U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the demands for economic and democratic freedom manifested in the Arab Spring call for a Marshall Plan-like approach in the Middle East.  Clinton made her remarks last week in Washington after accepting the George C. Marshall Foundation Award. 

On the eve of the anniversary of George C. Marshall's speech at Harvard in 1947, she said, "Now many of us think of the Marshall Plan in concrete terms, literally. The allies won the war with guts and valor, and the Marshall Plan won the peace with bricks and mortar. But there was more to the plan than constructing buildings and bridges. Marshall knew the importance of economic growth to build stability, democracy, and security, not only in Europe but everywhere."

Connecting the tenets of the enormously successful foreign policy program known as the Marshall Plan and recent populist uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, Secretary Clinton said, "And today, as the Arab Spring unfolds...some principles of the plan apply again, especially in Egypt and Tunisia. As Marshall did in 1947, we must understand that the roots of the revolution and the problems that it sought to address are not just political but profoundly economic as well.

"An extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit is waiting to be tapped in countries like Egypt and Tunisia. Their people have the talent and the drive to build resilient economies and enduring democracies. If we support their efforts, we can help them unlock the region's potential, rebuild their dignity, and realize their hopes. And I argue very strongly, by doing so we will advance our own security," she said.

Secretary Clinton received the 2011 George C. Marshall Foundation Award on June 2 for her support of the U.S. military and its soldiers, families and veterans, for her passionate advocacy on behalf of women and children whose voices are not being heard, and for her relentless devotion to spreading the highest ideals of democracy across the globe.

To see a video of Secretary Clinton's remarks, click here.  To see photos from the reception and dinner, click here.  Photos were taken by Ralph Alswang. 

Past recipients have included Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former President George H. W. Bush, General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), David Rockefeller, and in 2010, Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO of FedEx, among others.

Substantial underwriting was contributed by L-3 Communications, BAE Systems, RWH Foundation and ExxonMobil with additional and significant support from AM General, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Fluor, General Dynamics, HDT Global, ManTech International, Rainier Investment Management, Raytheon and VMI Foundation along with numerous individual donors.