A former diplomat and African Affairs expert will kick off a new lecture series at Bermuda College on Monday.

Walter C. Carrington will be the first speaker in the new distinguished speakers series. Mr. Carrington is currently a non-resident fellow at Harvard's W.E.B. DuBois Institute working on a book about Nigeria.

He served as US Ambassador to Nigeria from 1993 to 1997 and was the first non-career diplomat ever appointed to the post.

He has worked in Sierra Leone, Tunisia and Senegal and as the former Director of the US Peace Corps for African Operations.

Mr. Carrington will speak on `The Democratisation of the African Continent'.

The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in the College's North Hall Lecture Theatre.

Two former Rhodes scholars will share duties at the second lecture of the series on Monday, February 26.

Former Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson and Independent Senator Dr. Trevor Munroe of Jamaica will address `The Legacy of Colonialism'.

In addition to his role in the Jamaica Senate, Dr. Munroe teaches Government and Politics at the University of the West Indies at Mona.

Dr. Monroe has a demonstrated interest in development and upliftment for Jamaica's disadvantaged. He is also President of one of Jamaica's largest trade unions.

A Fullbright scholar, Dr. Munroe has written and edited numerous academic texts.

He was appointed to the Senate in 1998 and has since been responsible for approval of a number of bipartisan initiatives including the establishment of a National Commission on medicinal uses of marijuana, tough anti-corruption legislation and radical constitutional reform.

Bermuda's own Arthur Hodgson is a sitting MP for Hamilton West.

Mr. Hodson, served as Bermuda's Environment Minister from 1998 until late last year. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics while at Oxford as Bermuda's first black Rhodes scholar.

Later he obtained a post graduate degree in Education from the University of Guyana before turning to a legal career.

Mr. Hodgson received his law degree from the University of Buckingham in England.

The Legacy of Colonialism lecture is being presented by the College in conjunction with the West Indian Association.

The series will continue through the upcoming months.

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