The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University will host two distinguished ambassadors for Area Focus Lectures Thursday, April 13.
His Excellency Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, ambassador to the United States for Spain, will speak on “Spain-U.S. Relations” at 11 a.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium.
Her Excellency Barbara Joyce Mosima Masekela, ambassador to the United States for South Africa, will speak on “South Africa-U.S. Relations” at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building.
Admission to both lectures is free and the public is welcome to attend.
After serving in the Spanish Diplomatic Service since 1964, Westendorp became the Spanish ambassador to the United States in 2004. He previously served as a member of the autonomous community of the Madrid Parliamentary Assembly, a member of the European Parliament and high representative for the implementation of the peace agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
An attorney by profession, his publications include several books and articles, in addition to numerous presentations. He has also received decorations in Spain and abroad, including the Great Cross of the Order of Charles III and the title of Officer of the Legion of Honor in France.
Masekela became the South African ambassador to the United States in September 2003, after retiring as executive director for public and corporate affairs for De Beers Consolidated Mines.
She has served as a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, as well as director of the Standard Bank of South Africa, the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the International Marketing Council.
She was chief of staff for Nelson Mandela after his release from prison, and she founded the African National Congress Office of Arts and Culture, serving as its secretary for seven years.
Both lectures will be archived online. For more information on Kennedy Center events, visit kennedy.byu.edu.
Writer: Brian Rust
