Muhammad Ali To Receive National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal

5 Jul 2012 17:30 Africa/Lagos

Muhammad Ali To Receive National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal

Ceremony culminates nationwide celebration of the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution

PHILADELPHIA, July 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the centerpiece of the nationwide celebration of the U.S. Constitution's 225th anniversary, the National Constitution Center's 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony will recognize Muhammad Ali as a champion of freedom. Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter joined National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner at a special announcement this afternoon, during which Liberty Medal sponsors and partners praised Muhammad Ali as a living embodiment of the Constitution who exemplifies everything the award was established to honor: individuals of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

Ali will receive the medal in a public ceremony on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia. Action News Anchorman Jim Gardner will host the live broadcast of the Liberty Medal ceremony on WPVI-TV/6abc. The event also will be streamed live on www.6abc.com.

Ali has long served as an icon of constitutional ideals and the realization of the American dream – all the while challenging and expanding the very definition of "We the People." The Olympic gold medalist and boxing legend has been an outspoken fighter for religious and civil rights; a conscientious objector who took his battle to the Supreme Court and won; an ambassador for peace and justice worldwide; and a tireless humanitarian and philanthropist. Even as he celebrated his 70th birthday this year, Ali has continued to break new ground as an advocate for those suffering from Parkinson's disease, a disease he has battled since 1982.

Given his history of activism for the cause of freedom, Ali was selected in 1987 by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He was featured in the Tournament of Roses parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th anniversary commemoration.

"It is very fitting that Muhammad Ali, a representative for the bicentennial of the Constitution, be awarded the prestigious Liberty Medal in 2012, as the nation celebrates the 225th anniversary of our founding document," said President Bill Clinton, Chair of the National Constitution Center. "Ali embodies the spirit of the Liberty Medal by embracing the ideals of the Constitution – freedom, self-governance, equality, and empowerment – and helping to spread them across the globe."

The Liberty Medal ceremony will mark Ali's return to the National Constitution Center. At a special Flag Day ceremony on June 14, 2003 – just before the Center's official opening – he was the first to raise the American flag that hangs in the Grand Hall Overlook and had previously flown over every state and territory capitol.

"Muhammad Ali symbolizes all that makes America great, while pushing us as a people and as a nation to be better,'" said National Constitution Center President and CEO David Eisner. "Each big fight of his life has inspired a new chapter of civic action. We look forward to welcoming him back to the Center, particularly during this momentous 225th anniversary year."

"As the Liberty Medal recipient during this historic year for the Constitution, Muhammad Ali represents how far we have come as a nation and the spirit of determination, ambition, and civic service that will propel America forward for 225 more years and beyond," said Doug DeVos, Chairman of the Center's Executive Committee.

"While many know Ali as a legendary boxer, his contributions outside of the ring carry even greater significance," Governor Tom Corbett said. "A true champion for the people, his biggest triumph lies in his legacy as a philanthropist, activist, and example of all that our Constitution represents. He is most deserving of this high honor."

"Muhammad Ali is an outstanding nominee to receive the 2012 Liberty Medal," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "For more than half a century, Ali has been committed to fighting for peace, justice, and civil rights for all in the spirit of this award. The City of Philadelphia, the birthplace of American liberty, is proud to host this prestigious ceremony honoring Muhammad Ali."

A descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves, Ali grew up in the segregated South, where he experienced prejudice and discrimination firsthand. Upon returning to the United States after winning an Olympic Gold Medal in Rome in 1960, he was turned away from a "whites-only" restaurant.

In 1967, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Armed Forces due to his religious beliefs. As a result, he was arrested, fined, stripped of his boxing license and title, and found guilty of draft evasion. Though Ali was prepared to pay the price for his convictions, the Supreme Court reversed the decision in 1971, ruling that his refusal stemmed from his constitutionally protected religious beliefs. Ali regained his title in 1974 and retired from the ring in 1981.

He has since devoted his life to helping promote world peace, civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, interfaith relations, humanitarianism, hunger relief, and the commonality of basic human values. His work as an ambassador for peace began in 1985, when he flew to Lebanon to secure the release of four hostages. Ali also has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered over $1 million in medical aid to Cuba; traveled to Iraq to secure the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison. His recent attempt to free two American hikers held captive in Iran reinforces his tireless commitment to promoting freedom, tolerance, and humanity around the world.

Throughout his boxing career, Ali's highly publicized fights in locales such as Kinshasa, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur brought increased global attention to the developing world. Today, he continues to serve those in need overseas, providing over 232 million meals to the world's hungry. Ali has hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D'Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco, among other countries.

In addition to his international efforts, Ali is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped organizations including the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and the Special Olympics. He also annually participates in "Celebrity Fight Night," which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ali once said, "I've always wanted to be more than just a boxer. More than just the three-time heavyweight champion. I wanted to use my fame, and this face that everyone knows so well, to help uplift and inspire people around the world."

In November 2005, Ali and his wife Lonnie opened the Muhammad Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Both an education center and museum experience, the Ali Center inspires children and adults to be as great as they can be, and encourages people around the globe to form new commitments in their lives in areas of personal growth, integrity, and respect for others.

Muhammad Ali has received some of the world's most prestigious awards. He has been honored by Amnesty International with their "Lifetime Achievement Award." Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Liberty Medal recipient, bestowed him with a citation as "United Nations Messenger of Peace." Ali also was named the "International Ambassador of Jubilee 2000," a global organization dedicated to relieving debt in developing nations. In 2005, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Liberty Medal was established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. Given annually, the medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. The Liberty Medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006, when Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were honored for their bipartisan humanitarian efforts on behalf of the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the hurricanes on the Gulf Coast.

Last year's medal was awarded to former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. Other past Liberty Medal winners include Nelson Mandela, Shimon Peres, Kofi Annan, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Bono. The Medal also has been awarded to organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CNN International. Six recipients of the Medal subsequently have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

National Constitution Center Board member Ira Lubert of Independence Capital Partners will sponsor the Liberty Medal award in 2012, as he has for the past six years. Citizens Bank is underwriting the VIP Reception for the 2012 Liberty Medal. Citizens Bank has supported the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center since 2006. Hublot, the luxury Swiss brand that brings the "Art of Fusion" to watchmaking, will celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Constitution with a limited edition "U.S. Liberty Bang" timepiece.

The City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also support the Liberty Medal.

The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online. Freedom is calling. Answer it at the National Constitution Center. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A complete list of Liberty Medal winners follows.

