Sec. Kerry To Host Twitter Chat With the Young African Leaders Initiative Network

Office of the Spokesperson
Department of State
Washington, DC
May 7, 2014

Secretary of State John Kerry will host a Twitter chat at 10 a.m. EDT on Friday, May 9, to engage with members of the Young African Leaders Initiative Network and answer questions about his recent trip to Africa and U.S. policy in the region.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is President Obama’s signature effort to invest in an emerging generation of African entrepreneurs, public leaders, activists, and innovators.

Through YALI, the United States provides training, tools, and technology to support young African leaders, connecting them to each other, the United States, and opportunities to develop themselves and their communities.

While in Africa last week, Secretary Kerry met with both YALI graduates and 2014 finalists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; and Luanda, Angola. In Addis Ababa, the YALI participants were invited to attend the Secretary’s speech on U.S. commitment to Africa, and in Kinshasa, the Secretary participated in a microfinance event highlighting how one dedicated alumna chose to give back to her own community after returning from her fellowship program. In Luanda, Secretary Kerry met participants in the 2014 YALI Washington Fellowship and discussed what they hope to accomplish.

This summer, 500 young African leaders will come to the United States as Washington Fellows. They will attend academic institutions at 20 U.S. universities, and gather for a summit with President Obama.

More than 60,000 young African leaders are already engaging with the U.S. Government and connecting with each other as part of the YALI Network.

Follow Secretary Kerry’s Twitter chat using the hashtag #YALICHAT on Twitter during the event or view highlights of the event on the YALI Network Facebook page. Questions can be submitted in advance via Twitter using #YALICHAT and @YALINetwork on Twitter.

To get the inside track on the foreign policy issues of the day, follow Secretary Kerry on Twitter at @JohnKerry and the State Department at @StateDept.