At The Ritz Carlton Hotel Battery Park NY

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Africa-America Institute (AAI) paid tribute to the People of Ghana at its 25th Annual Awards Gala, for the country’s commitment to education as a vehicle to prosperity and building a sustainable democracy.
 

By presenting them with the AAI Award for African National Achievement, AAI sought to highlight the Ghanaian people’s determination to build and maintain a strong democratic nation, and their significant role in elevating Ghana’s potential as an exemplar for other countries on the African Continent. Ghana was also recognized for achieving substantial progress in strengthening human capacity by making smart investments in education to spur socio-economic development and competition in a global economy.
 

Held annually during the opening week of the United Nations General Assembly, AAI’s Annual Awards Gala continues to be the most high profile Africa-focused event on the New York City events calendar. H.E. Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and the 2008 recipient of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Leadership and Good Governance, Hollywood film actress Julianne Moore, and Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons were among nearly 400 U.S. and African philanthropic, business, academic, political and diplomatic leaders gathered to celebrate African achievement in accordance with AAI’s theme of Nurturing Democracy and Hope for Development in Africa.
 

"The Ghanaian people have a reputation for displaying equanimity in the face of adversity," said Mora McLean, AAI President and CEO. "And throughout the Africa region and beyond, they are also known for their thirst for education, and their inclination toward excellence. They understand, appreciate, and reflect the value of education as a proven means of producing enlightened citizens, without whom democracy is at risk."
 

AAI opened its first Africa-based office in Ghana in 1957, the same year the country gained its independence from British colonial rule. The organization has since provided academic scholarships and professional training to hundreds of Ghanaians in fields including law, business, arts and culture, public health, politics, and government.
 

Unable to attend the event in person due to his responsibilities in presiding over the first African Union observance of a Kwame Nkrumah national holiday, H.E. John Evans Atta Mills, President of Ghana expressed his gratitude to AAI in a video acceptance speech. "A nation’s most cherished resource is its human resource," Mills stated. "Any nation that aspires to greatness must make education its top priority. We are confident that together with forward-thinking institutes like the Africa-America Institute, Ghana will move her development agenda forward in the right direction." Ghana’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni accepted the award on behalf of President Mills and the people of Ghana.
 

The other honoree’s included: The AAI Award for Championing Corporate Social Responsibility was presented to Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers, for his role as a business leader committed to "translating natural resources to shared national wealth."
 

Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York was also honored with the AAI Award for Leadership in Higher Education Philanthropy, recognizing his vision and commitment in support of African tertiary education. Gregorian averred that higher education is not a luxury and should be available to everyone. "
AAI also paid tribute to Dinah Brandful, Assistant Commissioner and Head of Laboratory of the Customs Excise and Preventative Services in Ghana, presenting her with the AAI Distinguished Alumna Award; Cecilia Bannerman, former AAI Country Representative for Ghana, received the AAI Outstanding Service Award for her commitment to AAI and her work in educational counseling for higher education.
 

The Reverend Calvin O. Butts, III, pastor of Harlem’s historic and nationally renowned Abyssinian Baptist Church, provided the opening invocation for the event. Close to 300 hundred people were in attendance.

For more information about The Africa-America Institute (AAI) log onto their website at www.aaionline.org  
 

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