Welcoming Remarks By Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt
Tulane University Cocoa Consultative Meeting - Abidjan June 18, 2009

Good morning.  On behalf of the U.S. Government, it is a pleasure to welcome you today to participate in this consultative meeting to discuss the progress being made to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in the cocoa sector.... (more)

Imam Yahya Hendi Calls for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Tolerance

Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University who is currently on a week-long visit to Côte d’Ivoire, called for inter-religious dialogue. Speaking on June 12, 2009 at a press conference in the American Embassy in Abidjan, he said: “I have come to Cote d’Ivoire to promote dialogue between religions as well as between Cote d’Ivoire and the United States.”  Imam Hendi, who arrived in Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, June 11th 2009 under the State Department’s IIP Speaker’s Program, delivered a strong message on religious tolerance after taking part in Friday’s prayer in a Mosque in the Ivorian economic capital, Abidjan. Many other local radios echoed his message in which he called for peace among religious groups.... (more) (photo album)

Book of the month of June – ‘A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a chid soldier’

To mark the International Day of the African Child, post organized a conference based on the NH book ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Child Soldier’ a testimony written by Ismael Beah about his experiences as a former child soldier in Sierra Leone.  The conference took place in Korhogo, the main town in the north of Cote d'Ivoire, which was controlled by rebels during the political and military crisis in Cote d’Ivoire.  Members of the audience told us there were former child soldiers in the area schools, some of whom were among the 500 students, teachers, civic leaders and officials who attended the program.... (more) 

US Government Donates Equipment to Diagnose Respiratory Diseases

In the context of its ongoing efforts to improve the health of the Ivorian people, the US government has donated advanced equipment and computer technology that will allow doctors to diagnose respiratory diseases, including a variety of strains of influenza, more rapidly than ever before. Through the Naval Medical Research Unit (an arm of the US military) the USG is donating $50,000 worth of medical equipment, which will be located at the Institut Pasteur (IP), designated by the Ministry of Health as Cote d'Ivoire's  National Influenza Center.  Respiratory disease is a significant problem in Cote d'Ivoire.  It is the third most common illness in adults and unfortunately, the second most common illness among children.... (more)

Winners of Inaugural Democracy Video Challenge Announced

American Hip hop group Vice Verse All Stars energized young Ivorian audiences

The American hip hop group Vice Verse All Stars energized young Ivorian audiences in a series of performances and workshops in Abidjan during a packed program February 19-23. Youth from across the city were uniformly enthusiastic about the opportunity to meet American artists; every event saw Ivorian hip hop groups join in the fun and left them eager for more. The All Stars gave multiple radio, TV and press interviews. They countered negative images by emphasizing a positive model of hip hop as a peaceful way to seek social change. The focus on hip hop attracted priority audiences from poorer neighborhoods. Overall, the visit drew many positive comments about the U.S. and the Ambassador, who opened her residence to a lively concert for nearly three hundred young Ivorians, many of whom were attending their first Embassy event. The hip hop tour of West Africa was sponsored by the Rhythm Road partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Jazz at Lincoln Center. 
(Photo Gallery)