Washington, D.C.- The Ambassador of the United States in the Dominican Republic, James W. Brewster, joined Dominican LGBT leader Deivis Ventura in receiving the “Global Thinker 2016” award from Foreign Policy Magazine in Washington D.C. yesterday. Foreign Policy Magazine bestows the honor annually on 100 individuals from around the globe who have made a significant contribution to global thinking. In the words of Foreign Policy, “The 100 leading Global Thinkers of 2016 are emblematic of our innate desire to confront pessimism rather than surrender to despair, to challenge ugliness rather than resign to failure.”
In remarks upon receiving the award Ambassador Brewster said, “My husband Bob Satawake and I could not be prouder to have played a role in elevating the conversation about human rights and inclusion in the Dominican Republic over the last few years. We have been able to make progress on President Obama’s vision in several areas including Bob’s work on gender violence and the environment, our advocacy on behalf of stateless individuals and people of color, and the ongoing fight for transparency. Our relationship with the Dominican Republic is anchored in the ongoing strength of our commercial relationship and the exceptional people to people ties that exist between our nations. We are thankful to the Obama administration, the American people, and the Dominican people for providing us the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Ambassador Brewster was appointed by President Obama in 2013 as the first out and married gay ambassador in the Western Hemisphere. He was awarded under the “challengers” category by Foreign Policy because “agitation takes myriad forms”. The ceremony occurred December 12th at the Four Seasons hotel in Washington D.C. and included other illustrious awardees such as U.S. Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and the Dominican Republic’s own Deivis Ventura.
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