Washington, DC — The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, a Washington, DC-based NGO that involves and educates Americans about Africa, held an 'Evening of Commemoration and Engagement' on December 1, hosted by the Embassy of Ethiopia. The event marked the departure of Bernadette Paolo as president and CEO. The organization's long-time chair, Noah Samora, who is Chairman and CEO of Yazmi, is also stepping down after 14 years in that post. Below are his prepared remarks for the occasion.
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends of Africa. Good evening. I am honored to be here and touched deeply by your sense of appreciation and your kindness.
I knew the time would come when I would leave my post at the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa. But, in candor, I never thought it would be on the eve of 2016. I came to the post in early 2001, when the numbers 911 still signified a personal emergency not a global watershed. Back then, Barak Obama was an Illinois state senator, and we were still smarter than our telephones. By the standards of this fast-moving world, it was a very long time ago. I became chairman of the Africa Society's board of directors because of one man and remained in the post because of his vision. - - - -
The man was Leonard H. Robinson, Jr., a State Department official, educator, crusader for social and economic development, and a tireless advocate for Africa. In all he did, Leonard brought uncommon wisdom, respect, patience and optimism.
Leonard was a Peace Corps volunteer in India, and I had assumed that nation's ancient culture, which prizes calm thoughtfulness, had left its mark on Leonard. But no; I later learned from his family that Leonard didn't get his serenity and selflessness from India; he brought those qualities to India, having developed them in his native North Carolina.
Leonard advanced to become the Peace Corps' Associate Director in India. Later, he served as the agency's director of minority recruitment. Leonard took on positions of progressively greater importance, eventually serving as president of the Congressionally established African Development Foundation during the years of President Reagan and President George Herbert Walker Bush.
In 1997, Leonard was named to the board of the newly-created National Summit on Africa, a move that must be counted as one of history's most brilliant appointments. You see, the National Summit on Africa was not just a summit, but multiple summits: large meetings across the United States that led up to an enormous gathering here in Washington. In February 1997, thousands of authorities on Africa from government, academia and industry converged on this city. It was monumental, the largest meeting about Africa that has ever taken
place in the USA.
As a keynote speaker at this grand event, I can tell you the atmosphere was electric. President Clinton opened the summit. Many African heads of state attended, as did leading industrialists, artists, and writers from the continent. Embassies hosted gala receptions. The delegates formulated a document with 254 policy recommendations. Virtually everyone concerned pronounced the event a success.
Yes, the summit was magnificent... for four days. Then it was over. From years of advocating for Africa, Leonard understood the National Summit's work must continue. From this understanding, Leonard Robinson founded The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa and gave it this mission: to be the premiere entity that engages and educates Americans about the countries comprising the continent of Africa and to create, through partnerships, a better understanding of its peoples, diverse cultures, histories and economies.
Leonard gave the Africa Society three objectives:
• Provide information and education about Africa to all Americans through research, writing, and seminars;
• Collaborate with Africa-focused groups to encourage their direct involvement in advancing the mission of The Africa Society; and,
• Strengthen the lines of communication between The Africa Society and a broad cross-section of Africans and their institutions on the continent.
Those simple objectives reflected the founder's priorities and his greatness, as well. Leonard believed information and education empowers people to create understanding and mutual respect that transcends borders and cultures. He knew big challenges required collaboration, and he trusted that people would put their differences aside to advance a worthy cause. And he recognized the critical importance of strong communication.
Under Leonard's compelling vision and leadership, the Africa Society thrived. As 2006 began, I thought it should be the year the Society gets a new chairman. Five years was a respectable term of service. It was time for someone else to lead the board of directors.
But 2006 held another change, a sorrowful one. In July of that year, Leonard contracted a kidney infection. Within days, the condition had taken his life.
Leonard Robinson was gone. We were shocked and grief-stricken. We were also determined. Leonard's vision for the Africa Society had suddenly become his legacy, and we felt a fierce duty to protect it.
At that moment, change at the top would have been ruinous for the Africa Society. Our imperative was continuity. I remained at my post, and everyone at the Society stayed admirably on task.
I can tell you we have honored Leonard's memory. Since his passing, the Africa Society has developed numerous ways to bring Africa's story to Americans.
• The Society hosts the Ambassador Andrew Young Lecture Series, a forum for the most distinguished thinkers from government, diplomacy and academia to share perspectives and analysis on African issues.
• The Society's innovative Teach Africa program persuades school administrators and teachers that Africa education must be a part of instruction for elementary and secondary schools across America.
• Through a series of Conversations with African Poets and Writers, the Society introduces Americans to the diversity, depth and richness of Africa's literary brilliance.
• In collaboration with Howard University's Ralph Bunche International Affairs Center, the Society presents the Issue Forum Series, a medium for timely, sophisticated discussion of critical topics, including governance, economics, education, technology, agriculture and terrorism.
• Finally, the Society has produced the Presidential Tours of Africa, a series of comprehensive films that highlight African countries. Here, the Society's stroke of genius is the choice of tour guide. In each episode of Presidential Tours of Africa, our guide is that nation's head of state.
These are great achievements. But as all of us know, the need to tell Africa's story is far greater. Right now, too many Americans think of Africa only as a place of game parks, famine, war and jungles.
