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Obama foundation nixes Kenya university’s bid for ‘institute’
Chicago Sun-Times
Lynn Sweet
6/30/2014
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — When the bidding process for the Obama library and museum started, Barack Obama Foundation chair Marty Nesbitt said he wanted to cast a wide net for ideas and proposals.
With that open invitation, a university in Kenya — the birthplace of Barack Obama’s father and where a half-sister, Auma, lives — submitted to the foundation a detailed pitch to create the Barack Obama Institute for Peace and Democracy Studies based in Nairobi.
The United States International University-Africa, an offshoot of a university in San Diego, sent its proposal to the Chicago-based foundation by the June 16 deadline for bids. The Kenya school is asking the Obama foundation to support and endorse “strong linkages” with whoever wins the competition to be the host for the Obama library in order to help build the institute.
The foundation, however, will not be getting involved in this Kenyan effort.
“Their submission was not responsive to the guidelines and is not under consideration,” a foundation spokesman said.
The Kenyan bid said the institute would “introduce the U.S. presidential papers on African soil, help bolster the ‘Obama tourism circuit’ ” in Kenya and tell the story of President Barack Obama’s Kenyan side of the family.
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View the complete article, including photo, at:
http://politics.suntimes.com/article...06302014-513am
Chicago Sun-Times
Lynn Sweet
6/30/2014
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — When the bidding process for the Obama library and museum started, Barack Obama Foundation chair Marty Nesbitt said he wanted to cast a wide net for ideas and proposals.
With that open invitation, a university in Kenya — the birthplace of Barack Obama’s father and where a half-sister, Auma, lives — submitted to the foundation a detailed pitch to create the Barack Obama Institute for Peace and Democracy Studies based in Nairobi.
The United States International University-Africa, an offshoot of a university in San Diego, sent its proposal to the Chicago-based foundation by the June 16 deadline for bids. The Kenya school is asking the Obama foundation to support and endorse “strong linkages” with whoever wins the competition to be the host for the Obama library in order to help build the institute.
The foundation, however, will not be getting involved in this Kenyan effort.
“Their submission was not responsive to the guidelines and is not under consideration,” a foundation spokesman said.
The Kenyan bid said the institute would “introduce the U.S. presidential papers on African soil, help bolster the ‘Obama tourism circuit’ ” in Kenya and tell the story of President Barack Obama’s Kenyan side of the family.
..............................................
View the complete article, including photo, at:
http://politics.suntimes.com/article...06302014-513am