Bush, Mandela Discuss Fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa, Debt Relief for Developing Countries
President Bush and former South African President Nelson Mandela on Tuesday during a meeting at the White House discussed fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa and providing debt relief for developing countries, AFP/Mail & Guardian reports (AFP/Mail & Guardian, 5/18). White House spokesperson Scott McClellan said Bush told Mandela he is "committed to debt relief" and plans to discuss the issue further at the Group of Eight summit in July, the SAPA/Star reports (SAPA/Star, 5/18). Bush also "expressed his appreciation for President Mandela's leadership and courage" in the fight against HIV/AIDS, according to McClellan (Orin, New York Post, 5/18). Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel, are in the United States on a private visit, and the primary purpose of the trip is for Mandela to launch the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust to support his work in Africa, according to a statement from the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Mandela during his trip also met with former President Clinton and delivered speeches at Amherst College and the Brookings Institution (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 5/13). During his speech at the Brookings Institution on Monday, Mandela praised Bush's support for combating the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, according to the Post (New York Post, 5/18).
NPR's "News & Notes with Ed Gordon" on Tuesday reported on Mandela's meeting with Bush. The segment includes comments from Mandela (Keyes, "News & Notes with Ed Gordon," NPR, 5/17). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer. In addition, the program included a panel discussion on Mandela's "living legacy and whether he still has the clout to effect real political change." Guests on the program included Allister Sparks, a South African journalist and author of "Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa," and Emira Woods, co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies (Gordon, "News & Notes with Ed Gordon," NPR, 5/17). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.