WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons, a member of Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, will host the fourth annual Opportunity: Africa conference on Friday, November 6 at the Sheraton Wilmington South.
“As a world of economic and social possibilities continues to unfold in Africa, the continent also faces new challenges,” said Sen. Coons. “The fourth annual Opportunity: Africa conference will provide key insights into some of these challenges, including expanding entrepreneurship, increasing access to electricity, implementing lessons learned through the Ebola pandemic, supporting African farming, and protecting political rights while combatting violent extremism.”
The annual conference links Delaware businesses, faith communities, and Delawareans interested in Africa with top experts. Through panels, forums, and keynote lectures, Opportunity: Africa provides insights into a diverse array of topics, from trade opportunities to broader issues such as human rights, sustainable development, food security and global health. Last year’s conference drew more than 1,000 attendees.
Past keynote speakers include President Bill Clinton; Dr. Raj Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; Daniel Yohannes, CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation; Michael Gerson, Columnist, Author, and Senior Advisor to the ONE Campaign; Eric Goolsby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; and, His Excellency Elkanah Odembo, Kenyan Ambassador to the United States.
“I am pleased to welcome an outstanding group of panelists who will share their perspectives and their areas of expertise throughout the day,” Sen. Coons added. “We will also welcome two exciting keynote speakers: internationally known businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, and Reuben Brigety, former U.S. Ambassador to the African Union and current Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. I look forward to welcoming them to Delaware and am eager for them to share their outlook and experiences in working to harness African opportunity.”
In 2014, Mr. Masiyiwa was named by CNN/Fortune Magazine as a member of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.” In 2015, Forbes Magazine named Masiyiwa one of the "10 Most Powerful Men in Africa." He is the chairman and founder of Econet, a diversified telecommunications group with operations and investments in Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Asian Pacific. Mr. Masiyiwa is known for his extensive philanthropic endeavors, which includes participation in the Giving Pledge and financial support for the Higher Life Foundation, which provides scholarships to over 42,000 African orphans. He serves on a number of international boards, including the Rockefeller Foundation, the Africa Against Ebola Solidarity Trust, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Advisory Board, the Africa Progress Panel, the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board for Sustainable Energy, Morehouse College and the Hilton Foundation's Humanitarian Prize Jury. He is one of the founders, with Sir Richard Branson, of the global think tank, the Carbon War Room, and a founding member of the Global Business Coalition on Education.
In September 2013, Ambassador Brigety was appointed Representative of the United States of America to the African Union and Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN Economic Commission of Africa. Prior to this appointment, Ambassador Brigety served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. In this capacity, he supervised U.S. refugee programs in Africa, managed U.S. humanitarian diplomacy with major international partners, and oversaw the development of international migration policy.
Opportunity: Africa 2015 will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, November 6 at Sheraton South Wilmington located at 365 Airport Road, New Castle. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. It is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. To register online, visit http://www.coons.senate.gov/opportunityafricaconference.
Photos from last year’s conference are available here: http://bit.ly/LQPZlV