The Bishop O'Connell Global Studies program welcomed Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh for an after-school discussion earlier this week.
Dr. Fomunyoh is a senior associate for Africa and regional director at the National Democratic Institute for international Affairs (NDI), a Washington-based organization that works to support and strengthen democracy around the world. He shared his personal story with the Global Studies student, beginning with his childhood on a farm in Cameroon, and continuing with his education first in Cameroon and later at Harvard Law School and Boston University (Ph.D. in political science).
Through his work with the NDI, Dr. Fomunyoh has organized international election observation missions to many African countries and has designed and supervised country-specific democracy support programs with civic organizations, political parties and legislative bodies in over 20 countries. He also founded a non-profit philanthropic organization to support humanitarian causes in Cameroon.
"Dr. Fomunyoh told us more about his work in Africa, promoting free and fair elections, establishing an environment for a free press and protecting human rights," said junior Zach Muleta.
"He gave our students a real sense of how complex these efforts can be, given past history and experiences in different countries," remarked Whitney Webb, director of the Global Studies program.
Find out more about the Global Studies Certificate Program at Bishop O'Connell...