Madeleine Albright Luncheon

I had the honor of attending the National Democratic Institute's Madeleine Albright Luncheon this month. There were many thoughtful speakers. 

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, an MP in Kosovo, shared that in her experience, doing the right thing is not enough for politicians - they also need to talk about doing the right thing. She also said, "You keep throwing stones at me, I'll keep paving roads with them." 

Seyi Akiwowo, a councillor in the UK, discussed the significance of the distinction between robust debate and silencing when people disagree. She also talked about the importance of representation. 

Madeleine Albright talked about how women should not be looked at as victims. She said that she wants to build upon the slogan, "If you see something, say something;" she believes that we also need DO something. And she concluded by saying that women are not asking for our rights, we were born with them.

Madeleine Albright herself is not universally admired, but I think she represents the complexities that politicians face. There are no perfect politicians because there are no perfect people and there are rarely perfect solutions to the challenges they are trying to address. I believe that Madeleine Albright followed her conscience. I may disagree with some of her choices and language along the way, but my sense is that she continues to learn and grow. That is my greatest hope for all of us.