Conference on Literacy and Education in 21st Century Africa

Plus, the Eastcliff Reception, Kilimanjaro Breakfast, and Braai

Date Posted: Thursday, October 15 2009 12:33 PM

The October 2 conference on Literacy and Education in 21st Century Africa was a huge success!

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Ambassador Johnnie Carson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, delivered the keynote address at the conference. Ambassador Carson discussed U.S. policy in Africa with special focus on education.

The conference was held at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Center and was presented by Books For Africa and the University of Minnesota’s Office of International Programs. The keynote address was followed by breakout sessions on literacy issues in Africa related to health care, human rights, formal education, and economic development.

The conference concluded with a roundtable discussion featuring Ambassador Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, the Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations; Christopher J. Thomas, World Bank Sector Manager for Education in Africa; and South African Vice Consul General Gillian Motlhamme. The three officials discussed key issues regarding literacy in Africa, including the need for books and computers especially in rural areas.

At a VIP breakfast on Oct. 3 honoring Kilimanjaro Society members, Books For Africa was honored to welcome Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, whose visit was coordinated by Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison.

President Ahmed remarked: “Books and knowledge are light, and ignorance is darkness. The problems inside Somalia are largely due to ignorance. Sending books to Africa can change people’s lives in profound ways.”

The breakfast was hosted by Books For Africa in cooperation with Congresswoman Betty McCollum. John Rupp and The University Club sponsored the event. Kilimanjaro Society members are donors who have contributed between $1,000 and $4,999 a year to Books For Africa.

Congresswoman McCollum made a surprise announcement that she has introduced House Resolution 3701, called “More Books For Africa,” which calls for a major appropriation to ship more books to Africa. Congressman Ellison is a co-sponsor.

You can view House Resolution 3701 here. Please help secure the funding necessary to send more books to Africa by supporting this legislation. If you are a constituent of a House member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs or the House Committee on Appropriations, please encourage them to sign on!

Books For Africa provided its first annual Kilimanjaro Society Award of Merit to Better World Books, BFA’s single largest donor. BWB’s Paul Miller said, “This weekend really reaffirmed the importance of the work that BFA does in getting books over to the African continent and helping to advance the cause of literacy and education.”

On October 2, Books For Africa and the University of Minnesota hosted a reception at Eastcliff honoring Ambassador Johnnie Carson. The reception was sponsored by Thomson Reuters West.

The weekend festivities concluded with a South African-style braai (barbecue) at the Minnesota BFA warehouse on Saturday afternoon. The event was hosted by Robert Marx of MT Global Importers. BFA supporters enjoyed a delicious meal and plenty of South African wine.

Guests celebrated the send-off of one 40-foot container of BFA books to South Africa. The Donaldson Company generously provided the funding for the shipment of approximately 20,000 books.  South African Vice Consul General Gillian Motlhamme said: “I feel that as a business Donaldson Company has displayed a sense of corporate social responsibility. It’s very encouraging to see business giving back to the community. I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to
Donaldson Company.”