NYARUGENGE - Rwanda is set to host the 9th edition of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit, an event organised by US-based foundation Leon H Sullivan, come 2010.

This was revealed yesterday evening during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the event’s organization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MINAFFET).

Ambassador Carlton A. Masters, Chair of the next summit, represented the organization while Foreign Affairs Minister Rosemary Museminali signed on the government’s behalf.

"Having agreed on how to host it, we are absolutely committed to making it a successful summit,” the Minister stressed shortly before signing, saying that the event would bring Americans and many others together in Kigali so that strong partnerships could be built.

"We also want to assure you of an unprecedented partnership,” she underscored.

Amb. Masters told The New Times that the Leon Sullivan Foundation was named after Rev. Leon H. Sullivan from the hills of North Carolina and founder of the Sullivan Summits.

"He was the Martin Luther King of the north,” he added, briefly explaining the works and life of the late Reverend Leon Howard Sullivan, a civil rights pioneer and untiring anti-apartheid activist.

While appreciating President Paul Kagame’s support,.Masters also said that members of the Foundation were going to showcase Rwanda in an unmatched way.

"The whole idea was for creating an opportunity to build a bridge between Africa and ourselves,” he later added, explaining the essence of the summit in Africa, and Rwanda in particular.

"It means that most African Americans, as we claim Africa as our motherland but have no relationship with Africa, can come back home with our skills, technical expertise, banking expertise, or trade expertise and meet our counterparts in Africa and form partnerships,” he explained.

He emphasised that these partnerships aim at beneficial knowledge and expertise transfers.

"… so that what we do, can bring friends of Africa to Africa in order for them to be able to see for themselves what opportunities the continent can bring ,” he said.

The mission of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation is to advocate for the poor and disadvantaged both in America and abroad, with a special focus on Africa.

Inspired by the life and principles of Leon H. Sullivan, the Foundation promotes political, entrepreneurial and intellectual leadership of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa and advocates on behalf of Africa, among others.

The Sullivan Summits have also been held in eight other African countries, including Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Nigeria and Tanzania which hosted the most recent one which was attended by President Kagame.

The Foundation carries on Sullivan’s legacy through these biennial summits which provide an ongoing platform which helps build Africa’s economic and institutional capacity.

This is done especially through promoting equitable systems of economic empowerment, increased engagement of the African Diaspora in African development and, enhanced investment in health, education, science and technology in Africa, among others.

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