USA-Africa Report More photos from the Summit Continued from Two Page Spread on Leon H. Sullivan Summit The importance of tourism and infrastructure in the socioeconomic development of Africa cannot be overemphasized. They are critical in Africa's development processes. Development of Tourism. In most African countries, Tanzania included, tourism is one of the leading sectors in promoting growth and generating foreign exchange. According to the UN World tourism Organization, in 2007 the tourism sector in Africa grew at 8 per cent which is the highest in the world. What's Ahead? Better roads, railways, airports, ports and water supply are also in greater need in Africa. Costly transportation is an impediment to Africa's participation in global trade. Africa is on a steady move and in the right direction despite imminent challenges. Things are getting better with each passing day. I believe this Summit can also contribute in many ways to that movement to a better future. Background June 2-6, 2008, Arusha, Tanzania Sullivan Summit VIII The Summit of a Lifetime http://www.thesullivanfoundation.org/foundation/ Our mission is to carry on the spirit and legacy of Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, the great African-American international humanitarian. The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation leverage's the commitments and resources of the African Diaspora and friends of Africa to promote positive change in the world. Our work is guided by the principles that Reverend Sullivan championed: self-help, social responsibility, economic empowerment, and human rights. To that end the Foundation advocates on relevant domestic and international issues; supports the work of the Sullivan organizations, and provides a platform for Africa's political, economic, and, cultural leaders. Summit quotable quotes "What President George W. Bush has done for Africa has surpassed any other US President" President Kikwete "When we leave this Summit, let us make sure we keep climbing their biodiveristy treasures" Mark Green "To solve prevailing power crisis, African leaders need to walk the talk" Dr, Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for African Region Comments from the Leon H. Sullivan Summit Partnership in Tourism by Abraham Mnzava During the recently concluded 8th Leon H. Sullivan Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, there was a calling by one of the most influential Africans in the Diaspora, Rev Jess Jackson, for an "African marshal plan". This plan will spear head economic development in the continent of Africa. Africa has been independence for the past 45 to 50 years, while receiving grants and aid in tunes of billions of dollars without a significant transformation. Yet in the marshal plan of Europe aid and grants were successful to bring prosperity in Europe and America secured economic partners from it. Indeed in today's error of globalization aid and grants alone will not achieve a total transformation for Africa. However, capital inflows in the crucial service sectors as tourism have a significant potential in increasing revenues and boosting of employment opportunities in Africa. The reason why tourism holds a unique position in Africa's transformation is because of its comparative advantage in terms of world life, beautiful geographical features and its diverse cultures; for example in Tanzania alone there are more than 120 different dialects spoken. But also tourism is a sector which can have direct effects to the local communities because the tourists are consumers of the local products. Whereas economic growth does not vicariously translate to development, development of a vibrant tourism sector offers unique opportunities to bring about development and prosperity to common people in the communities. If there should be a significant marshal plan to pull Africa out of the claws of poverty tourism sector should be looked at with all the true friends of Africa. Fortunately in Africa today tourism is growing at 8% and it is projected that there will be 40-million tourists visiting Africa by 2010. This is a unique opportunity but also a challenge, a challenge in away that there should be adequate infrastructures such as hotels for the 40 million tourists. The number of tourists in the world today stands at about 800 million tourists a year which means that Africa still receives little in comparison to the other parts of the world. If Africans in diaspora and other friends of Africa could put an effort to do positive publicity about Africa by exposing its potential, I believe that there could be more than double the number of tourists projected to visit the continent in 2010, however an equivalent boom in tourism infrastructure such as construction of both hotels, lodge and conference facilities is required to meet the demands of the ever increasing tourist arrivals in the continent. Tourism in Africa offers unique opportunities which can create profitable win to win partnership ventures between Africans and friends of Africa including the Africans in diaspora. Without partnership in today's globalized world there can not be a sustainable development. Today India is a emerging as one of the world economic powers because of part of a significant contribution from the Indians in diaspora. How much more can the Africans in diaspora with the turn over of 750 billion dollars a year, if part of that could be used to invest in their mother land Africa how much could it achieve? If their skills, experiences and exposure could be put to use in different partnership ventures in tourism and various other sectors , Africa could turn around from poverty sooner than later . A saying from the Krio people of Sierra Leon goes: "A bundle can not be fastened with one hand" African does need partners from her friends to join with hands in order to succeed in this globalized world. There is no doubt from Cape to Cairo there is a great awakening about the role the private sector can play through partnerships to bring sustainable development. The political will to encourage foreign direct investments in different sectors tourism among them is also infinite. With little wonder it is today when we find a good number of developing African countries fitting the bills in millions of dollars to advertise their tourism attractions in giant media corporations such as the CNN, along improving their countries major infrastructures such as roads. It is now high time for anyone who is a friend of Africa to join hands with the African countries. Abraham Mnzava Editor's note: We met Mr. Mnzava in Arusha this June. The writer has a Masters of Arts in Development Administration Management (Kampala International University) ,bachelors of arts in education (Makerere University). He says, "I am a stounch believer in tourism's potential in poverty aleviation and its ability to improve micro economic performance of africas poor countries. During the the Summit there was a call for 'Africas Marshal plan' to bring Africa out of poverty, but in this era of globalization where foreign aid without partneships expecialy on service sectors as Tourism there can not be an achievable 'marshal plan' for african continent".