Diplomats Meet
Monthly at Center

Commercial attaches from African embassies in Washington, DC, meet monthly in business sessions of their own at the Ralph J. Bunche Center under the auspices of the Constituency for Africa and in cooperation with the Small Business Development Center.

Headed by professor Paul F. Williams, the Small Business Development Center is an entity of the School of Business at Howard; and the Constituency for Africa, which Melvin P. Foote heads as President and CEO, is an organization devoted to cultivating friends for Africa in various sectors throughout the United States.

CFA currently has a grant from the US Agency for International Development to link US and African small businesses; and diplomats from more than 30 embassies meet monthly to check on the progress being made.

The group also considers development under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, legislation under which the United States is devoted to increase trade with African nations. During the first year of operation, US trade has increased substantially with Africa, particularly with individual countries, such as Kenya, South Africa, and Madagascar. The commercial attaches are instrumental in making contacts for business executives from their own countries and for putting American business executives in touch with their counterparts in Africa.

The theme for the most recent meeting of attaches, according to Mr. Foote and professor Williams, was "Africa’s New Partnership in the Global Economy."

"We are delighted to be able to bring these commercial officers together on the HU campus," professor Williams said recently. "This is a long overdue development and one that is realizing significant dividends for both sides."

Keynote speaker on March 27 for the Caribbean Studies Conference on "The Caribbean Child" was Dr. Claudette Crawford-Brown, author of the book, Who Will Save Our Children, and a teacher in the department of sociology and social work at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.

The theme for the day-long meeting was "Parenting and the Contemporary Caribbean Child:

Issues and Perspectives."

Headed by Dr. Evelyn Hawthorne, who directs the Caribbean Studies Program at Howard, the conference also featured Dr. Lisa Y. Hassell, St. George’s Medical School, University of Greenwich, London, as presenter; and a roundtable panel discussion, with contributions from Dr. Grace Reid; Dr. Ivor Livingston; Dr. Marguerite Neita; Dr. Norma Jones; and Dr. Ometha Lewis-Jack.

HU cooperation with the Department of State extends to participation in the Department’s annual Disabled Employees Mentoring Day.

Through arrangements by Diplomat in Residence June Carter Perry, two HU students took part in the observance on October 24, meeting with Secretary of State Powell and other officials, including Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage. It was a day-long program bringing together students with physical challenges who may qualify at some point for federal employment.

Ms. Elizabeth Akinola of the law school and Ms. Chakesha Bowman, a graduate in education, were accompanied by the DIR to the State Department.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell welcomes group of disabled individuals, including Elizabeth Akinola and Chakesha Bowman of HU to the State Department.