(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Dec.9, 2022 - This year marks the 20th anniversary of the African Union (AU), an organization that has been the core of addressing key issues and engendering multilateral relationships between the nations on the African continent, working towards unity and progress on the continent, and continuing to strengthen international relations between the U.S. and Africa. The African Union Mission to the U.S.A. will host the Inaugural African Union Ambassadors' Ball as it commemorates its 20th anniversary on Friday, December 9, 2022, at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. Themed "Our Africa, Our Future," the ball will focus on U.S.-Africa partnerships while also celebrating the diversity of African culture.
The African Union Ambassadors Ball is designated as a partnering Pre-Event for President Biden's United States - Africa Leaders' Summit scheduled December 13-15. It will host ambassadors from fifty-five African nations and other nations, corporations and foundations that are involved in development and support of African nations, United Nations agencies, international and national government agencies, and NGOs.
A major part of the event is recognizing key leaders who have worked for the advancement of Africa and the Diaspora. The awards presented will be the following: The Kofi Annan Award recipient will be Congressman James E. Clyburn, Majority Leader, US House of Representatives; the Nelson Mandela Award recipient will be civil rights leader Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.; the Global Citizen Award recipient will be NBA great and philanthropist Dikembe Mutombo; the Mickey Leland Award recipient will be astronaut and philanthropist Dr. Mae Jemison.
"It is important that the AU honors and recognizes the contributions made by African and global leaders in the advancement of peace, human rights and development initiatives on the African continent," states Her Excellency Ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the United States of America.
"I am honored to receive the first Kofi Annan Award, named after a stalwart human rights advocate and consummate U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and join the African Union in celebrating 20 years of promoting unity between African nations while strengthening relations with the U.S.," said Congressman James E. Clyburn. "The theme of this 20th anniversary commemoration is 'Our Africa, Our Future,' which reminds us all that we have a part to play in building a future that ensures the stability of the African people and the Diaspora, and promotes peace, security, and basic freedoms for all people."
The event will also support on-going initiatives and investment promotion efforts throughout the continent and the Diaspora to ensure economic development globally through economic sustainability and local content development, gender equality, peace-building efforts, the United Nations SDGs-Global Goals, and the African Union Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
The AU Ambassadors Ball is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: Afreximbank, Corporate Council of Africa, Chevron, Quanten Consortium Angola, LLC, MDC Group USA, AIX Firm, CreditFresh and Crown Jewels International.
The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). The AU is guided by its vision of "An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena."
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