Liberian-American Garretson Al Smith gets prestigious MLK award at World Mayors’ Conference in Michigan US
Detroit, MICHIGAN — A Liberian born and American trained security specialist and special investigator in the Washington D.C. Metro Area, Garretson Alvin Smith, has received the Martin Luther King Jr Humanitarian and Leadership Award during the 2017 World Conference of Mayors (WCM) held in Detroit, Michigan, United States (US).
The award was presented to Smith by the founding president of the Mayors’ conference, former Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford, and the current president of the WCM, Ed Jones, who is also the current Mayor of Grambling, Louisiana.
In attendance at the global mayors’ conference were more than four hundred mayors from the world, including countries like the US, Canada, Africa and Asia. Others in attendance included the Canadian Consul General Sebastian Roy, the Africa Union ambassador accredited to Washington DC, Her Excellency Dr. Arikana Chihbori Qauo and other members of the Diplomatic Community as well as global business executives.
The World Conference of Mayors took place at the Grand MGM Hotel in Detroit, Michigan from October 23 – 29, 2017.
Investigator Garretson Al Smith was invited to the conference by Detroit City Mayor Mike Duggan to do a presentation on human rights and related issues, including investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Speaking on the theme “We are ahead of perpetrators in the international legal system,” during what is described as the ‘Law Enforcement Night’ at the Conference, Smith addressed the challenges and possibilities in ensuring international justice to a gathering of several state attorney-generals from across the United States.
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Smith, who is a former member of the K-For Kosovo Forces and the Multi-National Battle Group East NATO International Security Mission in the Balkans under the auspices of the United States Department of Defense, informed the audience at the conference about the need for peace and reconciliation around the world within the context of international justice.
Smith is a respected security specialist and an international special investigator. He has served as a former Contractor Staffer at the US Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, The White House Visitors Center, and the International Monetary Funds respectively.
Smith is believed to be the first Liberian and one of few Africans to receive the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian and Leadership Award at the Mayors’ conference.
Source: Filed reports from WCM
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
