♪ THEME MUSIC ♪ >>GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.

I'M DAVID DUMKE.

>>AND I'M KATIE CORONADO.

WELCOME.

TODAY, WE HAVE WITH US A SPECIAL GUEST ALL THE WAY FROM BOTSWANA.

IT'S PROFESSOR AGREEMENT JOTIA, WHO IS HERE WITH US TODAY.

HE IS THE DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA, AND WE'RE VERY, VERY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M GLAD YOU HAVE ME HERE TODAY.

>>PROFESSOR, YOU ARE A PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION, AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU, BECAUSE BOTSWANA HAS BEEN A MODEL OF STABILITY AND GROWTH IN AFRICA.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN THE SUCCESS OF BOTSWANA?

>>THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID, FOR THAT GOOD QUESTION.

JUST LIKE YOU WOULD KNOW, THE GLOBE OVER, WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO ANY FORM OF SUCCESS.

SO BOTSWANA IS A COUNTRY THAT EMERGED FROM THE YOKES OF COLONIALISM, USED THE EDUCATION TO SHAPE THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FUTURE THAT IT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR ITS CITIZENS.

SO IN THAT DIMENSION, EDUCATION PLAYED A VERY INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRACY THAT WE SEE IN BOTSWANA TODAY.

>>PROFESSOR AGREEMENT, WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION, AND WITH YOUR EXPERTISE CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WORKS IN BOTSWANA TODAY WHEN WE REFER TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION?

>>ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT QUESTION.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO INDICATE IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR BOTSWANA OPERATES ON A 7-3-2 MODEL.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE KIDS ARE GOING TO START FROM AN EARLY AGE AND SPEND SEVEN YEARS IN PRIMARY EDUCATION, AND THEN THEY SHALL SPEND THREE YEARS IN A SECONDARY EDUCATION, AND THEN THEY SHALL SPEND THE LAST TWO YEARS IN A SENIOR SECONDARY.

SO YOU FIND THAT FROM THE VERY GO, THE KIDS ARE EXPOSED TO EDUCATION AT AN EARLY AGE, BUT WE JUST INTRODUCED THE KINDERGARTEN ALSO IN THE GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO THAT THESE KIDS, WHEN THEY REACH THEIR GRADE ONE, AT LEAST THEY HAVE SPENT A YEAR IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

SO ONCE THEY FINISH THE TWO YEARS OF SENIOR SECONDARY, THAT IS WHERE NOW THEY JOIN THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION OR THE UNIVERSITIES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN BOTSWANA.

>>SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU'RE FACING IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR IN BOTSWANA TODAY?

>>WELL, THANK YOU, DAVID.

ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES, ESPECIALLY AS WE TALK OF EDUCATION TODAY, IS WHAT THE GLOBE OVER HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF COVID.

BECAUSE WHAT IT NOW MEANS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO CHANNEL SOME OF YOUR RESOURCES TO COVID, BUT THEN THAT COMPROMISES THE TEACHING LEARNING RESOURCES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SO LET ME START OFF BY SAYING DEFINITELY I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO BOTSWANA AS A DEMOCRACY FOR HAVING CHANNELED A LOT INTO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

TALK ABOUT THE INFASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT, TALK ABOUT TEACHER TRAINING AND ALL THAT.

BUT AT THE MOMENT, THE REAL KEY FACTOR THAT PLAYS OUT OFTEN WITHIN OUR DISCOURSE IN EDUCATION IS THE ISSUE TO DO WITH LANGUAGE, THE MOTHER TONGUE BEING USED AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.

BUT OTHERWISE, BESIDE THAT DEBATE, I THINK WE'VE SEEN LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS FROM 1966 WHEN BOTSWANA GAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN.

>>YOU TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE, AND I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA AND HOW THAT IS REPRESENTED THERE IN BOTSWANA CURRENTLY.

WHAT IS THE STATE OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE?

>>ALL RIGHT.

NOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

CURRENTLY, TSWANA, WHICH IS OUR UNIFYING LANGUAGE FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY, IT'S USED AS ONE OF THE LANGUAGES OF INSTRUCTION WITHIN OUR CURRICULUM.

