Dear Friends,

Welcome to the inaugural issue of THE AAI CONNECTION e-newsletter! It’s a new year and new beginning of my tenure as President and CEO of The Africa-America Institute. We’re launching the quarterly e-newsletter with a fresh design and features on the latest news, blogs, and history as we celebrate our 60^th anniversary. We hope you enjoy this first issue. Please let us know what you think!

We are excited about the chock full of activities that we have planned in celebration of our 60th anniversary. Starting in January, The Africa-America Institute (AAI) launched a year-long campaign, Unlocking Africa’s Greatest Asset for 60 years, to commemorate our long history of supporting education, training, and dialogue for and about Africa and Africans.

The 60th anniversary campaign offers a unique opportunity for AAI to look into our rich history and past and to draw attention to the organization’s new strategic vision and direction. We hope the campaign will re-energize AAI alumni and supporters to become engaged in our work to prepare African professionals for a knowledge-based economy, and to dramatically reach out to the next generation of leaders.

Since our founding in 1953, AAI has historically enabled some 23,000 Africans to earn advanced academic degrees and receive professional and leadership training within and outside Africa. Prominent AAI alumni include Wangari Maathai, the late Kenyan environmental and women’s rights activist and Nobel Laureate; Namibia’s Prime Minister H.E. Nahas Angula; and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire.

In observance of AAI’s 60th anniversary, we are extending an invitation for you to join us in a yearlong effort to recognize AAI’s long history and impact on the African continent. By supporting the campaign, you’ll participate in an exciting new effort to become a solid partner in building Africa’s educated and skilled workforce for a globalized and interconnected world.

Throughout the yearlong effort, the campaign will:

• Produce briefs, blogs and resources to provide new perspectives on timely issues relating to education, leadership, management, entrepreneurship and technology in Africa, and U.S. policy towards Africa.
• Feature a monthly From the Archives blog, highlighting historical milestones in AAI and African history.
• Launch a redesigned, interactive website.
• Create an online photo exhibition and collect oral history on AAI’s history and development with broader world events.
• Host a spectacular 60^th Anniversary Gala and support key events related to Africa.

To sign up for the AAI email list, please email aainy@aaionline.org. For more information on The Africa-America Institute, please visit www.aaionline.org. Be sure to become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

All the Best,

Amini Kajunju, President and CEO of The Africa-America Institute