Obama to discuss tolerance in South Africa

Former President Obama will give a lecture in South Africa in July to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

The New York Times reported that the Obama Foundation will invite 200 young people to Johannesburg around the same time in mid-July for five days of workshops and technical training.

Obama will also speak on what would have been the 100th birthday of the late South African president and civil rights icon. Mandela died in 2013 at the age of 95.

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“It gives him an opportunity to lift up a message of tolerance, inclusivity and democracy at a time when there are obviously challenges to Mandela’s legacy around the world,” Benjamin Rhodes, a former Obama speechwriter, told The New York Times. 

Obama has remained largely out of the spotlight since leaving office more than a year ago. He has made a number of appearances on behalf of his foundation and has avoided directly criticizing President Trump. 

In one of his more visible moments, Obama has voiced support for the students leading a national discussion about gun laws following the Feb. 14 shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school that left 17 people dead. He wrote the entry for the Parkland survivors for the Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People list.

Obama has also spoken with leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other nations.