This June 2012, the U.S. Department of State is hosting several events to promote economic growth throughout Africa by engaging women and youth, encouraging entrepreneurship, and strengthening U.S.- African economic partnerships.
The main events are the African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum, the U.S.-Africa Business Conference, the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, the Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership with Young African Leaders, and Global Economic Statecraft Day.
The exchanges and opportunities for dialogue will bring economics to the forefront of the United States’ relationship with Africa and help us to build a stronger international economy together.
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum
The United States Department of State is hosting the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Washington D.C. from June 11th to 16th.
Enacted in 2000, AGOA serves to support free markets, increase U.S.-African trade and investment, and promote economic growth to integrate Sub-Saharan Africa into the global economy.
The Forum will bring together U.S. and African ministers, members of Congress, private sector and civil society representatives. The policy focus of this year’s forum is the importance of infrastructure (power, transportation, communications, etc.) to business development, trade and economic growth.
U.S. Africa Business Conference
The State Department, in collaboration with several U.S. Government agencies, will host the U.S.-Africa Business Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 21-22.
The U.S.-Africa Business Conference aims at providing an opportunity to showcase U.S. business expertise to potential African clients, and to highlight trade and investment opportunities in Africa to U.S. exporters and investors.
In addition to an official Government of Rwanda delegation, 11 Rwandan companies will also attend the conference to discuss investment and partnership opportunities.
African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP)
The U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Visitors is hosting women entrepreneurs from across Africa from June 4-22, 2012 on its third “African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP).
AWEP is an initiative launched by the State Department in July 2010 to foster networks of female entrepreneurs across Sub-Saharan Africa who are qualified to transform and develop their communities by owning, running, and operating businesses.
Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership with Young African Leaders (YAL)
The State Department will host the Innovation Summit and Mentoring Partnership with Young African Leaders from June 13th to 30th, 2012.
This three-week professional development program, sponsored by the U.S. government in collaboration with Meridian International Center, is part of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative to engage young African leaders who promote positive change in their communities.
The two-day Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. will launch the program, connecting business leaders, speakers, and international and local civil society activists.
Participants will travel to various destinations in the U.S. for the Mentoring Partnership with American companies and non-profit organizations. Through this opportunity, young African leaders will gain hands-on experience in the American workplace to foster their own professional leadership skills.
The program focuses on social entrepreneurship as a tool for maximizing Africa’s potential to create jobs and opportunities and aim to enhance U.S.-African collaboration to promote innovation, investment, and social responsibility.
The U.S. Embassy in Rwanda is sending one young Rwandan, Clarisse Iribagiza, to participate. Clarisse Iribagiza is the winner of the East African reality TV show “Inspire Africa.
She is also at the head of HeHe Limited, a mobile applications development company founded in 2010 while she was a student at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
Global Economic Statecraft Day
Economic statecraft is one of the central pillars of American foreign policy. Through the Global Economic Statecraft initiative, established in 2011, the U.S. aims to increase U.S.-African trade and investment.
Global Economic Statecraft Day is a day set aside to highlight the United States’ support for business and to reflect on how to integrate better economics into our foreign policy.
To celebrate Global Economic Statecraft Day, the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda will host a Youth Entrepreneurship Program at the American Corner at the Rwanda Tourism University College in Gisenyi on June 14th at 2:00 p.m.
The event will feature a discussion on youth entrepreneurship in rural areas led by Charles Kayitana, a lecturer at the School of Finance and Banking (SFB).
Kayitana will lead discussions on best practices in “customer care” with students, small business owners, tourism employees and transport service professionals.
Participants from neighboring Goma in DRC are also invited.
Leave a Reply