From: Judy Miriga

His Excellency Robert Godec the U.S. Ambassador
to the Republic of Kenya,

In the dialogue we are going to have with other Kenya’s Diaspora in the Diaspora, I wish to share and submit this concern proposal.

At First Ladies Dinner REMARKS in Tanzania. Mrs. Obama met with Laura Bush and talked about many good things how to maintain a perfect health for women. And in their trip to Africa, their mission engagement is based on Economic Partnership between Africa and America. Michelle Obama also quoted some of Obama’s top references on how important Women are to fulfilling good life in their own special ways to participate in economic engagement. Mrs. Obama quoted her husband’s talking points that you can measure how well a country does by how it treats its women. In other words, women’s health with economic engagements are mostly fundamental that must be in harmony when it is put to work together in a balance; and that the most important factors for development lay squarely on putting Education for girls crucial to the economic empowerment of women inclusively. The First Ladies recognizing the importance for giving prominence to educate girls is something that must be commended and supported by all and it is here that we all must engage to provide the empowerment of women in general, joining with the First Ladies of Africa. I therefore salute and congratulate the First Ladies Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Obama for opening doors to all of us to engage in Africa Vs. USA shared Partnership for development.

June 29, 2013

President Obama Announces the Washington Fellowship in front of an audience of more than 600 dynamic young leaders from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda where President Obama announced the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the new flagship program of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Beginning in 2014, the program will bring more than 500 young African leaders to the United States each year for leadership training and mentoring. It will also create unique opportunities in Africa for Fellows to use their new skills to propel economic growth and prosperity, and strengthen democratic institutions. This is an engagement with larger scope for engaging Young African Leaders positively. It will go alongway with the girl’s educational empowerment for economic stability engagement.

The Washington Fellowship will:

Ø Invest in a new generation of young African leaders who are shaping the continent’s future.

Ø Respond to the strong demand by young African leaders for practical skills that can help them take their work to the next level in the fields of public service and business.

Ø Deepen partnerships and connections between the United States and Africa.

Ø Build a prestigious network of young African leaders who are at the forefront of change and innovation in their respective sectors.

Washington Fellows will primarily be between 25 and 35 years old, have a proven track record of leadership in a public, private, or civic organization, and demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing their skills and talents to building and serving their communities.

It promises good Leaders to the United States Beginning in 2014, each year the United States will bring 500 of Africa’s most promising young leaders to U.S. universities for training in public management and administration; business and entrepreneurship; and civic leadership. Training in each of these sectors will focus on the skills young African leaders need to run better ministries, start and grow businesses, and serve their communities. Within the next five years, the initiative aims to grow to 1000 young leaders each year.

Washington Fellows will spend six weeks at top American universities and colleges that will provide tailored training in the sectors above, leveraging top faculty, cutting-edge curricula, and local opportunities to impart practical professional and leadership training. Formal university training will be augmented by workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities with leaders in each field, as well as internships across the United States.

For example, Microsoft will connect Washington Fellows with internships in their offices across Africa, including in Cairo, Tunis, Casablanca, Abidjan, Dakar, Accra, Lagos, Abuja, Luanda, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. Ethiopian Airlines will offer participants the opportunity to train at their business management and corporate governance platforms at its hubs around the world.

Washington Fellows will have access to dedicated funding opportunities to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations. More than $5 million in small grants will be awarded in the first three years by the U.S. African Development Foundation to Washington Fellows seeking to start their own businesses or social enterprises. The U.S. Department of State will invest an additional $5 million over the course of the program to help alumni establish or grow non-governmental organizations, undertake a project to improve their community, or work collaboratively to build the network of young African leaders, including reaching into underserved areas. USAID will establish regional hubs and coordinators to connect Washington Fellows to these opportunities and leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives on the continent.

Sustaining a Strong Alumni Network

Washington Fellows will be a part of a vibrant network that will continue to connect them to new opportunities in Africa and to each other. Regular local and regional events and networking opportunities will sustain strong ties over the years as program participants assume leadership positions in their respective sectors. Participants will be required to mentor other promising young leaders, enhancing the impact and sustainability of the initiative, and growing the network to encompass other leaders, especially in disadvantaged communities.

