Antony J. Blinken 71st U.S. Secretary of State | Official Website
The U.S. Department of State will host the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit from July 29 to 31 at Washington, D.C.’s Omni Shoreham Hotel. Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
The Summit will gather nearly 700 of Sub-Saharan Africa’s promising young leaders to network with each other and representatives from the U.S. government, private sector, and civil society. The objective is to foster relationships that could lead to new opportunities benefiting people across both the African continent and the United States.
Confirmed plenary speakers include U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development Isobel Coleman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Elizabeth Allen, and U.S. Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues Abby Finkenauer.
A key feature of the Summit will be a U.S.-Africa policy panel with Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa Monde Muyangwa, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy Ambassador John Nkengasong, and Prosper Africa Managing Director for Africa Operations Lisa Walker.
Additionally, remarks will be delivered by President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Latanya Mapp and CEO of Global Startup Ecosystem Christine Ntim. The event will also include a Partnership Expo and TED Talk-style Ignite Talks by Fellows.
This Summit follows six weeks of academic study and leadership development undertaken by nearly 700 Fellows at 28 higher education institutions as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
WHAT: Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit
WHEN: Monday, July 29 – Wednesday, July 31
WHERE: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
RSVP: Credentialing will be managed by IREX. Interested parties should fill out a registration form to request credentials and receive a schedule of open-press events.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit www.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org.
For press inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov.
