FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
CONTACT: Meredith Rosenthal at 302-573-6054
Senator Coons hosts conference to connect Delawareans with opportunities in Africa
First of its kind conference features national leaders on trade and development
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, today hosted the Opportunity: Africa conference in Wilmington to connect Delawareans with some of the nation’s leading authorities on sustainable development and trade with Africa. Participants at the half-day conference, which was held at the University of Delaware’s Wilmington Campus, examined how businesses, faith communities and individuals in Delaware can benefit from engagement with Africa.
“In trade, health, and security, Africa is rapidly becoming one of the most important parts of the world,” Senator Coons said. “Whether it is businesses taking advantage of fast-growing new markets, local faith-based organizations engaging in humanitarian work or individuals interested in promoting development and democracy, Delawareans have shown themselves to be extraordinarily interested in engaging in Africa. I organized this conference to help them do that, and to help make sure Delawareans have the information and resources they need to connect with tremendous opportunities for engagement afforded by the continent.”
Home to seven of the ten fastest growing economies in the world, Africa represents an important new market for Delaware businesses. In addition, Delaware faith communities and individuals are deeply involved with development projects in Africa ranging from clean energy to health care to democracy promotion.
The conference featured a series of plenary sessions and workshops on specific aspects of U.S. diplomatic, economic and humanitarian policy toward Africa. Two of the most prominent American voices on Africa, Administrator Rajiv Shah of the United States Agency for International Development and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yohannes of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, delivered keynote remarks at the conference.
“I was proud to lend USAID’s voice to Senator Coons’ Opportunity: Africa conference at the University of Delaware,” Administrator Shah said. “The conference provided a great platform to engage local Delaware businesses, faith based organizations and individual citizens to help deliver meaningful development results across Africa.”
“I’m excited to have participated in Delaware’s first Opportunity: Africa conference, where we explored ways to strengthen the American economy through the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s work around the world,” CEO Yohannes said. “By investing in the trading partners of tomorrow, MCC is creating opportunities for American enterprise today—supporting American families and the values of our middle class. MCC offers smart solutions for delivering U.S. foreign assistance in ways that improve the lives of the world’s poor and also create opportunities for American businesses to tap into next generation emerging markets to expand, grow, profit, and create American jobs.”
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an innovative and independent agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty by focusing on how to deliver smart, results-based development in partner countries.
The U.S. Agency for International Development works in over 100 countries to promote broadly shared economic prosperity, strengthen democracy and good governance, improve global health and food security and provide humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural and man-made disasters.
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