On August 6, 2014, the Office of First Lady Michelle Obama, the George W. Bush Institute, and the U.S. Department of State will host Investing in Our Future at the U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit.
The day-long symposium will bring together First Lady Michelle Obama, Mrs. Laura Bush, African first spouses from nearly 30 countries, leaders from non-governmental and non-profit organizations, private sector partners, and other leading experts.
The symposium will highlight the important role first spouses play and will focus on the impact of investments in education, health, and economic development through public-private partnerships. This collaboration builds on the Bush Institute’s 2013 African First Ladies Summit, Investing in Women: Strengthening Africa, held in Tanzania.
Coinciding with President Obama’s U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit, the symposium will feature the following panels and U.S. speakers:
- Welcome remarks by First Lady Michelle Obama;
- A conversation between Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Laura Bush moderated by Cokie Roberts;
- Remarks by President George W. Bush announcing the expansion of the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon® initiative and the important role of national leadership, including that of a first spouse, in galvanizing a country to fight against women’s cancers;
- Remarks by Dr. Jill Biden introducing a presentation and panel discussion focusing on the transformative benefits of investing in girls’ education;
- A second panel discussion highlighting how key stakeholders – including the private, public, and non-profit sectors in technology, agriculture, and health – are improving the lives of women through entrepreneurship to advance Africa’s development.
The pooled press portions of the program will be livestreamed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/us-africa-leaders-summit and http://www.bushcenter.org/live.
In addition, throughout the day, organizations will announce commitments to new initiatives and partnerships dedicated to empowering and benefitting women in Africa.
Anthony Hamilton and the Soul Children of Chicago will provide musical performances.
The day-long symposium will conclude with a marketplace and networking reception to showcase a select group of organizations and companies supporting women and girls in Africa.
Additional program participants include: Ambassador Cathy Russell, U.S. Department of State; Shelly Esque, Intel Foundation; Ann Cotton, Camfed International; Dr. Sara Ruto, Uwezo; Reeta Roy, The MasterCard Foundation; Madame Aicha Bah Diallo, Foundation for African Women Educationalists (FAWE); Isha Sesay, CNN International; Noa Gimelli, ExxonMobil; Neha Misra, Solar Sister; Kay Kuenker, DowAgroSciences; Damaris Achieng Odeny, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); Deb Elam, GE Foundation; Bernard Olayo, M.D., Center for Public Health and Development; and Maggie Sans, Walmart Foundation.
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