Abdalla Hamdok,
Regional Director for Africa, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)

Abdalla Hamdok is the Regional Director for Africa, International IDEA, and a Policy Analyst/Economist with over twenty years of experience in addressing governance challenges in Africa at the national, sub-regional and continent-wide levels. Over the years he has developed an interest in policy-oriented research and analysis, focusing on issues of Governance, Democracy, Institutional Analysis, Public Sector Reforms and Resource Management. He is the author of many publications on governance and other related issues. He was most recently the Senior Governance Expert/Coordinator of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Africa Governance Project and Acting Director of the Development Policy Management Department, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He was also a Principal Policy Economist at the African Development Bank and played a key role in the development of the African Development Bank policy on Good Governance. Hamdok obtained his PhD and MA in Economics from the School of Economic Studies, University of Manchester, UK and a BSc. (Honours) from the University of Khartoum, Sudan.

Adama Dieng,
Registrar for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Born on 22 May 1950, Mr. Dieng graduated from Dakar's Centre de formation et de perfectionnement administratifs (Judicial branch) in 1973. He began his career as Registrar of the Regional and Labour Courts in Senegal in that same year, and then served as Registrar of the Supreme Court of Senegal for six years. In 1980, he graduated from the Research Centre of The Hague International Law Academy, and in 1982, he joined the International Commission of Jurists, serving the organization in different capacities, including as its Legal Officer for Africa until 1989, and as Executive Secretary from 1989 to 1990. He served a further 10 years as its Secretary-General.

Mr. Dieng has lectured on international law and human rights at institutes and universities around the world, and he has acted as consultant for many organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Ford Foundation, the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). In 1985, Mr. Dieng was appointed the United Nations Independent Expert for Haiti. Throughout his career, he has been widely published on issues related to human rights.

Adebayo Olukoshi,
Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science

Research in Africa (CODESRIA)

Adebayo Olukoshi is currently the Executive Secretary of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA). He is a Professor of International Economic Relations. He obtained his first degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and received his PhD from Leeds University, England. He has previously served as Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos; Senior Research Fellow/ Research Programme Coordinator, The Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden; and Senior Programmer responsible for Africa, at the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. He has published extensively on the political economy of reform in Africa, a broad theme around which his interests continue to be defined.

The Hon. Mr. Justice Akilano Molade Akiwumi,
Chairman of the Tribunal investigating the conduct of Judges of Appeal of Kenya.

The Hon. Mr. Justice Akilano Molade Akiwumi, is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He was a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Botswana; a retired Judge of the Court of Appeal of Kenya; former President of the Court of Justice of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Tribal Clashes in Kenya; Member of the Eminent African Jurists who drafted the Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union; and Chairman of the Tribunal to Investigate the Conduct of Judges of Appeal of Kenya. Justice Akiwumi also served as a member of the Kenyan Judicial Service Commission and Chairman of the Delinking Committee of the Kenya Judiciary.

Alex Gboyega ,
Professor, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Alex Gboyega studied Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon (B.A Hons. 1969-72) and the University of Ibadan (PhD 1972-1975). He was a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Administration, University of Ife, Ile-fe (1974-76) and recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation fellowship (1973-75) and University of Ibadan Bursary (1975-76). In 1982-83, he was a Commonwealth Fellow at the Institute of Local Government Studies, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom. He started teaching at the University of Ibadan in June 1976 and rose to the rank of Professor in 1989. Author of Political Values and Local Government in Nigeria, he has contributed numerous articles to books and journals. He has served as consultant to the UNDP, DFID and the World Bank in Nigeria on governance issues and is currently consultant to the World Bank’s State Governance Project.

Alpha Oumar Konare,
Chairperson, African Union Commission

Alpha Oumar Konaré (born 1946) served as president of Mali for two five-year terms, from 1992 to 2002 and has been chairman of the commission of the African Union since 2003.

Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie,
Justice of the Court of Appeal, Nigeria

Hon. Justice Amina Adamu Augie, who is a Justice of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria, was born on the 3rd of September 1953. She started her career as a Legal Aid Officer in Sokoto, in 1979; became a Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1980/81; Senior State Counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel to President Shehu Shagari, 1982/84; Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, 1984/88; Chief Magistrate, Sokoto State Judiciary, 1988/92; High Court Judge, Sokoto State Judiciary, 1992/2002. She was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal in 2002. She also served as Chairman of the following Tribunals/Commissions: Recovery of Public Properties Tribunal, Sokoto, 1995/96; Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Tribunal, Lagos, 1996/99; National Assembly, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunal, 2000/02; and Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Nigerdock, 2001/02. She has remained interested in academics and has presented over thirty Seminar Papers, at National and International Seminars/Workshops, with a number of publications to her credit. She was a Federal Government Delegate to the United Nations Decade for Women Conference in Nairobi, July 1995, Delegate/Stakeholder Representative (Human Rights) ADF-III in Addis Ababa, March 2002. In Nigeria, she was a Member of the National Committee on Prisons Reform, and is currently: a Member of the National Working Group on Juvenile Justice Administration; Chairman, Experts Consultative Meeting on the Passage of the Child Rights Bill; Member, National Child Rights Implementation Committee (NCRIC), and Chairman, National, CRA Facilitators of the Child Rights Act.

Bildad Kagai,
Chief Executive Officer of Circuits and Packets
Communications Limited,

Bildad Kagai is the Chief Executive Officer of Circuits and Packets
Communications Limited, one of the leading Open Source companies in Kenya. He is also the coordinator of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA).

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, 30 years ago, Bildad has a degree in Building Economics and Management from the University of Nairobi. He was a Database Consultant for UNHABITAT and also consulted for GTZ and the Canadian International Development Research Center where he introduced adaptive technology to victims who got visually impaired following the 1998 terrorist twin bombing of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Bildad has received training on scripting, Database Management and Web Integration at Freedom Scientific in Tampa, Florida.

Professor Clement Dzidonu,
Head of Department, Valley View University, Accra.

Clement Dzidonu is Professor of Computer Science and Head of Department at Valley View University, Accra. He is also Professor of Information Technology, and Professor of Business Administration at Touro University International, California, USA. He is a member of the Council of the Informatics Development Institute (Dublin, Ireland) and a Senior Research Fellow of the International Institute of Information Technology (INIIT).
Professor Dzidonu from 1984, taught and conducted research at a number of universities including: Trinity College, Dublin; National University of Ireland, Galway, Makerere University, Uganda and the National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe. He has published seven computer books and over fifty scientific papers and reports.

During the past twenty years, he has been involved in a number of information and communication technology (ICT) related projects and initiatives in Europe and Africa for a number of Governments companies, and international agencies. He is currently a Consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) advising a number of African Governments on their National Information and Communications Technology Policies and Plans. He is a member of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) Commission of Experts for the West and Central Africa Region. He is the Chairman of the Ghana ICT Policy and Plan Development Committee set up by the Government of Ghana.

Professor Dzidonu is winner the 2003 World Technology Award for Policy and the first. He is a member of a number of professional bodies including: British Computer Society, UK; Institution of Analyst and Programmers, UK; World Technology Network; European Institute of Industrial Engineers, Switzerland and the Royal Statistical Society, UK among others.

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
Chairperson of the Governance Reform Commission, Liberia

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has held a number of prominent positions, including Minister of Finance of Liberia; President of the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment; Vice President of Citicorp, Africa regional office; Vice President of Hong Kong Equator Bank; and Senior Loan Officer of the World Bank.

She served from 1992-1997 as Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of UNDP with the rank of Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. She has represented Liberia on the boards of several international and regional financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. She was one of seven international eminent persons selected by the Organization of African Unity in 1999 to investigate the Rwanda genocide; one of the five Commission Chairs of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue; and one of the two international experts selected by UNIFEM to investigate and report on the effect of conflict on women and women's role in peace building. Ms. Johnson Sirleaf consults regularly for the UN Economic Commission for Africa as an External Advisor.

Currently she is a member of the Advisory Board of the Modern Africa Growth and Investment Company (MAGIC). She is also Senior Adviser and West/Central Africa Representative of Modern Africa Fund Managers (MAFM), which has offices in Washington DC, USA and Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Chair and CEO of Kormah Investment and Development Corporation (KODIC), a financial and management advisory consultancy firm incorporated in Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire.

Essop Pahad,
Minister in the Presidency in-charge of the Office of the Status of Women, the Child, Disabled and Youth, South Africa.

