Videoconference

Videoconference on “Dreams from My Father ” of Barack Obama

On March 4, the Public Affairs Section hosted a digital videoconference discussing President Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father.  The event was organized with assistance from the Department of State’s Africa Regional Services based in Paris.  The conference was conducted by Sheldon Austin, a retired American diplomat.  Fifty guests including academics, political leaders and media figures participated in the event designed to increase their understanding of President Barack Obama through his memoir.

Following a brief movie highlighting President Obama’s 1994 visit to Kenya, his father’s native country, Mr. Austin presented the book and analyzed President Obama’s message and point of view in the book.  Mr. Austin said there was no room for lyricism in the text, but for sincerity and intensity, characteristics that influenced President Obama’s career path.  Dreams from My Father discusses Hawaii where Obama was reared by his American mother and grandparents, his early childhood experiences in Indonesia, and the upheaval caused by the death of his father. The book also discusses President Obama’s years as a student at Columbia University and his early work experiences in Chicago where he served as a community organizer. 
 
Following the speaker’s presentation, guests asked several questions regarding President Obama’s African heritage and how he intends to improve the relationship between the United States and the African continent. Mr. Austin’s responses to the audience earned him their satisfaction and appreciation