AND THEN YOU HAVE ENGLISH, OBVIOUSLY, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY AND ALSO BEING A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.

SO IN TERMS OF OUR COMMUNICATION, BE IT AT SCHOOL LEVEL OR AT NATIONAL LEVEL OR AT OFFICIAL LEVEL, WE ARE BASICALLY DELVING ON TSWANA AND ENGLISH, WHICH IS FINE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO UNIFY THE COUNTRY, PUSHING THE COUNTRY FORWARD.

BUT THE CHALLENGE IS THAT YOU HAVE SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES OR STUDENTS OR CHILDREN WHO ARE COMING FROM ENVIRONMENTS WHICH TRADITIONALLY WOULD NOT SPEAK TSWANA NOR ENGLISH.

SO WHEN YOU DELIVER ANY FORM OF COMMUNICATION TO THEM THROUGH SETSWANA OR ENGLISH, THAT BECOMES A CHALLENGE.

>>LET ME ASK, BECAUSE BOTSWANA HAS, AGAIN, BEEN A SUCCESS STORY IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT, BUT A LOT OF THE RESOURCES HAVE COME FROM THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY AND MINERALS AND MORE RECENTLY TOURISM.

SO I'M WONDERING ON THE EDUCATION SIDE, WHAT IS THE EDUCATION SYSTEM DOING TO HELP PREPARE YOUNGER PEOPLE FOR A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, I KNOW ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL PRESIDENTS OF BOTSWANA.

SO HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO YOUR EDUCATION?

>>ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, DAVID, AND I MUST ADMIT THAT IS A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DIAMONDS AND THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN OUR SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT'S SUCH A MAJOR ROLE.

BUT IN TERMS OF DIVERSIFYING THE ECONOMY SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD EVEN WITHIN THE ABSENCE OF DIAMONDS, WHAT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO DO THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS TO FOCUS ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT.

BECAUSE ONCE YOU CAN TRAIN PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE THE GLOBE OVER, THEN THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF BOTSWANA AS A COUNTRY AND RENDER THEIR SERVICES IN ALL OTHER SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR COUNTRY.

BUT DEFINITELY WHEN YOU TAKE TOURISM AS AN AREA AND YOU LOOK AT THE DIAMONDS, IF YOU TAKE THOSE TWO OUTSIDE, OUR ECONOMY DEFINITELY GETS INTO JEOPARDY, BECAUSE OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, IN AS MUCH AS WE ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP THOSE SKILLS, I DON'T THINK WE ARE REALLY THAT COMPETITIVE NOW WHERE WE CAN SEE A LOT OF EXPORTATION OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE.

BUT I THINK I MUST GIVE THE COUNTRY A CREDIT TO SAY FOR THE 56 YEARS THAT WE HAVE RUN OURSELVES AS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE ASPECT OF IT, WHICH WE BASICALLY ARE SAYING EVEN WHEN YOU GET THE DIAMONDS OUT OF THE WAY OR YOU GET RID OF TOURISM, AT LEAST YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN STILL SURVIVE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTRY.

>>WHEN IT COMES TO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, WE TALK ABOUT THE DIAMONDS AND THE TOURISM.

WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATION GAPS AS WELL.

CAN YOU TELL US INTERNALLY, ACADEMICALLY WHAT IS BEING DONE TO FILL THOSE GAPS TO EDUCATE AT A UNIVERSITY LEVEL ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES THAT HAVE HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND SPECIFICALLY TO TALK ABOUT THE LANGUAGE BARRIER THAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRANSITIONING?

>>ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

THAT'S QUITE A LOADED QUESTION.

>>VERY.

>>BUT THE UNIVERSITY HAS A DELIBERATE APPROACH IN PROMOTING MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY, AND OUR CAMPUS IS ONE OF THOSE CAMPUSES THAT IS REALLY HOSTING A LOT OF LANGUAGES WITHIN THE INSTITUTION.

WE HAVE CHINESE.

WE HAVE A THING ALSO, PORTUGUESE, THAT IS ALSO BEING TAUGHT WITHIN, AND THEN SOME OTHER [INAUDIBLE] LANGUAGES, INCLUDING IKALANGA, WHICH IS A MINORITY LANGUAGE, AND ALSO THERE IS SWAHILI.

