Most African countries just want democracy, something that can be achieved with the help and support of the United States, former president of Botswana and newly-appointed African Presidential Archives and Research Center President Festus Gontebanye Mogae said Tuesday night in Boston University’s School of Management auditorium.
Mogae discussed Botswana’s recent democratic advancements and his hopes for President Barack Obama’s African foreign policy in his lecture, ‘Democratization in Africa: The Case of Botswana, and What Africans Expect from the Obama Administration.’ Before Mogae presented his lecture, the crowd of more than 200 people attending the lecture gave him a standing ovation.
Botswana is one of many African countries that want democracy, Mogae said. Sub-Saharan governments continue to push for democracy, and are making strides to improve education, alleviate conflict and promote development.
Although Obama’s primary devotion has to be to the American people, Mogae said he still hopes for support and the continuation of relations between the United States and sub-Saharan countries.
Mogae also spoke of Africa’s economic situation, stating that he is happy with the United States’ initial steps to improve the global economy, but poorer countries’ economies cannot be ignored.
‘More has to be done to bring relief to Africa and the least-developed countries of the world,’ he said.’
Mogae wants the Group of 20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, a group of representatives from 19 of the world’s largest economies and the European Union who work on restoring financial stability worldwide, to ‘formulate international coordinated supervisor regulations regarding accounting and disclosure standards throughout Africa,’ he said. He would also like to see Africa exporting greater goods.
Global warming is also a concern for Africans, who suffer the consequences of climate change despite their minimal contribution to the droughts, high temperatures and other impending climate problems, Mogae said.
BU biostatistics grant manager Cynthia Korhonen, a former immigration attorney, said she found Mogae’s lecture informative.
‘It was a great opportunity to hear from an exceptional African leader,’ she said.’ ‘Most Americans know so little about Africa. More people should have taken advantage of this.’
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Leonidas Polemis said he was not especially moved by Mogae’s lecture.
‘I wasn’t compelled by a specific argument,’ he said. ‘I thought everything he said was predictable or could be applied to any country in Africa.’
Nick Haigh, a staff member of Grassroots Soccer, a group that uses soccer to teach HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa, said he saw Mogae speak for the second time this week because of his strong interest in his previous lecture on HIV/AIDS.
‘He is a powerful speaker,’ he said. ‘Fantastic.’
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