On February 16 at the ceremony of granting to the President of Bolivia Evo Morales of the title of Doctor Emeritus of the Russian State Humanities University (RGGU), Pavel Sulyandziga, the First Vice-President of the Raipon Association, handed a to Evo Morales a souvenir of our Association and expressed the hope that the cooperation of the indigenous peoples of Russia and Bolivia would be strengthened. Evo Morales responded that he is very glad for that and would promote such cooperation.
Handing in the certificate to the Bolivian Leader, the rector of the university Yefim Pivovar said: «You have done a lot for the enlightening of the people and primarily for elimination of illiteracy in the country». He reminded that Morales had been doing his best to retain the culture of the indigenous peoples of America. Taking part in the ceremony were Russian students wearing traditional Bolivian attire. «I never expected that I would come to Russia as a the head of state and that this title would come to an Indian », - said the guest in response.
Evo Morales was born into a poor family of Aimara Indians. The Bolivian president would repeatedly say that one of the major tasks he faced was to provide the opportunity to the indigenous people to get education. Morales studies in school until the 11th grade, wherеupon he was enlisted. After the army service, the young Indian became a trade Union leader, Parliament deputy, and finally the President. Speaking about himself, Morales would say repeatedly like Gorky: «My university was life».
Currently, the RAIPON Association continues projects on the exchange between the indigenous peoples of Russia and Bolivia.