Barack Obama's Italy Itinerary Revealed After Speech On 'Political Courage' At 'Profile In Courage' Award Ceremony

Former President Barack Obama is set to speak about climate change and food security in Italy Tuesday as part of a tour where he will also be meeting with "friends that he made while in office," a statement said Sunday.

The statement about the former president’s visit to Italy was released soon after he was honored with the "Profile in Courage" award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library by Caroline Kennedy .

Obama is also scheduled for a private meeting Monday with former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi followed by an evening dinner engagement with "a number of Italians from different sectors hosted by the Institute for International Political Studies.”

On Tuesday Obama is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the “Seeds and Chips Global Food Innovation Summit.” The statement also mentioned the summit's theme this year would be "The Impact of Technology and Innovation on Climate Change and Food Availability Around the World."

After his speech, Obama will also participate in a Question & Answer session with Sam Kass, who worked as White House chef and nutrition adviser under his administration.

Prior to his Italy visit, Obama accepted the John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage” Award in Boston on Sunday. He spoke about the Affordable Health Care Act during his speech in Boston. His comments on healthcare came for the first time since the House approved a repeal and replacement of Obamacare Thursday.

While speaking broadly about the healthcare debate, he touched upon the concept of political courage.

“I’ve been thinking on this notion on political courage this weekend, in particular about some of the men and women who were elected to Congress the year I was elected to the White House,” Obama said.

“Many of them were new to Washington, had their entire careers ahead of them and in that very first term they had to take tough vote after tough vote because we were in crisis,” he added.

“And then found themselves in the midst of a great debate,” he continued. “A debate that had been going on for decades … a debate about whether a nation as wealthy as the United States of America would finally make health care not a privilege, but a right for all Americans.”

Speaking about the time under his administration when Congressmen and women had to vote on the Affordable Care Act, Obama said: “these freshman congressmen and women knew that they had to make a choice, that they had a chance to insure millions and prevent untold worry and suffering, bankruptcy and even death but that this same vote would likely cost them their new seats, perhaps end their political careers.”

After the votes made it possible to pass the Affordable Care Act, he praised the Congressmen and women during his speech and said, “These men and women did the right thing, they did the hard thing. Theirs was a profile in courage. Because of that vote, 20 million people got health insurance who didn’t have it, and most of [those lawmakers] did lose their seats.”

Obama then emphasized the concept of political courage and said he hoped “regardless of party, such courage is still possible.”

“I hope they understand that courage means not simply doing what is politically expedient, but doing what they believe deep in their hearts is right,” he added.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library honored the former president with the award for “his enduring commitment to democratic ideals and elevating the standard of political courage in a new century.”