Mark Chiaviello (pictured here) has been involved in Africa for over 25 years and he is currently a Director at Standard Bank, Africa’s largest financial institution, with the responsibility of promoting foreign direct investment, trading relationships and donor flows from the United States into Africa.
“ I see opportunities all over Africa” said Chiaviello speaking on a recently held Symposium on “Foreign Investment in Africa” at Metropolitan State University, in St. Pauls.
Chiaviello said that Standard Bank is South Africa’s largest bank, distinguished by its extensive operations in 17 African countries. "Even, with the  less stable country, Somalia, there some area we work with them." Chiaviello told the audience.

Senate will assess choice of Amb. Johnnie Carson for State Department post

Washington — President Obama announced his intent to nominate career diplomat and three-time U.S. ambassador in Africa Johnnie Carson as the next U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs. If confirmed by the Senate, Carson will succeed Jendayi Frazer, who served in the post during the Bush administration.

Carson is currently the national intelligence officer for Africa on the National Intelligence Council. He joined the council in September 2006 after a 37-year career in the foreign service. Prior to this appointment, Carson served as the senior vice president of the National Defense University in Washington from 2003 until 2006.

Minnesota’s First African Immigrant Mayor Advocates Transparencies

Mayor Paye Flomo will soon celebrate his first 100 days in the office. The 49 years old Liberian immigrant’s success in Hampton city is one of the little known voters surprise leadership choices in many parts of the nation over showed by the election of President Obama in the last general election.  Residents in this mostly-white farming community of Hampton, with a less than a dozen of minorities in the city,  Flomo have made history in Dakota County.

The 5th Annual Multicultural Marketing Conference, April 28 at the Hilton Minneapolis, produced by Aguilar Productions, will highlight the presentation of a national marketing research study with a focus on the U.S. Emerging African market. This market represents the U.S. populations from Ghana, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon and Kenya. The study includes focus groups and interviews with African immigrants in four key population centers, the Minneapolis/St. Paul area,  Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C. The African consumer segment in the U.S. has a buying power of 50 Billion dollars in 2009 and is growing at an amazing pace. 

Washington, D.C. – April 20, 2009 — Ethiopian Airlines Journeys would like to be the first to congratulate Deriba Merga on winning the Boston Marathon. Ethiopian Olympian, Deriba Merga, won his first Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 42 seconds. 

When Wobo Bekwelem arrived at the University of Minnesota nine months ago, he was all alone, with no friends and little knowledge of his new home. So he got involved.

“I am a people person but when I came here I didn’t know anybody,” said Bekwelem, son of Sir B.F. Wabara Rummolumeni and Dame Margaret Wabara Rummolumeni of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. “I thought the best thing to do was to get involved and make a difference.”

By Ndze Ntuv Evaristus Tunka

Just a little over four months into its inception, KiRette Couture is already causing a glare in the fashion world with its unique and impeccable take on African fashion. In its first fashion show recently in New York, KiRette Couture showed that being a new comer into the world of fashion would not deter it from such brilliance in its unparagoned depiction of African fashion.

The brainchild of Kibone Nfi- an image consultant and entrepreneur and Anrette Ngafor- a designer; KiRette Couture was born to highlight African culture through fashion.

Polio virus associated with oral vaccine reported in Minnesota resident. Patient who died had weakened immune system, multiple other health conditions. State health officials are investigating a case of infection associated with the polio virus in a Minnesotan who died last month.

The patient was infected with a virus strain found in the oral polio vaccine. The oral vaccine, which is no longer used in the U.S., contained live polio virus. The injected polio vaccine now in use contains only inactivated virus. The patient died with symptoms that included paralytic polio, but it is not known to what extent the polio may have contributed to the death. The patient had a weakened immune system and multiple health problems. The patient most likely acquired the vaccine-derived polio virus from someone who had received the live-virus, oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) before the use of OPV was discontinued nine years ago.

By Ibe Kaba

Siama is the first to admit, interest in African music in the twin cities is not like it used to be.  Which is ironic, counting the fact that the area’s African population has never been higher.  But no matter the state of African music in the Twin Cities, some musician will always hold a special string to our hearts.  Siama Matuzungidi is one such musician.  

Like other African musicians in the area, Siama’s story started on the east end of a flight pattern across the Atlantic. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he first got his fingers on a musical instrument in a Jesuit seminary, Siama has shared band and stage with all the big names in African and Caribbean music, he has performed on four continents and entertained dignitaries.

Awa Nur was elected president of Duke Student Government for the 2009-2010 academic year in a close race Tuesday.

Nur-the first female president in a decade and only the second Black female president in DSG's history-won 35.1 percent of the 2,700 ballots cast in the presidential race. "It's a really exciting time I think," Nur said. "I'm ready to get back and start working."

Junior Chelsea Goldstein, current vice president for academic affairs, took second in the election with 27.7 percent of the votes. 
Sophomore Mike Lefevre, this year's vice president for athletics and campus services, and junior Kousha Navidar, current director of student services, took third and fourth in the race, respectively.

By Rita Apaloo

When I first moved to the United States, I quickly learned that some in the African community believe that in order to get ahead or fully realize the “American way of life,” you have to break away from the pack or dissociate yourself from the African community both physically and socially. The idea being that there are people and activities in the community that will only drag down the serious, hard-working ones who are trying to succeed. Therefore, avoiding being bundled-up with other Africans, they figure, is one way to resolve the problem.

Joseph L Mbele

On February 8, 2009, many roads led to the King of King’s Lutheran Church in Roseville, Minnesota. African members of the congregation hosted an African Day of Celebration. The event brought together Africans from different countries to showcase their national flags, art, foods, traditional dresses and dances. Thanks to the initiative of Pastor Godfrey Malissa, the event was hosted on the Church premises, free and open to the public.