Fall 2014 Conference
The Council of American Ambassadors' Fall Conference
took place from October 19 to 22.
View the Conference Website by clicking on the link.
http://www.africaseconomicfuture.org/
On Sunday, October 19, Council members and conference presenters visited the Price Museum of Speed and received a VIP tour of the museum's classic car collection. Following the museum tour, Ambassador John Price and Mrs. Marcia Price welcomed guests to their exquisite Salt Lake City residence, formerly the Utah Governor's Mansion, where CAA members participated in an art and garden tour followed by a reception and dinner.
On Monday, October 20, Ambassador Timothy A. Chorba, President of the Council of American Ambassadors, welcomed Conference attendees, and Mr. Kirk Jowers, Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, introduced Governor of Utah Gary Herbert, who pointed out that a number of Utah businesses have increased their trade with Africa. Following Governor Herbert's remarks, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield took the stage. Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield presented a tour d'horizon of Africa and outlined US priorities for the continent.
Next, former Ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell provided valuable insight into the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria. He was followed by Colonel John C. Garrett, USMC (Ret.), who gave an overview of the security challenges facing the continent.
After the morning session, former Governor of Utah and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt served as the keynote luncheon speaker. Referencing the Ebola crisis, he stressed the importance of providing US health care assistance to nations grappling with disease and epidemics.
Dr. Daniel Bausch, an Ebola expert recently returned from West Africa, opened the afternoon session. Dr. Bausch's informative presentation clarified the causes and transmission of Ebola and underscored that the long-term solution to the crisis in Africa is better health care infrastructure and improved access to clean water. Next, Ms. Rosa Whitaker, who served as Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa in the Clinton and Bush administrations, discussed the importance of AGOA, which provides duty-free market access to the United States for qualifying Sub-Saharan African countries. She emphasized the importance of trade to Africa's future development, noting that trade is worth five times more than aid, and advocated for the permanent extension of AGOA.