Dr Witney Schneidman
"New Beginnings, Enduring Challenges: American Foreign Policy to Africa from Kennedy to Obama"
Presentation, as prepared
Radio 702 Podcast
Witney Schneidman chats to Jenny Crwys-Williams
Press releases
Close Window
The late senator Edward Kennedy visited South Africa in 1985 at the behest of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Reverend Allan Boesak. He came at a time when many, including his own government, actively supported the apartheid regime.
U.S. Embassy and the University of Pretoria Announce First Senator Edward Kennedy Memorial Lecture
October 20, 2009
"New Beginnings, Enduring Challenges: American Foreign Policy to Africa from Kennedy to Obama"
12:30 for 13:00 October 27
Senate Hall, Main Administration Bldg
University of Pretoria
The Embassy of the United States of America, in partnership with the University of Pretoria, is proud to announce the inaugural event of the Edward Kennedy Memorial Lecture Series.
This lecture series commemorates United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s lifelong struggle for justice and equality, and recognizes the late Senator’s special regard for the people and country of South Africa.
The inaugural lecture, at 13:00 on October 27 at the University of Pretoria’s Senate Hall, will be delivered by Dr. Witney W. Schneidman, advisor on African affairs to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa with the Clinton Administration.
Dr. Schneidman’s lecture, ‘New Beginnings, Enduring Challenges: American Foreign Policy to Africa from Kennedy to Obama,’ is open to the public. Interested individuals should contact Zani Naudé at 012-420-2696 or cips@up.ac.za for more information.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Center for International Political Studies (CIPS) at the University of Pretoria, together with the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, will host the Senator Edward Kennedy Memorial Lecture Series given by influential American policy makers and thought leaders.
SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY AND SOUTH AFRICA
The late senator Edward Kennedy has been lauded as one of the greatest and most effective American lawmakers of his generation. His unwavering commitment to social justice -- often in contrast to his peers – distinguishes him as a great global leader as well.
The man who UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called ‘a great Internationalist’ visited South Africa in 1985 at the behest of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Reverend Allan Boesak. He came at a time when many, including his own government, actively supported the apartheid regime. During his visit he told a gathering, “I come with an abiding commitment to basic human values. High among those values is the fundamental equality of all people…” He visited Winnie Mandela, banished to the town of Brandfort; spoke with black miners in the notorious mining hostels in Soweto; and led a march on Pollsmoor Prison, where Nelson Mandela was being held.
Upon his return to the U.S., Senator Kennedy was instrumental in introducing the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which pushed for economic sanctions on apartheid South Africa.
Speaking at the opening of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, President Obama praised the legacy of a man who loved his country and “who crafted hundreds of pieces of legislation and helped pass thousands more, all with an incalculable impact on the lives of millions.”
The Edward Kennedy Memorial Lecture series will build on the principles that Senator Kennedy lived and fought for throughout his life. The collaboration between the university and the U.S. Embassy builds on the commitment by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to see Africa, and South Africa – as a partner in development.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Witney Schneidman is President of Schneidman and Associates International, a consulting firm working with American companies and NGO’s in sub-Saharan Africa. He is also a Senior Adviser at the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation. During the Obama campaign he was co-chair of the Africa Experts Group on the Foreign Policy Advisory Team – and a member of the Presidential Transition Team.
Dr. Schneidman has been extensively involved in the areas of economics and commerce in the region, particularly through the work of the Trilateral Dialogue: a partnership among the Sullivan Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Brenthurst Foundation and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. He also played an instrumental role in ensuring the successful passing and implementation of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA). He has dedicated his career to African development, and is uniquely qualified to speak on the subject of African/US relations under a new US administration.