Gayle Smith
The Diplomat
People, composure and the difficult conversation held well.
Gayle Smith is a seasoned advocate and leader in global health and development, with extensive experience in navigating complex international issues. This interview highlights her ability to mediate between different stakeholders and her commitment to fostering cooperation for effective solutions.
“I've had this question a lot, and I think, yes, these were war zones, these were parts of the world I didn't know that were brand new to me. But I also found that If you tried to speak the language and I speak a few languages very creatively, but you're at least demonstrating that you're trying.”
“It was crazy. After President Clinton was elected, I was contacted by the presidential personnel office, which you're familiar with, and this was just at the very beginning. It was the combination of that office and the transition team. And they asked whether I'd be interested in working for the administration. And I got a fax.”
“It kind of, in the way we used to say you serve at the pleasure of the president, the WHO serves at the pleasure of its members. It is imperfect, but it's also a really good and really vital organization right now because it's the one that many countries rely on for guidance, for information.”
“I think that's absolutely right. And there are two things that are really key, I think, in all of this, and that's that people need to be provided with regular scientific information, not opinions, not hopes, not predictions. But scientific information so that people have the facts.”
The Axe Files with David Axelrod — Ep. 384 — Gayle Smith
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