James Madison's Montpelier We The People Fall 2015 | Page 11

FALL 2015

Another important stakeholder group for the Center Doug Smith served as the academic director for the
are international lawmakers actively engaged in
Mandela-Washington Fellow experience in Virginia,
constitutional processes. David Hofisi, a lawyer
representing Montpelier through the Presidential
participating in the constitutional review process in
Precinct, a consortium of two major universities
his home country
and four historic
of Zimbabwe, was
sites. The success of
one of 500 young
the program, which
African leaders
has received the
selected from
highest rating from
among hundreds
participants two years
of thousands of
in a row, is a sign
entries for the
that there is a new
2015 Mandelafrontier in engaging
Washington
international
Fellowship. Hofisi
audiences.
was joined by 24
Michelle Smith,
others from across
daughter of Robert
the continent for six
H. Smith and a
weeks of intensive
supporter of the
lectures and projects 2015 Mandela-Washington Fellow David Hofisi (left) participates in a constitutional
Center, believes we
writing workshop at Montpelier.
that included a
have yet to see the
week of coursework, focused on constitutions, at
most profound impacts of these new partnerships.
Montpelier. For Hofisi, the location was a revelation.
“My father believed it was a privilege for Americans
“We are at the birthplace of the idea of written
to live under our Constitution. He said it was
constitutions and we are at the home of the man
absolutely essential that every new generation of
who authored the first written constitution,”
Americans know and understand our Constitution
Hofisi said. “It’s powerful to compare and contrast
and the Bill of Rights,” Smith said. “He believed
what I ^\