Past Recipients of the Liberty Medal

2011


Dr. Robert M. Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense

2010


Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister

2009


Steven Spielberg

2008


Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader

2007


Bono and DATA

2006


George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton, former U.S. Presidents

2005


Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine

2004


Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan

2003


Sandra Day O'Connor, Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

2002


Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State

2001


Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General*

2000


Dr. James Watson and Dr. Francis Crick, co-discoverers of the structure of DNA

1999


Kim Dae Jung, President of South Korea*

1998


Senator George J. Mitchell, Irish peace negotiator

1997


CNN International

1996


King Hussein I of Jordan and Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister of Israel

1995


Sadako Ogata, United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees

1994


Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic

1993


F.W. de Klerk, President of South Africa* and Nelson Mandela, President of the African National Congress*

1992


Thurgood Marshall, former Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

1991


Oscar Arias, President of Costa Rica and Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)*

1990


Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President*

1989


Lech Walesa, founder of Solidarity, Poland

* Liberty Medal recipients who subsequently won the Nobel Peace Prize

SOURCE National Constitution Center
CONTACT: Ashley Berke, Director of Public Relations, +1-215-409-6693, aberke@constutioncenter.org; Lauren Saul, Public Relations Manager, +1-215-409-6895, lsaul@constitutioncenter.org

Web Site: http://www.constitutioncenter.org


2 Jul 2012 23:49 Africa/Lagos

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center Receives Largest Gift in Its History
Celebrity Fight Night Donates $3 million

PHOENIX, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix has received a $3 million donation from Celebrity Fight Night that will be used to help dramatically expand the renowned facility and its programs.

Dozens of doctors, patients and staff applauded as Abraham Lieberman, MD, the center's director, personally received the donation recently from Jimmy Walker, founder of Celebrity Fight Night. Since the annual charity event began 18 years ago, it has contributed more than $22 million to the Center. Today's gift was the single largest ever received by the Ali center.

Dr. Lieberman said the funds would be used to more than double the current size of the facility. The expansion will include new clinical areas, physical and speech therapy areas and community education meeting rooms.

The current Ali center was opened in December 2010 on the campus of Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital. It is one of the most comprehensive Parkinson's treatment centers in the world, coordinating patient care, physical therapy, pharmaceutical and surgical care, research, and patient education and outreach. The Center has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National Parkinson Foundation. At an inspiring 2010 event, Muhammad Ali and his wife, Lonnie, officially opened the new treatment center in downtown Phoenix.

"Thanks to the donations from Celebrity Fight Night, we continue to increase the numbers of patients we see, as well as the number of people who come to the Center for our education and social programs," said Dr. Lieberman. "We have also increased our ability to develop new drugs and treatments for Parkinson's disease."

Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984 and today Celebrity Fight Night is his signature event. "We are proud that Celebrity Fight Night continues to grow and succeed every year. Because of its remarkable success we are able to make this large donation," says Sean Currie, executive director of the star-studded charity event. "Thanks to the participation of many of today's biggest stars from around the country, as well as some of the nation's biggest philanthropists, the annual event gets bigger and better every year."

-Barrow-

About Barrow: Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is internationally recognized as a leader in neurological research and patient care and is consistently voted as among the Top 10 hospitals for neurology and neurology in the United States. Barrow treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular conditions, and neuromuscular disorders. Barrow's clinicians and researchers are devoted to providing excellent patient care and finding better ways to treat neurological disorders.

SOURCE St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

CONTACT: Sara Baird, +1-602-406-3312

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Seizing The Future – 4 Defining Factors For The Urgent Transformation Of Nollywood

Seizing The Future – 4 Defining Factors For The Urgent Transformation
Of Nollywood

~ By Femi Odugbemi


The biggest challenge facing Nollywood today is wrapped in one word: CHANGE! Nollywood as an interesting curiosity in the wider world of cinema is no longer enough. The film festival circuit has exhausted its focus on it. The researchers and reporters have documented its emergence and structure and architecture voluminously.
The key players have enjoyed the tourism and travel of being invited to different parts of the world to be paraded and examined as any other of nature's curiosities.
20years later, (if you count that "Living in Bondage" was produced in 1992) perhaps NOW is a good time to consider an honest list of interventions we need to urgently transform Nollywood for the future.

In my humble opinion there are 4 urgent interventions that should form our most important pursuits:

1. We need to improve the ‘film language’

Nollywod films are reminiscent of old Hollywood B movies. The stories are culturally relevant, easily accessible, shot as low-budget cinema verite pieces.

The story is the film. There is almost an unspoken pact with the audience for the viewer to make allowances for its shortcomings in lighting, production design, sound and acting. It is a model that has worked to build an audience in the environment that Nollywood emerged.

It is now a model that has outlived its purpose and must give way to a Nollywood future where the filmmaker understands and speaks the language of film. The dialects can be learnt: compelling scripts, exciting lighting and cinematography, good sound mix, interesting art direction, arresting performances by talented and trained actors.

This is not to say that narratives, which challenge and experiment with and against classical forms in ways that engage only niche audiences, should not be produced. The caveat in this case is that the challenge and experiment must be so bold and original that these stories break out and find audiences beyond their niche market.
However, such boldness and originality can only be achieved when the filmmaker understands and has mastered the classical forms.

Why is this important?

To the outside world, Nollywood is a novelty that intrigues. We need to seriously broaden the critical and artistic appeal of our films and go from a mere curiosity to offering products that compete in major festivals and can be acquired for international distribution. Funding for films that win enough business to create the
kind of model sustainability we all yearn for, does not come easy. It is more than just about the content of the film, it is also about the context and craftsmanship of the product. Craftsmanship is 80% of what sells films distributed by major studios across the world. We must keep storytelling ability and add on technical craftsmanship that will open up new audiences for Nollywood.

2. To achieve the above we have to better emphasize and encourage professional training. At the moment a lot of our training institutions are basically teaching very little in terms of the curriculum that can change the status quo. We must focus more on training with emphasis not on equipment technology as much as on the Artistic use of technology. It is not necessarily about spending more money as being more efficient with money spent. Sad to say that after more than 20 years of Nollywood no major Nigerian University has a solid film school with a curriculum that is comparable to anything available internationally. The spate of half-baked training programmes all over the backyards of Nollywood personalities wont take us far and certainly wont change status quo. We need institutional
interventions in curriculum that is well researched and standardized so that emerging filmmakers are skilled in the creative thought-processes that has scholarship as its foundation.

