Spartanburg, S.C. – Kola Badejo, the senior adviser on Africa in the United Nations Global Compact Office, will be the keynote speaker at a Peace Symposium planned for Friday, April 18 at 1:00 p.m. at the University of South Carolina Upstate in the Campus Life Center Ballroom. USC Upstate and Rotary International are hosting the symposium, which follows the dedication of a Rotary International Peace Park on the University campus on April 17.
“The partnerships that USC Upstate has forged with the local Rotary Clubs and Rotary International have been of tremendous benefit in terms of being able to offer the entire region this wonderful Rotary International Peace Park. This beautiful six-acre park is an ideal place to relax, contemplate, watch, wish and pray for peace and understanding,” said John Perry, executive director of University Boards & Public Affairs at USC Upstate.
Perry added that having someone of Mr. Badejo’s global background to lead the Peace Symposium is both a tremendous honor for the University and an opportunity for students, faculty and community members to take part in very meaningful dialogue.
Badejo’s speech is entitled, “The Promotion of World Peace and Sustainable Development: An Overview of the United Nations Global Initiative on Social Responsibility.” His current work at the United Nations Global Compact Office provides a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. As the world’s largest global corporate citizenship initiative, the Global Compact is first and foremost concerned with exhibiting and building the social legitimacy of business and markets. The Global Compact has been endorsed by all 191 Heads of States and Governments of the United Nations and further legitimized by resolutions of the UN General Assembly.
Prior to joining the UN, Badejo worked for several years as a Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria. As a career diplomat, he served at several posts abroad, including a Minister Counselor / Senior Adviser position at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations. His background is in Economics and International Affairs. Badejo studied Administration and Social Economics at the Université de Paris and completed postgraduate studies in Social Sciences at the Institute Catholique de Paris, France.
Following Badejo’s keynote address, a 15-minute video documentary of International Christian University Rotary Peace Center trip to Hiroshima, Japan will be shown. A panel discussion entitled “The Essentials of Peace” will be moderated by Dr. York Bradshaw, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at USC Upstate. The panel includes four participants. Dr. Rob McCormick, assistant professor of history at USC Upstate, will discuss “War and Peace in the Contemporary World.” Jenny Favinger, executive director of Central Mediation Center in Nebraska and a Rotary International Fellow, will discuss “Working Toward Peace on the Inside – and Outside.” Carla Fantini-Céspedes, a Spanish instructor at SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont and a Rotary International Fellow, will discuss “Facilitating Intercultural Dialogue.” Dr. Mark Packer, an instructor of philosophy at USC Upstate, will discuss “Ethical Considerations in Peacemaking.”
For more information about the Peace Symposium, please contact Shawn Masto at (864) 503-5700.