Adama Dieng speaks on...
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About this Video
Country of Origin:
Senegal
Interview Date:
10/28/2008; 11/05/2008
Location:
Arusha, Tanzania
Interviewers:
Batya Friedman
Donald J Horowitz
Donald J Horowitz
Videographer:
Max Andrews
Timestamp:
32:41 - 35:36
Transcript
While we are talking about justice we can also talk about democracy. Because this discussion is taking place during a great day, that is the day of the announce of the election of Obama. And a day which has been celebrated all over the world.
And it is very surprising how come that, all of a sudden, the entire world mobilized around one man, knowing that they are not going to vote because they don’t have that right, they are not American citizens but still, because this man just offered a hope. He offered a hope to the American voters but he was also perceived as a hope by the rest of the world.
Because in 2008, at a time we were all continuing to say “never again” what happened in Rwanda, no, never again impunity, we’re still seeing crimes being committed in this continent. The very same day after a ceasefire, which was observed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the very same day Obama was elected democratically.
And his challenger, McCain, even before the final result, accepted his defeat. What a lesson for Africa, what a lesson for the world. Which mean, if we accept those values, the democratic values, if we practice them, things may change for better.
And that is why it is extremely important that the gen-, the current generation and the future generation be trained from the grassroot, from the primary school, they have to be acclimated with democratic values, like it happened in the United States, because that is not something which can be invented or imposed on people. It has to come from the grassroot, from when we are very young boys and girls. If we get acclimated with those democratic values, there will be hope.
And the same apply to justice. We have to believe in the value of the rule of law. And th-, that is why I could not complete what I was saying about justice without making that digression about what is happening, because the world in the future should know and let’s remain optimistic that things will change for better.