2003 Issam M. Fares Lecture
Remarks, Professor Leila Fawaz
February 26, 2003

President Bacow, President Bush, Your Excellency Issam Fares, our students, faculty, and distinguished guests...

The Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies is only one of the many manifestations of our shared commitment to President Bacow’s clearly stated vision of excellence and tolerance

In that spirit the Fares Center’s motto is "LIGHTING THE PATH TO UNDERSTANDING."

We believe in seeking explanations for what seems unexplainable. We believe in learning from others in the world as much as they learn from us, practicing diversity.

The Fares Center plans to continue to contribute to the university’s vision of excellence and tolerance. Today we are so honored to welcome back President Bush who saw us at the beginning of our undertaking and who now graciously accepted to be back for what happens to be our tenth anniversary of Fares lectures.

We are grateful to so many people for getting us there. Most of all, for their support and generosity we thank the honorable Issam Fares and his family.

For their leadership and guidance we thank President Bacow, Provost Bharucha and the Fares Committees and Advisory Board members who are the best of counselors and supporters.

We also thank all the people who also made this event possible:
President Bush’s staff and associates,
Fares Foundation in Lebanon, including Dr. Paul Salem,
The devoted staff of the Fares Center,
The Development Office headed by Brian Lee,
Most of all, Celeste Mahoney and her extraordinarily professional staff in the Stewardship Office,
The staff at:
the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and IR Program,
the Tufts President and Provost,
Police and Security,
Conference Bureau, Facilities, Catering, TCCS and ITS,
Publishing, Public Relations, and Communications,
Student services,

We thank our Alumni, students, faculty our leaders at Tufts, the honorable Issam Fares and President Bush.

THANK YOU.

[ Read Former President George H.W. Bush's remarks ]

Additional Coverage:
[ President Bacow's Remarks ]
[ Issam M. Fares' Remarks ]
[ Q & A with Former President Bush ]