Heinz Kerry wins Schweitzer Medal

Teresa Heinz Kerry accepted the Albert Schweitzer Gold Medal for Humanitarianism Tuesday night at a ceremony in Shriver Hall.

Johns Hopkins University President William Brody presented the award, given for "exceptional achievement in the service of humanitarian causes," to Kerry, commenting in his opening remarks that she had improved the lives of many in her work.

Following Brody, Hans Hessler, president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of New York, introduced the life of Dr. Alfred Toepfer, who founded the von Humboldt foundation.

The Schweitzer Medal was created in 1986, and is administered by Johns Hopkins University for the von Humboldt foundation. Jared L. Cohon, president of Carnegie-Mellon University, nominated Kerry for the award. "She is a catalyst of humanitarian acts," said Cohen, according to a University press release.

Previous recipients of the award include former President George Bush who won the award in 1997 for his efforts to reunify Germany.

In her acceptance speech, Kerry focused on individuals in a "world awakening to the trials of our own troubled century." She said current events seemed to be "tectonic shifts in which the actions of individuals seem tinier still."

To answer the question of what a person can do, Kerry spoke of her own childhood experiences in Africa, and the "special quality" of the place. "The African savannah was my earliest classroom," said Kerry. "Crocodiles are very persuasive teachers."

She spoke much of her father, who left the comforts of Europe to practice medicine in Mozambique. She drew a parallel between the life of her father and Schweitzer, who left Europe to run a hospital in Gabon in the early 20th century. "My dad would be proud and humbled," by her award, she said.

She also drew lessons from her visit to Ground Zero shortly after the events of Sept. 11th, saying she was horrified by the scene. "What God would write on lines such as these?" she said, referring to a Portuguese saying that God writes straight on tortuous lines.

But, above all, she said she found hope in the helpers at Ground Zero, especially the firefighters and other emergency personnel.

Kerry also focused on volunteering and the qualities of true volunteers.

She said that true volunteers performed good work rooted in respect, were willing to forget their own needs when needed and were conscious that their motivation is not completely altruistic, that in helping others they were also helping themselves.

She said America appreciates its volunteers and that diversity defines this country.

Criticizing those who see diversity as a "weakness or division," she instead labeled it "source of strength." "Every time we have opened our land, we open hearts and open minds."

Answering her question about individual acts of kindness and their place, she said, "What hope have we of shaping history with small acts of kindness and conscience? ... That is our only hope. Acts [are] a beacon for a strife-torn world."

Afterwards, Dr. Lore Toepfer, the daughter of Alfred Toepfer, thanked the University for the use of its facilities and for help in selecting Kerry. She also thanked Kerry for her work.

In an interview before the ceremony, Kerry talked about growing up in Mozambique, which she said was "very different then than it is today." She went to college in South Africa, starting while the university was integrated, and graduating soon after the higher education apartheid bill passed.

"I had kind of an innocent time of it," she said. "Then I came to be aware of what the lack of political freedoms really meant ... We were not allowed to talk about politics."

After returning to Mozambique, she took a class in politics and government against the wishes of her mother, who thought she would be taken to jail. "Those people don't monkey around."

During that class, she said, "I realized then what it meant to feel hatred, because I never really knew that, and I realized that the black Africans [in her politics class] hated the whites."

Forces of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) began an armed insurgency in 1964, culminating in a coup in 1974 and complete control in 1975. Most of the white settlers left after the 1974 coup.

"Africa taught me, really gave me a compass about a lot of things that I think are important in life, the symbiosis of things ... and on the other side, what it is we do about a world or community where there is no safety for kids."

Kerry was married to former Senator John Heinz (R-Pa.), who was killed in a plane accident in 1991. Upon his death, she chose not to run for his Senate seat, and instead chose to take over the Heinz family philanthropic organizations. "I decided I couldn't do it all, I'm not a superwoman. I'm fortunate to be able to do work I like."

She said that being on the campaign trail with her current husband, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), has affected her work, but she's enjoying it."It's great fun to campaign," she said.