E-mail Story
Print Friendly
Send E-mail
Reprint story
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Gov. Plans To Focus on Peace
By Dan Boyd
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal
Journal Capitol Bureau
SANTA FE — Gov. Bill Richardson says he will establish a Santa Fe-based international peacemaking institute after leaving office at year's end.
Richardson, who returned to New Mexico late Tuesday after an unofficial mission to North Korea, told the Journal in a Wednesday interview that the institute will focus on brokering peace accords and rescuing hostages.
The two-term Democratic governor has secured an office in Santa Fe's downtown area and plans to call the institute the Richardson Center for Peace and Dialogue.
"It's not going to be big," Richardson said. "It's not going to be affiliated with anybody. It will be privately funded, and I've already started thinking about it."
The center won't be officially launched until after he completes his second term as governor, Richardson said.
The Richardson Center plan follows at least brief consideration in the past couple of years of a peace studies center at the University of New Mexico involving Richardson as an instructor. Richardson and UNM President David Schmidly explored international funding for the UNM center, but nothing came of the proposal.
Richardson said in the interview Wednesday that he also has some paid speaking engagements lined up around the country and plans to serve on the boards of several businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Richardson, who was first elected governor in 2002, said he has turned down job offers to become a high-paid lobbyist. Before becoming governor, he was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary under President Bill Clinton and represented New Mexico in Congress for nearly seven terms.
"I don't want to be a lobbyist, that's for sure," the departing governor said. "I've had a lot of lobbying offers — I've had a lot of offers of many kinds — but I don't want to leave New Mexico."
Media speculation about Richardson job prospects has included a lobbying position with the Motion Picture Association of America.
In addition to his official roles, Richardson has often served as an unofficial diplomatic troubleshooter, including missions to Iraq, North Korea, Colombia, Venezuela and Sudan. Several of those trips have included negotiating for release of hostages.
His most recent trip to North Korea was at the invitation of North Korean officials and was aimed at lessening tensions after a North Korean artillery attack last month that killed four South Koreans. Richardson said he pressed the North Korean government not to retaliate in response to stepped-up South Korean military exercises.
While the trip might have bolstered Richardson's diplomatic reputation, some people who have worked with Richardson had already speculated on a new career for Richardson in global affairs.
Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops, touted the governor's diplomatic prowess in a recent interview.
"One thing he is, is a negotiator, and one thing our world needs is negotiators," Sanchez said.
With Gov.-elect Susana Martinez set to take office Jan. 1, Richardson said he's looking forward to the next phase in his life.
Though he didn't rule out a possible future run for elected office, Richardson said he doesn't plan to be active in New Mexico government.
Instead, he said Wednesday that he plans to visit baseball stadiums around the country, learn to ride his horse properly and spend more time with his wife, Barbara.
"I've reached a point where I'm comfortable going into private life," said the 63-year-old political veteran. "I need to become a normal person again, and I'm looking forward to that normality."
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
