Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was Thursday (January
14th) honoured by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in
Atlanta, Georgia. He was awarded with the Presidential Award in
recognition of his leadership in advancing human rights, social justice
and the fight for universal freedom.
The SCLC, founded by the late American Civil Right leader, Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr, in January 1957 is currently led by Dr. Charles Steele
Jr.
The event is part of the activities leading up to the celebration of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, January 18th, 2016. Former President Jonathan is the first African leader to be so honored.
Dr. Jonathan also received Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s sister, Naomi King during the event.
Before his remarks at the event, Dr. Jonathan met privately with the president of the SCLC.
The president of the SCLC, Dr. Charles Steele Jr proposed to work
with the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation to advance the cause of peace
around the world and to bridge the gap between people of color in the
Diaspora and Africa.
Former President Jonathan responded that his vision is to help
stabilize and promote democracy and peace in Africa. He went on to say
that without peace you can not have economic progress. He
revealed that this was the reason he pushed for Nigeria’s intervention
to ensure peace in various African nations such as Côte d’Ivoire while
he was in office.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and President Steele then agreed to collaborate
along the lines suggested by the former Nigerian President.
At the event, former President Jonathan expressed his gratitude to
the SCLC for inviting him and declared that it was “virtually impossible
to separate this worthy body from its founder, the late great Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr, or from epoch making landmark events of the
American Civil Rights movement”.
He also said “My personal takeaway from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, is
service to God and the brotherhood and equality of all men before their
Creator.
In keeping with that, I have learnt not to look up to any man, except
he is taller than I, or to look down on a fellow mortal, except I am
admiring his shoes”.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is the Chairman of the Goodluck
Jonathan Foundation and is in Atlanta, Georgia, on the invitation of a
number of US institutions.
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He
revealed that this was the reason he pushed for Nigeria’s intervention
to ensure peace in various African nations such as Côte d’Ivoire while
he was in office.
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