Free Republic

Michelle Obama called on young African leaders to change traditional attitudes and beliefs that harm girls and women, adding that educating and making women financially literate is not enough. “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens,” Mrs. Obama said. The first lady spoke Wednesday to the inaugural class of young African fellows who are getting six weeks of leadership training in the United States as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. …

From July 28 to 30, 500 participants in the Young African Leaders Initiative converged on Washington for the first Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. President Barack Obama hosted a presidential summit and town hall to foster executive leadership training, networking, and skills building among Africa’s most promising young minds. “The spirit of this program reflects Madiba’s (Mandela) optimism, his idealism, his belief in what he called the endless heroism of youth, and so today with the blessing of the Mandela family . . . we are proud to announce that the new name of this program is the Mandela...