Washington, DC — Promising more money for education and for the fight against HIV/Aids, President George W. Bush announced that the United States "will take Africa's side in confronting the obstacles to hope and development on the African continent."
Addressing an audience of 2,000 gathered for the 3rd Biennial Leon H. Sullivan Summit dinner on Thursday night, he also confirmed plans to visit Africa next year.
The President proposed that the US$100m funding initiative he put forward last year to improve basic education and teacher training be doubled. This would provide an extra US$20m a year for the next five years. According to the World Bank, 125 million children, 53 percent of them girls and 74 percent living in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, do not attend school.
"Education is the foundation of development and democracyin every culture, on every continent," President Bush told his audience. With the money he proposes, but which must be approved by Congress, Bush said 420,000 more teachers could be trained, and 250,000 "scholarships for African girls," could be granted.
The U.S. will also use some of the money to "partner with historically black colleges and universities...to provide 4.5 million textbooks for children in Africa."
Among the ranking administration officials accompanying Bush at the event were Secretary of State Colin Powell, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Bush was ushered into the dinner by former United Nations ambassador Andrew Young.
Bush also elaborated on his Wednesday announcement from the White House promising an additional US$500m to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. He said then that this initiative would focus on twelve African and Caribbean nations where the problem is most severe. He told the Sullivan dinner audience that the U.S. was making "a major commitment" to improving health care delivery systems in countries where such systems are weak. In countries with stronger health care systems, Bush said the emphasis would be on voluntary testing, prevention, counseling and a "comprehensive" therapy aimed at reducing mother-to-child transmissions.
African hospitals will be paired with U.S. hospitals, said Bush, and volunteer medical professionals would "assist and train" their African counterparts. "As we see what works...we will make more funding available."
Bush spoke less specifically about trade issues, although he expressed strong support for congressional efforts to enhance the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Speaking carefully, he called trade barriers "in rich nations - and in Africa itself" - a "great obstacle to Africa's development." Africa will gain, he said, "if and when we lower trade barriers world wide."
Bush's remarks were received with enthusiasm by most in the audience. "It will go down in history as a major address on African policy by a U.S. President," said Rosa Whitaker who is Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa. "We are quite pleased, even surprised that he is going to Africa so soon," said Ugandan ambassador Edith Ssempala.
However, said Bread for the World President, Reverend David Beckmann in a statement that called the Africa initiatives, "exciting." [But] "They won't be funded until 2004 and beyond." According to Beckman, the administration's budget for next year cuts development funding for Africa, and "church groups and others who want to support the president's vision for Africa would like evidence that the administration really will deliver on the president's rhetoric."
Bush received the loudest applause when he announced plans to visit Africa next year, "in order to continue to build America's partnership with Africa." Administration sources say this trip is likely to take place in January or February of next year.
But Bush said he wants his trip to include attendance at an AGOA forum that he proposed be held in Africa. In the legislation, these forums are mandated for the anniversary of AGOA becoming law, which is May. That could mean that the Summit and the Bush trip will take place just before the Nigerian elections that are also in May and in which Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo will be running for re-election.
The dinner honored Obasanjo with its first "Sullivan Special Service Award." The Nigerian president, who also gave the keynote address at the dinner called Sullivan,who through regular "summits" brought African Americans to Africa for discussions on how to aid the continent, "My friend [who] remained with us in every kind of adversity."
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The "Sullivan principles" linking business and commerce with justice are "as relevant today as they were as he sought to give moral guidance amidst the world of apartheid," said Obasanjo.
In a speech generally expressing gratitude for U.S. support, Obasanjo urged the audience not to fall victim to an "afro-pessimism," because of Nigeria's continuing difficulties. "After just three years of democratic rule, we are expected to have solved decades of unsolved issues of economy, politics, and social organization," he said. "We need time. We have the political will, determination and commitment. We need your understanding, goodwill and lifeline."
In addition to calling for increased investment as well as partnerships with multinational agencies and businesses, the Nigerian president appealed to educated Africans to return. "We also need those sons and daughters of Africa who have come to America with African education, language and understanding to come home to help us."
