founding of the Corps in 1775 through present-day missions. The Director and I discussed World War II artifacts from New Zealand, Tarawa, and Guadalcanal that the Embassy might be able to borrow next June if we can find an appropriate exhibition space.

In the two days since my arrival I have also met with my State colleagues in Secretary Clinton’s Office of Global Partnerships, the trade and strategy folks at the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, the Secretary’s Special Advisor for Innovation, our special Ambassador for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and his deputies, and the team implementing the Presidential Memorandum on LGBT human rights, ending today with an evening call on Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell to talk about next year’s priorities in New Zealand and Samoa.

The State Department lobby.

The visit to the TIP office was particularly instructive. Ambassador CDeBaca and I discussed at length the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Adopted by the United Nations in Palermo, Italy in the year 2000, the Protocol is a legal agreement that supplements the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. New Zealand, the United States, and 115 other nations have ratified the Protocol and have thus agreed to be bound by its provisions.

The Protocol defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Human trafficking is a worldwide scourge, even in highly developed societies, and numerous governments, corporations, and NGOs have launched projects to raise awareness and combat the problem. Notable examples include Stop the Traffik, MTV ACT, Save the Children, and CNN’s Freedom Project.

Created by act of Congress, the State Department’s TIP Office engages in a range of anti-trafficking activities including producing an annual TIP Report that slots countries, now including the United States, on three tiers based on how well they comply with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking.

The National Mall at night.

Beyond the walls of the State Department, I met with friends at the Pentagon to discuss the 70th anniversary, South Pacific humanitarian missions, and a few other projects that we’re working on together. I also called on the American Association of Museums to talk about a couple of US/NZ museum exchanges that I hope to facilitate.

And, in a very 21st Century surprise, while purchasing my two daily Snapple Diet Peach Teas in a grocery store at Columbia Plaza — I wish I could find the stuff in New Zealand — I was approached by my Facebook friend Ray, whom I had never before met in person. He saw me across the aisle and came over to introduce himself and say hello.

In my two remaining days in DC I’m scheduled for another 18 meetings within State, at the White House, and on Capitol Hill. I am particularly looking forward to briefing the staff of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations regarding developments, priorities, and challenges in my two jurisdictions. Another highlight ahead is a visit to the National Museum of the American Indian, where I will tour that extraordinary institution and discuss potential projects with the Director. And of course I’ll pay my usual calls at the White House.

Christmas time in Los Angeles.

Friday morning I’ll head to Los Angeles for the Christmas weekend, followed by several days of commercial diplomacy in Southern California, including meetings with business groups interested in exporting to and/or investing in New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Because we’ve rented our Hollywood home while we’re stationed in Wellington, Dr McWaine and I will be crashing for a couple days with our great friends Vana and Kevin, and then with our Princeton mates (and the parents of our two oldest godsons) Keith and Rose.

I am always energized by being in DC, so I could keep on talking about the goings on here for another hour or two. But it’s getting late, and I should sign off. Tomorrow morning starts early, and the day is especially tightly packed.

If you happen to be in DC and see me on the street or at a Snapple case somewhere, please pull a Ray and say hello.