I had it in mind to post this here a while ago but too many things to share. A website states "Before Angelina, Oprah and Bono: Leon H. Sullivan Summit Brought America to Africa". It goes on to say:
-- In 1991, Rev. Leon H. Sullivan, a U.S. civil rights activist and international humanitarian, who was the first African American to sit on the board of General Motors, created the African-African American Summit (now known as the Leon H. Sullivan Summit). --
The Leon H. Sullivan Summits bring together the world’s political and business leaders, delegates representing national and international civil and multinational organizations, and members of academic institutions in order to focus attention and resources on Africa’s economic and social development. Their mission was inspired by Rev. Leon H. Sullivan’s belief that the development of Africa is a matter of global partnerships.
Since its inception, the Summit has brought over 18,000 participants to Africa from all over the world. With the goal to build a bridge between Africa and the United States, The Summit worked quietly with U.S. government, corporate America, African, and African-American leadership to produce the following:
* The Debt Relief Program which resulted in $60 billion in debt being forgiven.
* The Best and Brightest Bankers Program which trained 250 African bankers.
* The Teachers for Africa Program which initiated the building of over 1,000 schools.
* The training of over one million farmers in the use of 20,000 wells for irrigation and farming.
Reverend Sullivan passed away in April 2001, but his works continue with this year's conference that will bring together world leaders, U.S. professionals and African entrepreneurs.
The 6th Sullivan Summit was held in Abuja in 2003 and currently the 7th Summit is being held in Abuja, Nigeria and started yesterday. The initiative behind this is - Africa needs partners who can bring skills, expertise and resources to the problems and challenges it faces and defines. It is through these partnerships that Africa can realize its full potential.
This may seem and sound boring but if you must know, it is also yesterday in Abuja (or should I say 'was') that Former President Clinton spoke at the Summit and signed a deal with Nigeria to make cheap AIDS drugs available to Nigerians....so there you go, already we can see 'something' coming out of the summit.
Since its inception, the Summit has brought over 18,000 participants to Africa from all over the world. With the goal to build a bridge between Africa and the United States, The Summit worked quietly with U.S. government, corporate America, African, and African-American leadership to produce the following:
* The Debt Relief Program which resulted in $60 billion in debt being forgiven.
* The Best and Brightest Bankers Program which trained 250 African bankers.
* The Teachers for Africa Program which initiated the building of over 1,000 schools.
* The training of over one million farmers in the use of 20,000 wells for irrigation and farming.
Reverend Sullivan passed away in April 2001, but his works continue with this year's conference that will bring together world leaders, U.S. professionals and African entrepreneurs.
The 6th Sullivan Summit was held in Abuja in 2003 and currently the 7th Summit is being held in Abuja, Nigeria and started yesterday. The initiative behind this is - Africa needs partners who can bring skills, expertise and resources to the problems and challenges it faces and defines. It is through these partnerships that Africa can realize its full potential.
This may seem and sound boring but if you must know, it is also yesterday in Abuja (or should I say 'was') that Former President Clinton spoke at the Summit and signed a deal with Nigeria to make cheap AIDS drugs available to Nigerians....so there you go, already we can see 'something' coming out of the summit.
Resources: IMDiversity.com; TheSullivanFoundation.org; CNN.com; Whitehouse.gov
Milklady Update: I am an advocate of fairness, equality and most of all, providing accurate and sound information. As a result, upon reading Nigeria, what is new's comment on this post, I have to say I now look at the initiative behind this summit in a slightly different light. There is no doubt that helping hands are extended out to people in Africa but doesn't everything come with a price??? See his own article here
No comments:
Post a Comment