Washington, May 7, 2018—On April 28, the International Career Advancement Program Alumni Association (ICAPAA), honored Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety II, Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs of The George Washington University, with the 2018 Diversity Award for his commitment to diversifying senior leadership in foreign affairs. The award was given during the ICAP Mid-Year Reunion and Awards Ceremony hosted at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC.
Ambassador Brigety formerly served as the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
In his acceptance remarks, Ambassador Brigety underscored the importance of diversity in American leadership in bringing our nation closer to realizing the goals of the U.S. Constitution, “not as the our Founders practiced but as they articulated.” He implored the ICAP Fellows and senior advisors gathered to continually work toward building the America that reflects all of our ideals, commenting that progress is not guaranteed and historical biases and prejudices can reemerge without deliberate efforts.
Ambassador Brigety emphasized the importance of building strong relationships based on trust with those with different backgrounds, speaking multiple languages, making strategic decisions, and creating personal opportunities to share diverse experiences. He added that the majority must be engaged to play a critical role in social solutions, noting that “just because an injustice is not happening to us, it does not mean it is not happening.”
Dr. Tom Rowe, Founder & Director of ICAP said, “We are thrilled that ICAPAA is honoring Ambassador Brigety, a man who has illustrated through his career a commitment to promote diversity in his work and open doors and mentor all people, including people of color.”
“We are privileged to commemorate Ambassador Brigety. During this challenging political climate, ICAPAA wants to lock arms with a man who stands for his principles and values, not just when it is popular, but when it is most necessary,” stated Chandrima Das, President of ICAPAA.
Ambassador Brigety’s award was presented by Ambassador Ruth A. Davis, the highest-ranking African-American Foreign Service Officer and the first African-American woman to be named Career Ambassador when she retired in 2009. In attendance were ICAP Fellows, supporters and ICAP senior advisors, including Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the Distinguished Resident Fellow at Georgetown University and former Assistant Secretary for the State Department Bureau of African Affairs and Ambassador Lino Gutiérrez, the current Executive Director at the Una Chapman Cox Foundation.
