WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, will host a half-day conference on sustainable development and trade with Africa on January 18 in Wilmington. The Opportunity: Africa conference will give Delawareans a seat at the table with some of the nation’s leading voices on sustainable development and trade with Africa, looking closely at how Delaware’s businesses, faith communities, and individuals can engage with Africa.
“Africa is a continent of enormous opportunity, and enormous challenges,” Senator Coons said. “With six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies in the world in Africa, there is great potential for economic engagement and sustained development. This conference is designed to give Delawareans – many of whom are already engaged in Africa – a seat at the table with some of the America’s leading voices on Africa policy and a chance to connect with other people from our area who share their concerns. It is my hope that our neighbors come away from it with a better appreciation for the opportunity that engaging in Africa presents for strengthening our economy and our national security.”
The conference will feature a series of plenary sessions and workshops on specific aspects of U.S. diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian policies toward Africa. Two of the most prominent American voices on Africa will keynote the conference: Daniel Yohannes, chief executive officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and Raj Shah, director of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Opportunity: Africa will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on January 18 in Arsht Hall on the Wilmington Campus of the University of Delaware. It is open to the public. Afternoon workshops will focus on opportunities for businesses and investors in Africa, while evening workshops will examine human rights, global health, sustainable development, and food security challenges in the region. Delawareans can RSVP online at: http://coons.senate.gov/opportunityafrica
A PDF of the save-the-date for the conference can be downloaded here: http://coons.senate.gov/opportunityafrica/savethedate.pdf
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