Dear All,

Below is the program for the TASCC/KDFC conference in Tallahassee Florida beginning 17th-21st march 2008. Africa and especially Kenya and Ghana will prominently feature. There will be many interested investors and venture capitalists, professionals and educationists with Africa at heart. It is time Africans and especially Kenyans show that they are interested in their country than the foreigners. KDFC gives Kenyans this opportunity through TASC. Come and stand counted. “How will they know unless they are told” Jesus said. And I add, “How will they know unless they take time to listen”. This is your opportunity to form a partnership with other diasporans and then proceed to form one with those who believe in African richness in resources and Africans like you and me.

All KDFC members are requested to attend. Please circulate to all interested parties
For Hotel Reservations, call Dr. Barack Abonyo at 850-339-4806

_______________________________________________________________

TASCC/KDFC SEVENTH ANNUAL AFRICA AWARENESS MONTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA AT A GLANCE

The TASCC Seventh Annual Africa Awareness Month International Conference is scheduled for March 17-21, 2008 at Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida. The conference theme is: “Florida-Africa Relations: Building Alliances by Focusing on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)”, the initiative that embodies Africa’s vision and aspirations for sustainable development leading to continental unification. Theme-related issues and topics will be addressed by African Union/NEPAD representatives, international diplomats and other experts from the United States, Europe, and African and Caribbean nations and territories. The primary goal is to foster dialogues that lead to identifying, nurturing, and establishing functional partnerships mutually beneficial for all involved parties.

In addition to NEPAD, the conference focuses on:

Signing ceremony of the sister city relationship between the City of Tallahassee and Asante Akim North District, Ghana, followed by negotiations on prioritizing goals and objectives to move the relationship forward;

Building a foundation to support the African Diaspora Heritage Trail – Florida Initiative, which is to “identify places and phenomena relevant to the global presence and influences of people and culture of African descent and to develop mechanisms to promote and facilitate informed and socially conscious travel to these sites, with emphasis on enhancement of the quality of life of host communities”;

Introducing Kenya Development Fund Corporation (KDFC), an investment company aimed at providing a means for U.S. citizens to invest in Kenya’s rapidly growing economy.

SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2008

10:30AM-3:00PM………………Bethel AME Church, 501 W. Orange Avenue

Fellowship and social interaction
Honorable Bill Proctor, Leon County Commissioner

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008

8:45AM-9:30AM………………Opening activities in Perry-Paige Auditorium

Welcome:
Attorney Yaw Akuoko, TASCC Chairperson
Mayor John Marks III, City of Tallahassee
Commissioner Bill Proctor, Leon County
Dean Henry Lewis III, FAMU College of Pharmacy
Conference Goal and Objectives: Dr. Willie L. Butler, TASCC Founder and Assistant
Professor, FAMU Department of History

9:35AM-10:20AM…………… Opening Keynote Speech

“NEPAD – Achievements and Challenges”, Dr. Ahmed Elobeid, Senior Economist, Permanent
Mission of the African Union to the United Nations

10:30AM-11:45AM……….…… BREAKOUT SESSIONS

NEPAD Sessions in Perry-Paige Auditorium
DVD Presentation on AU/NEPAD, Moderated by
Dr. Elobeid, African Union

AFRICAN DIASPORA HERITAGE TRAIL-FLORIDA INITIATIVE
Special Session at FAMU President’s House
“‘Think Tank’ Session on the African Diaspora Heritage Trail – Florida Initiative”

INVITED GUESTS:

Honorable Davidson Hepburn, former Ambassador of the Bahamas to the United Nations and UNESCO Executive Board member; Mrs. Althemese Barnes, Director- Riley Museum and Florida Network; Keisha Rice, Deputy Director- Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development;
Attorney Jacob R. Henderson Jr., Vice President of Henderson Associates / Henderson Travel Service; Dr. Keith Simmons, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences-Florida A&M University; Mr. Leon Stubbs, Founding Board member of the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Arthur “Arturo” Lugisse, TASCC Deputy Director and International Affairs Programs, St.Maarten N.A.Caribbean; Mr. Martijin Niekus, Executive Policy Advisor, Government of the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao,N.A.Caribbean; Tanya Simons Oparah – Outreach Services Director, Broward County Libraries and Consultant-Florida African American Heritage Preservation and FAAME project; Julienne Hare, Owner, Rabbits Den Production and Riley Museum Consultant; Dr. Patrick Mason, Florida State University African American Studies Program; Mr. Johnnie Ransom, owner, Alpha Travel and Tours; Torrio Osborne – Riley Museum & Florida Network Board Member; Kerri Post and Christi McCray-VISIT FLORIDA; Rebecca Sager, Ph.D.-Ethnomusicologist; Office of the Mayor- Tallahassee; Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Mike Pate, Director and CEO-The Knight Foundation
Sharon Liggitt-Tallahassee Visitors and Conventions Bureau
Angela Hardiman -Cole, Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce
Leon County Commissioners Cliff Thaell, and John Dailey

12:00 NOON-1:15PM………LUNCH

NEPAD SESSIONS IN PERRY-PAIGE AUDITORIUM

1:30PM-2:30PM
“Looking Beyond Washington: The Grassroots Constituency for U.S.-Africa Engagement”,
Mr. Gregory Garland, Public Affairs Chief for the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs

2:40PM-3:40PM
“In Fact, The World is Round: Managing Expectations for Mutual Understanding”,
Dr. Christopher Davis, U.S. Department of State Diplomat-in-Residence, Florida A&M
University

