U.S. State Department’s Zeenat Rahman To Travel to Uganda and Zambia

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC

December 13, 2012

Special Adviser for Global Youth Issues Zeenat Rahman will travel to Kampala, Uganda, December 13-16, and Lusaka, Zambia, December 17-20.

In Kampala, Special Adviser Rahman will attend TEDxYouth@Bukoto, a forum to showcase young Africans’ innovative solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing challenges. Using the theme “Our Moment,” the event will demonstrate how young people are harnessing their collective energy and potential to create a new future for themselves and their communities. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Special Representative to Muslim Communities, the Office of Global Youth Issues, and U.S. Mission Uganda, TEDxYouth@Bukoto will feature 11 speakers who will share their inspirations, ideas for social good, and their visions for the future of Africa. Many of the speakers are alumni of one of the many Department of State programs in Africa designed to encourage local talent to address local challenges.

While in Uganda, Special Adviser Rahman will participate in the Second Annual Muslim Youth Development Conference and in a roundtable discussion with the Embassy’s youth council, the Youth Advisors to Washington. She will also meet with youth-focused civil society groups, including Restless Development Uganda and the Children’s AIDS Fund Uganda.

In Lusaka, Zambia, Special Adviser Rahman will meet with the Ambassador’s Youth Council, students, young entrepreneurs, alumni of State Department exchange programs, and Muslim youth leaders. She will participate in a meeting of the Embassy’s Civil Society Strategic Working Group, which focuses on democracy and governance issues, as well as a town hall with youth. She will also be interviewed by youth journalists, and will engage with young people in Malawi via digital video conference. Additionally, Special Adviser Rahman will travel to Livingstone to discuss environmental conservation efforts in Victoria Falls, take part in a social media training workshop with local youth leaders, participate in a radio interview, and meet with youth to emphasize the importance of sports diplomacy, especially for young women and girls.