If you read the recent National Geographic article on the Sahel--the transitional region between the Sahara desert and the tropical forests of Africa that stretches across the continent, you know that this strip has been gradually moving south, leaving once-arable lands unproductive.
I was interested to learn today that Senegal's President, Abdoulaye Wade (pronounced Wahd), will be giving the 2008 U Thant lecture at United Nations University (UNU), a Tokyo-based school and think-tank. His topic will be "Climate Change and African-led Initiatives."
According to the UNU website,
President Wade will speak on climate change and Africa, and specifically on how African-led initiatives, such as la Grande Muraille Verte (the Great Green Wall) can contribute to combating desertification. . . [I]n his recent speeches President Wade has highlighted the importance of the sharing of experiences, of collaborative effort, and of innovation to the success of these initiatives.I can't read French-language newspapers fluently enough to follow daily political developments in Senegal, but more and more, I am learning about President Wade's statesmanship on crucial world issues. At a conference of Islamic nations held in Dakar in April, he stood firm against calls to make Senegal an Islamic republic, and gave a reasoned but urgent plea for respect and cooperation across religious lines, holding up Senegal as a (in my mind, valid) example.
Photo shows President Wade addressing the UN General Assembly, September, 2007. UN Photo/Marco Castro. Source: http://www.unu.edu/ (June 24, 2008)
Quote source: http://www.unu.edu/uthant_lectures/#wade (June 24, 2008)
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