African Diaspora Network Launches Virtual Investment Symposium to Accelerate Africa's Development during Global Pandemic
In the midst of the global pandemic ravaging the world and Africa, Silicon Valley based nonprofit African Diaspora Network (ADN), renewed its commitment to driving investment to Africa despite the global pandemic by migrating its flagship convening, the African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS) online, which will be held as a series of monthly sessions on topics critical to Africa's prosperity and development and the communities where Diasporans live.
SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- African Diaspora Network (ADN) harnesses and engages the intellectual, financial, philanthropic and entrepreneurial capacity of Africans and friends of Africa in support of economic and social development across Africa. This historic COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the trajectory of the decade and remarkably shaped the priorities of the global community. ADN'S Founder and Executive Director Almaz Negash says, "We foresee acceleration across four areas: connectivity, education, health care, and finance. ADN, now a ten-year-old organization, intends to be at the forefront of this momentum."
The #ADIS21: Leapfrogging Africa: Health Care, Technology, Education and Finance Virtual Forum launched on July 29 with a Fireside Chat on the Global Response: To Organizations Across Africa and the USA that featured Dr. Latanya Mapp Frett CEO and President, Global Fund for Women; Peter Laugharn President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; and Dr. James Mwangi Group Managing Director & Group CEO, Equity Group Holdings Limited, Kenya, who said, "The narrative of Africa needs to be re-thought. While safety nets are triggered, a helping hand at a household level is important because it goes a long way to relieve human suffering."
In its 6th year, ADIS, usually held at the Computer Museum in Silicon Valley, has convened over 1350 Africa-focused high-level leaders and professionals from across the world for insightful dialogue around investment and innovation in Africa. This year, #ADIS21 will be held as a free of charge with 6 more monthly sessions from August 2020 through January 2021 that will allow for even greater collective action.
"This is an opportunity for the African diaspora to be part of the solutions, especially in parts of the world that don't look to us for the solutions," stated Dr. Latanya Mapp Frett, CEO and President, Global Fund for Women. As nations rise to meet the challenges and effects of COVID-19, Africa stands at a unique inflection point in its history to accelerate changes that were already underway. Decades of development are anticipated to be concentrated in the next few years.
The next #ADIS21 session on August 26 will delve deeper into healthcare with a discussion on Human Capital Development: From Health Care Access to Delivery, which will address the following questions:
- What role do Africans, diasporans, and friends of Africa play as collaborators and global citizens in the fight against infectious disease?
- What programs and projects are combatting COVID-19 and infectious disease broadly that are led by Africans or diasporans?
- How do we most effectively channel our resources to support both the communities we live in and the African continent?
Download the #ADIS21 agenda and virtual sessions schedule, follow African Diaspora Network on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and visit http://adis21.africandiasporanetwork.org/ for more information.
SOURCE African Diaspora Network
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