Instead of creating another thread with the same topic, I found this one and figured we a bump was in order ...
Quote:
"Bolden: I am here in the region - its sort of the first anniversary of President Barack Obama's visit to Cairo - and his speech there when he gave what has now become known as Obama's "Cairo Initiative" where he announced that he wanted this to become a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. When I became the NASA Administrator - before I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering."
Question: Are you in some sort of diplomatic role .. to win hearts and minds?
Bolden: NO NO, not at all. Its not a diplomatic anything. What it is - is that it is trying to expand our outreach so that we get more people who can contribute to the things that we do - the international Space Station is as great as it is because we have a conglomerate of about 15 plus nations who have contributed something to that partnership that has made it what it is today ..."
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link
NOTE** I linked this site because the liberal and the conservative sites just started with their spin instead of giving the actual info. This one actually quoted what was said.
I am not familiar with NASA's goals from the past, but I would have thought they would be more about the functioning of the organization and space travel/exploration - not about this stuff which seems so much more diplomatic in nature.
Quote:
1) to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math,
2) to expand our international relationships,
3)and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering."
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I think these are worthwhile things, but not his responsibility. Anyway - thats all I'll say on it for now. I'm interested in what you think.