Obama Presidential Centre, re-imagining democracy: A global perspective
While many around the world certainly remember the Obama presidency for its powerful mark on global politics, the value of the presidential centre goes beyond its towering presence.
That said, it must be stated that the depth of architectural symbolism (four-hands design) anchoring the scale of his storied history is unmissable.
In this essay, I intend to demonstrate what the Obama presidential centre means not just to America but to the world.
Globe
Across the globe, the alarm bells about democratic backsliding have reverberated for some time.
At a time when concerns about the deterioration of democracy have been topmost on the global agenda, the Obama Presidential Centre and its focus on the foundations of democracy is a timely reminder about the roots, underlying ideals and rudimentary expectations of democratic governance.
By focusing on America's journey, his own journey and the principles espoused by the founding fathers, the Obama presidential centre invites the world to ponder over the richness and promise of government of the people, by the people and for the people.
In this sense, the centre has the potential to re-ignite global belief in values such as unity, patriotism, selflessness and service.
We, the people of the world, must fully confront the challenges we face in our democracies and be willing or prepared to have honest conversations about how to make progress.
The Obama Presidential Centre provides the space and impetus to do so.
That the Obama presidential campaign was an era-defining moment in political history is a settled issue. Hope, inclusivity, unity, empowerment and change were the elemental totems of Barack Obama’s campaign and administration.
A campaign that inspired and empowered people across the world should be protected, studied and preserved.
The Obama presidential centre will ensure that generations will learn about the policies of decency, the power of words and the potential that political campaigns have to arouse citizens to action, ignite change and embolden action.
For instance, “Towards A More Perfect Union” (title of Obama campaign speech) exhibit in the Obama Presidential Centre Museum will be a constant reminder for nations to remain relentless and unyielding in the march towards an excellent democracy.
It will stand as an enduring testament to the power of community or collectivism, demonstrating that people from diverse backgrounds, experiences and ethnicities can come together to do the improbable.
The Democracy in Action Lab, at the Presidential Centre, will help to empower young people from all over the world to become better citizens and leaders.
Don Wilson, who served as the official archivist of the United States of America, once wrote that presidential libraries or centres are “less monuments to great men than classrooms of democracy”.
The Obama presidential centre will serve as an opportunity to raise public consciousness about the tenets, challenges and importance of nationhood, citizenship, development and governance and what these mean within our own countries and spaces.
Vision
The centre’s vision as communicated on its website includes working to “build democratic knowledge, behaviour and skills”, connect people with like-minded democratic values worldwide, champion shared community values and advocate a better world.
The centre’s library is 95% digital, meaning you don’t have to physically be in Chicago to access the
Obama presidential library materials or get access to valuable resource materials for leadership and cross-sector learning.
The Obama Foundation Scholars initiative, under the centre’s programmes, gives upcoming leaders from around the world already saturated in making a difference an opportunity to expand and make an ever greater impact.
There are also specialised education and development programmes for young boys and girls, such as the Girls Opportunity Alliance and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.
It is easy to find a presidential centre of a former US president located in the South Side of Chicago, far removed and unrelatable, but my point is that the values (related to democratic governance) that the centre will perpetuate and which have been emblematic of the Obama persona itself will contribute to advancing society, democracy, liberty, equality and peace among the comity of nations.
The writer is the Dean of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at the University of Media, Arts and Communication. He’s the author of the Book “The Afrocentric Obama and Lessons on political campaigning”, which was the subject of a Book reading and discussion at Harvard University.
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