Once a young leader of the caliber of Barack Obama retires from public life, he wants to share his thoughts and feelings with others and loves to utilize any opportunity that comes his way. That is how he landed up with Canada's Prime Minister justin trudeau in montreal when he came to the city to give a lecture.
The meeting in Montreal
BBC reports that Barack Obama, ex-President of the United States was scheduled to give a speech under the banner of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce. His oratory powers are well known and he was idolized by many, hence, there was a rush of people who wanted to listen to him and share his thoughts.
It seems tickets were sold out and even resold online at a premium.
In the course of his speech, Obama dwelt on the Paris climate agreement. It had been a subject close to his heart when he was in the chair. He had probably expected the United States to play a more positive role in promoting climate change and was disappointed at the final outcome when it decided to withdraw.
He must have guessed that unknown forces had been operating in the background to derail the process. However he was confident that even without any American at the helm, the Paris accord would still serve its purpose for the benefit of the future generation. The world must realize that global warming is due to fossil fuels which must be discarded and alternate energy must be promoted.
The meeting with Justin Trudeau
Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau share a bond because Justin had once referred to Obama as his elder brother. The two of them had met earlier in the White House at a state dinner last year. Therefore, when Obama got the chance to come to Montreal to deliver a lecture, it was but natural that get together and catch up on the latest updates.
The two of them dined at popular restaurant in Montreal and discussed about their "shared commitment" to youth leadership because youth is on their side. Barack Obama has served as President for two terms and is still in his fifties while Justin Trudeau is in his forties. The Obama Foundation also indicated that there were discussions on youth leadership because it is the youth who matter today.
They have to come to the forefront and take the lead. It is obvious that the young generation must be empowered so that it can guide the world through difficult times.
Incidentally, the restaurant they opted to dine in was a favorite of the Canadian Prime minister who belongs to the city and both he and his high profile guest appeared to be in a good mood as they had their lunch.
