FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, January 18, 2013
CONTACT: Meredith Rosenthal at 302-573-6054

Senator Coons to host second annual Opportunity: Africa conference in Dover

Conference will give Delawareans a seat at the table with nation’s leading voices on sustainable development and trade with Africa

DOVER, Del. — U.S. Senator Chris Coons, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, will host the second annual Opportunity: Africa conference on Monday, February 11 at Delaware State University in Dover.  The conference will link Delaware businesses, faith communities and individuals with top experts on Africa and provide insight on trade opportunities and issues such as human rights challenges, sustainable development, food security and global health.  Last year’s conference drew nearly 500 attendees.

“As home to many of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Africa is a continent of enormous opportunity and is quickly becoming central to our economy and national security,” Senator Coons said. “This year’s Opportunity: Africa conference will pick up where last year’s left off, with hundreds of Delawareans exploring U.S. diplomatic, economic and humanitarian engagement with Africa.  This conference will put Delawareans on the cutting edge of some of the most important economic and policy ideas of the years to come.”

Opportunity: Africa will feature a series of plenary sessions and workshops on specific aspects of U.S. diplomatic, economic and humanitarian polices toward Africa.  Two prominent voices on Africa will keynote the conference:  His Excellency Elkanah Odembo, Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, and Michael Gerson, author, nationally syndicated columnist and policy fellow with the ONE Campaign.

Opportunity: Africa is free and open to the public. It will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 11 at Delaware State University in Dover.  Delawareans can RSVP online at:

http://www.coons.senate.gov/opportunityafrica/

A PDF of the save-the-date for the conference can be downloaded by clicking here.

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