Ambassador Sanders Wraps Up Her 2019 Fall Rooney Scholar Speeches & Lectures

Ambassador Sanders wraps up her Rooney Scholar 2019 six month stint at Robert Morris University (RMU) with a major keynote speech entitled "Why Africa Should Be Important to the United States," at the Pittsburgh's World Affairs Council luncheon at the famed and iconic Omni William Penn Hotel. The packed room received the perspective and real world examples from Sanders' extensive diplomatic and business experiences in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sanders business colleague Ms. Span &
RMU University Professor Kohun

Dr. Sanders laid out the US National Security reasons for more sustained engagement in the region such as security and trade, but underscored the need for more direct contact with African presidents and leaders on a regular basis, along lines of holding comprehensive heads of state level meetings at least once a year or biannually -- similar to what China, and now Russia does (the later held its first Africa heads of state meeting in Sochi this past October 2019). In addition Sanders outlined both Sub-Saharan Africa's (SSAfrica) positives as well as the challenges that remain in key development sectors from agriculture to manufacturing to infrastructure. She also discussed further what she calls the "China Factor," in Africa, providing her take on what sectors as well as what approaches are ready made for U.S. intervention and where the U.S. value-added can be better such as improved and fairer business, trade, training, negotiation and training practices -- avoiding many of the debt-driven deals currently plaguing many SSAfrica nations, where key land and/or single major commodity countries are driven back into the old debt burdens of the 1960s-early 2000s. (Sanders herself work on the Africa debt burden issue for many years in the mid-2000s). It took decades for most African countries to overcome these historic debt burdens, and many still suffer the consequences as they struggle with social and economic reform or seek to achieve or maintain global best practices on "debt-to-GDP" (gross domestic product) ratios. The Ambassador also called on the U.S. to begin now to help the region in these areas as its rolls out and stands up the landmark Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), which will make the Region's  one of the world's largest trading bloc with an estimated  $3 trillion value. Dr. Sanders also talk extensively as an advocate for Africa's small and medium size businesses (referred to in the Africa Region as SMEs). The event was followed by a book signing of Sanders' second book "The Rise of Africa's Small and Medium Size Business," which has been well-received in the field for its meshing of both policy and practice. The Pittsburgh World Affairs Council book signing for Sanders, the 35th event for the book, followed the keynote.

Sanders other keynote lectures included a Davos-style lecture of the various SSAfrican cultures that the Ambassador has worked with or lived with over her diplomatic and advocacy work in the region, stressing the importance of one of her signature messages "understanding human cultural communications," and given her expertise in information systems and communications lecturing on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the "Future of Work," in general (from AR-VR-IOBs-IOTs)*,  and in particular how young entrepreneurs and development sector advocates in SSAfrica are using technology to help address many of the Region's development issues in areas from infrastructure to manufacturing to agriculture. 



RMU President Dr. Howard (l),
wife Barbara &
Dr. Sanders in front
Rooney Scholar House, RMU Campus

Other subjects taught to RMU's undergraduates, graduate and doctoral students by Sanders while serving as the Rooney Scholar included topics as far ranging as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Health, Education, and Food Security (as Sanders', as CEO-FEEEDS, is a major advocate of the SGDs); Africa & Technology; Global Writing for journalism students; Technology & Security in the Developing World; A Political Scientist View of World Challenges, Intercultural Communication, Cultural Intelligence -- to name few -- along with participating in panels on careers for women's leadership, public policy, and the challenge of electricity in Africa -- Guinea as a case study. The Rooney Scholar program is a result of the generous support and commitment of the Rooney Family to global learning, where Global Scholars such as Ambassador Sanders, share their scholarly academic and practical experiences with the students of RMU.

*Augmented Reality-Virtual Reality-Internet of Biologicals/Bodies-Internet of Things

A FEEEDS BlogSpot

Harriet Tubman: In This 400th Year of Slave Ships Arriving in America -Her Revival Demonstrates Human Dignity Is Still Under Siege

Cambridge, Maryland,  The Tubman Mural
by Michael Rosato

As we are in the mist of the 400th year of the first African slaves (who were initially indentured servants) landing in Jamestown, Virginia, the revival and remembrance of Harriet Tubman's life and her contributions as one of America's leading anti-slavery activists and abolitionists has come full circle. Tubman, also a staunch feminist, envisioned and guided so many through her famed  Underground Railroad, helping many slaves -- including members of her family --  escape to freedom in Northern states. Her life story remains an example to us of the importance of respecting human life, human rights, human dignity, and social justice -- all fundamentals of humankind -- which unfortunately are under attack across the world today. 

