PSB Cultural Program Speech; Jinshan Hall, Zhenjiang Hotel

I am President & CEO of Pearl S. Buck International, the organization Ms. Buck founded with her own name to publicize and eliminate injustices and prejudices suffered by children who, because of their birth, are not permitted to enjoy the educational, social, economic and civil privileges normally accorded to children. Today, Pearl S. Buck International carries out this mission by promoting the legacy and dreams of Pearl S. Buck - her commitment to improving the quality of life and expanding opportunities for children, promoting and understanding the values and attributes of other cultures, the injustice of prejudice, and the need for humanitarianism throughout the world.
It is a great pleasure to return to Zhenjiang, the place where Pearl S. Buck's young life took shape, to be part of today's festivities and to thank everyone on behalf of Pearl S. Buck International for your kind invitation. I want to especially thank and acknowledge the President of the Pearl S. Buck Research Center, Xu Xiaoxia and Mayor Shi Heping. Through your leadership and commitment, the legacy of Pearl S. Buck continues to build a bridge between East and West.
It is an honor to be here today accompanied by the daughter of Pearl S. Buck, Janice Walsh, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pearl S. Buck International, John E. Long, Jr.
Janice Walsh is the oldest living daughter of Pearl S. Buck. She was part of the Pearl S. Buck International delegation who visited Zhenjiang two years ago for the 110th Birth Year Celebration & Symposium. During the last two years, Ms. Walsh has dedicated herself to developing the Pearl S. Buck House & Historic Site in the United States, and Pearl S. Buck International has been honored to have her as a member of its Board of Directors. In her role as board member, Ms. Walsh has been a primary supporter of the growth and development of our partnership with the Zhenjiang's Pearl S. Buck Research Center.
John Long is the Chairman of the Board of Pearl S. Buck International. During the last year, Mr. Long has served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, assuming his new position last month. Mr. Long is the father of four children, owns a printing business in the United States, and serves as an elected government official representing the township where he lives. He is a long-time admirer of Pearl S. Buck and even remembers seeing Ms. Buck on television when he was a child. Although Mr. Long has a very busy professional life, he is so thoroughly committed to building our partnership here in Zhenjiang that he could not resist your kind invitation. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank both Ms. Walsh and Mr. Long for being here with me today.
During the time since my last visit to Zhenjiang, we have strengthened our partnership with the Pearl S. Buck Research Center and achieved many goals together. The Teacher Ambassador Program is a shining example of our partnership. To date, Pearl S. Buck International has recruited and trained sixteen ambassadors to live and work in China. They have been warmly welcomed into your city, schools, and community. Each one of our ambassadors have reported wonderful experiences - so much, in fact, that three of our ambassadors surprised us by requesting to stay in Zhenjiang a third semester! It gives us great pride to currently have 10 representatives of Pearl S. Buck International following in the footsteps of Pearl S. Buck.
We are also proud to have raised and donated $9,500 to the Zhenjiang Social Welfare Center, thanks to the Pearl S. Buck Research Center who developed the partnership between Pearl S. Buck International and the Center. Through the Research Center, we were able to find out the specific needs of the Welfare Center which enabled us to develop a plan to help.
We also established a partnership with a local middle school in the United States with Zhenjiang No. 2 Middle School. When we shared information about the establishment of the Pearl S. Buck Class in Zhenjiang with the Pennridge Central Middle School, the student council became interested and raised money for a scholarship for the students and then conducted a book drive for the school. Tomorrow, I will be presenting a $1,000 scholarship, raised by students in the United States, to support the Pearl S. Buck class. In addition to the scholarship, the Student Council collected more than 300 books from fellow students and they were boxed and mailed to the Zhenjiang No. 2 Middle School about two weeks ago by Pearl S. Buck International.
It is our hope that as we expand our partnership programs further, we will learn even more about our different cultures and history, strengthen communications, and accomplish humanitarian goals. Ms. Buck challenged us to look beyond physical and cultural differences, not to discount them, but to accept that every person's culture is a rich combination from which we can all learn. When we use the traditions and strengths of other cultures as resources, we will enrich our own cultures and lives and accomplish more than we can alone.
It is our great pleasure to know that Pearl S. Buck's legacy is continuing in the land where she conceived the thoughts and beliefs that shaped her writing and philanthropy. Just as Ms. Buck's literature and the organization she founded have preserved her legacy, we believe that documentaries being filmed about the life of Pearl S. Buck in China will keep her dreams alive for generations to come both here and abroad.
Pearl S. Buck's dedication to intercultural understanding and cooperation brings us together again today. Just as Ms. Buck drew strength and knowledge from her life in China, I believe we can strengthen and bring these values to every day life and people in our respective countries through our partnership programs. Being here today is a shining example of the legacy of Pearl S. Buck.
I thank you for the opportunity we have to work together to build a new world of possibilities.

Writer       :By Janet L. Mintzer, President & CEO Pearl S. Buck International
Writefrom:September 27, 2004

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