by Clayton M. McCleskey

As is tradition, the Fulbright Commission in Berlin once again joined forces with DAAD and the Humboldt Foundation to celebrate Thanksgiving at the Kulturbrauerei, with over 220 Fulbright grantees in attendance. U.S. Ambassador Philip Murphy kicked off the event with a keynote speech, culminating in the Fulbright Diversity Program award ceremony, followed by a turkey dinner. Having just arrived in Berlin in August, Murphy used the opportunity to reaffirm his belief in the importance of exchange programs and to explore the challenges facing the German-American relationship.

Speaking of heroes, Murphy cited William Fulbright as a leader who had the "courage to seize a moment in history." Since its beginning in 1952, the German Fulbright program has had 40,000 members, said the Ambassador. While praising pioneers such as Fulbright, the Ambassador also addressed the changing nature of the German-American partnership: "The arch of history has changed from Germany and America's specific obsession with each other to global stuff. The stuff we deal with has gotten global and it's gotten kind of abstract." Murphy insisted that the German-American partnership is as vital as ever; despite the fact that "the immediacy of the relationship has changed." He warned the audience that while the shared history of the Marshall plan and leaders such as John F. Kennedy and Konrad Adenauer are important, "It won’t be enough to sustain your generation’s relationship between Germany and America."

The Ambassador expressed his support for Fulbright and other exchange programs, indicating they are crucial to maintaining the historically strong ties between the two countries. Calling the fall of the Berlin Wall "one of the great moments in history," Murphy also recognized that in the years following German reunification, America has shifted its focus away from Germany. The American military has reduced its presence here by 85%, there are no longer dozens of Amerika Hauses, and where there used to be over 100 reading rooms in Germany, there are no none, said the Ambassador.

But he still sees a bright future ahead for the alliance, delivering a challenge to young people in the room, encouraging them to "create the magic of the 21st century partnership between Germany and America." On issues ranging from Afghanistan to climate to immigration, both countries can work together and learn from each other, said Murphy. And while the speech was peppered with humor and was delivered in Murphy’s characteristic laid-back style, the Ambassador sent a clear message when it came to Afghanistan: the U.S. and Germany are in this together.

As Washington continues to demand more from the Germans in Afghanistan, the Ambassador made a point of mentioning the importance of the NATO mission in that country. He spoke highly of the American and German soldiers serving there, including them on his roster of heroes. As a political appointee of President Obama, Murphy was not shy in praising the president, comparing him to President Kennedy and offering up a defense of Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win. "The very act of engaging in and of itself has deep substantive meaning," said Murphy, adding, that progress on issues such a nuclear non-proliferation takes time. "Let’s have some patience with today’s heroes."

The theme of engagement and dialogue ran throughout the speech, as the Ambassador stressed the important of "getting people to the table." He was quick to add: "There is a guy who I work for today who is all about getting people to the table whether you agree with him or not." In that spirit of engagement, Murphy expressed his belief that most progress and change happens from the bottom up. The Ambassador praised "people power" and the heroes of Germany’s recent past, such as those who protested and led to the fall of the East German Regime. Seeking to empower the audience to take that kind of leadership, he concluded his message with a call to arms: "Don’t ever watch the game from the stands. Always get down on the field. Get bloody, get dirty, but never walk away saying 'I wish I could have.'"