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Musharraf brings perspective to Augustana's Boe Forum crowd
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By JON M. HUNTER, Publisher
| 10/05/2009 |
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Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf spoke in Sioux Falls on Friday evening, the latest in a distinguished list of speakers at Augustana College's Boe Forum on Public Affairs.
TIME magazine once described Musharraf's position as "the most dangerous job in the world." He positioned Pakistan as a critical ally to the United States in the Middle East, positioned right in the heart of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
He survived two assassination attempts, rooted out militants in his own government and hunted for Osama bin Laden, believed to be hiding in the lawless border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the same time, he worked to build the democracy in his country, empowered citizens to participate in local governments, opened up the media and liberated women to participate in all levels of government.
Few of us in South Dakota, or the United States for that matter, understand the dynamics of that region of the world, or the conflicts that persist. Perhaps we better understand it after Musharraf's presentation.
That's the whole point of the Boe Forum. Former governor Nils Boe envisioned a lecture series that would bring the world's decision-makers to South Dakota. He believed the people of this region are as deserving as citizens anywhere of sharing in the thinking of world leaders.
The Boe Forum, established by the former governor and his sisters, has delivered: General Colin Powell, President George H.W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, British Prime Minister John Major, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mexican President Vicente Fox, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and more.
We're very impressed with this lecture series, and believe the citizens of our region are better for it. We'd encourage everyone to take advantage of the Boe Forum's generosity in a future year.
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©Madison Daily Leader 2013
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