SO YOU REALIZE THAT THE INSTITUTION, IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE SEEN TO BE PLAYING THIS ROLE OF BEING A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY, EDUCATIONALLY YOU BRING ABOUT MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY AND ALSO THE LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY THAT PLAYS OUT WITHIN OUR CURRICULUM, BUT IS NOT RUNNING AS A MUST DO OR AS A CORE.

THERE ARE CERTAIN SEGMENTS THAT ARE DEFINITELY DEVOTED TO THAT.

>>YOU ARE A SPECIALIST IN GLOBALIZATION AND EDUCATION AND HOW THEY PLAY INTO EACH OTHER.

SO I'D LIKE TO ASK, AND I KNOW YOU ALSO OVERSEE AS I UNDERSTAND IT STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS AND STUDENTS FROM ABROAD COMING TO BOTSWANA TO VISIT.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT IN YOUR PLANNING AND PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS FOR THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE, FIRST OF ALL, ON THE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS ALONE, THEN SECOND ON WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION DOING TO EDUCATION IN BOTSWANA?

>>ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID.

DEFINITELY WE HAVE TO ADMIT AS HUMANITY THAT WE NEED EACH OTHER AND WE CANNOT REALLY LIVE BY WISHING EACH OTHER AWAY.

AND ONE THING THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA HAS DONE VERY WELL IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, IS THAT WE BRING STUDENTS FROM THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS FACULTY MEMBERS TO LOOK AT THE OTHER PART OF THE WORLD AS GLOBAL CITIZENS, TO GET TO APPRECIATE HOW EDUCATION, AND NOT ONLY EDUCATION, BUT ALSO CULTURE, HOW IT IS PLAYING OUT IN BOTSWANA.

AND THEN WE ALSO DO THE SAME OF BRINGING FACULTY MEMBERS.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE ISSUE OF BRINGING MORE STUDENTS FROM BOTSWANA INTO THE UNITED STATES TO APPRECIATE THE SOCIOECONOMIC DYNAMICS AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS THAT WE FIND WITHIN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

YOU TALK ABOUT THE WEST AND YOU TALK ABOUT US BEING DOWN ON THE SOUTHERN PART.

SO WHAT WE ARE BASICALLY DOING IS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THESE STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT IN AS MUCH AS YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN ALSO LEARN IN BOTSWANA.

YOU CAN GET A JOB IN BOTSWANA, BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DYNAMICS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE SUBJECTED TO SO THAT YOU CAN BECOME VERY PRODUCTIVE.

AND THE SAME ALSO HAPPENS FROM OUR STUDENTS IN BOTSWANA WHEN THEY COME INTO THESE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS.

THEY LEARN NEW THINGS.

THEY LEARN ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY.

THEY LEARN ABOUT THE SOCIETY.

THEY LEARN ABOUT POLITICS AND ALL THAT.

SO WHEN YOU PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER, IT BRINGS ABOUT WHAT YOU CALL IN MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION GLOBAL COMPETENCY, WHERE YOU DON'T GET INTIMIDATED BY ANOTHER CULTURE.

BUT IF ANYTHING, YOU CAN TOLERATE SOMEBODY ELSE AND ALSO GET TO ACCEPT THEIR WAYS OF DOING WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING TO GET THEM TO IMPOSE THEIR VALUES UPON YOUR OWN VALUES.

>>AND TO TRANSITION FROM IMPOSING TO EMBRACING, WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED FROM AN ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVE THAT HAS HAPPENED WHEN YOU SEE THE TRANSFORMATION FROM AN AMERICAN STUDENT WHO VISITS BOTSWANA FOR THE FIRST TIME.

CAN YOU THINK OF EXAMPLES OF THE TOP FEW THINGS THAT HAVE REALLY IMPACTED AN AMERICAN STUDENT GOING TO BOTSWANA?

>>WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.

