ON AUGUST 16, 2005 The George Washington University Medical
Center (GWUMC), through its Africa Center for Health and
Security, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Constituency for Africa (CFA), with the goal of
integrating the educational / research agenda with the
policy advocacy agenda in Africa within areas of mutual
interest. According
to Dr. John F. Williams, Provost and Vice President for
Health Affairs, the strategic partnership is based on shared
resources, including meeting facilities, and administrative
and logistical support. ‚ "We are very excited
about this venture and bringing the right people to the
table to help us define key policy themes for shaping an
agenda. GW and
CFA hope to develop important policy papers in the near
future on health-and-security-related issues." Signing the MOU along with Dr. Williams
was former Congressman Ronald V. Dellums, Chairman of the
Constituency for Africa, who is now spearheading this
effort. ‚
“Health is a global security issue. We live in a world in which disease can travel in
mere hours from one country to another and harm or kill." Both Dr. Williams and Congressman Dellums agree
that when advancing a policy agenda for The Africa Center and CFA
plan to meet with U.S. and Africa leaders in order to shape
the mission. The Africa Center is
currently pursuing partnerships with universities in Africa,
specifically in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
Over the summer, the Africa Center spearheaded an African
Healing Conference, bringing modern medicine and traditional
African medicine together for a first-of-a-kind gathering in
Washington. CFA is a non-governmental organization
that focuses on advocacy and educational initiatives
directed at U.S.-Africa foreign policy.
CFA's mission is to advocate, educate, inspire, act upon and
inform its constituency about issues, concerns and
challenges impacting the quality of life for the nations of
sub-Saharan Africa. CFA
has published more than sixty well-researched policy
articles on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Over the past five years, CFA has also worked tirelessly to
educate tens of thousands of Americans and Africans on the
HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. GW's Africa Center for Health and
Security is devoted to bettering the health and security of
Africa by exploring forward-looking ideas for improving
human health and welfare. Leaders from multiple
disciplines and sectors discuss such issues as health and
environment, security, and education and infrastructure.
These issues are evaluated within the multi-dimensional
context that includes environmental realities and the
rapidly changing situations of Africans.
For more information about the Africa Center for Health and
Security at the George Washington University please contact
Kristen Krapf Campbell at (202) 994-0529 or E-Mail
at
kkrapf@gwu.edu.
For more information about the
Constituency for Africa please contact David J. Saunders at
(202) 371-0588.
Pictured from left, Back Row: CFA
program director, David J. Saunders director of government
relations (Dellums and Associates), Charles Stephenson; CFA
Board Member, Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr.; CFA chief executive
officer, Melvin P. Foote; GWUMC assistant vice president for
development and government relations, Dr. Leroy R. Charles;
Africa Center for Health and Security program director,
Kristen Krapf-Campbell; Homeland Security Policy Institute
executive director, Frank J. Ciluffo; Front Row - former
congressman and CFA chairman, Ronald V. Dellums; and provost
and vice president for Health Affairs at George Washington
University, Dr. John F. Williams.
CONSTITUENCY FOR AFRICA (CFA) AND
GEORGE WASHINGTON (GWU) AFRICA CENTER SIGN MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING (MOU)