Outgoing Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, recently gave a hearty speech on Capitol Hill, urging the U.S. to continue its support for democracy, human rights and good governance in Africa and around the world.
Though Sirleaf is under much pressure surrounding her country’s upcoming presidential election, she still managed to push forward on U.S. support for the African country under her administration, particularly regarding civil war and the 2014 Ebola epidemic.
“I came here, to Capitol Hill, to the Peoples’ House of the United States, to say thank you for helping us to secure Liberia’s peace and democracy after nearly 30 years of sustained conflict,” she said during the Sept. 25 address.
Liberia is scheduled to hold elections on Oct. 10. Sirleaf will step down in January after serving two six-year terms.
African and Global Business Leaders to Convene on Capitol Hill
The Initiative for Global Development, a group devoted to spurring investment opportunities within African countries, will hold its Fall Frontier 100 Forum from Oct. 11-12 in Washington, D.C.
During this time African and global business leaders will convene to drive action on unlocking greater U.S. investment in Africa and African mid-sized companies for sustainable development and inclusive growth.
“African companies are the drivers of growth on the continent,” said Dr. Mima S. Nedelcovych, IGD president and CEO. “Given Africa’s rapidly evolving landscape, our forum aims to focus on solutions and creative investment strategies to increase U.S. investment in Africa and dynamic African mid-sized companies that deliver high-returns and contribute to the continent’s economic transformation.”
Though the continent is seeing growth among mid-sized companies and capital, investment in the Sub-Saharan African region remains relatively low compared to other regions of the world.
The invitation-only forum will be held on Capitol Hill and Covington law office in D.C.
Africa’s Largest Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Cape Town
Cape Town recently opened The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA), Africa’s first modern art museum.
The $38 million project, which opened over the weekend, provides a platform for the works of Black South Africans, who as recently as two decades ago were not allowed into art galleries.
“There is that memory when it comes to architecture and public spaces in South Africa,” artist Athi-Patra Ruga, who has never had his work displayed in a museum before, told CBS News. “There is an invisible ‘for whites only’ sign. So I feel that a new building which is literally carved from the past somehow has a democracy in it.”
The museum is located on the V&A Waterfront, a popular cultural hub that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the museum’s works were drawn from the private holdings of German collector Jochen Zeitz, former CEO of PUMA and the building’s namesake.