I THINK I WOULD OUTRIGHTLY POINT OUT THAT ONE THING THAT WE HAVE FOUND VERY INTERESTING OVER THE YEARS WITH MY COLLEAGUE, PROFESSOR [INAUDIBLE] AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, IS THAT THE AMERICAN STUDENTS, THE MOMENT THEY LAND INTO BOTSWANA, THEY ARE QUICK TO REALIZE HOW ADVANTAGED THEY ARE TO BE WHERE THEY ARE.

AND THEN ONE THING AGAIN THAT THEY GET TO UNDERSTAND IS THEY GET INTO THIS PARADIGM SHIFT TO SAY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TOOK SO MUCH FOR GRANTED IN THE UNITED STATES, THEY HAVE TO REALLY APPRECIATE THEM.

I'LL GIVE YOU A CLASSIC EXAMPLE.

A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT IN THE UNITED STATES HAS ALL THE TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU NEED.

YOU HAVE AN AIR CONDITIONER.

YOU HAVE THE CHAIRS.

YOU HAVE THE BOOKS AND ALL THAT.

BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHEN YOU GET TO BOTSWANA, AS MUCH AS THE COUNTRY IS TRYING SO HARD, YOU MIGHT FIND THAT THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO ARE BEING TAUGHT UNDER A TREE.

THERE IS NO CHAIR.

THERE ARE STILL CHILDREN THAT NEED RESOURCES SUCH AS BOOKS.

THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO DON'T EVEN HAVE SCHOOL UNIFORM.

THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO STILL WALK LONG DISTANCES TO GO TO THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, WHERE YET IN THE UNITED STATES, YOU HAVE THE YELLOW BUS THAT TAKES THEM TO AND FROM SCHOOL.

SO THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT REALLY WAS AN EYEOPENER OVER THE YEARS TO OUR AMERICAN STUDENTS TO SAY THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU ARE GIVEN, YOU HAVE TO MAXIMIZE THEM.

BECAUSE SOMEBODY NEXT DOOR, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE ELSE DOES NOT HAVE THESE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE.

>>I WANT TO GET A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL FOR A MINUTE, BECAUSE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT AMERICAN STUDENTS HAVING A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE.

YOU STUDIED IN THE UNITED STATES AS A STUDENT.

>>RIGHT.

>>SO I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AND HOW TRANSFORMATIVE WAS THAT FOR YOU.

>>WOW.

THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING ONE.

LET ME JUST INDICATE TO SAY WHEN I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES, I WAS ALREADY A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER, BUT THE MAJOR CHALLENGE I THINK THAT I REALLY HAD WAS THE ISSUE OF CULTURE AND THE BLACK/WHITE DYNAMICS THAT PLAY WITHIN JUST OUR SOCIETY.

I THINK THAT WAS THE REAL THING THAT WAS A KNOCKOFF IN TERMS OF MY OWN FUNCTIONALITY.

BUT THEN, ALSO, I GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PICTURE THAT YOU SEE OUT THERE OF ALL THIS BAD AND ALL THIS EVIL IS NOT THAT EVERYBODY'S LIKE THAT.

THERE ARE CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF PEOPLE WITHIN OUR SOCIETY WHO DON'T REALLY CARE MUCH ABOUT THE SKIN COLOR ISSUES.

RACISM TO THEM DOES NOT REALLY MEAN ANYTHING, BUT THEY LOOK AT YOU AS A HUMAN BEING AND THEY ACCORD YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF RACE AND THE BOUNDARIES OF COLOR TO DEVELOP YOURSELF.

SO I THINK I WOULD SAY THAT WAS ALSO AN EYEOPENER, BUT THEN IT ALSO HELPED ME, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, TO DEVELOP A THICK SKIN, TO SAY, "YOU NEED TO STAND UP IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BE COUNTED.

YOU CANNOT REALLY LET CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE SURROUNDING YOU SUPPRESS YOUR OWN POTENTIAL."

BUT THE GREATEST THING THAT IF YOU ARE TO ASK ME WHAT DID YOU BENEFIT FROM THE UNITED STATES, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

YOU GIVE EVERYBODY EDUCATION.

NOBODY CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM, DESPITE THE SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CHALLENGES THAT YOU GET SUBJECTED TO.

THAT IS THE BEST GIFT THAT THE UNITED STATES HAVE EVER GIVEN TO ME.

