Albright's reflections

As she travels the United States talking about her new book, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright doesn't say God is on the side of any one country. She doesn't claim to know what God wants, actually.

In her book "The Mighty & The Almighty; Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs," Albright admits she is not a theologian. In her speeches, she repeats the disclaimer: I am not qualified to give a sermon.

And yet, she says, everywhere she goes she meets people who hunger for something that, if not a sermon exactly, is at least a discussion of where God fits in. For too many years, she believes, the United States has done diplomacy without truly understanding the religious beliefs of those it wants to influence.

Recently, Albright spoke to the Deseret Morning News by cell phone in Michigan, as she drove from one book signing to another. (It was May 15, her 69th birthday.)

When asked what an average American can do to bring about peace, she said, "Be educated about other people's religions." This may mean learning more about your own faith, so that you can find the places where it intersects with other faiths.

Think of people as individuals, she added. A conservative Muslim in Iran might have quite a bit in common with a conservative Christian in the Midwest. Both worry about the vulgarity and excesses of modern life. Both worry about children being corrupted.

Even a liberal and a conservative share many values, Albright said. A liberal might talk about human rights and a conservative might cite a Bible verse, but both seek the same ends.

Albright recently joined with a conservative Republican to give a public policy workshop at Georgetown University, where she teaches. She and U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, of Kansas, came up with four issues on which they agree.

They both want to stop genocide, stop human trafficking, help refugees and promote freedom of religion around the world. At the end of their talk, Albright and Brownback handed out a list of NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) to help students find ways to work on these

issues.

Albright said she believes Americans are generous, "so willing to volunteer if someone gives them the opportunity."

But she suggests we also be humble as we try to help. She said we need to think of ourselves as partners, not as saviors. In fact, Albright believes it is beyond the ability of any mortal to rid the world of evil.