FACT SHEET: The President’s Young African Leaders Initiative President Obama launched the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in 2010 as a signature initiative that supports young African leaders as they work to spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across the continent.

Taking Action on the Continent

Engagement with young African leaders has become a key focus of U.S. engagement in sub-Saharan Africa and a priority for our embassies and USAID missions. Since 2010, U.S. Embassies have accelerated outreach to young Africans and scaled up programs to train and support aspiring business and civic leaders across the continent. The U.S. Government has created opportunities for young Africans to engage with U.S. Government officials, businesses, and citizens by establishing Embassy Youth Councils in 25 countries. High-level U.S. officials regularly meet with young leaders during their travel to the continent. In total, since 2010, the U.S. Government has held over 2,000 events across the continent aimed at developing the next generation of Africa’s civic and business leaders.

Committing Resources to Developing Young Talent

Currently USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network—a $25 million per year program—partners with African and U.S. higher education institutions, using science, technology and engineering to educate future leaders and research solutions for the greatest challenges in development. To further expand YALI, USAID will establish regional hubs to enhance leadership and training opportunities in Africa and better leverage over $200 million in ongoing youth programs and initiatives, such as university partnerships and vocational training, on the continent.

Other Departments and Agencies have reoriented their programs and strategies to contribute to the goal of empowering and providing opportunities for youth in Africa. The Department of Labor, for example, is investing in efforts to promote safe youth employment and business opportunities as alternatives to child labor, including a new $3 million program in Uganda to educate and train youth for quality jobs. The U.S. African Development Foundation is investing $5 million in training and placing thousands of Somali youth in paid internships and jobs, in addition to supporting small business start-ups.

Taking initiative to introducing the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is our concern and we must make this program succeed.

How Africa and USA must organize for Sustainable fair trading partnership

Stop and Eliminate Insecurity from Terrorism that is fueling Rebel groups with mushrooming of Mercenaries posing danger on Border Security, Arms Proliferation, ammunition and Terrorism with illegal Human Trafficking. This Proliferation of small arms and light weapons is increasingly growing in Africa and dangerously becoming a transnational organized crime where Rwanda and Uganda are constantly bullying and terrorizing East Africa with stealing of Migingo, and is threatening elimination of Congolese livelihood and survival. There is urgent need to stop child prostitution as it is destroying fundamentals fabric of moral discipline of African cultural values and tradition with destruction of Domestic Family unity. Stop Drug Trafficking, Stop money laundering, stop sale of fire-arms with sophisticated, dangerous and deadly destructive weapons to Africa, as this is expounding Civil Conflicts and is destroying lives. STOP LAND GRABBING (a situation where, some African family members engage in corruption with politicians and resorted to stealing and grabbing the ancestral family land where they stole and transferred family land with the help of corrupt Administration/local Chiefs and changed the Certificate of Land ownership to the politically correct individuals names in an illegal manner and not respecting dignity and value of cultural value of the community – a situation that must be addressed urgently and situation restored). With support of corrupt politicians sponsored by the greedy Corporate Special Interest is bound to create worse-case-scenario of disunity and fuel Civil War. It has been noted that, these greedy Corporate Special Interest do not value or respect the law that provide a harmonious good environment for peace and unity to thrive for all, but prefer to engage jungle rule that benefit their selfish and greed……..it is therefore that, they are enemies of Democracy that stand for good Governance with Just Rule of Law. As a result, they have provided open door for Chinese to engage in dangerous corruption in Africa but it is time this must stop and Law and Order begin to shape our lives for better.

The Corrupt situation in Africa is bad news for progressive development agenda to gain grounds better things. If joint effort can be put in Partnership Development Agenda that include recovery of stolen public wealth and resources, stop illegal sale of drugs from criminals and destroy terrorists’ camps or hideouts, we are sure terrorism with insecurity will be put to rest. But, despite efforts of security agencies working hard to restore peace, and the “merchants of Death” sponsored by corrupt politicians who steal public wealth and resources continues to engage in arms trafficking/ trading through covert and deceptive use of illegal trading, African borders of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Cameroon, Congo, Chad, and Niger Libya and Sudan will continue to be unsafe from organized terror gangs. Recently, the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Services stated that the Service has discovered hundreds of illegal routes in Nigeria that link or lead to some neighboring African countries and are used by organized terrorist and Rebels……Things must begin to take the rightful course of action for meaningful Trading Partnership to succeed and Peace to be realized.

