After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, and the Africa Progress Panel. His role in
Annan didn’t rest. In 2007, he founds the positioning Africa on the global
Kofi Annan Foundation, a non-profit diplomatic map is huge.
promoting global sustainable Annan launched a global campaign at
development, peace and security. That an African leaders summit in 2001
year he helped broker peace in Kenya, calling for fresh funding to tackle the
where election violence had killed over HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging major
1,000 people. “His quiet advice on how countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
best to defuse impending crises was in A year earlier, Annan had called on
constant demand from all corners of the world leaders at a UN Security Council
globe, in particular from Africa,” said meeting to urgently prioritize the AIDS
former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro epidemic, which he said was 10 times
Harlem Brundtland. As special envoy to deadlier than armed conflict on the
Syria in 2012, Annan won international continent.
backing for a six-point plan for peace. In He has been described as "a tall Iroko
2017, his foundation’s biggest projects tree" whose achievement as the first
included promotion of fair, peaceful black African to lead the UN is a source
elections. of pride to many on the continent.
3. Kofi Annan, Africa's foremost son.
"Wherever there was suffering or need,
he reached out and touched many
CHANGEMAKERS LEAVE THE PARACHUTE people with his deep compassion and
AT HOME. Changemakers cannot just empathy." said His foundation when
parachute into a community as an outsider announcing his death in Switzerland on
who has come to save the day. They must Saturday in a tweet.
be personally connected to the issue they He was there for Africa during the
want to solve. Rwandan Genocide. In 1998, he helped
Annan was widely recognized as one who ease a transition to civilian rule in
advanced the African agenda greatly Nigeria. He brokered a crucial truce in
during his tenure at the United Nations. the bloody aftermath of the Kenyan
Many have lauded his significant election violence in 2007/2008. Around
contributions to the humanitarian and 600 people were killed after marauding
development issues in Africa, not just youths armed with spears, bows, arrows
through the United Nations but through and machetes destroyed homes around
his work at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation the town of Eldoret, near the border