The biggest “change” needed in the area of training to move us forward is actually in our attitude to training. Too many of us who have managed to sell more than 5,000 copies of a self-distributed dvd tend to regard any further training in the art of filmmaking as a waste of time. We need to think bigger and to reflect big thinking in our content creation. The missing artistic element of craftsmanship is why critical recognition eludes us yet. Critical artistic recognition is however key to investment and co-production collaborations in the film industry. Co-Production is a key funding channel for any film industry and we need to tap into it to broaden opportunity for our filmmakers.

3. The creative industries are in the midst of a pivotal shift,
driven by emerging technologies. The extraordinary growth of Apple and the Android tablets and Blackberry and iPhones and the emergence of Facebook and Twitter and Google Plus has created amazing ways for people to connect with each other and with new ideas and concepts and to share data and content in user-friendly ways. This insatiable appetite for content is creating new opportunities for for digitally-driven content such as Nollywood creates.

Content is the foundation of the "connected experience."

The challenge for Nollywood's future is how to leverage technology to deliver generation-next content that creates compelling consumer experiences and connects audiences across devices, networks, time zones and geography. We need to start distilling the trends that will fundamentally transform how content is created, distributed and consumed in the next 5-10years.

4. So what is the impact of the documentary film genre in the future
evolution of Nollywood?

Well, Fiction and Fact-based films share dimensions of reality and therefore are in measures, both elements of documentary. Conversely, history in Africa also has dimensions of fiction since history is interpretations and interpretations are perspectives. Especially in Africa where oral traditions ensures a healthy dose of invention. I believe we are beginning to build a critical mass of viewers and
filmmakers who are finding that the power to understand and define their personal journeys as Africans, as Nigerians can find expression in the documentary artform.

Aside from that, the political power of images as a cultural postmark in a globalized world is an awareness that I believe makes documentary a sub-conscious canvass for Nollywood's dramatic explications. As I said at the last I-Rep Documentary Festival, If we say we want to change the narrative of Africa, if we say we want Africa to be empowered economically and politically, it is critical for us to begin to manage the images of Africa. The cultural values of African communities are important contributions to the world. Our biggest weapon for documenting those values are our fiction films which by effect embed in their narrative, nuances and postmarks that impact as the documentaries of our African experiences.

###

(Femi Odugbemi is a Past-President of Independent Television Producers Association (ITPAN), He is also Co-Founder/Executive Director of i-Rep International Documentary Forum and MD/CEO of DVWORX Studios Lagos).

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Corruption of Democracy in Nigeria

Since independence, our governments have been a matter of few holding the cow for the strongest and most cunning to milk, Under those circumstances everybody runs over everybody to make good at the expense of others.

~ Chief Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, March 6, 1909 – May 9, 1987).


In realistic terms of modern democratic government, the Nigerian government is an insult to every citizen of this country.

From the local government to the state house, what we have is a dysfunctional system of political arrangement masterminded by both the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposing parties in government.

When you investigate every public office, you cannot find accountability at all levels of governance.

Everyone seems to be an opportunist who found his or her way into office by corruption since most of them are political beneficiaries of their political godfathers, jobbers and errand boys and errand girls.

The whole political scenario is a black comedy of errors that is now a tragedy of horrors as Nigerians are plagued by endemic corruption and nightmarish insecurity since the subjects are totally disconnected from their so called elected leaders.
None of the elected legislators is really accountable. So, they cannot really claim to be better or holier than the President. They are just the same political opportunists with different labels.

A foreign journalist trying to get more information on any of the political parties cannot even do so from their websites and even though all of them proudly display their pages on the popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, they are just there for decoration, because they are not as functional as they claim on the pages of their sponsored newspapers. In fact they look like scam sites or at best very amateurish.
The PDP's website speaks volumes of the dubious democracy of the self acclaimed biggest political party in Africa and perhaps also the most corrupt too.
It is a shame that the ruling party of the so called "Giant of Africa" cannot even have a good functional website!

Citizens cannot even contact or connect with their elected representatives as those in America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
What a predicament that has befallen Nigerians.

Go to the offices of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Ministry of Aviation and other ministries and look at how they are run and you will weep for Nigeria.

If you see the thousands of illiterate drivers on Nigerian roads from Lagos to Maiduguri, you will wonder how they got their driver's license from the Federal Road Safety Commission [FRSC].
No wonder these illiterate drivers have turned our roads to highways of suicide!

The foreign service is full of square pegs in round holes, because the so called ambassadors are political appointees and proxies of the ruling party and their loyalists.
No wonder Nigerian embassies are mere diplomatic decorations in foreign countries.

The public health care facilities such as clinics and hospitals are the most frightening places to go for medical service.
The list is endless.

When foreign authorities report that Nigeria is a failed state, no intelligent and rational citizen in Nigeria will deny this fact.

Lest we forget, the poor masses are not holier than the rich ruling class, because they are also corrupt. So, the poor and the rich are just unequal crooked fingers soiled by the same stinking mess.

God cannot even defend the poor in Nigeria since majority of the worst corrupt public officials and their accomplices in the private sector actually came from poor backgrounds, including their President who once had no pair of shoes.
But he did not tell us if he had slippers and sandals, because some slippers and sandals are more expensive than ordinary shoes.

The comic side of the whole Nigerian drama is seeing among the masses, those who have cheated to pass their examinations in secondary and tertiary schools pointing accusing fingers at the politicians who have bribed and rigged their way into political office.

You see cheating lovers and adulterers, pickpockets, petty thieves, fraudsters and other lunatic fringe of the Nigerian masses marching on the streets protesting against the corrupt politicians in the corridors of power and swearing to heaven to damn the corrupt political office holders when they are not even innocent of the same corruption. Most of them are just waiting for their opportunities to join the band wagon of kleptomaniacs in government!
Mothers and fathers have become pimps of their daughters hawked to the highest bidders from Lagos to Abuja.
The list is endless.

In view of the above cases of the social, economic and political calamities of corruption and hypocrisy in Nigeria, one cannot be shocked by the gang Molestation of modern democracy in Nigeria.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

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Assessing and Entering Emerging Markets in Nigeria and Others Within the Maritime Domain

Assessing and Entering Emerging Markets Within the Maritime Domain: Discussions at OPVs Event

LONDON and AMSTERDAM, July 3, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Defence IQ announces the return of its flagship Offshore Patrol Vessels conference, taking place from 25-27 September 2012 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Running for the 7th time, the event once again provides a 3-day networking and learning platform for high-level members of global navies, coast guards and industry.

