The Book Doctor(Dr. Julius Dueley) Returns to South Africa

Dr. Julius Wayne Dudley who has shipped more than 3 million books to South Africa makes his seventh visit to the country and his first as the vice-president of the Phelps-Stokes Fune.

Phelps-Stokes Vice President Julius Wayne Dudley, Ph.D.. returns to
South Africa in October to renew friendships and local contacts as part of the Ralph
Bunche Read, Write, and Share Initiative. The initiative is a continuation of the work
that Dr. Dudley, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, has done for more than 10 years in South
Africa, as founding president of the Collaborative Education With South Africans. This
visit will mark Dudleys seventh trip to South Africa, since 1995. The american professor,
who is known as the "Book Doctor", collected and shipped more than 3 million books
to South Africa. According to Dudley, Giving of books and computers represents more
than just giving items of need, but builds relationships in international cooperation, which
was the cornerstone of the career of the late Dr. Ralph Bunche, Noble Peace Prize winner
and United Nations mediator. Under the new Phelps-Stokes Read, Write and Share Initiative,
Dudleys goal is to more than double this number to exceed 7 million books within 5
years.
Like Dr. Ralph Bunche, who lived during a time of great racial turmoil and rose
from humble origins to make a notable contribution to international understanding and
diplomacy, Dudley also lived during much of the same period and shares a similar background.
Dudley seeks to contribute to the living legacy of Dr. Bunche - - the quintessential
statesman and humanitarian of the 20th Century. Coincidently, Dr. Bunche also
served as chairman of the Board of Phelps-Stokes for 25 years.
The Phelps-Stokes Foundation is one of the oldest and continuing operating Funds
in Americas history. Founded in 1911 and based in New Yorks Wall Street District, it
is well known for several activities in South Africa, such as providing leadership in the
founding of the South African Institute of Race Relations (1921); providing scholarships
for South African refugees (1986); establishing the Archbishop Tutu Scholarship Fund;
and sending books to underserved libraries and schools in the country. In addition, hundreds
of South Africans have benefited from the work of such former Phelps-Stokes Foundation
employees, as Ms. Ida Wood, who was truly dedicated to the humanitarian mission
of the Fund. Dudley is especially looking forward to recognizing those relationships.
Caroline Phelps-Stokes, (1854-1909), was one of the first women philanthropists in
New York City, who provided millions of dollars to establish the Foundation, and part of
her ancestral roots can be traced directly to, Daniel Lindley, the first minister of the Voortrekkers,
and an early missionary among (the) Zulu". Thereby, partially explaining why
she, as a Caucasian female wanted part of the Foundations funds to be used to improve the
condition of blacks both in America and Africa, especially, South Africa. Phelps-Stokes
also targetes other groups, such as and Native Americans and destitute Whites.
As Vice President, Dr. Dudley seeks to expand on the Phelps-Stokes tradition, in order
to address the social concerns of South Africa. For example, the Fund intends to supports
the Order of St. Johns, Baby Therapy Center in Pretoria. In a letter from Archbishop
Tutu, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Phelps-Stokes, to Dudley, Archbishop
Tutu sees The Baby Therapy Center as offering a remarkable service to the most vulnerable
members of our society, disabled infants." In like manner, Dudley will be making
several presentations and donations on behalf of Phelps-Stokes to several charitable organizations.
He will also bring some of the health and educational items to the Center, from a
wish list that was submitted to him last month.
Part of Dr. Dudleys month-long trip to South Africa will be to expand his network
of friends and contacts, as well as to assess the feasibility of establishing a regional office
in the country. Another initiative of Phelps-Stokes will focus on HIV/Aids Education in
South Africa. He will also serve as a liaison between the prominent Atlanta Butler Street-
YMCA and the YMCAs of South Africa in their planning of a boxing match to knock
out" global illiteracy, which is spearheaded by a committee led by Dr. Solomon Tutu in
2003. The boxing match pays tribute to Nelson Mandela and Vernon Jordan (a prominent
advisor to former President Clinton), who were known boxing enthusiasts.
Dudleys South African trip will include visits to, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg,
and Bisho, as well as the townships of Alexandria and Soweto. He will hopefully visit 7
of the 9 provinces, during his stay .
Individuals wanting more information on the Ralph Bunche Initiative or other
Phelps-Stokes programs may contact Dr. Dudley directly at his e-mail address
(wdudley777@aol.com).