We need to tell Americans the full story. We must help them know that Africa is not just a place of economic development, but of economic dynamism. According to the World Bank, of the world's 13 fastest growing economies, six are in Africa:
• The twelfth is Rwanda, with annual GDP growth of 7.00 percent
• The eleventh is Tanzania, whose GDP grows at an annual rate of 7.2 percent
• Number 10 is Mozambique, whose GDP is projected to hit a growth rate of 7.3 percent in 2016
• Number six is Cote d'lvoire, with 2015 GDP increasing at 8.00 percent
• Number three is the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose annual GOP growth is expected to climb to 8.5 percent in 2016.
• As for the fastest growing economy on earth,I am delighted to tell you in this embassy - and as a native son of this land- that the reigning world champion of economic growth at 9.5 percent this year and next year crossing into double digits- an anticipated GOP expansion of 10.5 percent is... Ethiopia!
The good news is that African countries are generating larger revenues; the great news is that African countries are investing to ensure economic growth continues. Consider Ethiopia. Over the past five years, it has:
• Paved thousands of kilometers of quality highways;
• Installed more thousands of kilometers of fiber optic communication lines; and,
• Constructed sub-Saharan Africa's first light-rail transit system.
In this work, I'm delighted to say, Ethiopia is not unique. Many African nations are making investments in physical infrastructure today that will help support prosperity tomorrow.
But while physical infrastructure is absolutely necessary, it is not sufficient.
To succeed, nations must have physical infrastructure and human infrastructure, which nations create one person at a time. Human infrastructure is the sum of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of a nation's people. We build human infrastructure through education.
As Chairman of the Africa Society, I have been focused on educating Americans about Africa.
In my day job as Chairman and CEO of Vazmi, I am focused on educating Africans about... everything.
Vazmi, has developed a system that addresses the challenges that have hindered African countries from building the human infrastructure of all their people. Essentially, the Yazmi system can deliver massive amounts of educational material directly to every student and every teacher without the need for internet or electricity. The Yazmi system contains five elements:
• The first element is a specially engineered satellite that currently covers every inch of the African Continent and can broadcast directly to a tablet;
• The second element is the world•s first and only satellite-enabled tablet, a device that ingeniously uses a very small antenna to receive content directly from the satellite without the need for internet connectivity;
• The third element is a solar-power unit capable of charging the tablet, when and where needed obviating the need for electricity;
• The fourth element is an inexpensive classroom server with WiFi to continually store satellite data transmissions. The server provides backup to transmissions the students may have missed from the satellite. Additionally, the server provides an on-site teacher training on pedagogy and subject matter expertise, on a lesson-by-lesson basis. The server also provides every student a summary of each of the lessons that they learn. Finally, the server provides a quick test on key elements of every lesson, grades the assessment and provides analytics on student learning outcomes.
• Finally, the fifth component of the Yazmi system is content. And here our focus is intense. The environment demands no less. Our world is a highly competitive place, and we want Africa's students to compete with success. Accordingly,we are planning to deliver a blend of the best educational material available anywhere, In effect, we are working on a plan to deliver a world-class school on each tablet.
Our initial focus will be to deliver Reading, Math and Sciences with a robust library of books to expand general knowledge and inspire a love of continuous learning. The content will be organized to allow every student to progress at his/her pace. Additionally, we plan to have content that provides a lesson-by-lesson training for teachers as well as an extensive library for their personal and professional development.
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Yazmi is committed to empower Africa to execute on educational strategies proven to work. Both governments and the private sector in Africa can leverage the Yazmi solution to improve teacher performance and reverse lagging learning outcomes. In sum, Yazmi is ready to effectively and economically provide abundant support to teachers and students across the continent.
Quality education for all will be one of Africa's great stories. Indeed,it must be a great story there. And Yazmi is ready to play a pivotal role in supporting quality universal education to build human infrastructure for the entire continent.
After so many years, my responsibilities at the Africa Society will now change, but my commitment continues. Looking back on my time as chairman of our remarkable NGO,I feel many emotions. Mostly, I feel gratitude:
• To our president, Bernadette Paolo: Thank you for your strength leadership and passion. In countless ways you rose to the task. As chairman, I know I fully speak for the board when I say we feel deep and genuine appreciation for your outstanding work.
• To my fellow board members -- Timothy Bork, Dr. Leroy Gross, Ambassador Ayalew Mandefro, Ken Hackett, and Luddy Hayden: I thank each of you for your wisdom and courage. And I thank all of you for forming such an effective team.
• To the community of African diplomatic missions, Your Excellencies,I thank you many times over for years of steadfast support, encouragement and comradery.
• To the foundations, institutions and companies that have so generously supported our work, please accept our heartfelt thanks.
• To Dr. Ali Mazru, a distinguished scholar, author and professor of African and Islamic Studies. A member of te Society's board of directors, he was our elder statesman and a dear friend. Ali passed away a year ago at the age of 81, still holding a seat on our board at the time of his death. I am profoundly thankful for his life and contributions.
• Of course,I thank our dear Leonard Robinson, whose vision and example of selflessness will inspire the Africa Society for generations to come.
• Finally, I thank the people of Africa for living with such courage, creativity and spirit that the Society has always had an abundance of wonderful stories for us to share with Americans.
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From the AllAfrica Archive
Africa Society Mourns The Loss Of Board Member, Living Legend And Renowned Scholar, Ali Mazrui]
National Summit on Africa in Washington DC - 2000
