Melvin Foote:  

Mr. Melvin P. Foote has worked on African issues for more than 35 years. He is the Founder, President and CEO of the Constituency for Africa, (CFA), a 24-years old Washington, D.C.-based network of organizations, groups and individuals committed to the progress and empowerment of Africa and African people worldwide. CFA’s mission is to build public and private support for Africa, and to help shape U.S. policies towards Africa. In 2002 Mr. Foote also founded the African American Unity Caucus (AAUC), a broad-based coalition of African-American and other Americans of African descent, who lead or are leaders of Africa-focused organizations and groups -- to promote Pan-African cooperation and to link Diaspora leaders in the Western Hemisphere with the African Union (AU), as part of their “sixth region” outreach initiative. Further, he serves as a consultant to the World Bank on African Diaspora issues as well as advises the African Union’s Ambassador to the United States. Mr. Foote has traveled and worked extensively in more than thirty African countries. To start his career, from 1973 – 1976, he went to Eritrea and Ethiopia as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and teacher. From 1981-1984, he served as Africare's Representative in Somalia, where he designed and managed a number of projects and programs that addressed issues of refugee assistance and rural development. From 1984-1994, he was assigned to Africare's Washington headquarters as their Director of Development Education and Constituency Development, which eventually led to the founding of the Constituency for Africa. Mr. Foote has participated in numerous high-level missions...Expand for more