Mayor Jackson-Stanley, Sanders 

Cambridge Mayor Jackson-Stanley

In addition to the film about her life, which won the this year's star studded Toronto Film Festival, being part of the symbols of revival,  Tubman's county of birth Dorchester, Maryland, on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay and the city of Cambridge, unveiled a life size mural of the Underground Railroad leader (see above) near the museum that also bears her name. The Tubman Mural unveiling was proceeded by a procession of unity, prayers, songs (video below), traditional African cultural rituals, libations, and the release of a commemorative coin (see below) -- all part of a day of celebration organized by key partners which included the city's public and civic leaders, Cambridge's dynamic mayor, Victoria Jackson-Stanley, the Constituency for Africa (CFA) President and Chairwoman, Mel Foote and Jeannine Scott, the Harriet Tubman Museum founders, Tubman Mural artist Michael Rosato, and government representatives of the State of Maryland and Dorchester County. One of the event's keynote speakers was Julius Garvey, the son of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr.,who in 1914 began the "Back-to-Africa" and "Africa Diaspora" and "Pan-Africa" movements. 

Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey

Foote, Garvey, Sanders, Togo Amb.

What the Tubman Mural Event should do -- as well as all the events recognizing the 400th year of Africans arriving in the United States, including the acclaimed New York Times 1619 Project (if you haven't read or listen to the podcasts do so) -- is remind us all of both the power of survival, and determination to fight against the "wrongs," committed against humankind perpetrated at anytime, by anyone, anywhere in the world.  The strength of Tubman, which I saw reflected in the many attendees, and civic and public leaders during this Cambridge, Maryland, celebration of her life, further underscores just how much we still need to do, how much history has passed since 1619, but also how much it has not in so many ways. 

We still have a long way to go to mutually understand, and respect each other, but more importantly what these full circle moments and revival on appreciating Tubman's life, strength and courage mean is that many recognize:

-- That the work of being better people to each other is far from done;

-- That America needs to be regularly reminded of the important contributions that the first generations of Africans made to the Americas, and that all their future descendants -- African Americans -- were critical then as well as now in making America what it is today; 

-- That neither the history nor the contributions of African Americans to the United States should never be forgotten; and

-- That the Africa Diaspora -- defining Diaspora with a big "D" -- to be inclusive of African nationals past and present, African American, and African immigrants to the United States, have shared ties, shared histories, and will always remain connected as a result.                                                                        

The revival of Harriet Tubman's legacy and seminal tomes like the 1619 Project have helped return these critical issues to the front burner. Let's hope, however, that in this 400th year, and the hard years traveled from 1619-2019, that we can do better going forward to stem the current turn in certain places in the world that doesn't put our humanity and protecting human and civil rights first above all else.                                                

A FEEEDS Blogspot

Can Africa's New Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) Transform the Region? One Key Will Be Keeping SMEs in Mind!

With the coming into force of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA), hopes and goals are that the AFCTA will not only help transform the region's economic sectors, but equally as important, help with job creation for the region's population of nearly 1.3 billion, which is on track to reach 2.4 billion by 2050, with Africa's youth represent over half of these figures.



Africa Map (open source)

It is this latter point -- job creation -- that for many will make the real difference in changing the lives of so many young Africans overtime and, in turn, grow the region's middle class. Estimates are that the Regions middle class is roughly 300 million, and it is fundamental that this number increases in order to demonstrate an improvement in the quality of life. Thus, there are great hopes among Africa's young people that the AFCTA will do this as the free movement of goods and services increase. What will be key as the AFCTA gets stood up, is for it to ensure there are special initiatives (or windows) for small businesses, know in the region as small and medium size enterprises, or SMEs.  Thus far, SMEs are discussed very little in concrete terms in the context of the AFCTA, but what is needed are special inter-regional facilities for SMEs to assist with cross-border and regional trade, with possibly an AFCTA-approved one-stop window to help SMEs through the new processes. Additionally giving SMEs a seat at the table in any AFCTA meeting will be important along with a "SME Office" being included in the new AFCTA's secretariat.  Just like other developed world regions, small businesses are fundamental to development, trade, growing the middle class, and job creation, and they will contribute the same to help Africa continue to move forward.

