Oct 28, 2011

News

NED mourns the loss of Howard Wolpe

It was with great sadness that NED learned of the death of former Congressman Howard Wolpe (D-MI), who died suddenly on October 25 at his home in Michigan at the age of 71. Wolpe was a leader on Africa policy in the U.S. Congress and in the broader policy community. He served as a member of the NED Board of Directors from 2003-2009, working closely with the NED staff as the Board specialist for Africa.

“Howard believed that the key to democracy was finding common ground among people of widely divergent interests and points of view,” said NED president Carl Gershman. “This was the core of his work in African countries like Burundi, and it was the foundation of his service to American democracy, which was lifelong and very substantial.”

Dave Peterson, NED’s Senior Director for Africa, worked closely with Wolpe and remembered, “Howard was genuinely committed to all the good things America stands for: democracy, human rights, justice, peace. When he was head of the House Subcommittee on Africa, it was really the fulcrum of American efforts against apartheid in South Africa, and he undoubtedly played the key role in that effort. He was known for his passionate concern for Burundi, where he devoted a lot of time and energy to the search for peace and national healing. The techniques he developed in his Burundi Leadership Training Program were applied with some success in Liberia, Congo, and elsewhere. He was very proud of his role as special envoy to the Great Lakes, where he certainly made a contribution toward peace in a very troubled region. Under his leadership, the the Wilson Center became one of the most important institutions in Washington focusing on African issues. Most of all, Howard was a remarkably humble, warm and compassionate human being. He liked cultivating young people, talking about ideas, taking action. He will be missed, and long remembered.”