The World Leaders Forum is no stranger to controversy—its famous invitation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2007 set off a firestorm of media and protest—but it was the series’ website that proved inflammatory on Wednesday.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is scheduled to speak at Low Library on Sept. 22, has allegedly intimidated voters at polls, detained political opponents, and been labeled by the New York Times as an example of “autocratic repression.” So why did Columbia’s World Leaders Forum website refer to such a divisive figure as having demonstrated “seasoned leadership”?
His short biography has since been removed from the website and replaced with a note that he will be speaking on “the current global economy and its impact.”
