"Africa's Turn?" Conference Photo Gallery

Over 200 attendees filled the often standing-room only conference at Tufts University on Oct. 25 & 26, 2012.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

“When people look for signs of hope, they look to Africa,” said Bhaskar Chakravorti, The Fletcher School's Senior Associate Dean for International Business and Finance and Executive Director of the Institute for Business in the Global Context (IBGC), during his opening remarks.
Matt Herbert

Kwesi Botchwey, former Minister of Finance, Republic of Ghana, gave the morning keynote address on "Fostering Private Sector Development in West Africa: A Public Sector Perspective." He emphasized the need for cooperation between the two sectors, stating that “it takes both the integrity of the public policy and the integrity of the private sector to make these reforms work."
Matt Herbert

Deogratias Niyizonkiza, Founder & Director of Village Health Works, gave the afternoon keynote address. Village Health Works operates in Burundi under the motto, “Where there is health, there is hope.”
Matt Herbert

Fletcher's Academic Dean and Henry J. Leir Professor of International Humanitarian Studies, Peter Uvin, thanked Deogratias Niyizonkiza at the conclusion of the Village Health Works founder's keynote address.
Matt Herbert

Hitachi Research Institute President Minoru Tsukada shared conference partner Hitachi's vision for Africa.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Overseas Private Investment Corporation Executive Vice President Mimi Alemayehou, F98, posed for a portrait at the conference.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Far left, OPIC EVP Mimi Alemayehou moderated a panel titled "The Private Sector as a Catalyst for Development" with, from left, GE Africa President and CEO Jay Ireland, USAID Bureau for Economic Growth Deputy Assistant Administrator Wendy Abt, African Development Bank Private Sector Department Industries & Services Division manager Mouhamadou Niang, and the World Bank's U.S. Executive Director Ian Solomon.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

GE Africa President and CEO Jay Ireland pointed out that in Africa, small initiatives will often work well, but basic things – such as ports, infrastructure, power, etc – will hold up progress. This is one of the major challenges businesses face in Africa. OPIC EVP Mimi Alemayehou listened at left.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Attendees listened to panelists at the Fletcher School's conference.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Mouhamadou Niang, Private Sector Department Industries & Services Division Manager at the African Development Bank, spoke about the importance of infrastructure to the continent's future. Africa needs to raise approximately $30 million to close this infrastructure gap.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Essay contest winners Amy Calfas, Tufts '13, and Charlie Warren, Council on Foreign Relations, posed for a photo.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Fletcher's senior associate dean of international business and finance Bhaskar Chakravorti moderated the panel "Implications for Business and Social Enterprises." He asked the panelists to elaborate on the major gaps facing Africa, as well as creative solutions we can look for from the private sector to address those gaps.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Patrick Bitature, Founder of Simba Telecom, emphasized the importance of peace and security as a precondition for growth.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Echoing a common theme at the conference of "cautious optimism," World Bank U.S. Executive Director Ian Solomon exclaimed that “no one is going to give Africa a turn, Africa has to take its turn.”
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

Ann Cotton, Executive Director of Camfed International, a development NGO focused on educating women in Africa, stressed the need for heavy investment in education.
Kelvin Ma/Tufts University

The first day of the conference concluded with a reception featuring a performance by the Agbekor Drum & Dance Society.
Matt Herbert

The audience enjoyed a lively performance by the Agbekor Drum & Dance Society, a Massachusetts-based group that studies and performs Ewe music and dance as well as Dagomba music.
Matt Herbert