Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was Thursday (January 14th)
\nhonoured by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta,
\nGeorgia. He was awarded with the Presidential Award in recognition of his
\nleadership in advancing human rights, social justice and the fight for
\nuniversal freedom.<\/p>\n
The SCLC, founded by the late American Civil Right leader, Dr. Martin
\nLuther King Jr, in January 1957 is currently led by Dr. Charles Steele Jr.<\/p>\n
The event is part of the activities leading up to the celebration of Dr.
\nMartin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, January 18th, 2016<\/p>\n
Former President Jonathan is the first African leader to be so honored.<\/p>\n
Dr. Jonathan also received Dr. Martin Luther King Jr\u2019s sister, Naomi King
\nduring the event.<\/p>\n
Before his remarks at the event, Dr. Jonathan met privately with the
\npresident of the SCLC.<\/p>\n
The president of the SCLC, Dr. Charles Steele Jr proposed to work with the
\nGoodluck Jonathan Foundation to advance the cause of peace around the
\nworld and to bridge the gap between people of color in the Diaspora and
\nAfrica.<\/p>\n
Former President Jonathan responded that his vision is to help stabilize
\nand promote democracy and peace in Africa. He went on to say that without
\npeace you can not have economic progress.<\/p>\n
He revealed that this was the reason he pushed for Nigeria\u2019s intervention
\nto ensure peace in various African nations such as C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire while he
\nwas in office.<\/p>\n
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and President Steele then agreed to collaborate
\nalong the lines suggested by the former Nigerian President.<\/p>\n
At the event, former President Jonathan expressed his gratitude to the
\nSCLC for inviting him and declared that it was \u201cvirtually impossible to
\nseparate this worthy body from its founder, the late great Dr. Martin
\nLuther King Jr, or from epoch making landmark events of the American Civil
\nRights movement\u201d.<\/p>\n
He also said \u201cMy personal takeaway from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, is
\nservice to God and the brotherhood and equality of all men before their
\nCreator.<\/p>\n
In keeping with that, I have learnt not to look up to any man, except he
\nis taller than I, or to look down on a fellow mortal, except I am admiring
\nhis shoes\u201d.<\/p>\n
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is the Chairman of the Goodluck
\nJonathan Foundation and is in Atlanta, Georgia, on the invitation of a
\nnumber of US institutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was Thursday (January 14th) honoured by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He was awarded with the Presidential Award in recognition of his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n