>>THAT WAS POWERFUL, SO THANK YOU.

>>ALL RIGHT.

>>CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND EDUCATION?

>>WELL, FROM BOTSWANA'S DIMENSION, DEFINITELY MY GOVERNMENT IN MY COUNTRY LOOKS BEYOND ISSUES OF GENDER.

IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION, EQUAL ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT AND ALL THAT.

SO WE DEFINITELY, AS A COUNTRY, I WOULD SAY WE HAVE DONE VERY WELL IN MAKING SURE THAT WOMEN, THOSE THAT HAVE THE CAPABILITY, THOSE WHO ARE ABLE, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THE SAME.

WE DON'T DRAW LINES IN TERMS OF GENDER TO SAY WOMEN HAVE TO DO THIS OR ONLY WOMEN CAN DO THAT OR MEN CAN SUPPRESS WOMEN AND ALL THAT.

THE ISSUES THAT WE BELIEVE IN UNIVERSAL EDUCATION AND UNIVERSAL EDUCATION FOR EVERYBODY.

>>ONE OF THE CRITICISMS OF AMERICANS IS THAT THEY TAKE THEIR DEMOCRACY AND THEIR FREE MARKET ECONOMY FOR GRANTED AND THAT THEY TAKE IT AS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE THE SAME FOREVER.

SINCE 1966, WHEN BOTSWANA BECAME AN INDEPENDENT NATION, YOU'VE HAD SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN DEMOCRACY.

YOU'VE INVESTED IN EDUCATION, IN RIGHTS, SOME OF WHICH YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.

IS THERE A FEELING AMONG THE PEOPLE OF BOTSWANA THAT THIS SUCCESS IS GOING TO CONTINUE OR IS PREORDAINED TO CONTINUE, OR IS THERE ALWAYS A CAUTION THERE?

>>WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID, AND I MUST ADMIT THAT IS QUITE A LOADED QUESTION.

BUT ONE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT BOTSWANA AS A COUNTRY, IT'S A VERY PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRACY THAT DOES NOT WANT TO DISMANTLE WHATEVER WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE PAST 56 YEARS OR SO.

SO IN TERMS OF EVEN WITHIN OUR POLITICS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO REALLY LISTEN TO A POLITICIAN WHO IS GOING TO ADVANCE A GOSPEL OR A SO CALLED DEMOCRATIC GOSPEL THAT IS GOING TO DESTROY THE COUNTRY.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PEOPLE WHO CAN LEAD US TO MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR AFRICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHAT POLITICAL CHAOS CAN DO.

IT DESTROYS PEOPLE.

IT DESTROYS THE ECONOMY.

IT DESTROYS SOCIETY.

IT DESTROYS INFRASTRUCTURE.

>>SO FOR US AS A COUNTRY, I WOULD SAY WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD PROGRESSIVELY TO MARCH FORWARD.

AND I THINK WE CAN ONLY AFFILIATE OURSELVES WITH THE LEADERS THAT ARE TALKING PROGRESSIVISM IN TERMS OF OUR DEMOCRATIC DISPENSATION.

OTHERWISE, ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IS A WASTE OF TIME.

>>YEAH.

AND SPEAKING OF DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS VERY MUCH IN NEED IN MANY PLACES OF THE WORLD FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT FREEDOM AND SPEECH AND OF THE PRESS IN BOTSWANA?

>>WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION.

ACTUALLY, THERE ARE SOME PUBLICATIONS THAT I'VE DONE ON THAT AREA OF MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY TO SAY, YES, FREE SPEECH IS THERE.

BUT OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE GOVERNANCY OF OUR FORMER PRESIDENT, IAN KHAMA, WHERE WE SAW THE MEDIA NOW BEING GOVERNED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT TO TRY TO CURTAIL SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING WITH MY WERE SEEN OTHERWISE AS ANTI-GOVERNMENT AND ALL THAT.

BUT THAT BEING AS IT MAY, WE STILL GO OUT THERE, WE DO OUR POLITICAL CHANTS AND ALL THAT, BUT I MUST INDICATE TO SAY THERE HAS BEEN SOME MEDIA SENSITIVITY IN AS FAR AS THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT IS CONCERNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ONE OPERATION THAT TAKES CARE OF WHAT YOU CAN SAY AND WHAT NOT.