By way of background, the AFCTA was first signed on March 21, 2018, in Kigali Rwanda, with an initial 22 countries signing up (https://au.int › cfta › about). By July 2019, all 54 African nations had signed -- making the Continent potentially a $USD 2.4 trillion trading block. The rather quick turn-around on the AFCTA being signed by 54 nations in slightly over a year left many traditional doubters who touted the mantra that the "AFCTA will never be fully ratified," and again left flying in the wind -- having based their sentiments on the region's history of having previous draft agreements languished for decades. .

2019 AGOA Forum. Hosted by
Ivorian President Ouattara

So, what's next? There is a lot of filling in the blanks to do. With the headquarters slated to be in Accra, Ghana, first steps for this mega-trade behemoth, will be trifold:
 -- Policy formulation, including harmonizing trade tariffs,
--  Infrastructure development, including the building of the Ghana HQ, and;
-- Technical assistance, including on how to run a large trade organization.


However these three areas must be managed through the vision and leadership of Africa nations. Furthermore, there are still underlying questions as to how Africa's leading partners (China, the U.S.,  Europe, and possibly a post-Brexit UK), are going to engage with the AFCTA, given the number of existing bilateral trade arrangements, and those that are being courted for the future. Reports also are that China has already agreed to build the Ghana-based HQ.

As for the U.S., at the recent August 2019 US-Africa African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum, in Abidjan, West Africa (which FEEEDS attended)  the importance of the AFCTA was raised further. Of note, AGOA is the only U.S. annual meeting with African Trade Ministers, but also thus far, the only large-scale yearly event the U.S. holds with a region that will eventually become the most populous Continent in the world. (https://agoa.info; https://www.trade.gov).

At the AGOA Forum, AFCTA was the marquee policy noted by every African trade minister at every roundtable and every plenary session. The message to the U.S. and all partners in attendance is "there is no day light among us," on how Africa's future  trade relationships will and shall proceed, and "efforts that are not inline with this direction will be concerning."

In reading the tea leaves then, we all need to do the utmost to help the AFCTA succeed. To do so is in our interest as we in America look for sustainable trading partners, and markets for our goods and services. Remember the three areas I mentioned above -- policy formulation, infrastructure development, and technical assistance -- as well as having an emphasis on SMEs. The U.S. can provide value added in all these areas and we should because we do these things very well. These are our strengths and we should be at the table with our African partners as they set out to put in place and operationalize one of the most important trade institutions since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on January 1, 1995. (https://www.wto.org).

Country Flags from 2019 AGOA Forum participants

A FEEEDS BlogSpot Series

Dr Sanders Gifts Famed Nigeria Artist Nike Davies-Okundaye Paintings to Prestigious Smithsonian Museum

Liberal Women Protest March I” (1995) by Nigeria's Nike Davies-Okundaye, gift to Smithsonian by Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders from her collection

Chief Nike explaining her work at the

Smithsonian

Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye is one of Nigeria's leading cultural icons - a painter, sculptor, teacher-trainer of the arts, supporter of women, and preserver of Nigerian traditional cultural practices. It is in this light and to ensure well-deserved recognition that Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders gifted two of Davies-Okundaye's painting series from her collection to the prestigious Smithsonian Museum of African Art. The painting series by Davies-Okundaye is entitled Liberal Women Protest March Parts I & II -- showcasing the strength and resilience of Africa's women. In sum the piece represents the Collective Power of Africa's women (be they on the Continent now, or currently or historically part of the Diaspora).

Ambassador Sanders at Smithsonian
in front her donation of Nike's work



Chief Okundaye's paintings are now not only part of the Museum's permanent collection, but are two of the leading pieces at the beginning of the NMAA's newest exhibit  called "I Am...Contemporary Women Artists from Africa," which has been receiving rave reviews from leading newspapers across America such as the Washington Post. Sanders, the former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, who herself is a collector of African Art and a philanthropist focused on the arts and African

education, gifted the pieces to the Smithsonian to ensure that the works of Chief Okundaye, who she fondly calls "Mama Nike," were seen not only by more Americans, but further on an international stage.