The summit comes at a critical time of evaluation for the maritime community. With a majority of naval defence budgets shrinking, the current challenge for naval professionals is to not only assess potential opportunities within emerging markets, but to also understand how to work in alignment with regional ship builders in order to meet specific offset requirements.

To address this concern, this year's OPV event features its most international speaker faculty to-date, representing 20+ countries, to discuss and examine emerging markets such as Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Brand new highlights include the anticipated "How to Successfully Enter Emerging Markets, Discover New Areas for Investment and Find Partners for Joint Ventures" round table session, which is set to feature senior representatives from South Korea, India, and Colombia amongst others, and offers participants an interactive opportunity to match their capabilities to future requirements and to find out possibilities for joint ventures.

This balance of high-level strategic briefings with interactive panel discussions, combined with intimate and face-to-face networking opportunities provides participants a much-welcomed and valuable experience onsite, as confirmed by the organiser's well-received launch event of Offshore Patrol Vessels Latin America last May in Rio de Janiero.

Comments OPV Latin America Chairman, Rear Admiral Francisco Deiana, Director of Naval Engineering, Brazilian Navy: "Defence IQ's Offshore Patrol Vessels conference is an important reference world forum concerning the growing use of these naval assets, when senior representatives from different Navies can present and discuss the solutions they have found to reconcile technical issues with operational tasks and budget constraints so as to better accomplish their missions."

Netherlands-based ship builder, Damen Schelde Naval, joins as 2012 Lead Sponsor, in addition to DCNS, Fassmer, Hawke Transit Systems, Northrop Grumman, STX Canada Marine and Thales. Participating countries include Albania, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the US, and Yemen.

Visit http://www.offshorepatrolvessels.com for details or follow @opvevents.

About Defence IQ: Defence IQ is a unique multimedia platform to discuss and learn about the latest developments in the industry. Join the 50,000-strong community now: http://www.defenceiq.com/join.cfm.

Defence IQ . Kim Vigilia . opv@iqpc.co.uk . +44(0)20-7368-9510 . London,

UK

Source: Defence IQ

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Tony Elumelu Foundation and AllWorld Network Launch the Nigeria Fast Growth 50

4 Jul 2012 10:10 Africa/Lagos

Global Visibility for Nigeria's Fast Growth Entrepreneurs: AllWorld Network Joins Forces With The Tony Elumelu Foundation to Launch the Nigeria Fast Growth 50

LAGOS, Nigeria, July 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the AllWorld Network Inc., co-founded by Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, and The Tony Elumelu Foundation announced the launch of the Nigeria Fast Growth 50 (Nigeria50). This is a pioneering effort to showcase and rank the most innovative and dynamic fast-growth private companies in Nigeria.

Nigeria is soon expected to become the largest economy in Africa and is home to one-fifth of Sub-Saharan Africa's population. With a 10-year track record of GDP growth at almost 9%, it is increasingly becoming a destination for global investment. Information on Nigeria's larger companies and conglomerates is readily available. However, younger and smaller companies suffer from a profound lack of visibility. Yet this medium-scale enterprise sector is the engine of future economic growth, creating the next wave of employment and innovation, and driving the economy and fostering social and economic prosperity. Many smaller and dynamic companies, which may now only be employing 20 people, could grow to 200 or 2,000 if they had global visibility and investors.

The Nigeria50 will be published nationally and globally, giving visibility to emerging company stars. With a spot on the list, companies will gain global recognition, a network of growth entrepreneurs and an invitation to the AllWorld Summit@Harvard University.

AllWorld rankings exist in throughout the Middle East, North Africa, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey. Winners in these countries have credited their participation with positively impacting their businesses in the form of new contacts, global visibility and credibility, and attracting new sources of capital from investors.

The Nigeria50 application process is open to private companies in Nigeria who have been able to grow revenues 100% or more in the past 3 years. To be eligible for the Nigeria50 ranking, prospective companies are expected to meet the following criteria:

Minimum 3-year audited operating history with revenues/turnover of at least N80 million/$500,000 as at 2011
Be an independent, private, non-listed, for-profit corporation or partnership or proprietorship. The company can be an independently incorporated subsidiary of a wider group, with a defined stand-alone business line
Cannot be a non-profit, holding company, franchise, bank or utility
Must have its primary location in Nigeria
The company must not be 51% or more owned by a publicly traded company or from the public sector
Smaller and younger companies can qualify as "Start-Ups to Watch" using the same application


"When entrepreneurship takes hold, the growth momentum builds, generating economic breakthroughs and social progress," explains Deirdre M. Coyle, Jr., co-CEO and co-founder of AllWorld Network. "And that's why growth entrepreneurship is the essential fuel powering widespread prosperity in the 21st century."

"The Nigeria50 companies, led by dynamic men and women, represent the leading edge of a new approach to Nigeria's competitiveness," says Professor Porter, who was described by the Times of London as the world's "most influential management guru," and is widely regarded as the foremost authority on company and country competitiveness.

"The Nigeria50 will shine a unique spotlight on the pipeline of fast-growing businesses led by Nigerian entrepreneurs and business leaders, who are driving Nigeria's economic transformation," says Tony O. Elumelu, MFR, Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation and Chairman, Heirs Holdings.

"'Nigeria Fast Growth 50' is poised to generate much-needed excitement about entrepreneurship and its role in the future prosperity of Nigeria. This is another side of the Nigerian story that needs to be heard – a story of innovation, ambition, and success. The showcase opportunity is part of the wider mission of The Tony Elumelu Foundation to champion and celebrate entrepreneurship and competitiveness across Africa, starting from Nigeria."

The companies that make it on to the list will enjoy the benefits of national and international media exposure, and be connected to a global network of entrepreneurial peers. Having already created the Arabia500, AllWorld Network is concurrently launching the Africa 500, with the Nigeria 50 as the anchor to that program.

Entrepreneurs can apply to the Nigeria Fast Growth 50 list by visiting www.allworldlive.com . The application process comes at no financial cost.

Applications close October 31, 2012

ABOUT ALLWORLD NETWORK INC.

After more than 15 years of promoting entrepreneurship in the developed and developing worlds, AllWorld Network was established in 2008 by Deirdre Coyle Jr., Anne Habiby and Michael Porter, Harvard Business School Professor and global competitiveness expert. Along with Inc. magazine, the founders created the U.S. Inner City 100 in 1998 and Inner City Ventures (a $400 million PE firm). Habiby, Coyle and Porter adapted their model to emerging markets creating AllWorld. AllWorld systematically identifies and ranks fast-growing private companies to create the Arabia 500, Africa 500, Asia 500, Eurasia 500, and Latin America 500. In emerging economies, public companies are known, but promising private companies are not. An AllWorld ranking puts these companies on the world map -- attracting new investors, customers, growth partners and talent. For more information, visit www.allworldlive.com.


