Community & Government
Prologue
Lesson time 02:54 min
Secretary Rice provides context and background information for her joint class on diplomacy with the late Secretary Albright.
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Topics include: Background information on a joint class on diplomacy.
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Former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice teach you to settle differences in everyday life like a diplomat.
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- I'm Condoleezza Rice. I was the 66th Secretary of State of the United States of America. And before that, I was the National Security Advisor. It's been very difficult to recognize that Madeleine Albright is indeed gone. Madeleine was a dear friend and colleague. We really enjoyed our opportunity to teach for MasterClass together, because it gave us a chance to talk about our history and about the many things that we shared. But she's going to leave a big hole in my life and in the lives of all that she knew. Because despite the fact that most people would think about Madeleine as Madeleine the diplomat or Madeleine the public servant, for those of us who were her friends, she was one of the most kind, one of the most genuine, one of the most compassionate people that I knew. And I really miss her. In November 2021, when Madeline and I filmed this MasterClass, we could not have fully understood what was about to happen in Ukraine, when Russia would invade its smaller neighbor, really attempt to absorb this small country, and to wipe out its culture and its history and its language and, in fact, much of its population that we are now seeing. And even though we didn't know at the time, there were some storm clouds gathering, because we knew who Vladimir Putin was and I think we spoke to the nature of Vladimir Putin. We spoke to issues about NATO expansion and the importance of sharing with countries that shared our values, our security. And so much of that has come to pass in this time. I talked to Madeleine about three weeks before she died and we talked about the awful circumstances in Ukraine. She was heartbroken to see Eastern Europe are going through this, to see the Ukrainians going through this. But she fundamentally believed that, eventually, right would win out if the United States undertook its responsibilities to support the people of Ukraine who are fighting for the very liberties that we enjoy. When we filmed this MasterClass, we talked about these things. And I think you will see that, even though the war will perhaps change the course of history, many of the verities, many of the fundamentals of that history were addressed when we talked to one another in MasterClass. And though this war is going to go on for some time, perhaps well after you view this MasterClass, the one thing that we both emphasized was the importance of the United States standing with those who simply want the blessings of liberty. That has not changed. And that will not change.
About the Instructor
Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice stood toe to toe with dictators, counseled presidents, and managed to find common ground on issues that still polarize us today. Sit down with two legendary secretaries of state as they reveal how to build bridges, hold boundaries, and apply history’s lessons to everyday challenges. The class presents an intimate portrait of the late Dr. Albright’s legacy for the next generation.
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Madeleine Albright & Condoleezza Rice
Former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice teach you to settle differences in everyday life like a diplomat.
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