Obama to focus on training next generation of leadership

New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that his post-presidency priorities are to lend his voice to issues that he cares about and training the next generation of leadership

Speaking at a town hall meeting with young Indian leaders organised by the Obama Foundation, the non-profit organisation that was set up after he left the presidency, Obama said that he has decided to lend his voice to a number of specific issues through the Obama Foundation.

He said that he would focus the rest of his career on issues like climate change, inequality, women getting same opportunities as men, and fighting against the forces of discrimination, tribalism and racism.

"But the single most important thing that I want to focus on is lifting up and identifying and working with and training the next generation of leadership not just in the United States but all around the world," he stated.

Stating that this was the central goal of his foundation, Obama said that though it was going to be based in Chicago, "we want to have projects, programmes, partnerships, and digital networks everywhere".

"The reason I thought it was so important to something in India (is) you have got the largest population of young people in the world. That's a lot. So we might as well start big."

Stating that there has never been a better time to be a young person, Obama said: "The fact is the world has never been healthier, it has never been wealthier and despite terrible conflicts that are still taking place around the world and remarkable cruelty and suffering, the world is actually less violent and more tolerant than it has ever been."

He said that none of these happened just because of luck but because people chose to make it happen.

Later, in an interaction with the gathering Obama expressed his views on issues like global health, technology fitting into education, the dangers of technology, encouraging people to change, discrimination against minorities and the role of mentors in society.

Earlier in the day, he addressed the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit and also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.