>>BUT WE SAW THAT DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT, BUT OTHERWISE BOTSWANA IS A VERY FREE DEMOCRACY.

WE BELIEVE IN HAVING TO DISAGREE AS PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN SHARE IDEAS AND MOVE FORWARD.

AND I TAKE IT THAT YOU CANNOT BRING ANY IDEOLOGY FROM JUST ONE PERSON TO TRY TO MOVE A COUNTRY FORWARD.

IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THEIR DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS TO MOVE THE COUNTRY FORWARD.

SO YES, WE ARE TRYING TO CURTAIL WHAT YOU CAN SAY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE SAYING, "HEY, THIS IS A DEMOCRACY.

YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR VIEWPOINTS, AND WE SHALL RESPECT THAT."

>>JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, SORRY, YOU SAID CURTAIL WHAT CAN BE SAID.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT?

>>WELL, OBVIOUSLY, I THINK IN THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT, WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN IS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SOME NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ABOUT THE COUNTRY, WHICH DEFINITELY WOULD CHASE AWAY THE INVESTORS AND ALL THAT.

AND MOST OF IT AT TIMES, IT'S ALSO JUST ABOUT SABOTAGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO THAT IS THE DIMENSION THAT I'M COMING FROM, TO SAY ONCE YOU GET INTO FREE SPEECH TO AN EXTENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN DELIBERATELY, MALICIOUSLY SAY STUFF THAT IS GEARED TOWARDS BRINGING THE COUNTRY DOWN, I THINK AS A LEADERSHIP OR AS LEADERS, YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO PUT MEASURES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T ALLOW THAT KIND OF STATE OF AFFAIRS.

>>I WANT TO ASK A LITTLE ABOUT BOTSWANA'S RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF THE SUCCESSES THAT YOU'VE HAD IN A LOT OF AREAS, BUT A LOT OF YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME SUCCESS.

EVEN SOME WHO HAVE ARE MINERAL RICH, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE NOT USED THEIR MONEY IN A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE OR APPROPRIATE, CERTAINLY HAVE NOT HAD DEMOCRACIES.

IS THERE ANY SENSE OF A BOTSWANA MODEL THAT COULD BE APPLIED TO OTHER NATIONS, OR HOW ARE THE RELATIONS BETWEEN BOTSWANA AND THOSE OTHERS?

>>OKAY.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BUT I'LL JUST PARTIALLY ATTEMPT IT.

WE HAVE A COLLEAGUE OF MINE, DR. [INAUDIBLE] WHO'S REALLY GOING TO TEASE THAT ONE OUT BECAUSE THAT IS HIS AREA.

BUT I WOULD SAY WITHIN OUR OWN REGION, THE SADC REGION, BOTSWANA IS SEEN AS A VERY SUCCESSFUL MODEL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

WE ARE A VERY STABLE DEMOCRACY.

WE HAVE NEVER GONE TO WAR, AND OUR SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL POLICIES IN TERMS OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

OUR FOREIGN POLICY IS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, AND WE DEFINITELY CAN TAKE CREDIT AS A SUCCESSFUL MODEL OF DEMOCRACY IN TERMS OF OUR SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT IS WHY THE SADC REGION RIGHT NOW IS REALLY TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD TO SAY WE NEED TO NETWORK.

WE NEED TO SOLIDIFY OUR RELATIONSHIP AND LOOK AT OUR ECONOMY.

LOOK AT WHAT THE EUROPEAN UNION IS DOING.

>>SO US AS AFRICAN COUNTRIES WITHIN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER TO TRY TO MOVE OUR COUNTRIES FORWARD?

SO YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF ELEMENTS OF PAN-AFRICANISM WITHIN OUR RELATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO SAY, "I THINK WE ONLY NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A UNITED FORCE SO THAT WE CAN DEVELOP AN ECONOMIC POLICY OR A POLITICAL POLICY THAT CAN TAKE US FORWARD."

