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President Bingu wa Mutharika, is
credited for his bold reforms that have transformed Malawi, a country that has
been characterized by chronic food shortages, hunger and poverty for a long
time, to one that today, boasts a food surplus over and above Malawi's food
requirements. During President Mutharika's first term in office (2004-2008), the
country achieved a high rate of agricultural production and food security. In
the 2005/2006 crop season, Malawi realized a food surplus of more than 500,000
metric tons, and during the 2006/2007 planting season, food surplus spiked to
1.3 million metric tons. Today, Malawi has the capability of exporting food to
other countries in southern Africa.
Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika will be
awarded The Medal of Glory, The Foundation for Democracy in Africa's highest
honor, presented to select leaders that have dedicated their professional lives
to the promotion of the enduring democratic principles of liberty, freedom and
development in Africa. The Award is presented, annually, during the AfrICANDO
Trade and Investment Symposium Awards Gala. Past recipients have included
former Nigerian Presidents, His Excellency Shehu Shagari, and His Excellency
Olusegun Obasanjo; Dr. Dorothy Height, Chair and President Emeriti, National
Council of Negro Women; His Excellency Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic
of Senegal; Sir James Mencham, Founding President of The Seychelles; Alex
Penelas, former Mayor, Miami Dade County; Dr. Amadou Mahtar M'Bow, former UNESCO
Director General; and Dr. Sarah E. Moten, Chief of the Education Division of
the Africa Bureau, USAID, among others.
"We are honored and delighted to
have President Mutharika participating in AfrICANDO 2009 and to welcome him to
Miami, Florida, the gateway to Africa. He has a proven track record in using
smart, appropriate and resource efficient technologies to advance rural
community development. We are eager to learn more from Dr. Mutharika regarding
his integrated approach to Malawi's Green Revolution, particularly, the
participation of small subsistence farmers in achieving food security for his
country, as well as, his strategies for increasing Malawi's economic growth rate
from less than 1 percent in 2003, before he took office to more than 9.7 percent
in 2008, at the end of his first term in office," stated Fred Oladeinde,
President of The Foundation for Democracy in Africa which organizes the annual
AfrICANDO Trade and Investment Symposium.
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