Madam Secretary – the odyssey of a woman who made great history

Madeleine Albright, America’s first female secretary of state, remains an inspiration to those who were her contemporaries, despite the fact that she was often challenged, criticized.

Sometimes valued, sometimes controversial, the famous American diplomat of Israeli origin, born in the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) remained famous for her sharp style, for her brooches, each created to convey a message to the audience.

The book “Read My Pins” is a fascinating story about how the jewelry collection of a woman in a high political position was used to build diplomatic history. His brooches were a unique kind of personal expression that touched the hearts and minds of many people beyond his speeches.

There are many books from which we can learn about the career of the nicknamed “Madam Secretary”.

 ”A Memoir” is the autobiography of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, published in 2003, “Hell and other destinations,” “The Mighty and the Almighty,” “Fascism – A Warning.” The last one decries the global rise of authoritarianism and talks about Trump, Putin and the Brexit odyssey.

One of the world’s most influential politicians and diplomats was born on May 15, 1937. The personal and professional career of the first woman to serve as US Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001, in Bill Clinton’s mandate, has all the ingredients of a spectacular novel for a screenplay. Madeleine K. Albright, born Marie Jana Korbelová, is a person who lived and made history. Her childhood bears the imprint of the Nazi invasion of the early years of World War II. She and her family took refuge from Czechoslovakia in the United Kingdom. The isolation and the fact that they had no siblings remained deeply imprinted in the mind of the frightened little girl.

The refugee experience was one of the reasons Madeleine Albright campaigned for the United States to assume the role of a superpower. She advocated for “muscular internationalism” which has drawn a lot of criticism. One of her most controversial questions was asking an American general from Pentagon: „why does the American army mentain of over a million soldiers, if it never uses them ?!”

In 2001, when Madeleine Albright was leaving office as America’s first female secretary of state, interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. “I don’t want to be remembered,” she answered. “I am still here and have much more I intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my life to be more exciting than the last.”

 The hardships of life did not go unnoticed – including a painful divorce after many years of marriage, the traumas of Jewish grandparents, a family that did not provide the emotional comfort that a person with such overwhelming public responsibility needed.

Young women around the world appreciate her for her courage, tenacity and directness, in a world where the presence of a woman was not common.

“Few leaders have been so perfectly suited for the times in which they served,” Clinton said in a statement. “As a child in war-torn Europe, Madeleine and her family were twice forced to flee their home. When the end of the Cold War ushered in a new era of global interdependence, she became America’s voice at the UN, then took the helm at the State Department, where she was a passionate force for freedom, democracy, and human rights.”

In addition to her political career, Madeleine Albright has worked as a professor of international affairs and director of the “Women in Diplomacy” program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Affairs. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international affairs, foreign policy of the United States and Russia, as well as foreign policy in Central and Eastern Europe.

She has also developed and implemented programs to strengthen the career opportunities of women with careers in international affairs.

She remained famous for two famous remarks:

“There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women”;

“There’s plenty of room for mediocre men in leadership, but there’s nowhere for mediocre women.”

Photo: Madeleine Albright Facebook official page

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