Dr Essop Goolam Pahad was appointed Minister on 17 June 1999 with specific responsibility for the Office on the Rights of the Child, Office on the Status of Women and Office on the Status of Disabled People in The Presidency as well as the National Youth Commission and the Government Communication and Information System. He is currently also a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC), Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the South African Democracy Education Trust and Member of the Board and Executive Committee of the International Marketing Council.

He served on the regional command of the ANC's Political and Military Council in London, before returning to South Africa in 1990. He was also the Parliamentary Councillor to the Deputy Presidency (May 1994 - July 1996) Deputy Minister in the Office of the Executive Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki (August 1996 - 16 June 1999). He has published numerous articles in journals and is co-editor of Africa, The Time has Come and Africa, Define Yourself.

Felix G.N. Mosha,
An Economist and Executive Director, African Dialogue Center in Tanzania and Chair of the Board of the Policy Development and Research Centre, Tanzania.

Prior to his present position, Mr. Mosha was with the United Nations for some 25 years where, among other positions, he served as Chief, Africa Trade Development Center, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Addis Ababa Ethiopia; Senior Economist, United Nations Center on Transitional Corporations, New York USA; Africa Regional Representative of the United Nations Commission for Namibia Luanda Angola; Chief - Research and Analysis Branch: Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, United Nations Department of Political Affairs, New York; Director Africa II Division, United Nations Department of Political Affairs, New York; Senior Aide and Adviser to General Olusegun Obasanjo and, concurrently Executive Director, Africa Leadership Forum under General Obasanjo’s Chairmanship; Senior Advisor and Special Envoy of the former Tanzanian President, the late Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere on the Burundi Peace Negotiations; Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia, and Director United Nations Political Office for Somalia.

Mr. Mosha studied Economics, Trade and Development Policies and, International Marketing and Management variously at Helsinki School of Economics, Finland; The City of London College – London, and Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, USA. He is a Member of the Society for International Development; Academy of International Business; International Trade and Finance Association; and International Peace Research Association. His publications include Africa: Rise to the Challenge - Towards the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa, Co-Authored with Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo: Eds. with foreword by Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere; The Challenges of Post Apartheid South Africa to Africa; and numerous articles in professional journals on economic and political issues. His languages are Kiswahili, English, working knowledge of French and to a lesser extent Portuguese and Spanish.

Frene Ginwala,
Former Speaker of South Africa’s Parliament and National Executive Member of the African National Congress

Dr Frene Ginwala was elected to South Africa’s democratic Parliament in 1994 and 1999 and left Parliament in 2004 having served as Speaker for the first decade of democracy. She is a member of the National Executive of the ANC. As a lawyer, political scientist and historian, Dr Ginwala works on issues of democracy, governance, human rights, development and human security in South Africa and internationally. She was the Chairperson of the OAU Conference of African Parliaments, which drafted and agreed the Protocol on the Pan African Parliament. After the establishment of the African Union she was elected Chairperson of the AU Steering Committee tasked with preparing the establishment of the Pan African Parliament and was among the first five South African MPs elected to it. She is a Barrister at Law of the Inner Temple and received a D.Phil from Oxford. Dr. Ginwala is also a receipient of six honorary doctorate degrees.

Gereld M. Ssendaula,
Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Government of Uganda,

Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of Government of Uganda, an accountant by training and a banker by profession, served in the capacity of Director in various banks before becoming a Member of Parliament in 1980. He was a Minister in the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Commerce and Co-operatives and Natural Resources during the 1990-997 periods. He has held the position of the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development since 1998.

Ambassador Gertrude I. Mongella,
MP, President of the Pan African Parliament

Gertrude Mongella, an educator, politician and diplomat from the United Republic of Tanzania has served her government in various ministerial capacities (Women Affairs; Land, Natural Resources and Tourism) and as an international representative. She was appointed Secretary – General of the Fourth World Conference on Women in December 1992 by the then United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali, and subsequently headed up the work of the Secretariat of the World Conference held in Beijing, China from 4 –15 September 1995. Ambassador. Mongella has had an extensive and varied career in education, as a Minister of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and as a representative of her country at the International level.

