When Thomas Buergenthal was invited to speak to the world Affairs Council of Houston last year, the principals of the event were eager to create a memento of appreciation that would be treasured by him.
For Alan R. Crain, a World Affairs Council Director and also the moderator of the Buergenthal interview, it was important to him that the token of tribute be fitting to the life and stature of Tom. The key to a meaningful tribute is partially the physical token, but more importantly, it has to do with the research and thought given to the significance to the honoree by the presenter. In this case, Alan had done his due diligence on Tom and had acquired the main component … a die-cast model car prior to contacting us to assist with the completion of the design and assembly.
You see, Thomas Buergenthal was a Holocaust survivor as a youth ... and later reunited with his mother who survived as well. When Tom was a young boy he had a red toy pedal car – a most prized possession that had to be abandoned as the family fled their country and home from the encroaching sanctions and persecutions. Alan knew that story having read Buergenthal’s book A Lucky Child.
Today Tom is the American judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Who better to be a judge on the World Court?
Following his World Affairs Council discussion moderated by Alan, he was presented with this look-alike model car with an inscription noting the occasion. Today, the model car is no doubt displayed somewhere in a prominent place where conversations with curious friends and visitors allow him to relive his boyhood story … and that evening in Houston anchored by the memory of a thoughtful tribute.
The underlying story here is about the impact of a thoughtful tribute … for any achievement or occasion. To me, the art of tribute comes from the heart which is then translated into a physical symbol that has significance to the deserving recipient.
The underlying story here is about the impact of a thoughtful tribute … for any achievement or occasion. To me, the art of tribute comes from the heart which is then translated into a physical symbol that has significance to the deserving recipient.
