WE THE PEOPLE
THE ROBERT H . SMITH CENTER FOR THE CONSTITUTION
Mandela Washington Fellowship
INSPIRING — AND BEING INSPIRED BY — THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL LEADERS
“ The question I would like to ask you , Ahmed , is how would you like to be remembered ?”
Four short , busy weeks after meeting for the first time , Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem , from Nigeria , and Godfrey Kurauone , from Zimbabwe , sit across from each other in the Potter Family Studio in Claude Moore Hall to record a conversation .
“ I want to be remembered as somebody who came around and solved issues around crime . Solved issues of recidivism . Raised interventions to the law , because we don ’ t have good laws , we don ’ t have good administrators of the law when we ’ re in trouble , just like you have in many African countries or even across the world , so I want to be seen as somebody who ensured that crime is reduced as much as possible , and I want to ensure that when prisoners come out they have a life after prison .”
Ahmed is the founder of the Prisoners ’ Rights Advocacy Initiative in Nigeria , where he fights for the rights and rehabilitation of prisoners . He was chosen from more than 64,000 applicants to be a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow .
“ The opportunity to meet other great people and collaborate with them is the most important reason why I applied for this , and the second is to learn from America ...”
“ The opportunity to meet other great people and collaborate with them is the most important reason why I applied for this , and the second is to learn from America ,” Ahmed said .
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a highly competitive program for young African leaders . For the fourth consecutive year , the Presidential Precinct in Charlottesville was selected to host a group of fellows , taking them to six historyrich sites in the Commonwealth . Montpelier was fortunate to once again host these fellows , 25 in total from 18 different countries , for a week . Fellows toured the House and The Mere Distinction of Colour exhibition , visited the Gilmore Cabin and the Train Depot . They also took advantage of being at the home of the Father of the Constitution to focus on a week-long discussion of the evolution of modern constitutions and to workshop drafting mock constitutions .
The Fellows left Montpelier with a uniquely handson experience in the framing of constitutions , one they can take back to their respective countries and use to continue to advocate for positive change . “ I love people . I just love bringing change in any small way possible ,” Kyapalushi Kapatamoyo , a Councillor from Zambia and 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow said . “ When I die , like Dolley Madison was remembered as the First Lady , may they call me the transitional woman of our generation .”
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