Gianluca Carlo Misuraca
Adviser on Governance and Public Administration for the African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development

Gianluca Misuraca was born in Milan, Italy, in 1972. He graduated in Economics at the University of Rome, “La Sapienza” (1996), and holds a Diploma of Specialization in European Union Economics and Law (2000). He also specialized in Security Management at the University of Milan, “Bocconi” (1997).

He is currently working as Independent Adviser on Governance and Public Administration for the African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD), and other International and Regional Organizations, with particular focus on e-government and innovation in public service.

Previously, in 2002-2003, he worked as Associate Expert in Information Technology and Networking for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (UNDESA). He was seconded to CAFRAD within the framework of the United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance – UNPAN, serving as Liaison Officer for the Africa Region. His professional experience includes working for Ernst & Young International (1998-2001), the European Commission - General Directorate Development (1997-1998), and the International Centre for Industrial Cooperation - APRI (1997).

Dr. Graça Machel,
Chairperson, Foundation for Community Development, Mozambique and Chair, United Nations Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children

Graça Machel is the president of the Foundation for Community Development in Mozambique and, since 1999, the fifth Chancellor of the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She served as the Minister of Education for the Government of Mozambique from 1983-1989.

Graça Machel is a member of the Board of the United Nations Foundation, the South Centre, UNRISD and has received numerous honorary, humanitarian, and academic awards. She was the Special Reporter to the Secretary-General for the Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children.

Ms. Graça Machel is recognized for her dedication to education in Mozambique and for her leadership in organizations devoted to literacy, the rights of children, families and community. A participant in the armed struggle against colonial rule in Mozambique, Ms. Machel became Minister of Education and Culture in the nation’s post-independence government. As Minister for Education, she worked to implement universal education for all Mozambicans and made great strides for peace, reconciliation, and national development in her country.

As President of the Foundation of Community Development, she has facilitated greater community access to knowledge and technology and has promoted the cause of sustainable human development.

James D. Wolfensohn,
President of the World Bank

Since becoming President of the World Bank in 1995, James D. Wolfensohn has made sustainable poverty reduction the World Bank overarching mission. He was appointed to a second, five-year term on September 27, 1999, making him the third president in Bank history to be reappointed by the Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. Under his leadership, the World Bank Group has redoubled its efforts to monitor and combat corruption, give voice to clients living in poor communities, and magnify the return on development investments, including sponsoring a global dialogue on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction, which culminated in a major conference in Shanghai in May 2004.

In 1999, Mr. Wolfensohn introduced the Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF), emphasizing country ownership of poverty reduction strategies and strong partnerships among government, civil society, and the private sector. The CDF called for a broader approach to development, moving beyond economics and stressing social concerns as equally important to tackling poverty. Earlier in 1996, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund had launched the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, or HIPC, the first comprehensive debt reduction program. As of August 2004, 27 of the world’s poorest countries were receiving substantial debt relief under the program that will amount, over time, to more than $53 billion.

Before joining the Bank, Mr. Wolfensohn was President and Chief Executive Officer of James D. Wolfensohn Inc, an investment firm that advised major international and U.S. corporations. He relinquished his interests in the firm upon joining the Bank. He also served as Executive Partner of Salomon Brothers in New York and head of its investment-banking department, Executive Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Schroeder’s Ltd in London, President of J. Henry Schroeder’s Banking Corporation in New York, and Managing Director, Darling & Co of Australia.

K.Y Amoako,
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)

K.Y. Amoako became the sixth Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in 1995. A United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Mr. Amoako's priorities at ECA have been to initiate and manage a process of wide-ranging reforms aimed at making the Commission a more rigorous centre of excellence that is better equipped to deliver high-quality services and products to meet the complex needs of Africa's governments and people.

Under his leadership, the organization has revamped its research and advocacy work to ensure it is policy relevant and at the cutting edge of Africa's development agenda, focusing on the following priorities: Tracking performance, identifying best practices, and facilitating peer learning among African countries in key areas including, macroeconomic and growth policies, poverty reduction, gender policies and governance; Enhancing African regional economic integration and increasing the continent's participation in, and benefits from, global trade; Supporting the growth of an information society on the continent through the harnessing of information and communication technologies (ICTs); Promoting the application of scientific and technological innovation to food security and sustainable development; Assessing the impact of HIV/AIDS on key areas of governance and economic development and assisting African policy makers to devise effective policies to deal with the pandemic; and Promoting a transformed partnership between Africa and its international development partners that is based on African ownership and responsibilities, as well as donor aid effectiveness and policy coherence.

