[An Nahar] Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you knowKerry
Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a
lucky hat,conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State...
vowed Tuesday to defend democratic values and human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
as he met civil society groups ahead of a major U.S.-Africa summit.
On the eve of a summit attended by several leaders with checkered records, Kerry told activists gathered in Washington that the United States hoped to help Africa build strong institutions rather than to bolster individual leaders.
"Strong civil society and respect for democracy, the rule of law and human rights -- these are not just American values, they are universal values. They are universal aspirations and anyone who reads history and knows history understands that," Kerry said.
"Diversity is always a better predictor of success than uniformity. Because strong institutions are always more effective, more durable and more predictable than strong men or women," he said.
Citing the example of South Africa's late anti-apartheid champion Nelson Mandela, Kerry said that most Africans supported limiting their leaders to two terms in office.
"We will urge leaders not to alter national constitutions for personal or political gain," Kerry said.