“If you are doing something that you really love, it is not work.”- Barclay Paul Okari
“What keeps you going [as an entrepreneur] is the need to see your idea come to fruition.”- Kwame Abrokwa
“African youth - there will not be the expected growth without your dreams. You need to create your job. In the DNA of Africans, the entrepreneurship gene is there.”- Karl Miville de Chene
“Let’s do everything to make sure youth are key stakeholders and are included.”- Michaëlle Jean
“Europe needs to do more in Africa so that African students can return to help their countries of origin.”- José Manuel Barroso
“The country cannot develop without you. Each of you has the opportunity to reach and accomplish your dreams. The continent of Africa is the continent of the future.”- H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba
“Africa’s strong economic growth (5 percent) is thanks to its youth, which will be the main source of production and innovation in the coming years.”- Lionel Zinsou
“Talent does not exist everywhere. The only difference between countries is access. Without having access, nothing will happen.”- Garry Kasparov
“African women have arrived.”- Isabel dos Santos
“There’s a preconceived idea on Africa which is totally obsolete. Africa is now the future.”- Laurent Fabius
“Ambition is a key factor in transformation. The will to transform a country has to be accompanied by action”- Hafid Elalami
“All the research shows that investing in women is a good investment”- Cherie Blair
“The 21st century is the century of Africa.”- Vincente Fox
“This Forum is a perfect example of Gabon's engagement as a future-thinking country, searching for innovative solutions to the challenges facing Africa in its economic growth.”- Alassane Ouattara
“Africa is now open to all investors. Its leaders are willing to preserve the continent’s resources and willing to engage in a win-win partnership.”- Macky Sall
“Together, we want to encourage young women to venture into new frontiers, and learn that they can achieve anything.”- Sylvia Bongo Ondimba
“Technology is spurring innovation, and the so-called "demographic dividend" has brought change.”- Nouriel Roubini
“We Africans must do business with each other.”- President F.W. de Klerk
“We need to have a competitive economy and proper legal environment to create enterprise, which in turn creates jobs.”- Jean-Louis Billon
“We need peace for security but we also need justice and accountability.”- Fatou Bensouda
“Given technology in tough environments, people will do more with that technology than its engineers could have ever imagined.”- Jared Cohen
“You look at Africa the biggest impediment is our not being able to work together. It’s very simple.”- Kola Karim
“If you get the politics and the policies right, the economics usually follow.”- Lord Mandelson
“The G.D.P. of african countries has been rising swiftly, but we must take into account issues like access to water supply, education, healthcare, infrastructure and employment.”- Olusegun Obasanjo

PRESS RELEASE

New York Forum AFRICA to Host 600 Global Investors and Leaders in Gabon

Founder Richard Attias: “New York Forum AFRICA recognizes the new African dynamism and the role it will play in finding paths to global economic growth.”

LIBREVILLE, June 8, 2012 – More than 600 investors, political and private sector leaders, and economic experts from around the world will gather this week in Libreville, Gabon for the first ever New York Forum AFRICA.

Taking place June 8-10, the event will bring together an unprecedented community of global influencers who share an interest in Africa and are actively contributing to new growth and development across the continent, including more than 300 African entrepreneurs and business leaders.

On June 11, The Dialogue for Action Africa, hosted by the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women, will engage 400 global experts to develop socially and economically sustainable solutions for the women of Africa. Seven First Ladies from African nations will also attend the event.

“A new optimism is coursing through Africa as steady economic growth, more effective leadership, and a rising generation of talent combine to create a host of opportunities,” said New York Forum Founder Richard Attias. “While the global community is aware of the many challenges that still exist, they have responded to our call to action and representatives from around the world will be joining us in Gabon for The New York Forum Africa. I believe that this event will provide a unique platform for Africa’s entrepreneurs and rising business leaders to tackle problems together and to engage with executives and investors from around the world.”

Noted international guests include Nobel Laureate and Founder of Grameen Bank Mohammad Yunus; Economist Nouriel Roubini; World Bank Chief Economist Shanta Devarajan; Xiqing Gao, Vice Chariman, China Investment Corporation; Lazard Senior Adviser Lord Mandelson; Women for Women International Co-Founder Zaiban Salbi; Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro; Yang Chonghui, Vice Chairman, China Economic and Social Council, and Olympic Champion Carl Lewis, among others.

Hosted under the high patronage of President Ali Bongo Ondimba in collaboration with the Government of Gabon and in partnership with the Omar Bongo Ondimba Foundation, the event will also feature keynote addresses from top African leaders, as well as over 20 senior ministers and political representatives from the African Union, Benin, China, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Libya, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Qatar, Rawanda, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, and the United Nations.

The New York Forum is one of a series of topical conferences produced by Richard Attias and Associates, designed to focus on areas of the global economy that are key to economic growth and social development.
The findings of the NYF AFRICA will be presented to the G20 in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 20, 2012.

For more information about New York Forum AFRICA
Visit: http://www.ny-forum-africa.com
USA Contact: Josh Harris, Richard Attias & Associates
  [email protected]
+1-212-794-8802
EMEA Contact: Romain Grandjean [email protected]

About The New York Forum
The New York Forum® was conceived out of a conviction that the business world is at a crucial crossroads. It is imperative to send a strong message of optimism about the future of the global economy, work to redefine corporate governance, create long-term value and reinvent business models by bringing together all stakeholders in the economy.

Our focus is on strengthening the connection between economic growth and job growth, the importance of cities as the key engines of dynamism and innovation, the challenges corporate leaders face in a time of volatility and uncertainty, and the distinct opportunities created by growth in emerging economies.
http://www.ny-forum.com

About Richard Attias & Associates
Richard Attias & Associates is a strategic communications firm that provides private consultancy, idea initiatives and live experiences. Our mission is to help leaders, corporations and nations build their global influence, catalyze innovation and lead the global exchange of ideas.

Using our strategic and operational expertise, we craft unforgettable experiences: interactive platforms, living laboratories of human capital, and historic cultural exchanges that help foster positive change for the global community.
http://www.richardattiasassociates.com

SOURCE: Richard Attias & Associates

PRESS RELEASE

New York Forum AFRICA to Host 600 Global Investors and Leaders in Gabon

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