US State Department hosts virtual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit
Washington, DC (US) - The U.S. Department of State is hosting the virtual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit on 3-4 August.
A statement by the U.S. State Department on Monday said the Summit brings together 700 of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most promising young leaders to expand their capacity and network with each other and U.S. government, private sector, and civil society representatives.
"The event is an opportunity for Fellows to build the foundations of long-term partnerships with U.S. professionals and each other and explore ways to continue their leadership journey after the Fellowship," the statement said.
The Summit will feature a welcome message from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, remarks from U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a Partnership Expo where U.S. organisations will highlight their engagement with Africa, and brief talks presented by Fellows.
The statement said the Summit follows six weeks of virtual academic study and leadership development for the 700 Fellows hosted by 26 U.S. higher education institutions as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
The U.S. State Department said "Alumni of the Fellowship are playing a role in enhancing peace and security, spurring economic growth, and strengthening democratic institutions in the United States and countries across Sub-Saharan Africa".
The statement said the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship programme of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the U.S. government’s signature effort to invest in young African leaders.
It offers four continent-based Regional Leadership Centres and an online YALI Network with more than 700,000 members.
-0- PANA MA 3Aug2021