Sanders and Okundaye, first met by chance more than 15 years ago long before the former became U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria. The chance encounter centered around Nigeria traditional textiles, of which Sanders is known to wear and also collect. What makes the brief encounter more than 15 years ago so significant is Chief Nike telling Sanders then that she "would return someday to Nigeria as the U.S. Ambassador" -- and so, as fate would have it,  it came to be.

Nike with Ambassador Sanders' father at Okundaye's

Center in Lekke

Since then Sanders and Chief Nike families have become family. Nike, her husband Reuben, and their daughters and Sanders' family remain in close communication today. Ambassador Sanders' family also visited Nigeria and Okundaye's cultural centers in Lekke and on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, Abuja, several years back.

Nike Davies-Okundaye's work, Liberal

Women Protest  March I & II 



Nike at Smithsonian with Sanders' and her family -
Father (l) & cousin Dr. Frazer (r)

"What I love about Mama Nike," Sanders says, "is that she herself is the living embodiment of art and culture." "When you see her or hear her speak, you feel it... you feel just how alive art is and how much it is a part of you. "When I saw the paintings Liberal Women Protest March I & II; II," Sanders says, "the pieces just spoke to me on so many levels, but most importantly to me they were so Nike!" "Furthermore, the role of art and culture in my life has always been paramount - inherent gifts given to me by my Mom -- who was an avid lover of literature, theater and all things cultural. I inherited all those traits and they not only make me who I am today, but I believe they always made me a better (maybe a different) diplomat as I always sought to understand and respect the culture first before I did anything else.

Plague -
Sanders' donation
of Nike Davies-
Okundaye's work, Liberal
Women Protest I & II



For her part, Nike notes that Sanders was "always a giver of no equal," and her benevolence, says Davies-Okundaye "earned her the unique name 'woman of the people,' while she was the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria."  Chief Nike, DFA, who considers Ambassador Sanders one of her daughters, further explains that Dr. Sanders had always said that her art needed to be exhibited at the Smithsonian, and then promised to make it happen. Thus, exhibiting yet another of Sanders' fundamental characteristics -- being a "woman of her word," comments Okundaye. "Her donation of my work to the Smithsonian has unequivocally helped shine a global limelight not just on me but by extension to all Nigeria artists associated with my Centers," Chief Nike adds. "It is as a result of Robin's efforts, that I have been bestowed this great honor and the privilege of attending and speaking at the exhibit opening to see my work displayed alongside so many other great world artists. This is a singular moment in time which will remain ever-green in my memory throughout the days of my life, and for this I thank her."

Davies-Okundaye's work at the Smithsonian NMAA is not to be missed. Its power is . . . palatable/sapid, its message . . . is unmistakable . . . its strength . . . is undeniable. 


A FEEEDS Series BlogSpot



Ambassador Sanders Begins Fall 2019 as Robert Morris University's Rooney Scholar & Alum of the Month

Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders begins the 2019 Fall Season being in the prestigious position as Robert Morris University's (RMU) "Rooney Scholar" for the semester. The scholar position, named and funded by the Rooney family, owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers, allows for and funds scholars and professional experts to spend a semester at RMU to share both their academic expertise and/or professional experiences with RMU's students across all disciplines.  Dr. Sanders plans to focus on the importance of global topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Why Africa is Important to the United States, global human rights, and the key role of small businesses in the world's development, including in the United States.

Also see RMU's article on Sanders as Rooney Scholar and the University's "Alum of the Month,"
https://rmu.edu/alumni-giving/news/alum-month-robin-sanders-d10

U.S. Government's BUILD Act: How the Act Can Invigorate U.S-Africa Economic & Investment Ties

Photo: allafrica.com Rep. Ed Royce &

Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders 

      

Since the U.S. BUILD Act was signed into law last See featured column article, first published in the prestigious, pan-Africa online media outlet, Allafrica.com, written by the former Chairman of the U.S. Congress House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, Ed Royce and former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Robin Renee Sanders, on the importance of the U.S. Government's, BUILD Act. The BUILD Act seeks to invigorates US-Africa economic ties: Africa: How the BUILD Act Can Invigorate U.S. Economic Ties.

