18 Ghanaians participate in Young African Leaders programme
By Edmund
Smith-Asante
Eighteen young
Ghanaians selected out of a total of 3,000, who submitted applications for the
Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme, are to participate in the
programme.
They are
Hillarius Asiwome Abiwu, Harriet Yayra Adzofu, Regina Agyare, Johannes Arthur,
Lily Asare, Ethel Cofie, Ruka De-Liman, Frank Akowuge, Kwasi Owusu and Araba
Hammond.
Others
are Oteng Karikari, Williams Kwarah, Laud Boateng, Christiana Okyere, Afua
Prempeh, Dziedzorm Segbefia, Moses Tia and Valerie Larbie.
The 18
were selected from 25 applications submitted by the US Embassy in Accra to
organisers of the YALI programme.
Focus of
programme
The YALI,
a flagship programme of the US President, Barack Obama, empowers 500 young
people from Africa to acquire leadership skills through academic coursework,
leadership training and network to strengthen the democratic institutions, spur
economic growth and enhance peace and security in Africa.
According
to the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mrs Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, the fellows for the programme were selected based on their
demonstration of leadership skills in their various communities and different
fields of endeavour.
“Citizens
and residents of a sub-Saharan African country, proficient in spoken and
written English and between the ages of 25 and 35 were the basis for an
eligible candidate,” she added, in an interview telecast live from the US State
Department on Wednesday.
The
Assistant Secretary said the youth were attracted by the extremist ideology
because they had no other ideology to focus on, which is what the Young African
Leaders Initiative is about.
“It’s
about finding a way to provide for the future of these young people so they’re
not attracted to the Boko Harams of the world; they’re vested in the future of
their country, they are employed, they’re in successful businesses, they’re
educated, and then they are less attracted to extremism,” she said.
Details
of programme
She
explained that the Washington Fellows would participate in a six-week academic
programme in 20 United States universities, which would include courses at
Business and Entrepreneurship Institutes, Civic Leadership Institutes and
Public Management Institutes.
Mrs
Thomas-Greenfield said there would be a Presidential Summit from July 28-30,
2014, in Washington DC, where the fellows would meet President Obama and
leaders from the public and private sectors.
She added
that a few of the selected fellows would remain in the US for an additional
eight weeks after their university programme, to undertake internship in the
public and private sectors.
Writer’s
email: Edmund.Asante@graphic.com.gh
This was first published by the
Daily Graphic on July 26, 2014
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