美國前總統奧巴馬卸任後首次公開活動 現身芝加哥大學演講

4月24日，美國前總統奧巴馬在芝加哥大學洛根藝術中心與來自芝加哥市的學生互動，並發表了自今年1月卸任後的首次公開演講。此次談話涉及議題甚廣，奧巴馬談到自己在芝加哥市南區進行社區組織工作時所從事過的公共服務，詢問在座的芝加哥大學及肯伍德學院等學校的學生們所參與過的公共服務，以及他們如何為同齡人創造新的途徑使之能夠共同參與公共服務。活動開始時，芝加哥大學本科二年級學生Richard Omoniyi-Shoyoola首先向與會者介紹奧巴馬。在活動的分組學生座談中，芝加哥大學本科三年級學生Max Freedman與前總統直接對話。

「我長時間的思考：什麼是我接下來應該做的最重要的事？」奧巴馬說，「我知道自己關心許多問題並且也打算開展一系列工作，但「我現在能做的最重要的事，就是和年輕人合作，讓他們接過指揮棒，以他們的方式改變世界。」

此次活動被視為奧巴馬的「回家之旅」，在2004年當選美國參議員前，他曾任教於芝加哥大學法學院十幾年，講授憲法、投票權、種族主義等課程。

近90分鐘的討論並未觸及當前熱門話題。相反，前總統大部分時間都在詢問年輕人，同時談及自己如何完成從社區組織者到美國總統的攀登。奧巴馬強調了他所關注的國會選區重劃以及金錢對政治的影響等問題。

「我一直深受鼓舞，從美國各地乃至全世界，都可以看到我們的年輕一代銳利、精明、寬容、思想深邃且富於創新。」奧巴馬說：「所以我們面臨的問題是：如何為年輕一代創造途徑使他們能夠走上領袖之路？」

在奧巴馬和芝加哥大學本科三年級學生MaxFreedman的討論中，他們探討了如何讓持不同觀點的人們相互交流，而不是各自只和那些有著自己類似觀點的人交流。

（ 奧巴馬與芝大本科二年級學生 Richard Omoniyi - Shoyoola 握手 ）

最後，前總統回答了與會年輕人所提出的問題，對他們努力參與公民生活所面臨的挑戰給予建議。

奧巴馬錶示他最近正在撰寫回憶錄，回顧自己的政治之旅。其中的一個觀點是，不要僅僅因為某事是「下一步計劃」而為之。奧巴馬說，這正是他在芝加哥南區舉行的首次國會選舉中敗選的主要原因。

「別總想著自己成為什麼，而是多思考自己想幹什麼。」他說。

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Obama focuses on inspiring next generation of leaders in return to UChicagoFormer president talks with students at first public event since leaving White House

Former President Barack Obama returned to the University of Chicago to discuss a key priority for his time after the White House—helping to inspire and prepare the next generation of civic leaders.

On Monday, the former president gathered on stage at UChicago』s Reva and David Logan Center with students from around Chicago for his first public event since ending his second term in January. In a wide-ranging conversation, Obama talked about his own introduction to public service as a community organizer on Chicago』s South Side and asked students from schools including UChicago and Kenwood Academy about their own involvement in civic engagement and how to create new ways for their peers to participate. Obama was introduced by UChicago second-year student Richard Omoniyi-Shoyoola, and the student panel included UChicago third-year Max Freedman.

「I』m spending a lot of time thinking: What is the most important thing I can do for my next job?」 Obama said. 「And what I』m convinced of is that although there are all kinds of issues I care about and all kinds of issues I intend to work on, the single-most important thing I can do is to help, in any way I can, prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and take their own crack at changing the world.」

The event was a homecoming for Obama, who taught constitutional law, voting rights, and racism and the law at the University of Chicago Law School for more than a decade before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He took the stage and asked the crowd of mostly local students: 「So what』s been going on while I』ve been gone?」

But the nearly 90-minute discussion didn』t touch on current events. Instead, the former president spent most of the time asking questions of the young people, while talking about his own climb from community organizer to U.S. president. Obama also highlighted certain problems he sees such as the gerrymandering of Congressional districts and the influence of money in politics.

「I have been encouraged everywhere I go in the United States—but also everywhere around the world—to see how sharp and astute and tolerant and thoughtful and entrepreneurial our young people are,」 Obama said. 「So the question then becomes: What are the ways in which we can create pathways for them to take leadership, for them to get involved?」

At one point, the former president and Max Freedman, athird-year student at UChicago, explored how to get people of different views talking to each other rather than just talking with those who have similar views. Freedman, a College Republican who worked in Iowa during last year』s caucuses, talked about an 「empathy gap」 that currently exists and the challenges that former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, faced for serving as a mentor to Obama.

「It』s not just that we』re reading different news, but we don』t talk to each other anymore,」 Freedman said. 「Civic engagement at some point will require a level of civility.」

At the end, the former president took questions from the young men and women gathered on stage, dispensing advice as they face their own challenges as they work to become involved in civic life.

Obama drew laughs as he advisedone panel memberto leavehisclipboard at homewhen doing community surveys. Nothing causes people to run faster than when they see a clipboard, he joked.

The former president also reflected on his own political journey, something Obama said he is doing a lot of lately, as he writes a book on it. One insight is don』t do something just because it』s the next step. Obama said that approach was a major reason why he failed in his first run for Congress on Chicago』s South Side.

「Worry less about what you want to be, and worry more about what you want to do,」 he said.

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