AFRICAN DIASPORA HERITAGE TRAIL-FLORIDA INITIATIVE

Special Session at FAMU President’s House
1:00PM-3:00PM

Think Tank Session Continues

5:00PM-5:45PM…….………..RECEPTION at College of Pharmacy

6:00p-7:30p……………………KEYNOTE SPEECH in Pharmacy

Auditorium

Honorable Davidson Hepburn, PhD, former Ambassador of the Bahamas to the United Nations
and UNESCO Executive Board member

TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2008

9:00AM-4:00PM……………..NEPAD Sessions in Perry-Paige Auditorium

9:00AM-10:00AM: Session 1

“Research for NEPAD on African American Economic Development”,
Dr. Patrick Mason, Florida State University African American Studies Program

10:05AM-11:05AM: Session 2

“Enterprise Florida Africa Trade Expansion Program”,
Mr. Bryant Salter, Director, Africa Trade Expansion Program, Enterprise
Florida

11:10AM-12:10PM: Session 3

“Developing Trade Relations in the Caribbean and Europe with Africa and the United States”
Mr. Martijin Niekus, Executive Policy Advisor, Government of the Netherlands Antilles
Moderator: ……………………Attorney Stephen Knight
Stephen, Knight, and Dwyer

12:20PM-1:30PM……………..LUNCH

1:40PM-2:40PM: Session 4

“General Overview of Doing Business in Ghana”,
Mr. Sam Akoto-Danso, Special Assistant to the Ghana Minister of Finance and Economic
Planning, Republic of Ghana

2:50PM-3:50PM: Session 5

“Ghana and the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA)”,
Mr. Sam Akoto-Danso and Mr. Kuuku Mannoh
TASCC West Africa Field Representative and Program Coordinator

6:30p-8:30p……………………TASCC Essay & Oratorical Contest (location tba)
Moderator: Mr. Charles Beamer, TASCC Board Member & McClay School Dean of Students

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008

10:00a-12:00noon

“Kenya’s Political Situation: Its Impact on Investment Opportunities”,
Dr. Barack Abonyo, Assistant Professor of Physiology, Florida A&M University
Peter Odhengo, Executive Director of Relief and Environment Care Africa, Nairobi, Kenya;
David Ndolo, Business Development Director, Stan Images Limited, Nairobi, Kenya
Paul Dawa, Business analyst with both singular wireless and Technicolor

12:15PM-1:45PM

Luncheon reception in the FAMU Grand Ballroom: Prospective volunteers interact with Asante Akim North District delegation and others

2:00PM-3:10PM

African guests and others tour Florida A&M University campus

3:20PM-4:30PM

African guests and others tour Old Capital Building

5:00PM-8:00PM………………CITY HALL, 300 S. Adams Street

Mayor John Marks III officiates signing of Sister City Partnership Agreement between the City of Tallahassee and Asante Akim North District, Ghana with Municipal Chief Executive George Frimpong. Mayor Marks will host a reception afterwards.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008

9:00AM-4:00PM……………….Sister Cities Planning Sessions, Perry-Paige Auditorium

This day-long session focuses on discussions to prioritize goals and objectives to move the sister city relationship forward. Everyone is invited to participate in the effort.

Moderator: Mr. Yussif Dokurugu, TASCC Board member and FAMU Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

7:00p………..……………………African Film Review in Perry-Paige Auditorium

Moderator: Ms. Gylbert Coker, Florida State University PhD Candidate

“Lost Boys of Sudan” is an Emmy-nominated feature-length documentary that follows two Sudanese refugees on their journey from The Sudan to the United States. Both young men were taken from their communities and families by rebel fighters as little boys and turned into soldiers. Peter Dut and Santino Chuor survived the horror of war, the drugs, the brutality, the starvation and ultimately reached (each on his own) a refugee camp in Kenya along with thousands of other children. From there, they were chosen to travel to the United States where they would have an opportunity to work, go to school, and improve their opportunities in life. Life in the United States for Dut and Chuor, and other young men like them, becomes an emotional and psychological confrontation between concepts of the United States and the reality of day to day existence.

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2008

10:00AM-3:00p……………….Kenya Development Fund Corporation (KDFC) Sessions
in School of Business & Industry (SBI) Auditorium

10:00AM-10:50AM

“Introduction of KDFC”,
Dr. Barack Abonyo, Assistant Professor of Physiology, Florida A&M University

11:00AM-12:15PM

“Proposals for Investment Opportunities in Kenya via KDFC”,
Peter Odhengo, Executive Director of Relief and Environment Care Africa, Nairobi, Kenya;
David Ndolo/Justus Wanga, Business Development Director, Stan Images Limited, Nairobi,
Kenya; Eric Otiende, Director of Raha Tele Initiatives, Memphis, Tennessee

12:20PM-1:30PM……………..LUNCH

1:35PM-2:00PM

“Forging a Relationship between KDFC and TASCC”, Dr. Willie L. Butler, TASCC Founder

2:05PM-2:35PM

“Enterprise Florida Africa Trade Expansion Program”,

Mr. Bryant Salter, Director, Africa Trade Expansion Program, Enterprise Florida

2:45PM-3:25PM

“Project Mechanics for KDFC Projects: How to Increase $1 Million to $10 Million in Six
Months”, Mr. Steve Kellog, Project Funding Liaison, Tallahassee

3.30 PM- 4:15 PM

KDFC Key Note speech

Dr. PLO Lumumba, An Advocate of the High Courts of Kenya and Tanzania and Law Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi

CLOSING REMARKS:

Dr. Willie L. Butler, TASCC Founder and CEO

8:00pm-12 midnight………Pan-African Gala

Ramada Inn & Conference Center, 2900 North Monroe, Tallahassee, Florida
DINING! DANCING! DINING! DANCING!