Sierra Eye: A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa

Africa Diaspora Development Day (AD3)

“Business and Education – Leadership and Skills for Development”

Hosted by University of East London School of Education

Date: 7th July, 2007
Venue: University of East London (UEL), Docklands Campus (Cyprus Station on DLR) Directions to Venue follow link: http://www.uel.ac.uk/about_uel/why_uel/travelwise.htm
Time: 9.30am – 6.00pm
Fee: None, but we would appreciate it if participants would contribute £10 towards the cost of the African Refreshments that will be served. Nobody will be turned away because of an inability to pay

‘Business, Education, Leadership and Skills for Development: African Diaspora and Development Day (AD3)’ will continue the exploration of ways in which UK based Africans can develop themselves to enhance job prospects and development in Africa.

AD3 is returning to the University of East London (UEL) Docklands Campus for 2007. This is where, in 2000, AFFORD first pioneered the AD3 concept of bringing together Africans in the diaspora to add value to their existing contributions to Africa’s development. Since then AD3 has become an innovative fixture on the diaspora calendar.

In 2007 UEL’s School of Education is taking the AD3 concept further - bringing together its undergraduates, graduates and postgraduate students (about one third are Africans), members of diaspora groups drawn from African Voices for Africa’s Development (ADVAD), as well as Resource Persons from AFFORD’s Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa (SEEDA) project to help define the role of the academy in supporting the diasporas’ contribution to development, to validate and energise ‘ebony towers’, to build healthy partnerships between business, education and the third sector.

It will explore how to build on on-going business, skills and education development projects such as:

How can education deliver the understandings, personal and professional skills Africans in the Diaspora need to enhance their contributions to development in Africa – listening to the voices of students and staff from UEL and other ‘Ivory Towers’.
Supporting African students who have aspirations to establish businesses (including education establishments and services on their return home)
Networking and strategic planning for ADVAD’s members
Enhancing the effectiveness AFFORD’s (SEEDA) project
Strengthening the networks of Africans focused on sustainable development

You will find the event particularly useful if you are:

An African student at UEL looking to enhance your personal and professional development
A member of ADVAD
A SEEDA resource persons who wants to explore ways of making the programme even more effective
A member of the African diaspora already contributing or interested in contributing to development in Africa
Are contributing to development in Africa

For information contact:

Reese Lee-Ellis or Kavita Teja at The School of Education Help Desk (020 8223 3112) to request further information (please note they will only be able to forward enquiries and please be patient, the desk normally handles student enquiries and there is only one line) or
Jasbir Panesar, Community Development Co-ordinator (020 8223 4356)
For information from AFFORD on AD3 please contact Onyekachi Wambu - Information Officer - onyekachi@afford-uk.org or 0207 587 3905

Watch "A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa" (30-minute documentary about AFFORD's SEEDA initiative), at:

http://www.business actionforafrica. magnify.net/ item/K1PDXJ40PM7 K330D