[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16290]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO LEONARD H. ROBINSON, JR.

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I take this opportunity today to 
honor the memory of a good friend, Leonard H. Robinson, Jr., president 
and CEO of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, who 
died suddenly on Tuesday here in Washington.
  Leonard's remarkable achievements have been recognized across America 
and the world. Throughout his nearly 40-year career, Leonard 
distinguished himself in many roles. He brought knowledge, commitment, 
and experience to his work at the State Department, the African 
Development Foundation, and the U.S. Agency for International 
Development. For many years, he devoted his abundant energy to 
promoting understanding and opportunities in Africa. It all started, 
however, as a Peace Corps volunteer in India from 1964-1967. He 
surprised one of my staff members recently by conversing in fluent 
Hindi, one of many languages Leonard had taken the time to master.
  Leonard Robinson was also a visiting professor and lecturer at 
several universities including Boston University and the University of 
Virginia, where he was the university's first diplomat-in-residence. 
Through his membership on a variety of commissions and councils, 
including the Council on Foreign Relations, he gave clear voice to 
important issues, and others responded in kind. He had the ability to 
bring together broad coalitions of partners, including businesses, 
NGOs, academics, and civil society groups, who otherwise might not have 
recognized their mutual interests. He influenced numerous individuals 
in America and around the world to see the potential of Africa.
  Leonard Robinson's work on African affairs was always based on the 
conviction that it was important to correct the frequently negative 
perceptions about Africa that inhibited genuine interaction with that 
continent. His tireless efforts to educate all Americans on the rich 
history and diversity of Africa and its people culminated in the 
establishment of the Africa Society, of which he was a founder, 
president, and CEO.
  There will be a memorial service in honor of Leonard Robinson at 
10:30 a.m. on Tuesday August 15, 2006, at the Washington National 
Cathedral where his friends and colleagues will recognize his 
accomplishments and celebrate his legacy. I will continue to support 
his most recent effort in dialog on Capitol Hill, where Congressman 
Donald Payne and I have cochaired the Conversation and Dinner with 
African Ambassadors Series.
  My sympathy is with Leonard's family and many friends, especially his 
two daughters Rani and Kemberley, his mother Winnie, and his brother 
Michael. This exemplary statesman was a great representative of his 
country and a standard bearer for the advancement of Africa, and he 
added something very noble to Washington discourse. We will miss his 
wisdom and grace.

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