ABOUT THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is an Africa-based and African-funded not-for-profit institution dedicated to the promotion and celebration of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship across Africa. As a 21st century catalytic philanthropy, the Foundation is committed to the economic transformation of Africa by enhancing the competitiveness and growth of the African private sector. Founded in 2010 by Tony O. Elumelu, MFR, the Foundation identifies and addresses systemic challenges that inhibit African entrepreneurs. For more information on The Tony Elumelu Foundation, visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @TE_Foundation or like The Tony Elumelu Foundation Facebook page.

CONTACT:
Deirdre Coyle
+1-617-504-4547
dcoylejr@nexteconomics.com

Web Site: http://www.allworldlive.com

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Genevieve Nnaji's Role In Half Of A Yellow Sun Is A Small Part?

Genevieve Nnaji and Joseph Benjamin is a scene from Tango With Me.

Why all the hullabaloo over Nollywood diva Genevieve Nnaji's role in Biyi Bandele's film daptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half Of A Yellow Sun when it is just a small role?
Well that is what Tambay A. Obenson calls it in a report on her leading role in Mahmood Ali-Balogun's thriller Tango With Me set to premiere in London on August 16.

Read the rest of the report on Shadow and Act.






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The Ticking Time Bomb in a Burqa

“It’s not my role to set off bombs — that’s ridiculous. I have a weapon. It’s to write. It’s to speak out. That’s my jihad. You can do many things with words. Writing is also a bomb.”

~ Ms. El Aroud, a 48-year-old Belgian,who calls herself a holy warrior of Al Qaeda.

Without any doubt El Aroud is like The Terrorist Next Door, and there are legions of them among the millions of Muslims in America and Europe and each of them is a ticking time bomb that can explode anytime. We have to beware of them wherever we see them in the Islamic burqa masquerade on the street.


30 Jun 2012 15:24 Africa/Lagos

CAIR Welcomes Navy Decision to Remove Target of Muslim Woman, Quran

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcome a decision by the U.S. military to stop using a target depicting a Muslim woman wearing a religious head scarf (hijab) and verses from the Quran to train Navy SEALs at the new close quarters combat range at Joint Base Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Va.

The Navy made that announcement after the Washington-based Muslim civil rights organization sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Friday asking that the target and the religious text be removed from the training facility, referred to as a "kill house."

Lt. David Lloyd, a spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group 2, told the Virginian-Pilot: "We have removed this particular target and Arabic writing in question from the range in the near term, and will explore other options for future training."

SEE: SEAL Training Range Won't Show Woman as Target (Virginian-Pilot)
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/06/seal-training-range-wont-show-woman-target

"We welcome the Navy's prompt action to address community concerns and hope this incident serves as a reminder that credible scholars and experts need to be consulted when designing training materials relating to Islam and Muslims for our nation's military personnel," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "This is a welcome first step, but a serious and comprehensive review is needed to deal with the issue of Islamophobia in military training."

Awad noted that CAIR recently called on the Department of Defense to dismiss an instructor at the nearby Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Va., who taught fellow officers that only a "total war" on Islam would protect America, that they should use "Hiroshima" tactics, target civilian populations, and abandon the Geneva Conventions.

Military to Officers: Use 'Hiroshima' Tactics for 'Total War' on Islam
http://tinyurl.com/cf2hnkd

The instructor of that course was later relieved of his teaching duties.

SEE: U.S. Military Instructor Suspended Over Islam Course
http://tinyurl.com/734q6sk

CAIR last year welcomed a White House-ordered comprehensive review of government counterterrorism training materials to weed out Islamophobic content.

SEE: Obama Orders Clean Up of Islamophobic Terror Training
http://tinyurl.com/74ozglm

CAIR chapters nationwide have filed 87 separate public records requests about possible Islamophobic training of local, state and national law enforcement personnel.

SEE: CAIR Files Multi-State Records Requests on Anti-Muslim Law Enforcement Trainings
http://tinyurl.com/d5kxrql

The Muslim civil liberties organization has also called on the Obama administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and Congress to provide oversight for apparently widespread anti-Muslim bias in the training of law enforcement, security and military personnel nationwide.

SEE: CAIR Asks Sec. Napolitano to Probe Use of Islamophobic Trainers
http://tinyurl.com/3qgb5uu

Video: CAIR Decries Anti-Muslim Police Trainers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxX5y7zX8RU

CAIR noted the release of an 80-page report by Political Research Associates (PRA), titled "Manufacturing the Muslim Menace: Private Firms, Public Servants, & the Threat to Rights and Security," which details a systemic failure to regulate content in counterterrorism training.

Manufacturing the Muslim Menace
http://tinyurl.com/4qeretq

Washington Monthly magazine also published a major investigative article showing similar anti-Islam attitudes by private trainers of law enforcement agencies.

SEE: How We Train Our Cops to Fear Islam
http://tinyurl.com/4ajnx3h

A number of recent reports have documented the growth and promotion of Islamophobia nationwide.

CAIR: Same Hate, New Target
http://tinyurl.com/66enzm8

Center for American Progress: Fear, Inc.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/08/islamophobia.html

Southern Poverty Law Center: Jihad Against Islam
http://tinyurl.com/3qsv2v8

People for the American Way: The Right-Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism
http://tinyurl.com/6j9fttw

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
http://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe
Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/cairtv

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

29 Jun 2012
20:34	CAIR Asks Pentagon Not to Use Target of Muslim Woman, Quran in SEAL Training
26 Jun 2012
20:37	CAIR: Coalition Asks Apple to Train Sales Staff on Export Rules
18:44	JCP&L Welcomes 36 New Line and Substation Workers

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The Islamists Are Coming

The Middle East: They’ve Arrived

By Robin Wright
The Islamists are not only coming. In several countries, they’ve already arrived. Others are primed to take prominent roles down the road. Altogether, Islamist movements are today the most dynamic political force across the Arab world—and they may well be for the next decade or longer. Read More

Islam: The Democracy Dilemma

By Olivier Roy
The long-standing debate about Islam and democracy has reached a stunning turning point. Since the Arab uprisings began in late 2010, political Islam and democracy have become increasingly interdependent. The debate over whether they are compatible is now virtually obsolete. Neither can now survive without the other. Read More

The Islamists Are Coming: Who They Really Are is the first book to survey the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. A wide range of experts from three continents cover the major countries where Islamist parties are redefining politics and the regional balance of power. They cover the origins, evolution, positions on key issues and the future in key countries. Robin Wright offers an overview, Olivier Roy explains how Islam and democracy are now interdependent, Annika Folkeson profiles the 50 Islamist parties, and 10 experts identify Islamists in Algeria, Egypt (two), Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Tunisia.



