Charles Stith, the founder and director of Boston University’s African Presidential Archives and Research Center, received the 2003 International Citizen Award Tuesday night from the WorldBoston Organization, a company which conducts international exchange programs for promising leaders.
‘It is a real honor to receive this award, especially from an organization such as WorldBoston, which has a legacy as one of the oldest organizations focused on international relations,’ Stith said. ‘To have an entity like this recognize our work certainly lends additional legitimacy to what we are trying to accomplish at BU.’
Stith, a former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania and former national president of the Organization for a New Equality, founded APARC to collect documents of democratically elected African leaders and host conferences, lectures and other exchange programs.
Stith emphasized that serving U.S. interests necessitates establishing cooperative and understanding relations with other countries.
‘We have to work together for the common cause,’ he said. ‘Our country is in a unique position to convince the world that diversity can mean harmony. But we are not there yet.’
WorldBoston’s award celebrates individuals who make enormous contributions to the field of international relations, and previous recipients have included conductor Seiji Ozawa, businessman An Wang, poet David McCord and historian John Kenneth Gilbraith.
A reception and dinner at the Fairmont Copley Plaza honored Stith’s achievements. About 120 people attended the event, which included WorldBoston members and notable guests such as U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Martin Brennan and U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Robert V. Royall.
WorldBoston President Jeffrey Robbins read two letters from Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). In his letter, Kerry congratulated Stith on forging solid relationships with several African governments and bringing ‘a voice to a voiceless people.’
Clinton’s letter also praised Stith’s work in Africa.
‘Bill and I are extremely grateful for Stith’s outstanding commitment to stabilizing relations with Tanzania and promoting good relations with Africa,’ the letter said. ‘It is fitting that he receives this honor as he exemplifies the positive impact that one can have on international affairs.’
Speakers included Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the Rev. Eugene Rivers and WorldBoston Chairman F. Gregory Ahern and Robbins. A poem penned by Kenneth Kaunda, APARC’s president-in-residence, replaced his expected speech. Kaunda did not attend the event.
Kaunda’s poem celebrated Stith and BU’s international diversity and excellence as a base for ‘people of all colors.’
Nelson, a member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and former astronaut, discussed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, saying the success of terrorism prevention depends on creating and maintaining good relations with countries susceptible to developing animosity toward the United States. He complimented Stith’s work in Africa, claiming it will benefit America’s future security.
Nelson warned those who attended to ‘watch out’ for possible terrorist sects sprouting up in Africa.
‘Africa is the next breeding ground for terrorists. Wherever people are poor and afflicted, that is where terrorists are created,’ he said. ‘The U.S. must deal with this in order to prevent a repeat of 9/11.’
Rivers, a pastor at Dorchester’s Azusa Christian Community Church and co-founder of the Ten Point Coalition a group of black Boston ministers working for social change praised Stith’s innovative methods.
‘Tonight, we celebrate a man who had a vision that went beyond that of many of us who also came up in this city,’ Rivers said. ‘He alone understood the importance of integrating faith, politics and policy when working to establish a connection between the community and the private sector.’
In lieu of President emeritus John Silber, Provost Dennis Berkey spoke on behalf of BU, expressing the importance of Stith’s work at the university and complimenting the sense of urgency with which Stith addresses pressing challenges in Africa.
Following the hour-long reception, guests were ushered into the hotel’s Oval Room for a five-course dinner before Stith received the award and guests discussed his work. The Voices of Imani, a Boston College gospel singing group, provided musical entertainment throughout the evening.
Many guests said Stith’s award was long overdue, given his credentials.
‘We are very pleased and proud of him,’ said Marvin Gilmore, president of Community Development Corp. of Boston, Inc. ‘He has done so much for BU, and his work on the national and international level is exemplary.’
Elizabeth Shannon, director of BU’s International Visitors Program and a member of WorldBoston’s Board of Trustees, said Stith’s work deserved acknowledgement because Africa is a frequently ignored continent.
‘What he is doing now is wonderful,’ she said. ‘His work is changing the very face of the way that America sees Africa.’