Prior to ECA, Mr. Amoako worked in the World Bank for two decades, latterly in senior positions including: Director of the Education and Social Policy Department with responsibility for providing strategic leadership for the Bank's programmes on poverty reduction, education, gender, labour markets and social protection (1993-1995). He is the Chairman of the Commission for HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa (CHGA) and a member of the Commission for Africa established by Prime Minister Tony Blair, among others.

K.Y. Amoako received his B.A. (Hons) with a concentration in Economics from the University of Ghana in Legon and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley. In 2003, he received a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa from the Addis Ababa University.

Kebede Asrat Gebretsadik,
Executive Director of the Christian Relief and Development Association

Educated in Ethiopia and the Philippines, Mr. Gebretsadik became the Executive Director of the Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA) in 1997 after working as Head of Programmes in the same organization. Before joining CRDA, Mr. Gebretsadik worked in various senior capacities at the Ministry of Agriculture in Ethiopia. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Partnership Africa Canada, the Board of the National HIV/AIDS Council of Ethiopia and a Civil Service Organization Representative at the Central Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB.

His Majesty King Leruo T. Molotlegi,
36th King of the Royal Bafokeng Nation

Kgosi Leruo Molotlegi is the leader of the 300 000 strong Royal Bafokeng Nation based in Phokeng in the North West Province of South Africa. He is the 36th King of the Bafokeng and the 15th direct descendent of a long lineage of the Bafokeng kings. Under his leadership, the Royal Bafokeng Supreme Council has embarked on a mission to provide the Bafokeng Community with all basic human needs in order to continue promotion of respect and enhancement of Bafokeng culture and economic self-sufficiency.
Based on this premise, the Royal Bafokeng Supreme Council and Kgosi have a vision: to develop themselves to be a self-sufficient community by the second decade of the 21st Century. The King is a former member of the Implats Board, the world’s second largest platinum producer. He is also a Director of the Royal Bafokeng Resources (RBR), a wholly owned Bafokeng company, and President of the Mineral Rights Association of Indigenous People of South Africa. He was one of the principal negotiators in the new mining legislation, which seeks to encourage significant black participation. Kgosi Molotlegi is an alumnus of Hilton College in Natal, South Africa. He holds a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Natal University. The Kgosi is a fixed wing and rotorcraft pilot and has been appointed as an honorary in the South African Air Force.

Kumi Naidoo,
Executive Director, CIVICUS, South Africa

Dr. Kumi Naidoo has been Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of CIVICUS: World Alliance for Civic Participation since 1998. CIVICUS is an alliance of over 500 civil society organizations, networks, and individuals in more than 100 countries dedicated to strengthening citizen and civil society action throughout the world.

Born in South Africa, Kumi Naidoo was deeply involved in neighborhood organization, youth work in his community, the underground movement, and mass mobilizations against South Africa's apartheid regime. In 1986, he was arrested and charged for violating the state of emergency regulations in South Africa. Upon his release from prison, Kumi was subject to persistent police harassment and went underground for one year before finally deciding to live in exile in England until 1989. During this time, Kumi was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and earned a doctorate in political sociology.

After Nelson Mandela's release from prison in 1990, Kumi returned to South Africa to work (on a voluntary basis) on the legalization of the African National Congress (ANC) as a political party. During the democratic elections in 1994, Kumi was the official spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission and directed the training of all electoral staff in the country. He then went on to serve as Executive Director of the National Literacy Cooperation of South Africa, as well as a director of the Independent Electoral Commission and the South African Committee for Higher Education Trust. Kumi has a long history of involvement in the non-governmental sector and was previously the founding Executive Director of the South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), an umbrella agency for the South African NGO community.

Kumi was recently appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the eminent Persons Group on United Nations-Civil Society Relations chaired by former Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso. He holds a D.Phil in Politics from Magdalen College, Oxford and has published and spoken widely on issues relating to civil society, education and resistance to apartheid.

Marie-Angelique Savane,
Chairperson, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Panel

Marie-Angelique Savane was a Director, Africa Division of the UN Fund for Population Activities in New York, and Senior Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

At the UN Institute for Social Development Research, she worked on regional issues, including food security, women and development. ; Ms. Savane is the founder of the African Women Journalists Association, and the African Women Association for the Promotion of Research and Development. She has organized numerous conferences and participated in media programmes designed to influence decision-makers and get more people involved in the debate on development issues.

Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Meles Zenawi was born in 1956 in the town of Adwa in the Tigray Region. He received elementary education at the Queen of Sheba Junior Secondary School in Adwa and completed High School in 1972 at General Wingate School in Addis Ababa. He then joined the Medical Faculty of Addis Ababa University where he studied for two years.

Meles interrupted his studies in 1974 to join the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). He was Chairman of the TPLF and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) between 1989 and 1991 and led the overthrow of the previous Derg regime in 1991.

Upon his return from the field, Meles acquired a First Class M.A. in Business Administration from the Open University, following the distance education he completed between 1993 and 1995.

He served as Chairman of the EPRDF and President of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995. Meles was elected Prime Minister of the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Republic on 22 August 1995.

Muzwakhe Alfred Sigudhla,
the Southern African Development Community Youth Movement,

The President of the Southern African Development Community Youth Movement, Muzwakhe Alfred Sigudhla obtained an LLB degree in Law at the Vista University in 2002 and is currently pursuing post-graduate studies in International Relations at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. He is the coordinator of the NEPAD Youth Summit 2005 and the Project Director of Southern African HIV/AIDS Initiative. He was also the Coordinator of the AU Youth Convention 2004 and the former Secretary General of the Pan African Students Movement and the Mpumalanga Industrial Chamber.

Nixon Samson Khembo,
Lecturer, University of Malawi

Nixon Samson Khembo is a political scientist and lecturer at the Chancellor College, University of Malawi. He is currently a Guest Researcher at the Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Norway. Khembo is also the Deputy Director and a Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research (CSR), University of Malawi. He is the author of “The Constitution, Constitutionalism and Democracy in Malawi: The Reign of a Parliamentary Oligarchy” in Nhema, A. (ed.) The Quest for Peace in Africa: Transformation, Democracy and Public Policy, OSSREA, 2004 and “The Multiparty Promise Betrayed: The Failure of Neo-liberalism in Malawi” in Africa Development, Vol. XXIX, No. 2, 2004.

Olara A. Otunnu,
United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

Olara A. Otunnu is UN Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The Special Representative serves as an international advocate for children affected by armed conflict by promoting their rights, protection and welfare. Mr. Otunnu has served previously as President of the International Peace Academy, Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and Vice President of the UN General Assembly. He has taught at Albany Law School and at the American University in Paris. Mr. Otunnu was educated at King’s College, Budo; Makerere University; Oxford University; and Harvard University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

Olusegun Obasanjo,
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was born on 5 March 1937 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. In 1958, after high school, General Obasanjo enlisted in the Nigerian Army and was trained at the Mons Officers Cadet School, Aldershot, England. He also underwent military training at various institutions including the Royal College of Defence Studies, London; Indian Army School of Engineering; Indian Defence Staff College; School of Survey, Newbury, England; Royal College of Engineering; Regular Officers Special Training School, Teshie, Ghana. He served with the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in the Congo, 1960-1961 and as General Officer Commanding, Third Marine Commando Division during the Nigerian Civil War, led the Division to end the war and accepted surrender of Biafran forces in January 1970. President Obasanjo was the Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces from 1976-1979, when he presided over the voluntary transition to civil democratic rule.

Omar Kabbaj,
President, African Development Bank

Mr. Omar Kabbaj was elected the sixth President of the African Development Bank (ADB) on August 26, 1995, after a distinguished career in his country's public service and international development organizations. As President of the ADB Group, he is the Chairman of the Boards of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund (ADF), and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF), which together constitute the Bank Group.

Before his election as President of the ADB Group, Mr. KABBAJ served as Minister Delegate in the office of the Prime Minister of Morocco, where he was in charge of economic affairs from 1993 to 1995. From 1980 to 1993, he served as a member of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) representing Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Iran, Ghana, Afghanistan and Pakistan. And from 1979 to 1980,he also represented nine countries on the Executive Board of the World Bank —Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Iran, Ghana, Oman, Afghanistan and Yemen.