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Demographics Drive Democracy

"Today we are in an era of unprecedented demographic divergence, with population trends moving simultaneously in different directions. Some countries are beginning to experience population decline, while others continue to grow rapidly," says Elizabeth Leahy Madsen, formerly the senior research associate at Population Action International (PAI). In this primer video from ECSP, Madsen explains how global demographic trends affect economic development, national security, and foreign policy.

Read the full post on New Security Beat: http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2011/06/watch-demographic-security-101-with.html

Demographics Drive Democracy

Population Stories to Watch from the Wilson Center

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As World Population Day approaches, Wilson Center consultant and demographer Elizabeth Leahy Madsen says the Arab Spring demonstrates that countries with very young age structures are prone both to higher incidence of civil conflict and undemocratic governance. "Among the five countries where revolt took root, those with the earliest success in ousting autocratic leaders also had the most mature age structures and the least youthful populations," she writes on the New Security Beat . What happens next in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria will further test the connection between youth and democracy discovered by fellow Wilson Center consulting demographer Richard Cincotta.
In South Asia, Madsen finds that as Afghanistan and Pakistan's political circumstances have become more entwined, their demographic paths are more closely parallel than expected. "For Afghanistan, given its myriad socioeconomic, political, cultural, and geographic challenges, this is good news. But for Pakistan, where efforts to meet family planning needs have fallen short of capacity, it is not," she writes in the first issue of the newly relaunched ECSP Report, "Afghanistan, Against the Odds: A Demographic Surprise."
Other top population issues to watch:

• New commitments to family planning: An international summit in London on July 11, co-hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK's Department for International Development and supported by USAID and UNFPA, may produce financial commitments toward meeting a new and ambitious goal of generating $4 billion to fund contraceptives for 120 million women in developing countries by 2020.
• Changing fertility rates in Africa : Contraceptive use over the past five years is growing much faster than the regional average in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Rwanda, leading to declining fertility rates. However, contraceptive use in other countries, including Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, are declining or showing only modest increases.
• Revised global population projections : The 2013 revision of the World Population Prospects will provide a new global population prediction for 2050. This figure can vary dramatically: If the global fertility rate changes by 0.5 children per woman in either direction, the total population could be more than one billion higher or lower in 2050.

ABOUT
Since 1994, the Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) has actively pursued the connections between the environment, health, population, development, conflict, and security. ECSP brings together scholars, policymakers, the media, and practitioners through events, research, publications, multimedia content (audio and video), and our award-winning blog, New Security Beat. The Environmental Change and Security Program Report 14 is the latest volume of ECSP's flagship publication. Published since 1996, ECSP Report is now an online series of policy briefs.
The Wilson Center provides a strictly nonpartisan space for the worlds of policymaking and scholarship to interact. By conducting relevant and timely research and promoting dialogue from all perspectives, it works to address the critical current and emerging challenges confronting the United States and the world.
RESOURCES
The Year Ahead in Political Demography: Top Issues to Watch 
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/the-year-ahead-political-demography
Afghanistan, Against the Odds: A Demographic Surprise
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/afghanistan-against-the-odds-demographic-surprise-0
Political Demography: How Population Changes Are Reshaping International Security and National Politics
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/political-demography-how-population-changes-are-reshaping-international-security-and-national
New Surveys Generate Mixed Demographic Signals for East and Southern Africa 
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/05/new-surveys-generate-mixed-demographic.html
Population Projections: Breaking Down the Assumptions
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/population-projections-breaking-down-the-assumptions
Demographic Security 101 (VIDEO)
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2011/06/watch-demographic-security-101-with.html
Tunisia Predicted: Demography and the Probability of Liberal Democracy in the Greater Middle East
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2011/04/tunisia-predicted-demography-and.html
Yemen: Revisiting Demography After the Arab Spring 
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/04/yemen-revisiting-demography-after-arab.html
Taming Hunger in Ethiopia: The Role of Population Dynamics
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/05/taming-hunger-in-ethiopia-role-of.html
Uganda's Demographic and Health Challenges Put Into Perspective With Newfound Oil Discoveries
http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/04/ugandas-demographic-and-health.html
EXPERTS
Elizabeth Leahy Madsen is a consultant on political demography for the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program and senior technical advisor at Futures Group.
Richard Cincotta is a consultant on political demography for the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program and at the Stimson Center.

Contact:
Drew Sample
Media Relations, The Wilson Center
Drew.sample@wilsoncenter.org
202 691 4379
SOURCE The Wilson Center
Web Site: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/

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Nigeria: Surgical Team Deployed at Hospitals in North

2 Jul 2012 13:38 Africa/Lagos

Nigeria: surgical team deployed at hospitals in north

GENEVA, July 2, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The ICRC is providing support for selected hospitals where casualties were taken following recent violence. It opened an office in Jos and is stepping up its operations in violence-prone areas of northern Nigeria.


"On 17 June, multiple bombings and the reprisals that followed caused dozens of casualties in Kaduna and Zaria," said Zoran Jovanovic, the head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria. "Our new surgical team was deployed to help the local medical personnel at St Gerard Hospital in Kaduna treat patients." The incidents also resulted in the displacement of hundreds of people to safer places in the city of Kaduna.


Under the terms of an agreement being formalized with the Ministry of Health, the ICRC surgical team is ready to be deployed anywhere in the country to assist hospitals facing mass-casualty situations.


"Medical personnel attending to patients who have suffered bomb-blast or gunshot injuries require special training," said Mr Jovanovic. "As agreed with the authorities, our surgical team will provide hands-on training on how to treat patients with weapon-related injuries. The ICRC's assessments of almost 60 health-care facilities and a workshop with 35 Nigerian surgeons showed that this can make a real difference for those patients."


The ICRC has been monitoring the situation constantly after major incidents of violence in the states of Borno, Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau, Kano, Yobe and in the Federal Capital Abuja. In the first half of 2012, the ICRC provided more than 15 hospitals with urgently needed medical supplies, including wound-dressing materials and intravenous fluids in places where casualty numbers were high.


