Four Ethiopians To Participate in President Obama’s Forum with Young African Leaders

Addis Ababa, July 23, 2010 – U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald E. Booth met on July 23, 2010 with four Ethiopians who have been selected to participate in President Obama’s African Youth Leaders Forum from August3-5 in Washington D.C.

The Forum will bring together approximately 120 young leaders from civilsociety and the private sector representing more than forty countries insub-Saharan Africa to meet with American counterparts and U.S.government officials and share insights on key themes of youth empowerment, good governance, and economic opportunity.  President Obamawill host a town hall meeting at the White House with these young leaders to discuss their vision for transforming their societies overthe next fifty years.

The young Ethiopian leaders chosen by the U.S. Mission to participate inthe Forum are:

*       Mahlet Eyassu Melkie, 29, is an environmental activist, who hasworked for the Forum for Environment (FfE) since 2008.  She is currently FfE’s Program Manager for Climate Change and Coordinator of the Ethiopian Civil Society Network on Climate Change, which comprises morethan 50 civil society organizations.  Ms. Mahlet has represented Ethiopian civil society at numerous international climate change conferences and negotiations.

*       Meron Getnet Hailegiorgis, 27, is an actress and poet, whoperforms in film, television, radio and on the stage.  A member of the Ethiopian Women Writers Association, Ms. Meron authored a book of poetryentitled Zurut (“Vicious Cycle”) that was published in 2008.  Ms. Meronserves as an Ambassador for the Ministry of Health to raise youth awareness about HIV-AIDS prevention and also to address the situation of General Practitioners and the problem of brain drain in the medicalfield.

*       Salsawit Tsega Ketema, 30, is an entrepreneur, designer and business woman who started the Sel Art Gallery, a handicrafts business which employs 35 women in the making of home accessories.  She alsomanages TAF plc, an import/export business with over 100 employees.  Ms. Salsawit is a member of the Core Team of the Women Entrepreneurs Group(WEG) in Ethiopia.  She is the mother of a five-month-old baby boy.

*       Yohannes Mezgebe Abay, 35, is the Vice President of the PanAfrican Youth Union, which is the continental platform for African youthrights.  He is a fellow of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Leadership program. Mr. Yohannes founded the African Youth Corps, which works on youth leadership development in Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian Forum participants represent a variety of fields and back grounds, and have demonstrated records of accomplishment.  They havealso shown dedication to Ethiopia’s development, including active engagement in youth outreach and empowerment.  Ambassador Booth congratulated the four Ethiopians on their selection as Forum participants, saying:  ”The U.S. Embassy is proud to be associated withsuch outstanding examples of Ethiopia’s next generation of leaders.  Weare looking forward to hearing about your experiences at the Forum, andthe insights you gain from your interaction with other young African and American leaders.”

Statement on the President’s Forum with Young African Leaders

The White House: In 2010, seventeen countries across sub-Saharan Africa celebrate fifty years of independence.  In honor of this important historic moment; in acknowledgement of the extraordinarily young demographic profile of the region; and as part of an effort to forge strong, forward-looking partnerships in the years ahead, President Obama will host a forum in Washington, D.C., from August 3 – 5 with approximately 120 young leaders from civil society and the private sector representing more than forty countries in sub-Saharan Africa.  Together with American counterparts and U.S. government officials, the participants will share their insights on key themes of youth empowerment, good governance, and economic opportunity.  President Obama will host a town hall meeting at the White House with these young leaders to discuss their vision for transforming their societies over the next fifty years.

The President’s Forum with Young African Leaders presents the U.S. government and American friends of Africa with an opportunity to deepen and broaden our understanding of the trajectories of African societies, and to reflect on how the next generation are building their communities’ and their nations’ futures – just as their predecessors did in the era of independence from colonial rule.  In addition to the town hall meeting with the President, the forum will include small-group discussions on topics such as transparency and accountability, job creation and entrepreneurship, rights advocacy, and the use of technology to empower individuals and communities.  African participants will have an opportunity to meet with grassroots service organizations to share experiences and strategies.

As the President said in Accra, the future of Africa is up to Africans. The U.S. government’s role in this gathering is as a convener, encouraging networks between young American and African leaders, and pursuing lasting partnerships on behalf of our common security and prosperity.  This dialogue and follow-up events in Africa will help the U.S. government better assess how to support Africa’s own aspirations going forward.

3 Responses to “Four Ethiopians To Participate in President Obama’s Forum with Young African Leaders”