18th Wole Soyinka Lecture: Imperatives of Building Strong Africa Democracies & Spurring Economic Development: “Frameworks in the New African Security Context” by Dr Robin Renee Sanders

    The 18th Wole Soyinka Lecture:

    • Theme: Imperatives of Building Strong Africa Democracies & Spurring Economic Development: “Frameworks in the New African Security Context”
    • Lecturer: Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders
    • NAS Capn: Ifeanyi Onochie
    • Date: Friday, 12 June 2015
    • City: Greenbelt, Maryland, Washington DC, USA
    • Venue: Greenbelt Marriott hotel, Greenbelt, Maryland

    A

    mbassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders U.S. Ambassador To Nigeria & Republic Of Congo; Ceo-Feeeds Advocacy Initiative & Fe3ds, Llc, Adjunct Professor Robert Morris University.

    Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders is CEO of the FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative and owns FE3DS, LLC which work on economic development, diaspora, human rights, and business strategies for Africa. Prior to this, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to several countries (Nigeria and Republic of Congo) and U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization ECOWAS, and as Africa Director at the National Security Council at the White House. As an academic while serving in the U.S. Diplomatic Service, Dr. Sanders was the International Affairs Advisor and Deputy Commander of the Eisenhower Resource College of the National Defense University.

    A noted international lecturer and writer, she has taught International and African Affairs, National Security Strategies, Conflict Resolution, and Human Cultural Communication. Her other areas of expertise are election and democratic processes, conflict resolution, food security, education, and the environment. Sanders is currently a Visiting Scholar under the CIC Woodrow Wilson Program and Adjunct Professor at Robert Morris University where she earned her doctorate of science degree in information systems and communications.

    Her business expertise lies in agriculture, aviation security, housing, ICT (mobile platforms), Small-Medium Enterprises, power, and health systems. Dr. Sanders serves on U.S. Trade Representative Africa Advisory Committee; Chairwoman of U.S. EXIM Africa Committee; and is a member of Human Rights Watch Board and the prestigious Academy of Diplomacy. She is a regular Africa subject matter expert for Al Jazeera America, China TV, and has appeared on NPR, TVOne, MSNBC, ABC’s This Week, and CNNi.

    Ambassador Sanders also holds both Masters of Art and Masters of Science degrees in International Relations, Africa Studies, and Communications, respectively from Ohio University; and, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Hampton University.
    Sanders is currently U.S. Director Songhai Integrative Farms – a leading food Africa security center. Sanders’ FEEEDS® Initiative focuses and works on the key global issues of food security (agriculture), education, environment-energy, economics, development and self-help, particularly for SMEs, or what she calls the FEEEDS issues.
    She is a RMU and Smithsonian African Art Museum trustee, Operation HOPE Africa Advisor, author of Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria on the “Uli” socio communication expression, and writing her next book on Africa’s SMEs role in development. Sanders is the recipient of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Civilian Honor Award (the highest U.S. military civilian award); three Superior Honor and four Meritorious Honor Awards from the U.S. State Department; the “Medal of Honor” from the President of Republic of Congo; and, several citations in Who’s Who in America.

    As FEEEDS-CEO, Sanders has received several honors such as the “African Advocacy Impact,” and “Diaspora Leader” Awards. She is a member of the U.S. National Honor and Scholar Society for her public policy and academic work. Her past diplomatic overseas postings also have included the Dominican Republic, Portugal, Sudan, Namibia, and Senegal, with missions to Angola, South Africa, DRC, Cameroon, Botswana, Mozambique,
    Rwanda, Zambia, and Benin. Sanders speaks some French, Spanish and Portuguese.

    Articles written by Dr. Sanders can be found on: www.blogitrrs.blogspot.com,
    www.huffingtonpost.com, follow her on twitter @rrsafrica or visit the FEEEDS and FE3DS website at http://ambassadorrobinreneesanders.com

    Images from The Wole Soyinka Lecture series

    * click images to see fullsize.