Aid for victims of inter-community violence


Violence between farming and nomadic communities – a decades-old reality in Nigeria – takes a heavy toll in human lives and is often under-reported. From its newly opened office in the city of Jos, the ICRC has taken action rapidly following clashes between communities in the states of Plateau and Bauchi. In April, the ICRC and the Nigerian Red Cross Society brought much-needed food and other essential items to more than 3,600 people suffering the effects of the clashes.


Furthermore, following the 17 June bombings and reprisal violence, the ICRC in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross provided food and other essentials for 1,100 displaced people in Kaduna.


Enhanced access to health-care services for Niger Delta communities


Together with the Ministry of Health in the state of Rivers, the ICRC has been providing immunization and other forms of health care for people in remote villages on the creeks of the Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria.


The communities, which have been affected by armed violence in the past, are reachable only by boat and are particularly exposed to malaria, respiratory infections, and skin and waterborne diseases.


Since the beginning of the year, communities in isolated areas of Rivers state have been given better opportunities to obtain primary health care. So far, over 3,500 people living in 20 communities have been vaccinated against polio and tetanus and given vitamin A supplements, de-worming tablets and mosquito nets.


Because access to clean water can also be a major problem for people in these areas, the ICRC built four shallow wells benefiting some 1,200 people in all.


First-aid training


Nigerian Red Cross volunteers are present throughout the country and are often the first to reach, treat and collect people injured in violence. In the 10 states where it is currently working, the ICRC has helped strengthen the national network of the Nigerian Red Cross of over 100 emergency response teams.


With ICRC support, the Nigerian Red Cross has also expanded its community-based first-aid activities. Over 700 members of 27 communities in violence-prone areas were trained in the first half of 2012. The skills they learn can save the lives of victims of acts of violence, road accidents and other serious incidents.


Promoting humanitarian rules


So far this year, the ICRC has held information sessions and workshops on international humanitarian law and other rules on the use of force for over 800 officers from the Nigerian Armed Forces and for units, such as the Special Task Force in Plateau state, involved in internal security operations. In the Niger Delta, similar briefings have taken place for Joint Task Force units, twinned with first-aid training. In addition, at the request of the National Defence College, the ICRC conducted a seminar for 120 senior officers on the protection of the civilian population.


Dialogue with senior police officials focused on the treatment of those arrested in connection with violence. Tailored briefings were given for 150 police officers in Jos and Port Harcourt. In addition, the ICRC improved living conditions at the police detention centre in Jos by upgrading the water supply system, completely renovating the sanitary facilities and improving light and ventilation in the cells.


The ICRC also continued to promote implementation of international humanitarian law by the Nigerian authorities and the teaching of this branch of law in 20 universities.


Humanitarian diplomacy with ECOWAS


The ICRC has maintained close relations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with which it regularly exchanges views on humanitarian issues of common interest in the greater West African region.


In February, at a seminar held annually in Abuja, measures for better implementation of international humanitarian law were discussed with 14 ECOWAS member States. In April, the ICRC also held a round-table discussion aimed at helping ECOWAS member States develop a strong common position in connection with the upcoming Arms Trade Treaty negotiations.


Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)


2 Jul 2012 04:01 Africa/Lagos

Economic Statecraft: Embracing Africa's Market Potential

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Testimony

Johnnie Carson

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs

Washington, DC

June 28, 2012



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to address the committee on what I feel is an important and timely topic. The U.S. Government is committed to expanding trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa and the numbers show our commitment. U.S. trade to and from Africa has grown significantly in the past ten years. U.S. exports to sub-Saharan Africa tripled from just under $7 billion U.S. dollars in 2001 to over $21 billion dollars in 2011.

As Secretary of State Clinton said at the annual AGOA Forum two weeks ago: "twelve years ago, the United States passed the Africa Growth and Opportunity act because we believed that the countries of Africa had tremendous untapped economic potential that could and should be developed. We shared a vision with many of you of a future in which economic growth in Africa would fuel growth and prosperity worldwide…trade and investment would multiply…and people across the continent would have new opportunities to start their own businesses, earn higher salaries, improve their lives, and lift the fortunes of their families and communities."

In large part, this vision is becoming reality. It is my firm belief that Africa represents the next global economic frontier. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to weather the global economic crisis more successfully than other regions, and is home to six – and soon to be seven – of the ten fastest growing economies in the world. A recent McKinsey study documented that Africa offers the highest rate of return on foreign investment of any developing region and has for some years now. Consumer spending continues to rise, and 43 percent of Africans currently have discretionary income or could be considered middle class consumers. And a growing middle class is a market for American products – from ipads to Pampers to Caterpillar tractors which increase crop yields to GE turbines which create additional hours of on-grid electricity to Boeing airliners which facilitate African countries' growing links with each other and with other continents.

However, we can do more. Africa's recent economic growth is impressive but the region still only accounts for approximately two percent of global trade. The second pillar of President Obama's recently announced U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa directs the Administration to "spur economic growth, trade, and investment in sub-Saharan Africa." This new approach recognizes that it is in the interest of both the United States and our African partners to improve the region's trade competitiveness, encourage the diversification of exports beyond natural resources, and ensure sustained economic growth which benefits all sectors of society.

This new strategy elevates economic growth, trade, and investment issues by calling for increased U.S. focus to (1) promote an enabling environment for trade and investment ; (2) improve economic governance; (3) promote regional integration; (4) expand African capacity to effectively access and benefit from global markets; and (5) encourage U.S. companies to trade with and invest in Africa.

In addition to the President's new U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, our efforts to increase our commercial engagement in Africa are firmly in line with Secretary Clinton's global focus on Economic Statecraft. The State Department's economic statecraft policy harnesses the forces of global economics to advance our diplomatic agenda and puts the tools of our diplomacy to work to meet our economic goals. We are committed to using every opportunity available to advance not only diplomatic and political priorities but our economic and commercial goals as well. I would like to highlight a few of the programs that the Bureau of African Affairs has been working on as we shift our economic orientation towards Africa from focusing almost exclusively on development assistance to promoting sustained economic growth through private sector, commercial, trade, and investment activities.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act continues to be the centerpiece of our trade policy with sub-Saharan Africa. It is Africa's most important vehicle for market access and its unilateral trade preferences have created enormous goodwill for the United States on the continent. As you know, many African countries are not taking full advantage of the benefits of AGOA. However, some AGOA beneficiary countries take good advantage of the provisions for fabric and apparel product lines. The third country fabric provision component of AGOA was designed to provide an opportunity for AGOA-qualified countries to be more competitive in labor intensive textile processes such as sewing, stitching, and cutting fabric.

