The ANC at 100—As Recounted by Ebrahim Rasool, Ambassador of South Africa to USA
An exclusive interview with the South African Ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, discussing the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress–the history, achievements, and future–of the venerable liberation movement, whose members have included two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Albert Luthuli, the first African and first person outside Europe and the Americas to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Nigerian Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
In this exclusive interview with The African World, the Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr. Nkozi Okonjo-Iweala, talks about the economic performance of African countries, the tough but successful fight by some African nations against corruption, and the rise of the modern African woman. Dr. Iweala, who was recently appointed Finance Minister by Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, returns to a post she held under the government of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Dr. Okonjo-Iwaela also previously served as Nigeria’s Foreign Minister and as a Managing Director at the World Bank. Her interview with the African World was held shortly before she left the World Bank.
_____________________________________________
The African World Features The Homegoing of Donald M. Payne, A Champion for Africa
Packed in ths four-segment video are: a feature on the homegoing of Donald Payne, the late New Jersey Congressman who for decades was a strong champion of Africa in the US Congress; a look at celebrations marking Ghana’s 55th imdependence anniversary in Washington, DC; an exclusive interview with the Ivorian Ambassador to the US, Daouda Diabate; and Kwame Cumale in a brief conversation with Sahr Ngaujah, the Sierra Leonean actor who plays FELA, in a musical about the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti of Nigeria.
_____________________________________________
Botswana: An African Jewel
An award winning documentary on a remarkable African success story
For more than 35 years, Botswana maintained the fastest growing economy in the world, transforming itself literally overnight from a rural, cattle grazing society into a modern, stable, middle income country with a population that enjoys free quality health care and education as well as a standard of living largely unparalled in Africa. This African World documentary, winner of the Morgan State University African Heritage Award, explores the reasons for Botswana’s success, including a tradition of political tolerance, sound resource management, and key policy decisions made by the country’s early leaders.
_____________________________________________
Why and How Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Won Re-election
The Full-length Interview
So how did she pull it off? The Chairman of Sirleaf’s ruling Unity Party, Varney Sherman, answers this and other questions about Sirleaf’s victory and her broad plans for a second term in an exclusive interview with the African World.
Many expected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to face a tough time winning re-election last fall. First elected in 2005 for a 6-year term, she had made progress on solving some of the many problems Liberia faces after more than a decade of civil strife and war, but many challenges, such as the country’s high unemployment rate and what some perceived as her indifference to tackling widespread corruption, loomed as she prepared for re-election last year. Despite these problems, Sirleaf easily garnered over 40 percent of the vote in the first round, sending her into the second round against Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change Party (CDC) of former soccer star George Weah, which she won without much sweat after the CDC boycotted the polls, claiming fraud and bias on the part of the National Election Commission.
_____________________________________________
Ten Most Interesting Africans of 2011
The African World is pleased to present its inaugural “Ten Most interesting Africans.” Like any choice of this nature, the list reflects our personal judgement about those Africans who were the subject of the most interesting and often substantial news coverage during the year.
This judgement is rooted in a frank assessment and analysis of news, events and occurrences involving Africa and people of African descent.
Our choice of those who made the list is not an endorsement or critique of their conduct or actions. Rather, it represents our considered judgement that, for better or worse, they have, in the most interesting and substantive manner, impacted the news and matters pertaining to Africa and its people.
___________________________________
AU Symposium on Expanding US – Africa Trade
On Wednesday, December 21, 2011, The African Union Diplomatic Mission in Washington held a symposium at the World Bank’s headquarters on expanding US-Africa trade.
The Symposium, sponsored by the World Bank African Diaspora Program, focused on how to involve members of the African Diaspora in trade and investment in Africa.
Participants in the Symposium also discussed the need to expand and extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a US legislation that promotes US-Africa trade by granting duty free status and other preferences to certain goods imported into the US from Africa.
___________________________________
Exclusive Interview with Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of Botswana
Since 2008, President Khama has steered Botswana, a country with perhaps the most remarkable record of economic prosperity and political stability in Africa. In this exclusive, he talks to The African World about Botswana’s successes, the challenges it faces and his broad plans for tackling them.
___________________________________
South African Ambassador on Africa’s Economic Boom
Ebrahim Rasool has been his country’s ambassador to the US for leas than 2 years now and in that short period he has established a reputation as a dynamic and articulate voice on matters pertaining not only to South Africa but to Africa as a whole. In this exclusive interview, Rasool talks about Africa’s economic dynamism and what it means for the Continent and the rest of the world.
____________________________________________
How Did Mauritius Increase Per Capita GDP from $400 to $4000?
Somduth Soborun, Ambassador of Mauritius to the US, talks about the reasons behind his island nation’s political and economic successes
___________________________________
Africa Day 2011: Celebrations organized by African diplomats in Washngton, DC
The Search for a Malaria Vaccine
The African World visits the Sanaria laboratory where Dr. Stephen Hoffman leads a team working on producing a malaria vaccine.
___________________________________
Landmark Elections in Liberia and Cameroon: Pivotal votes to determine future of two powerful incumbents
Historic Elections in Africa’s Oldest Republic: Report From Monrovia
___________________________________
Free Health Care for Pregnant Women and Children—Making a Difference in African Countries
Black Libyans: Targets of Vengeful Attacks in Post Gaddafi Libya
Black Libyans and African immigrants continue to face tough times in the new Libya
Journey of a Liberian Mining Engineer, Joseph G. Richards
Joseph G. Richards, the first black to graduate from the University of Utah as a mining engineer, recently published his biography that tells the story of a remarkable life and provides useful insights into the history, culture, and people of Liberia.
The African Roots of Levi Strauss’ Robert Haas
Bob Haas, former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Levis Strauss, the popular jeans manufacturer, on his service with the Peace Corps in Africa
Alex Cumming, Coca-Cola's VP
Alex Cummings:
A look at an African at the top of an iconic American company Coca-Cola
Isibor Nosegbe
The remarkable journey of an African from refugee to owner of
a highly-rated nursing school in Virginia
_____________________________________________