Kuzeeko Tjitemisa
Founding President Sam Nujoma has dedicated the outstanding achievement award in the field of diplomacy for peaceful conflict resolutions, conferred upon him at the weekend in Cairo, to the Namibian people.
Nujoma was on Saturday conferred the award from the Kemet Boutros-Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge.
Accepting the award, Nujoma said he is most grateful to have been selected as a recipient of the distinct honour, which he said he accepted with humility.
“I am most grateful to have been selected as a recipient of this distinct honour and accept it with humility on behalf of the Namibian people and other progressive people of the world, especially those who stood in solidarity with us during our liberation struggle for freedom and genuine independence,” said Nujoma said.
He also thanked the Kemet Boutros-Ghali Foundation for bestowing the honour upon him, which includes a sum of US$10 000 (about N$150 000), saying the money will go to the Sam Nujoma Foundation to help the children of farm labourers who do not attend school to realise their full potential.
With honour, Nujoma said, he is conscious that he will walk in the footsteps of distinguished recipients of the award who have provided leadership and made outstanding contributions in the field of diplomacy for peaceful conflict resolutions.
“I am proud to be associated with the name of Dr Boutros-Ghali, who was the first African to serve as UN secretary general in 1992, a period of great global challenges that faced the United Nations organisation,” Nujoma recalled.
He said Ghali’s significant achievement was his document ‘Agenda for Peace’, which initiated a plan for the UN to start examining socio-economic dimensions of development in a more integrated way, especially in the aftermath of conflict.
“When I received the notification of this award, my heart was filled with joy because of the value that is attached to it through the work of the former UN secretary general, the late Dr Boutros-Ghali,” he said.
– ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na