As a way of remembering Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego, who passed away last April, the Batho Pele Organisation and the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation have partnered on a commemorative event.

The event takes place in the Harbour View Room of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess at 7.30 this evening.

Lucinda Worrell-Stowe, president of the Batho Pele (People First) said the aim of the event is to keep Dr. Kamarakafego's memory alive. "We want to honour Pauulu but more importantly to make sure the work that he began continues, as this is what he wanted more than anything," she said of the man who worked tirelessly for universal adult suffrage in Bermuda and made efforts to assist developing nations around the world.

"We will try endlessly to make sure the younger generations learn that there are no boundaries to what they can accomplish in life.

"We will also encourage children to travel extensively throughout all the continents learning as they go.

"We will definitely make sure that they know who Pauulu was and his contributions to Bermuda and the global community."

Organisers expect to attract 500 people to the free event.

"We are looking for donations to carry out the many projects, which will assist our youngsters in travel, education and incentives," Ms Worrell-Stowe said. "We will also be donating two plaques and two trophies to Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy students who excel in science and community service."

Dr. Kamarakafego's earned a PhD in ecological engineering and, through relentless advocacy, began awakening people's conscience to sustainable development. Some of his achievements included teaching at the University of Liberia and at a university in Kenya.

As an ecological engineer, he worked on community, government and international contracts in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific, where he developed and taught techniques to improve the standard of living of the people in these communities.

The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements honoured Dr. Kamarakafego in 1996, for two of his designs which exemplified 100 sustainable development "best practices".

He also coordinated many conferences on sustainable development including the Southern NGO Summit held in Nigeria in early 2002, where he was honoured with the Eminent Person Award, in recognition of his long-standing commitment to the principles and cause of Sustainable Development. And he played a leading and continuous role in the Pan African movement and, at the time of his death, he still headed up the Pan African Movement to the United Nations.

The event will celebrate his remarkable life through an array of songs, dance and speeches by those who have been transformed by their close association of Dr. Kamarakafego.

Tributes have been written by many who were touched by him, said Ms Worrell-Stowe, and more are welcome.

"There has been a deluge of tributes and they are still coming in from all over the world," she said. "We would have liked to have more Bermudians send in tributes. All we are simply asking for persons to write what they thought of Pauulu and or his works.

"Even though there has been a huge outpouring there is a common theme, everyone talks about his love for people and his willingness to share his knowledge with everyone as well as his love for young people.

"They have also noted that he is (was) a hard worker a 'doer' — a man who asked for nothing in return."

One of the tributes was from the press secretary/political adviser to the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, Lopeti Senituli, who wrote: "Pauulu was all of us moulded by the gods into one gentle, patient, charming, and yet determined and powerful soul.

"At first I tried to figure out from which country he came and in the end decided that he came from all our countries because he was always building bridges amongst us all.

"I remember well the numerous NGO meetings he would chair at the Church Centre or in the meeting rooms in the lower floors of the UN headquarters in New York or in other capitals as we followed the UN meetings schedules in which all hell would break loose as we let all our frustrations out about all and sundry and there's Pauulu gently pleading for peace! I'll drink to that!"

Another came from Dr. Edialeda Salgado do Nascimento, of the Pan African Movement and President Instituto Centro de Memória e Documentação Afro-brasileira and also President National of the Secretary Black Movement of the Democratic Labourist Party in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The doctor set his tribute out in the form of a letter, which detailed significant international political moves that had been made in the last year. These included the apology to the indigenous peoples of Australian, by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. This also included the marking of the 200th anniversary of the UK's Abolition of Slavery Act, by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. And the letter also spoke about President Jacques Chirac apology to all who suffered from the crime against humanity and it also pointed out that in France, May 10 would now be a National Day in remembrance of slaves.

The tribute also went on to say that the United Nations had also made a celebration for the 200 years of the abolition of the slave trade, and was asking for nations to pay attention and make efforts to put an end to the modern day slave trade.

The letter also mentioned a conversation that the two doctors shared about Senator Barack Obama.

"You were right," said the letter. "He is doing well, and won his opposites. ... He isn't only a surprise, he is also a hope for the majority of democratic voters, black or whites."

Bermudian law student Kamal Worrell also offered a tribute. Mr. Worrell was part of a group of Bermudians representing the Pan-African Organisation at the 1997 United Nations Earth Summit.

"This began for me what was to become a long-term curiosity for international affairs, politics and law," he said. "During the summit I witnessed Pauulu as a man unswervingly dedicated to the cause which he professed.

"He appeared almost indefatigable as we spent the days going from meeting to meeting — or caucus to caucus as he explained they were called. It was there under his tutelage that I learned of terms such as sustainable development, indigenous peoples and globalisation.

"My eyes were thus opened to an entirely new world much larger than what I had known up until then."

Organisers hope to make this recognition of Dr. Kamarakafego an annual event.