Washington, D.C. — President Barack Obama will host a town hall meeting next month with African youth leaders as part of a U.S. celebration of 50 years of independence being marked this year by 17 African countries.
"In honor of Africa's significant gains since 1960, its increasingly important voice on the world stage and in anticipation of the next 50 years of progress toward peace and prosperity, the United States will host a series of events focusing on the Future of Africa in Washington, D.C., in early August," Benjamin Chang, spokesman for the National Security Council, told AllAfrica.
Reports from last week's G20 meetings in Toronto that African heads of state had been invited to Washington for anniversary celebrations were inaccurate, Chang said, adding: "The focus is on youth."
High-profile activities include the annual U.S.-Africa economic forum. It opens August 2 and includes high-level American officials and Cabinet ministers from the 38 African countries eligible to take part in the provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The legislation, adopted in 2000 and revised and extended by Congress in 2006, provides preferential access to U.S. markets for a broad range of goods from countries in sub-Saharan Africa that meet eligibility requirements.
Events based on themes of youth, governance and opportunity, Chang said, "will bring together young Africans, the Diaspora community, U.S. government officials, civil society organizations and the private sector to focus." He cited youth empowerment, good governance and economic opportunity as "key themes of America's partnership with African nations."
Youth leaders have been invited to Washington to discuss how a U.S.-African partnership "can ensure that all Africans, 60 percent of whom are under 30, are prepared to face the challenges of the coming decade," Chang said.
The economic conference, formally called the ninth annual U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, will take place in two parts. The two days in Washington will involve government officials, with expected participation by the U.S. secretaries of State, Commerce and Agriculture, and the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. "Agoa at 10, New Strategies for a Changing World" is the conference theme.
On August 5 and 6, the second two-day portion of the forum will convene in Kansas City, Missouri, where the focus will be agri-business, and participation will broaden to include U.S. companies and private sector representatives from a number of the 38 Agoa-eligible countries.
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Great idea but patriotism counts a lot; Africans DO NOT betray your patriotism for Africa; cautioness is needed for anything concerning Africa. If we do not learn from histories, we will never learn again since the days of colonial division in Africa.
" .. Obama Administration Planning 50th Anniversary Festivities to Honor 'Significant Gains' .."
'Gains' - inspite of the white man.
The mystique fades. The accolades die down.
Resentment and seething anger may as well set in. You cannot fool all the people all the time.
SO
what has he done for Africa lately - other than tighten the old imperial economic sanctions (of GW Bush) and impose new sanctions on African countries - sanctions that that he believes help Africa make 'significant gains'?
What else - other than to fund the 'Blackwater' murderers who have been known to be active in African countries?
What else - other than to warn and threaten Kenyans to toe the USA line of imperialism - by supporting a flawed document that passes for a constitution - and to support an unpopular, murderous, ethnic cleanser?
[Indeed, we may find that support curious - coming from one who takes pride in being a scholar of constitutions.
[Well, colonialism and slave trade flourished/flourish despite the presence of "upright" moral men. And Imperialism/plunder/slaughter/"christian crusades" triumph over all else - including nice-sounding rhetoric.]
What else - other than ramp up the presence of the killers of AFRICOM - whose sole purpose is to disrupt the African countries and kill Africans?
What else - other than persist in the age-old imperial practice of propping up the leaders (like Mubarak, Museveni, Kagame) who gratuitously unleash - upon their own people - horrendous crimes against humanity? [In addition to hounding worthy leaders like Cde Mugabe who do not tow the white man's racist/colonial/imperial line?]
Now, he is committed to the jewish cause - any and every jewish cause - especially that of 6 million jews victims in Europe. When is he going to raise the issue of reparations - regarding to over 60 million African victims of the west.? When is he going to raise the issue of the $trillions of plunder of Africa's wealth by whites?
[When is he going to suggest, indeed demand that the western companies MUST pay fair taxes to the AFRICANS at the rates these companies would pay to their local and national governments if they operated in the western countries? Is he going to insist that African countries can pursue the riches and bank accounts of Africa's economic terrorists all over the world in the manner that the USA does to those it suspects of stashing wealth in foreign countries?]
Now what has he done for the people of Congo where over 4,000 people are killed everyday - and the EU countries, USA and their citizens play a direct and/or indirect role in that carnage that has been raging for decades/centuries? [ We suspect that if 10 jews were dying each day at the hands of vicious foreign wealth-seekers then he would be in there promptly, prominently - with ostentatiously pious outrage ...]
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'Gains' - inspite of the white man. For centuries, Africa, the Africans and their civilizations survived and thrived without the white man. And they can still.
WORLD AFRICAN FEDERATION, WAFED is grateful to President Barack Obama for his interest and support of Africa and its countries. We know and understand that just being the President of USA alone is too much of a job for one man. Therefore whenever he finds time to support Africa, we must show gratitude. He is a true African son who has never forgotten his roots and fatherland. We wish him more success in doing his job, good health, long life and happiness. CHAIRMAN BENNEY IKOKWU, WAFED IN AMERICA
With that said Chairman, I give my support to the fulliest. But we "Africans" must still not forget how histories have treated us since the days of colonization. The light of the turnel shall shine on Africa some day.
If I want to hear pronouncements with few or no supporting arguments, I would spend time with winos by the street corner..
Now that we know you are an online "Chairman" or "chief" or "osagyefo" or whatever, can you argue your point - if you can?