Africa: CFA Organizes Historic Capacity-Building Seminars And Africa Business Roundtable for African Commercial Officers in Central Florida

11 April 2002
Constituency for Africa (Washington, DC)
press release

Orlando, Fl — The Constituency for Africa (CFA) sponsored four-days of capacity-building training seminars for 20 African Commercial Officers and Embassy personnel at the Executive Development Center in the College of Business Administration on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida from April 5-8, 2002.

The 20 African Commercial Officers and Embassy personnel represented every region on the African continent. CFA also organized, in cooperation with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, an Africa Business Roundtable with several Florida small and medium-scale companies interested in business opportunities in Africa. This outreach activity is part of an ongoing CFA program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Africa Trade and Investment Policy (ATRIP) Program.

The capacity-building training seminars program is historic in that this is the first time that the African Commercial Officers have been brought together as a group for a comprehensive training program. Melvin Foote, CFA's President & CEO said, "We see the African Ambassadors and Commercial Counselors as an important link in the U.S.-Africa trade and investment partnership. By working closely with the Commercial Officers, and by providing opportunities for capacity development and technical assistance, we believe that we are ultimately facilitating the implementation of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)."

The training seminars were designed to focus on how best to do commercial work and create low-cost, effective commercial programs to better enable the African Commercial Officers to assist their African clients and attract American trade and investment opportunities to their respective countries.

Additionally, this ATRIP-related training seminars program was designed to focus on AGOA, with a particular emphasis on establishing viable business linkages between African and American small and medium-scale business enterprises.

On Monday, April 8, 2002, CFA organized, in cooperation with the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, an Africa Business Roundtable in downtown Orlando at the Citrus Club. The African Commercial Counselors had the opportunity to meet with Florida business leaders, many with previous business experience in Africa. The keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Lauri J. Fitz-Pegado, Prinicipal, Fitz-Pegado International, and a Member of CFA's Board of Directors.

"Orlando offers the global business community the same unique brand of creativity, imagination and high-tech savvy that has transformed this region into the entertainment destination of the world." said Fitz-Pegado. This roundtable is part of a series of Africa Business Roundtables and Town Hall Meetings being organized by CFA throughout the United States.

The Africa Business Roundtable, with the theme of "Integrating Africa into the Global Economy", explores opportunities for increased two-way trade and investment with Africa within the framework of AGOA, with a particular focus on the involvement of U.S. and African small business enterprises. CFA has received a grant from USAID to help facilitate linkages between U.S. and African small businesses. The Africa Business Roundtable series in the U.S. will allow CFA, in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of International Trade, to target U.S. small businesses and introduce them to business opportunities in Africa.

Over the past 10 years, CFA has established itself as one of the foremost organizations in the U.S. committed to educating and mobilizing the U.S. public on matters pertaining to Africa. As a result, CFA has effectively increased the level of cooperation and coordination among a broad-based coalition of American, African and international organizations, businesses, and individuals committed to the progress, development, and empowerment of Africa and African peoples. In particular, CFA has been the one voice of alarm on the effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the population of Africa. Former Congressman, Ron Dellums, is the Chairman of CFA's Board, and former HUD Secretary, Jack Kemp, is Vice Chairman.

Other planned cities for 2002 include Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Harlem, NY; Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Kansas City, KS; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Newark, NJ; Oakland, CA; Queens, NY; Richmond, VA; Tulsa, OK; Upper Marlboro, MD; and Washington, DC. There are also plans to convene a Town Hall Meeting in Port O' Spain, Trinidad to coincide with Emancipation Day celebrations.

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