AND DEFINITELY WE HAVE A VERY POWERFUL POWERHOUSE, LIKE SOUTH AFRICA, FOR INSTANCE, WHICH IS A VERY STRONG ECONOMY, AND I MUST SAY IT PLAYS A VERY FUNDAMENTAL ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO ALSO ISSUES OF FOREIGN SERVICES OR OUR RELATIONSHIPS IN TERMS OF MOVING THE ECONOMIES FORWARD.

>>YOU MENTIONED THE WORD FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES, AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPACTFUL WORD.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTORSHIP WHEN IT COMES TO OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITIES TO BRING IN MAYBE CHILDREN TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED?

IS THERE A PROGRAM, OR HOW DO YOU WORK WITH MENTORS TO CONNECT THEM TO COMMUNITIES TO EXPOSE THEM TO THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION?

>>WELL, I'M NOT SO CERTAIN WHAT YOU MEAN BY MENTORS, BUT LIKE I INDICATED EARLIER ON, BOTSWANA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM AND BOTSWANA'S GOVERNMENT HAS A VERY DELIBERATE POLICY TO SAY NO CHILD MUST BE LEFT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

ACTUALLY, YOU CAN BE TAKEN TO TASK AS A PARENT IF YOU DENY YOUR CHILD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

SO THERE IS A DELIBERATE EFFORT IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION TO SAY EVERY CHILD FROM SIX YEARS, THEY MUST BE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

FROM FIVE YEARS, THEY SHOULD BE AT A KINDERGARTEN.

>>SO I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD SAY THERE IS DELIBERATE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, WHATEVER THE DIMENSION IS THAT YOU ARE THINKING OF IN TERMS OF THE WORD MENTORSHIP.

BUT I WOULD DECLARE TO YOU THAT IT IS A DELIBERATE POLICY BY GOVERNMENT TO SAY ANY SCHOOL GOING AGE KID MUST BE IN SCHOOL.

OTHERWISE, IF YOU CANNOT GET THEM TO SCHOOL, YOU'LL BE FOUND WANTING AND YOU CAN BE TAKEN TO TASK OVER THAT.

>>IS EDUCATION EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED IN TERMS OF QUALITY?

EVERY STUDENT HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME THAT DON'T REALLY HAVE A FORMAL SCHOOL HOUSE, IF YOU WILL, AND SOME THAT I'M SURE HAVE QUITE MODERN FACILITIES.

>>RIGHT.

I THINK THERE ARE POCKETS OF CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF THE EQUITY, BECAUSE IN AS MUCH AS YOU ARE SAYING EVERYBODY MUST GO TO SCHOOL, AND OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE VERY GOOD EFFORTS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE BUILD THE CLASSROOMS SO THAT KIDS CAN BE THERE, BUT YOU FIND THAT IN MOST CASES, CHILDREN IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE IN THE OUTSKIRTS, FAR AWAY AREAS FROM URBAN AREAS, THEY ARE OFTEN FOUND TO BE CHALLENGED, BECAUSE MORE OFTEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE BUT IS IN A POOR STATE.

AND AT TIMES YOU FIND THAT THEY DON'T HAVE BOOKS AND ALL THAT, AND THAT IS A CHALLENGE THAT IS THERE.

BUT I THINK THAT IS EXPECTED IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, BUT THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TO SAY IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A SCHOOL, BOOKS MUST BE GIVEN TO EVERYBODY ELSE.

AND IT'S AN EFFORT THAT IS BEING MADE, BUT WE STILL SEE POCKETS OF A LACK OF EQUITY.

>>WELL, WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE LOW ON TIME, SO WE WANT TO CLOSE WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE BIGGEST NEED IN BOTSWANA'S EDUCATION TODAY?

AND WE HAVE ABOUT ONE MINUTE.

>>WELL, THE BIGGEST NEED IN BOTSWANA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM TODAY IS THOSE WHO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO CLOSE ANY POCKETS OF INJUSTICE AND THE DISCREPANCIES OF LACK OF EQUITY.

SO WE NEED LEADERS WITH THEIR HEART TO MOVE US FORWARD, DESPITE OUR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>PROFESSOR JOTIA, IT'S BEEN GREAT HAVING YOU ON.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT WEEK ON ANOTHER EPISODE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.