Kenya and Rwanda has launched a business association. The Kenya-Rwanda Business Association will benefit not just the two countries but also the East African region as a whole. “Rwanda has a visionary leadership while Kenya has a dynamic economy. Marriage between the two can be good for the regional economy,” said Kenya’s Trade and Industry minister, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi.

East Africa Ranks Poorly in ICT 

East Africa countries rank poorly in Information Communication Technology (ICT) uptake according to a report by the World Economic Forum. Networked Readiness Index (NRI) assesses 122 countries globally and puts developed countries on top. Tanzania is ranked 91, Kenya 95 while Uganda is at 100.

Health Sector to Move the Continent Forward

The conference of African Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministers in Addis Ababa described health, among other fundamental issues, as a sector to move the continent forward in the modern time. Making the appeal, the Coordinator of Africa Public Health Rights Alliance (APHRA), Rotimi Sankore, said: "It is disappointing that in a conference dedicated to meeting the MDGs, not a single agenda session is specifically dedicated to details of financing the resolution of Africa's public health catastrophe". APHRA was launched on December 10 2006, which coincides with the celebration of the International Human Rights Day as the first alliance to articulate Public Health for Africa as a rights and development issue across Africa and beyond. It brings together actors from various key sectors of civil society

Suspension of Trade Negotiations a Major Setback

The UN says that the suspension of the Doha round of trade negotiations is negatively affecting developing countries' move towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), which organized the ongoing conference of African Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministers in Addis Ababa, revealed that the suspension of the trade negotiations deprives developing countries, particularly Africa, of the benefits from the international trade thereby impeding endeavors to achieve the UN-set MDGs. "The suspension of the Doha round trade negotiations is constraining the scope for trade to contribute to financing MDGs in Africa. There is still a lot to be done on trade," Abdoulie Janneh, UNECA Executive Secretary said.

Health Experts Make Donations to Fight Poverty in Africa

More than 80 physicians and health care professionals have signed-up for Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief's (CPAR's) 2nd Annual World Health challenge to donate part or all of their income to fight poverty in rural Africa. The initiative, held in honor of World Health Day on April 7th, has grabbed the attention of teams of nurses, family physicians and social workers across Canada. So far, more than $20,000 has been raised to support CPAR's primary health and development projects in rural Africa. CPAR's primary health care work focuses on reducing the burden of HIV/AIDS through community awareness programs, preventing the spread of common diseases by increasing access to clean water and sanitation facilities, promoting healthy pregnancies and educating communities about sexual and reproductive health issues.

Gulu District Gets a Commonwealth Youth Training Centre

Gulu district will be the first district in Africa to get a Commonwealth youth training centre. The programme officer of Gulu Commonwealth Youth Development project, Lillian Tebere, said the centre will have lecture rooms, junior lecturer's residents, students' hostels and halls of residents, a sports complex, workshop and conference halls, piggery and a poultry unit. The project is intended to impart both professional and vocational skills to the youth to help them become self-reliant and better Ugandans. She said the project, which targets youths between 12 to 37 years, will cover youths from the whole country especially those in Northern Uganda who missed formal education because of the 20-year-old insurgency.

Africa Business Forum 2007

The World Bank Group – IMF Africa Investment Club (AIC), in conjunction with the Africa Trade and Investment Council (AfTIC) will hold the Africa Business Forum 2007 to facilitate discussion on Africa's most dynamic business sectors and promote business matchmaking between African business people and their foreign counterparts. The forum will be held on June 5 to 7, 2007 at the IMF Headquarters in Washington, DC.  Africa Business Forum 2007 will provide an opportunity for foreign investors to learn about operating in Africa by creating a forum where partnerships can be forged. While plenary sessions will look at the African market in general, the Forum Agenda will be divided into nine topic areas: trade, investment, information technology, finance, agribusiness, energy, travel and tourism, doing business with the World Bank and working with the IFC. 

Africa Women’s and Youth Conference

The African Women’s Charity Organization is organizing an African Women’s and Youth Conference in Accra, Ghana in West Africa on March 8, 2008. This is going to their second conference organized in Africa and the 13th conference since 2000, the first eleven having been in the United States. The theme of this conference is “The Importance of Self-Reliance.”

The organization is calling upon all African women and youth organizations who want to make a serious contribution to the unification of African women and African people to participate in this event.

For participation or other information please contact:
African Women’s Charity Organization
PO Box 23074 Oakland, CA 94623-0074 USA
Phone: 415 789-7360
Email: [email protected]
http://hometown.aol.com/forafricanwomen/myhomepage/index.html