His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the 16th occupant of the Golden Stool of the Asantes, was installed on 26th April, 1999. He was educated in Ghana and the United Kingdom, and worked in the UK and Canada before coming home in the 1990s to establish his own business. Since becoming king five years ago, the Asantehene has established the Otumfuo Education Fund to support needy children from deprived homes in Ghana; settled over 400 chieftaincy, land and succession cases in Ashanti through the traditional alternative dispute resolution mechanism; and attracted the World Bank to support some of his initiatives in education, health, cultural heritage preservation, and in water and sanitation. Otumfuo has received five honorary doctorate degrees from Essex County College, UK, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, USA, University of Glasgow, UK, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana, and the University of Ghana, Legon, for his unique traditional leadership and exemplary initiative.

Patrick Mazimhaka

Patrick Mazimhaka was elected the Deputy Vice Chairperson of the African Union Commission in July 2003. Prior to that, he was the Senior Presidential Advisor to the President of Rwanda on the Great Lakes. He started his working career as a lecturer in the Faculty of Science at Makerere University and was soon appointed Head of the Department of Geology in the Faculty. In the early 1980s, Mazimhaka left Uganda for Kenya, where he briefly continued teaching, before he finally relocated to Canada with his family. It was while in Canada that he became involved in the activities of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).
Patrick Mazimhaka was the Minister of Youth, Sports and Cooperatives in the RPF government from 1995-1996, when he was made Minister of Rehabilitation and Social Affairs. A year later, he was appointed Minister in the Office of the President until 2000, when he was made Special Envoy of the President.

Dr. Paulyn Jansen,
Founder of the African Youth Foundation.

Dr. Paulyn Jansen is the founder of the African Youth Foundation, Afrikanische Jugendhilfe e.V. (AYF), a development-oriented, non-profit organization based in Bonn, Germany, and has been in her current position as Executive Director of the Organization since June 1999. She holds PhD in International Relations; a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Management. Prior to establishing AYF, she was a Consultant with the Development and Investment Associates in London, England, and also worked as a Programme Assistant with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Her publications include a book and numerous newsletters on youth education. She is currently serving as President of the Board of the Pro-Youth Foundation – a development-oriented organization – in Ghana.

Raila Amolo Odinga,
Minister for Roads and Public Works in the Government of Kenya.

Raila Amolo Odinga is the Minister for Roads and Public Works in the Government of Kenya. He studied Engineering at the Technical University (Otto Von Guericke), Magdeberg, in Germany where he obtained a Master degree in 1970. He returned Kenya shortly after and joined the faculty at the University of Nairobi as a Lecturer

In 1975, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standard, a post he held until 1982 when he was arrested and subsequently detained without trial by the Government. He has attended courses at the British Standards Institution in London, the National Bureau of Standard, Washington D.C. and the University of Denver, Colorado, and has several technical and political publications to his credit.

Richelieu Allison,
Regional Director of the West African Youth Network.

A Liberian, Richelieu is a founding member and Regional Director of the West African Youth Network. He holds an undergraduate degree in Management from Zion University College in Liberia and. He previously worked as Executive Director of the Voice of the Future, Inc., Liberia-based Child Advocacy Goup from 1993-2001 and was in charge of the Disarmament Campaign in Liberia in 1997 . He has participated in numerous International Seminars in the USA, England and Africa. He has considerable experience in human rights advocacy and project management. He is a member of the Mano River Union Youth Parliament, African Network of Young Peace Builders and the African Youth Parliament.

IN 2001, in recognition of his peace work in the Mano River Union region, he was awarded the Peace Promoter of the Year Award by the Liberian Media

Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation and the Chancellor of the Hubert Kariuki Memorial University.

Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation and the Chancellor of the Hubert Kariuki Memorial University. He was Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) from 1989-2001. Prior to that, he was Prime Minister of Tanzania from 1984 to 1985. From 1985-1989, he served as Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Defense and National Service. He was also Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs for four years and Ambassador to Egypt, India, China and the UN. While at the UN, he was concurrently accredited as Ambassador/ High Commissioner to Cuba, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Salim is Africa’s Water Ambassador; a Member of the Commonwealth Expert Group on Democracy and Development. He received his Masters Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York, and holds seven Doctorates (Honoris Causa) from Universities in the Philippines, Nigeria, Mauritius, Sudan, Italy, South Africa and Ethiopia.