The article was also reprinted/republished by the following prestigious organization/associations, overseas and domestic newspapers and wire services, and online outlets focused on business and the economy:

              I. Key newsletters of the following prestigious government, business, and   diplomatic organizations & associations published & share article with their members: CCA, International Global Development (IGD), American Academy of Diplomacy, and American Academy of National Security Leaders

              II. The list of overseas & domestic publications which published the article: 

·  Africa, ·  Africa Intelligence
·  Africa Intelligence ·  African Examiner

·  African Searchlight
·  All Africa ·  AllAfrica.com
·  Aproko 247
·  Arewa Online
·  Bella Naija
·  Best Naira News
·  Big News Network
·  Big Nigeria ·  Biz Watch Nigeria
·  Business News ·  CKN Nigeria

·  Cable
·  Channels TV
·  Citizen
·  Daily Post
·  Daily Review Online
·  Daily Star
·  Eagle Online
·  Eagle Reporters
·  Editorial Nigeria
·  Elombah
·  Factual Reporters
·  Frontiers News
·  Gamji
·  Gistyinka Blog
·  Global Village Extra
·  Google
·  Gossip Nigeria
·  Herald ·  Radio Nigeria
·  Asian Fortune         ·  Beacon
·  Big News Network     
· DC Spotlight                   
·  District Chronicles ·  El Tiempo Latino
·  GW Hatchet ·  Georgetown Voice
·  Hilltop
·  Hoya
·  Joint Base Journal
· Las Americas
·  Metro Weekly
·  NBC WRC
·  News Channel 8
·  News by State
·  Politico
·  Roll Call
· Washington Afro American
· Washington Business Journal
·  Washington Chinese News
·  Washington City Paper
·  Washington Continent
·  Washington Hispanic
·  Washington Informer
·  Washington Life Magazine

  https://hallmarknews.com/build-act-can-improve-u-s-africa-economic-tiesby-ed-royce-and-robin-renee-sanders/

 III. The following online media outlets also picked up the press release on the Royce-Sanders article: 

Brazil Business Today    

Central Europe Online    

 Inside China Today    

Sea Piracy News Today    

The Russia News Service

Trans-Pacific Partnership News Today

World News Report

Business News Today

Corporate Governance News Today

Corporate Social Responsibility News Today

Credit Rating News Today

Crowdsourcing News Today

Due Diligence News Today

Eurozone News Today

Fairtrade News Today

G20 News Today

A FEEEDS Blogspot

Sanders Serves as Visiting Woodrow Wilson Scholar at CBU, Riverside, California

CEO-FEEEDS, Dr. Robin Sanders served as the 2019 annual Woodrow Wilson Visiting Scholar at Catholic Baptist University(CBU), Riverside, California. Her worked focused on educating students about world affairs, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSAfrica), implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, particularly in the health and education sectors, sharing the goals of the U.S.' trade facilitation program called the African Growth and Opportunity Act (or AGOA), and stressing the importance of Americans seeing SSAfrica differently as a

strategic investment, trade, and security partner.


Dr. Sanders was also given a tour of CBU's upgraded air fleet  of Piper 2-seater planes at its flight school, which included a  hands on flight with the school's flight director and Sanders taking the plane controls for a short period to loop over the famous, but rare " super blooming poppy fields," of California's Lake Elsinore and Walker Canyon of Western Riverside County.

As part of her subject matter expertise on Africa, Sanders also discussed the China-Africa and US-Africa relationships, noting that these were separate relationships and not a tripartite or 3-dimensional relationship. "Africa will chose its partners, and we can work with the region to help in better scrutinizing contracts, sharing best practices, and pushing our competencies, our value-added expertise, and assist with capacity building" Sanders added.

While at CBU Ambassador Sanders, in addition to her lectures with students, gave a public speech entitled The U.S & 21st Century Africa," as part of a joint CBU-World Affairs Council event that also included a book signing of both Sanders books -

The Rise of Africa's Small Businesses and The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria. See video at end of blog