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Rhodes Scholarship Fund, 100, Adds Foundation for South Africa
Aired July 02, 2003 - 15:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: A thousand former Rhodes scholars have gathered in Oxford, England, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legendary scholarship program.
The event features a keynote address by former President Clinton and the launch of a new fund for Africa called the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
CNN's Paula Hancock has more on the celebration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL HANCOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A former U.S. president, a former Australian prime minister and a well-known country and western singer. Just a few of the distinguished set of Rhodes scholars from some 6,000 students who have past through Oxford's doors through the past century and proof that intellectual distinction is not the only part of the Rhodes scholarship.
NICK ALLARD, BOARD MEMBER AND FORMER SCHOLAR: I think primarily, in addition to first rate academic ability, the selectors, in the spirit of the trust, are looking for leaders and people who can make a contribution to the world and who are interested in the world's fight.
HANCOCK: One current scholar studying social policy has also learned photography to raise money for a junior school in South Africa. By capturing the community's plight on film, she's hoping to raise $50,000 for the village.
JASMINE WADDELL, CURRENT RHODES SCHOLAR: I gain a lot of strength and a lot of confidence. And I think that I'm going to pursue things that I wouldn't have pursued before. I think, fortunately or unfortunately, certain people will listen to me who wouldn't have done so before. I think I have a little bit more flexibility in terms of what I would be interested in doing.
HANCOCK: Cecil Rhodes was a British-born pioneer and statesman who died in 1902. Hoping to create an international community at Oxford he left the greater part of his fortune to establish the scholarships.
(on camera) Cecil Rhodes chose Oxford as the venue for his scholarship not only because he'd attended the university himself. He also thought that the system of separate colleges was a perfect environment for the personal development of the scholars. (voice-over) And it's that personal development that is still a focus of the course. The scholarship is described as an investment in individuals.
And it's on this same theme that the Nelson Mandela Foundation is creating a scholarship based in South Africa. Rhodes made his fortune in that country, setting up the diamond company, Duboers (ph).
LORD WALDEGRAVE, CHAIRMAN, RHODES TRUSTEES: The great majority, although we are talkative, argumentative and strong-minded constituency of Rhodes scholars. We have presidents, as you know, amongst them. We have former prime ministers. We have scholars and every kind of person.
And I'm sure there are different opinions. But overall, we have had a positive response, I think, to the initiative. The feeling that the time had come to say thank you to the country where many came from.
HANCOCK: In bringing international students together, Cecil Rhodes was hoping to create peace between nations. Adding Germany to the original list of the United States and the commonwealth, he hoped that country's cooperation would help to avert war.
Paula Hancock, CNN, Oxford, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Africa>
Aired July 2, 2003 - 15:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: A thousand former Rhodes scholars have gathered in Oxford, England, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legendary scholarship program.
The event features a keynote address by former President Clinton and the launch of a new fund for Africa called the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
CNN's Paula Hancock has more on the celebration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL HANCOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A former U.S. president, a former Australian prime minister and a well-known country and western singer. Just a few of the distinguished set of Rhodes scholars from some 6,000 students who have past through Oxford's doors through the past century and proof that intellectual distinction is not the only part of the Rhodes scholarship.
NICK ALLARD, BOARD MEMBER AND FORMER SCHOLAR: I think primarily, in addition to first rate academic ability, the selectors, in the spirit of the trust, are looking for leaders and people who can make a contribution to the world and who are interested in the world's fight.
HANCOCK: One current scholar studying social policy has also learned photography to raise money for a junior school in South Africa. By capturing the community's plight on film, she's hoping to raise $50,000 for the village.
JASMINE WADDELL, CURRENT RHODES SCHOLAR: I gain a lot of strength and a lot of confidence. And I think that I'm going to pursue things that I wouldn't have pursued before. I think, fortunately or unfortunately, certain people will listen to me who wouldn't have done so before. I think I have a little bit more flexibility in terms of what I would be interested in doing.
HANCOCK: Cecil Rhodes was a British-born pioneer and statesman who died in 1902. Hoping to create an international community at Oxford he left the greater part of his fortune to establish the scholarships.
(on camera) Cecil Rhodes chose Oxford as the venue for his scholarship not only because he'd attended the university himself. He also thought that the system of separate colleges was a perfect environment for the personal development of the scholars. (voice-over) And it's that personal development that is still a focus of the course. The scholarship is described as an investment in individuals.
And it's on this same theme that the Nelson Mandela Foundation is creating a scholarship based in South Africa. Rhodes made his fortune in that country, setting up the diamond company, Duboers (ph).
LORD WALDEGRAVE, CHAIRMAN, RHODES TRUSTEES: The great majority, although we are talkative, argumentative and strong-minded constituency of Rhodes scholars. We have presidents, as you know, amongst them. We have former prime ministers. We have scholars and every kind of person.
And I'm sure there are different opinions. But overall, we have had a positive response, I think, to the initiative. The feeling that the time had come to say thank you to the country where many came from.
HANCOCK: In bringing international students together, Cecil Rhodes was hoping to create peace between nations. Adding Germany to the original list of the United States and the commonwealth, he hoped that country's cooperation would help to avert war.
Paula Hancock, CNN, Oxford, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Africa>