Without these concerns put as top priorities to be addressed urgently, we are faced with serious insecurity and attacks that which will destroy the whole world and the situation is now at boiling point.

Success Business Story Demands Conducive Environment:

Fair Trade is a system of directly sourcing products from developing regions and paying the people who create those products a fair price for them is a good fair way to share in Partnership. Fair Trade status is regulated by organizations that have set specific criteria and follow up to make sure that participating producers and buyers meet their standards. The Fair Trade label provides concerned customers with a guarantee that the workers who produce the products they buy are not being exploited, and that they also have the opportunity to benefit from community-based programs supported by Fair Trade industries.

Our mission is to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting Fairness to sustain Trading Organizations, and speaking out for greater injustices that spoil for mutually good, balanced and fair business trading, without which business will remain to be controlled in the hands of a few and Economic stability cannot be realized.

We all need each other for fair management of Developing sustainable long lasting International market-Place that is secure and is reliable. Without security and with extreme poverty pushed to succumb Africa’s livelihood and survival is a handicap that we all must engage to eradicate for the sake of Love, Peace, Unity and Happiness in the world. As a result, we all must support Democracy to protect people’s constitutional law.

ü Building trust in fair trade

ü Speaking out for fair trade

ü Providing networking opportunities

ü Empowering the regions

Good Trading Practices must offer opportunities for:

1.Creating Economic innovation for progressive development

2.Transparency and Accountability

3.Fair Trading Practices

4.Payment of a Fair Price

5.Ensuring no Child Labor and Forced Labor

6.Commitment to Non Discrimination, Gender Equity and Freedom of Association

7.Ensuring Good Working Conditions

8.Providing Capacity Building for progressive development

9.Promoting Fair Trade Partnership

10.Respect and Protects the Environment

Fair Trading is the way to go between Africa and the USA. It is time to be fully engaged and we have no time to waste.

Sincerely,

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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Balance of power: Ugandan flag still up on Migingo island

More than a year after the boundaries commission set out to map out a tiny Island in Lake Victoria, a solution seems unlikely. The standoff between Kenya and Uganda over Migingo continues with Uganda asserting its authority. Kenya has presence on the island but they play second fiddle to the seemingly superior Ugandans and that’s not all, the Kenya police at the island have had to deal with a number of administrative and procedural issues. NTV’s Ken Mijungu was at the island and reports on a territorial dispute that may not be easy to resolve.

INVASION OF CONGO By RWANDA AND UGANDA REVEALED IN DETAILS From 1996-2000

Published on May 5, 2013
Museveni, Kagame, (tyrants of Uganda and Rwanda) with the full support of US africom command, and the US states department planned and executed a wrongful invasion of the Congo that had led to multiple invasions of the Congo by those ruthless and bloody dictactors. It has led to more than 5 million death, the worse tragic crisis since World War II.

— On Wed, 7/3/13, Friends of the Congo
From: Friends of the Congo
Subject: Why President Obama Called Out Congo’s Neighbors Without Mentioning Names?
Date: Wednesday, July 3, 2013, 4:51 PM

Why President Obama Called Out Congo’s Neighbors Without Mentioning Names?

Why President Obama Called Out Congo’s Neighbors Without Mentioning Names?

President Barack Obama concluded his trip to Africa on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. After visiting Senegal and South Africa, President Obama’s last stop on his African tour was in Tanzania where he visited President Jakaya Kikwete. Both President Obama and Kikwete have made auspicious statements regarding the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Last week, President Kikwete called on both Rwanda and Uganda to enter into dialogue with their respective rebel militia who are present in the Congo instead of continuously utilizing rebel presence as a rationale for repeated interventions in the Congo.

