Obama's Mother to Receive Award in Indonesia

By: Tyler Finn
Topics: In The News

(AP/Obama Presidential Campaign)

Stanley Ann Dunham, President Obama's late mother, is set to receive official acknowledgement for her work promoting rural development in Indonesia.

The Jakarta Post reported earlier this week that Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta plans to posthumously award the president's mother in honor of "her tireless efforts in the field of economic anthropology."

Dunham lived in the capital of Jakarta from 1967-1971 along with her husband, Indonesian Lalo Soitero, and a young Barack Obama.

The award will be presented this October at a conference titled "Local Wisdom Global Solutions," where Former Vice President Al Gore and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammud Yunus are expected to serve as keynote speakers, according to the Jakarta Globe.

Wiendu Nuryanti, head of the conference steering committee, told the paper that the award would be given to Dunham for her dissertation on microfinance in Central Java. She claimed the timing of the announcement, just weeks before the president's scheduled visit to Indonesia, is pure coincidence.

"The award will be given to honor his mother's work as an anthropologist nd we have been meaning to do it during the conference. Coincidentally, Obama is scheduled to come here, so we will use the chance to tell him about the award, " said Wiendu.

Wiendu also told the Jakarta Globe that the university hopes to personally brief Mr. Obama on the award during his trip to Indonesia next month.

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by SueK51 February 28, 2010 5:29 PM EST: His Royal Niblets' stepfather is Lolo Soetoro, not Lalo Soitero, as the article states.

Do you guys know something we don't, or did you just screw up the name??; Reply to this comment


by stormerF2 February 28, 2010 10:59 AM EST: Too bad they had to wait till she was dead, Economic anthropology,does that mean she learned how to live with the Natives?; Reply to this comment


by stormerF2 February 28, 2010 10:56 AM EST: Maybe they will keep his corrupt chicage A$$.; Reply to this comment


by CBSisCommunist5 February 28, 2010 3:42 AM EST: just give a Nobel prize also...; Reply to this comment

by hateisafourletterword February 27, 2010 6:23 PM EST

So his formative years were spent in a muslim country! Interesting.

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by HGOODGUY February 28, 2010 9:00 AM EST: I am waiting for all "Yo Mama" jokes next!!!!

by jgg000101 February 26, 2010 9:10 PM EST

this is just weird. Didn't they just take down the statue of obama they put up? What exactly did his mother do for indonesia?

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by reveal4 February 27, 2010 4:28 PM EST: Here's a thought...Read the article...your question will be answered. What a novel concept. Read the article. DUH!