Obama was addressing over a hundred young delegates from across Africa who are guests of the American government from the 3rd to the 5th of August.

“You are the heirs of the independence generation that we celebrate this year. Because of their sacrifice, you were born in independent African states,” Obama told what is considered as a representative core of future leaders of the continent.

This conference, under the auspices of the White House, aims at exploring the views of the young Africans as regard the continent’s future over the next half century and to help craft innovative solutions to regional challenges.

Accordingly, the conference, currently being held at the White House and State Department as well as various locations in the US capital, involves American business leaders and nongovernmental organizations. The young Africans come from 46 countries, representing an array of political, economic, cultural and social arenas in their African homes.

According to US officials, the meeting is part of celebrations of 50 years of African independences.
“Just as the achievements of the last 50 years inspire you, the work you do today will inspire Africans for generations,” the US president urged Africa’s future leaders, at a town hall meeting at the White House, Tuesday August 3.

The Web site of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State, quoted President Obama, who pledged to Work with the young African leaders, urging them to speak up their minds. “I don’t want to do all the talking. I want to hear from you,” he said.

Good governance and HIV/AIDS

The key conference themes within the three day conference include youth empowerment, good governance and economic opportunity.

As you would expect, the highly questionable democratic credential of the continent’s leaders was a popular subject at the White House meeting on Tuesday. Obama reportedly told the delegates that while the problem of corruption wasn’t unique to Africa, good governance is at the centre of economic development on the continent, and that there had to be a clear sense of the rule of law for growth and opportunity to flourish.

“It is one reason why the United States stresses the values of good governance to African leaders,” he stated.

Other issues discussed at Tuesday’s meeting included the effect of Africa’s most persistent conflict, the unrest in Somali and the US’ efforts in countering the effect of HIV/AIDS on the continent.

“We desperately want Somalia to succeed,” Obama said, in response to a question from a female delegate.

Pledging American support for the people of Somalia, the US president noted that extremists had made a home in the war-turn East African nation “because they believe it is a failed state.” There is concern in Africa and in the region, he added, that continued instability there could have a destabilizing impact across the region, but the resolution of that strife will not happen soon.

On HIV/AIDS, Obama said funding had been increased during his administration, and that it is now included in a broader program addressing worldwide diseases. He cited his predecessor, President George W. Bush’s initiative of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which he said vastly improved health care support for Africans dealing with the highly infectious disease.

This, according to the US president, is being expanded under his broader Global Health Initiative which transcends AIDS treatment.

“It does not stop at AIDS treatment. It includes building a public health structure that also attacks transmission of the disease,” Obama said, adding that one significant aspect of curbing transmission rates is empowerment programs for women.

“Where women are empowered, researchers say, HIV transmission rates decline over time,” he said.
The president also pointed out that another aspect of the Global Health Initiative was to improve public understanding of the nature of HIV/AIDS, vis-a-vis how it is transmitted and what is needed to curb its spread.