On Monday, July 1, 2013 during his state visit to Tanzania, responding to a question from a Congolese journalist, President Obama said “The countries surrounding the Congo, they’ve got to make a commitment to stop funding armed groups that are encroaching on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Congo.”

President Obama’s response is fascinating in two respects. First, in spite, of sixteen years of intervention in the DRC by U.S. allies Rwanda and Uganda, which has triggered the deaths of millions of Congolese, President Obama still did not mention either country by name; he merely uttered the phrase “Congo’s neighbors.” Secondly, while the U.S. has repeatedly acknowledged that its allies, Rwanda and Uganda are funding armed groups in the Congo, it continues to arm, train, finance and provide diplomatic and political cover for both countries.

Philippe Bolopion of Human Rights Watch says it best when he observed in a New York Times commentary: “So how do you get away with arming a rebel force that attacks U.N. peacekeepers, rapes women and recruits children? You need powerful friends, and Rwanda has had one. Born from the guilt of the Clinton administration’s inaction in the face of the Rwandan genocide, and a recognition of Rwanda’s relatively efficient use of development aid, the United States has proven to be one of Kigali’s staunchest allies.”

It would stand to reason that as the U.S. calls on its allies to cease funding of armed groups in the Congo, the U.S. itself would cease funding of Rwanda and Uganda as long as they continue fueling the conflict in the DRC. In fact, U.S. law calls on the Obama Administration to do as much. Section 105 of Public Law 109-456, the law that President Obama sponsored as senator and co-sponsored by Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, authorizes the Secretary of State to withhold aid from Congo’s neighbors, should they destabilize the country. The Obama Administration has yet to fully implement this law.

Pressure has been mounting around Rwanda and Uganda’s support of militia gangs in the Congo. In light of the two UN Group of experts reports published in 2012, the United States government has said that “there is a credible body of evidence that corroborates key findings of the Group of Experts’ reports – including evidence of significant military and logistical support, as well as operational and political guidance, from the Rwandan government to the M23.” The administration response to the report has been a suspension of $200,000 of Foreign Military Financing provided to a Rwandan military academy and a phone call from President Barack Obama to Paul Kagame to discuss Rwanda’s role in the destabilization of the Congo. Unfortunately, these small steps have not been enough to stop Congo’s neighbors from intervening in the Congo, nor are they commensurate with the level of suffering the people of the Congo face daily due to the brutal killings perpetrated by militia gangs.

One of the key changes needed in U.S. policy in the Great Lakes Region of Africa is to cease its support of U.S. allies who are fueling conflict in the DRC. As he did in his 2009 trip to Ghana, President Obama repeated again during his Cape Town speech that “we are interested in investing not in strongmen but in strong institutions.” However, the US government’s continued support of strongmen in Rwanda, Uganda and DRC, stands in stark contrast to President Obama’s declaration in Cape Town.

A second key change required in US policy is for the U.S. to in fact support strong institutions and democracy both in the Congo and the region. The lack of democracy and democratic institutions and the militarization of the political space in the region have been a major driver of the instability in the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. These structural changes in U.S. Foreign Policy are vital steps needed to advancing peace and stability in the Congo and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Despite the millions of Congolese who have perished in the past 16 years in what the United Nations says is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II, the response from the United States in particular and other global leaders has been lackluster at best in the face of what is arguably the greatest human tragedy at the dawn of the 21st century. The recently initiated “Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region,” is one such example; as it fails to hold Rwanda and Uganda accountable, lacks a serious justice component, did not include the Congolese people in its development and mistakenly argues that legitimizing Rwanda and Uganda’s looting of the Congo under the guise of trade and economic integration will bring stability.

The degree to which action has been taken, to hold aggressor countries like Rwanda and Uganda accountable has been a result of global pressure on world leaders by ordinary people. We have repeatedly seen the constructive role that global pressure can play in advancing peace in the Congo. Recently, the UN Group of Experts on the DRC leaked a report documenting reduced support for Rwandan and Ugandan militias in the Congo. This is a clear sign that the pressure on the U.S. and its allies Rwanda and Uganda needs to be sustained and stepped-up.