US envoy: No to ice bucket challenge

MANILA, Philippines - US Ambassador Philip Goldberg is not going to pour a bucket of ice-cold water over his head.

Goldberg said yesterday he would not participate in the “ice bucket challenge” in compliance with a State Department order banning American ambassadors and other high-profile foreign service officers from taking part in the activity that aims to raise money and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

US State Department lawyers said participation would violate federal ethics rules barring officials from using public office for private gain “no matter how worthy the cause.”

“Here’s the thing. I just got a message from Washington today saying I can’t do it because we’re not allowed as public officials to have something that’s directed toward one charity… as worthy as the charity is,” Goldberg said during the first “Ask the Ambassador Google Hangout.”

But the State Department directive came too late for US ambassador to Thailand Christie Kenney, who already doused herself with cold water and posted it on her Facebook page.

Kenney, on her online post, didn’t specifically say she was supporting the charity but asked people to make a donation anyway.

Aside from Kenney, another high-ranking diplomat, ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, had already participated and had challenged US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power to douse herself with ice water for the cause.

But by then, Power and the other ambassadors got the memo.

Others have also frowned on the ice-bucket challenge. A Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio discouraged students and staff at its schools from making donations to the ALS Association because it supports research that involves embryonic stem cells.

Goldberg, however, urged everyone to give to the charity of one’s choice,

“But as public officials, they don’t want to say you should be contributing to ALS because if we say that, then some other worthwhile cause will come and say why don’t you do it for us too,”  Goldberg said. “Also I don’t want that ice on my head.”

The diplomatic cable said public health and disease prevention are some of the State Department’s highest priorities, noting US funding for global programs to fight HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, smallpox and polio and recent efforts to combat the Ebola virus. Washington complimented the ALS Association on the success of its ice bucket challenge, which has raised more than $40 million and attracted a plethora of notable participants, including former President George W. Bush, television hosts Martha Stewart and Matt Lauer, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, pro golfer Greg Norman and Ethel Kennedy.

The stunt involves people videotaping themselves as they dump cold water on their heads and posting the clips on Facebook and elsewhere. This is followed by a dare to friends to do the same within 24 hours or donate $100 to ALS.