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Tenth District Congressman Donald M. Payne, a past Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, will host two forums during the upcoming Annual Legislative Conference sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
Congressman Payne, a member of the House Committee on International Relations and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, will host panel discussions highlighting challenges in Africa and also the viability of Black-Owned Television networks.
The theme of this year’s conference, which will be held from September 24th through September 27th at the Washington Convention Center, is “Collective Leadership – Challenging a Bold New World.”
On Friday, September 26, 2003, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 147 A of the new Washington Convention Center at 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, in Washington, D.C. , Congressman Payne will hold a braintrust entitled “The U.S. and Africa: Continuing Challenges, New Approaches.”
Ambassador Olhaye of the Diplomatic Corps will deliver an address, followed by remarks by Roger Winter, USAID Assistant Administrator, on Conflict Resolution in Liberia, the Great Lakes, and Sudan; Richard Joseph, Director of African Studies at Northwestern University; Susan Rice, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, on the War on Terrorism and its Implications for Africa. There will be a roundtable discussion with the following participants: Vivian Lowery-Derryck, Senior Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development; Roble Olhaye, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to the United States; Susan Rice, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; Rosa Whitaker, President, the Whitaker Group;
Salih Booker, Executive Director, Africa Action; Amadou Bah, President, AllAfrica.com; Mora McLean, President, the Africa-America Institute; James Harmon; Chairman, Commission on Capitol Flows to Africa; Jeannine V. Scott, Vice President, Africare; Ron Walters, Professor, University of Maryland; Eva Clayton, Assistant Director, General and Special Advisor to the Director General, the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Issues which will be explored include: U.S. Assistance to Africa - Is enough aid focused on the right areas?; Africa’s Regional Structures - The African Union’s role in changing Africa’s geopolitical standing; the War on Terrorism and Its Impact on Africa Redirected Aid The U.S.’s Growing Oil Interests in Africa and Its Implications; Macroeconomic Dependence on African Oil; Humanitarian Impact; U.S. Security Interests in Africa - Growing U.S. Military Presence in Africa; African Agriculture and Trade - AGOA’s Successes and Deficiencies; The Link between Weak African Agriculture, Trade and Famine; Conflict-Resolution - Sudan, DRC, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire; Refugees and Child Soldiers; Nation Building and Emerging Democracies; the role of Women; the role of the media.
Also on Friday, September 26, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the New Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC, Room 143 C, Congressman Payne will sponsor an Issue Forum entitled “The Role and Viability of Black Owned Television Networks.” The forum will explore issues such as “Will we support them, will they succeed?” The panelists will examine the ability of Black owned television networks to compete in the major network market with the high quality of technical and content performance required to succeed. It will also examine the networks’ ability to reinforce positive messages while informing and entertaining the viewing public. Panelists include George Alexander, Author; Tina Andrews, Writers Guild of America, west, Inc.; Wilfredo Benitez (Moderator), Attorney at Law; Ray Bradford, National Director, Equal Employment Opportunities, American Federation of Radio & Television Artists; Russell Simmons, Chairman & CEO, Rush Communications; Shelby Stone, Phippsy Films; Vivicca A. Whitsett, Screen Actors Guild.
“I encourage everyone with an interest in these key issues to participate in the forum and braintrust,” Payne said. “We are fortunate to have so many knowledgeable panelists who have agreed to share their expertise with us.” |
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