Washington, D.C. — Africare, the leading United States charitable organization helping Africa, has awarded President George W. Bush the 2008 Bishop John T. Walker Humanitarian Service Award.
Bush joined former South African President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former U.S. President Bill Clinton as recent recipients of the award. Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was honored in 2007.
The award was made at Africare's annual dinner, held in Washington, DC, last week.
In his speech after accepting the award, Bush reflected on his legacy as president, stating that "one of the most uplifting" experiences he has had in office was watching "a new and hopeful era dawning on the continent."
"We do not believe in paternalism; we believe in partnership, because we believe in the potential of the people of Africa," he said.
Bush was honored for the numerous initiatives his administration launched on health care, education and development. Bush's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has given grants of more than U.S.$3 billion to many different African countries. Bush said that MCC grants are making it possible for Africans to change their future.
Bush also addressed the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/Aids Relief (Pepfar), which received an additional $48 billion in funding this year after being extended by the U.S. Congress. It has supported treatment for about 1.7 million Africans.
"People across Africa now speak of a Lazarus effect: communities once given up for dead are being brought back to life," Bush said of his HIV/Aids program.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Jendayi Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Bill Frist, the former majority leader of the U.S. Senate, and Representative Donald Payne (Democrat-New Jersey), the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Africa and global health, also spoke at the dinner, honoring Bush's efforts on the continent.
Payne said Bush's Africa policy "will be the shining glory of his legacy."
Frazer, who singled out Bush's malaria initiative for praise, urged President-elect Barack Obama to "raise the bar even further."
More than 1,000 people, including government and business leaders, attended the dinner, the largest annual benefit for Africa in the United States. The dinner raised more than $1 million for development programs throughout the continent.