It was widely recognized that most African countries were not able to compete in the more capital intensive process of producing fabric from raw cotton. African manufacturers have successfully used the AGOA third country fabric provision to create jobs, not just in the manufacturing countries but have used this provision to create cross-border pan-African supply chains. These supply chains also encourage regional integration – one of our key goals for the continent. Fabric and apparel exports are the second largest AGOA export after extractive industry products. However, these imports still account for less than two percent of U.S. imports.

I'd like to say a few words about what is likely to happen if third country fabric legislation is not renewed. In our globally linked world, American buyers place orders six to nine to twelve months ahead. 95 percent of AGOA apparel and textile exports enter under the third country provision. And the AGOA third country fabric provision is the only way that African textile and apparel companies can remain competitive with larger producers such as China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Without our help, jobs will continue to disappear in some of Africa's most vulnerable economies, affecting primarily women and the families they support. Eighty-five percent of these imports come from just four countries: Lesotho, Kenya, Mauritius, and Swaziland. I know that diplomats from these countries have come to see you to emphasize the disproportionate effect that lack of renewal of this provision will have on their economies.

The effects of the loss of orders are troubling. At the AGOA Forum, the Swazi Minister for Trade told AGOA delegates that the loss of the provision will "shut the country down". The textile and apparel sector is the largest formal sector employer with over 15,000 jobs and employment is already 41 percent in this small, landlocked country. Loss of just one of these jobs means that ten people lose their livelihood, since Swazi officials calculate that each textile job directly supports ten people. Lack of orders have already led to plants closures in Namibia, robbing people of their legitimate livelihoods and governments of much needed tax revenues. The Mauritians report that their orders are down 30 percent since January due to the uncertainty whether this provision will be renewed in a timely fashion.

Madagascar's loss of AGOA eligibility in 2009 is a possible model of what could happen if this provision were to expire. Prior to its loss of AGOA eligibility, Madagascar was one of the top textile producing countries in Africa, exporting over $2050 million in textiles in 2007. Due to 2009 coup, the Government of Madagascar lost all AGOA benefits, including the textile provision. Apparel exports plummeted by $150 million in 2010. This more than $150 million drop in textile exports resulted in the loss of 50,000 jobs which will more than likely never return.

We continue to actively educate, inform and encourage U.S. companies to be more active in Africa. This is a continent on the move and there are enormous opportunities for U.S. companies to enter the market, make money, and create jobs for Americans here at home.

In February, I led a trade mission to Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana with 10 U.S. energy companies ready to do business. A lack of reasonably priced reliable power remains one of the most binding constraints to economic growth throughout Africa. Governments across the continent are working to attract new trade and foreign investment that will sustain their rapid economic growth and build their middle class. The goal of this mission was to highlight opportunities for U.S. companies and help address a glaring need for increased power sector infrastructure in Africa. The mission was a success and a number of these U.S. companies concluded partnership agreements with African companies to jointly develop power projects. Ex-Im Bank and USTDA representatives also participated in the mission to ensure that both the U.S. participants and our Africa partners are fully aware of U.S. financing options. We are in the process of putting together a trade mission to accompany the Secretary to South Africa for the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue. In addition, I plan to lead similar trade missions in the future and continue to help and encourage U.S. companies to be a part of the growing economic dynamism of Africa.

In our continuing efforts to inform, educate and encourage U.S. companies to pursue commercial opportunities on the continent, just last week, the State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce's U.S. Export Assistance Center in Cincinnati, the Department of Transportion, the Ex-Im Bank, USTDA, USAID, USTR, and several other U.S. Government agencies, hosted a U.S.-Africa Business Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference attracted well over 400 participants, including African government officials, and representatives from the U.S. and African private sectors and civil society. The U.S.-Africa Business Conference expanded on the AGOA Forum infrastructure theme by focusing on infrastructure development, including energy, transportation, and water and sanitation. It showcased U.S. business expertise to potential African clients and highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Africa to U.S. exporters and investors through structured networking opportunities for African government officials and business leaders with U.S. state and local government officials and business leaders; informational sessions on U.S. Government opportunities and services from various federal agencies; and site visits to companies and research facilities highlighting potential technologies for Africa.

Cincinnati was selected as the conference location for its potential to increase commercial partnerships with Africa at local, state, and regional levels given its concentration of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. I am pleased that the Cincinnati conference built on the successes of the 2010 Kansas City, Missouri business conference. Bringing African government officials and private sector representatives outside of the beltway allows us to more effectively focus on business-to-business linkages.

We also have two very popular programs which develop business capacity in Africa, the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) and the President's Young African Leaders Initiative. This year delegates from both programs participated in both our AGOA Forum and U.S.-Africa Business Conference events. AWEP is an outreach, education, and engagement initiative that targets African women entrepreneurs to promote business growth, increase trade both regionally and to the United States using AGOA, create better business environments, and empower African women entrepreneurs to become voices of change in their communities. The State Department organizes an annual AWEP professional exchange program for these women to improve their skills and has created a series of public-private partnerships with ExxonMobil, Intel, Vital Voices, and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

This year's President's Young African Leaders Initiative included the Innovation Youth Summit and Mentoring Partnership with Young African Leaders and brought more than 60 participants to the U.S. for three weeks of professional exchange and entrepreneurial hands-on training. This initiative encourages U.S.-Africa collaboration to promote business innovation, investment, and corporate social responsibility activities in Africa.

However, there are still many barriers that stand in the way of companies that hope to do business there. In many places, corruption is too common. The cost of finance, including investment finance, is too high. Infrastructure is lacking or inadequate. Regulatory systems are often inconsistent and inefficient. Also, many U.S. businesses see African markets as too risky. The perception of Africa as poverty filled and strife ridden persists. We work closely with African governments so that they will continue to enact the kinds of reforms to support improved investment climates which will attract both domestic and foreign investment. In addition, we continue to highlight opportunities for trade and investment in the region for U.S. companies and to work with them to conclude deals. Our work with GE Transportation in Ghana on a locomotive tender where GE was ultimately able to win a deal worth $200 million in U.S. content is but one example. We are confident that the U.S. can compete effectively in Africa, but we have to continue to encourage American companies to go to Africa and we have to encourage African countries to continue to make their regulatory and business environment more conducive for American business. Greater U.S.-Africa trade is in the interest of both America and Africa.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I want to thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I will be happy to answer any questions you have.


Source: US Department of State

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