The Planning Committee of the Africa Forum Toronto 2019 is delighted to begin the release of our TAF Canada 2019 Speakers Information, with the announcement of UNCTAD Senior Economist Rashmi Banga as a Speaker at the 2nd edition of the Forum holding from the 13th – 15th September 2019 at the Ontario Investment and Trade Center in Toronto. 

Dr. Rashmi Banga is currently a Senior Economist in United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD-India). She received her doctorate, M. Phil and Masters degrees from Delhi School of Economics, India. She was an Associate Professor in School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India. She has taught in Delhi University, Jesus and Mary College for 15 years. She has also been a consultant to Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and has worked extensively on various trade policy-related issues. She has undertaken professional works with several international organizations like UNDP, World Bank, GDN, ARTNet, IDRC, etc.

Her PhD thesis on “Nature, Pattern and Impact of Japanese and U.S. FDI on India” has been awarded International Economic Development Research Annual (IEDRA) Award2005 by EXIM Bank of India. She has been a recipient of Gold Medal in Global  development Network (GDN), sponsored by World Bank, for two consecutive years (i.e., 2003 and 2004). 

She has published papers in leading economics and business journals. She is a board member of Academy of International Business (AIB), Michigan University, ‘Chapter for India.

Some of her research topics includes Linking into Global Value Chains Is Not Sufficient: Do You Export Domestic Value Added Contents?, South-South Digital Cooperation for Industrialization: A Regional Integration Agenda, Is India Digitally Prepared for International Trade?

We look forward to seeing you in Toronto. Register on commonwealthafrica.eventbrite.co.uk or www.casevents.org/tafcanada2019 

The Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) USA, Angela Siefer, will speak at The Africa Forum Toronto 2019 under the theme: Seizing Africa’s Opportunity for Progress, holding from the 13th – 15th September 2019. 

Angela has been working in the field we now call digital inclusion since 1997. She has helped physically set up computer labs in underserved areas, managed broadband conferences, conducted research, managed digital inclusion programs, assisted with the Department of Commerce’s Broadband Adoption Toolkit, testified before a U.S. Senate Sub-Committee and more. In 2015, Angela helped found NDIA.

Government Technology Magazine named Angela one of their Top 25 Doers, Dreams, and Drivers of 2019.

In her words, “In 2013, on behalf of OCLC, I led an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded project supporting communities piloting Building Digital Communities: A Framework to Action. In early 2014, I conducted research for the Center for Digital Inclusion at the University of Illinois for another IMLS funded project – Inclusive Gigabit Libraries”.

Conceived as a national advocate for federal policy, NDIA, under Siefer’s leadership, works with a growing number of local governments nationwide. 

Local leaders now seek out the NDIA to help ensure residents have equitable access to laptops, smartphones, broadband and Wi-Fi, and to the skills they need to operate them. Issues of digital inclusion have crept into city departments nationwide, from housing and health to economic development. Essentially, tech is now a vital part of everybody’s life, so much so that cities must help get it to all residents. Siefer and the NDIA help local governments act as facilitators for community groups and libraries, which have long been on the front lines of inclusion. They do so through advice, best practices, benchmarking and fostering information sharing among stakeholders in the space.  

NDIA’s noteworthy efforts include establishing firm definitions of digital inclusion and equity, bringing attention to digital redlining and supporting an ongoing push for federal policy to fund digital inclusion. It’s a natural extension of work she’s done for decades. Siefer has helped physically set up computer labs in underserved areas, consulted on broadband opportunity networks, written grant applications, assisted with the Department of Commerce’s broadband adoption toolkit, and more. One gets a sense that as with technology, digital inclusion work is ever-evolving, and it’s nice to know Siefer and the NDIA are helping local communities and their governments keep up.

Join us in Toronto to learn from Siefer’s digital inclusion experience for your city, community and organisation. 

Visit www.commonwealthafrica.eventbrite.co.uk to register or for more information about our other Forum in New York, London and Sierra Leone. 

The Africa Forum Toronto 2019 is delighted to have Katie Sullivan as one of our 2019 Speakers. 

Katie serves as Managing Director of IETA, the premier global multi-sector business voice for the intersection of markets and climate change. For two decades, IETA’s mission has been to support durable climate policies and financial structures that attract private sector engagement and capital at scale. On behalf of IETA’s 150+ corporate members, Katie leads efforts to inform market solutions to address environmental challenges across Canada and globally. She also manages IETA’s growing climate finance, aviation and digital innovation sustainability initiatives. Katie currently sits on the University of Toronto’s Environmental Finance Committee, the 2019 International Student Energy Summit’s Advisory Panel, Canada’s International Carbon Capture & Storage Knowledge Centre Board, Ivey Foundation’s Climate Advisory Group, Biological Carbon Canada Advisory Group, and Blockchain for Climate’s Advisory Panel. Prior to IETA, Katie worked as a Senior Consultant at ICF International. Katie has recently been recognized as a Clean16 and Clean50 award recipient for contributing to Clean Capitalism Leadership in Canada. 

Katie is THE subject matter expert on all things carbon pricing in the Americas and the Pacific Rim, leading the charge to let the market determine the best ways to innovate to eliminate carbon pollution. She has helped shape effective job, investment and business-friendly climate plans, policies and financial structures, leading to billions of dollars in investment in the emerging low-carbon economy. 

At the Toronto Forum, Katie will be speaking around POWERING AFRICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH GREEN FINANCE.

To Join Katie in Toronto, register on commonwealthafrica.eventbrite.co.uk or find more information at www.casevents.org/tafcanada2019 

SEE YOU IN TORONTO

Ms. Sonia Marville-Carter is the representative of the Government and people of Barbados in Canada as Consul General at Toronto. 

Having spent 9 fulfilling years in the public sector in the role of Personal Assistant to 2 Ministers of the Government of Barbados from 1999- 2008, she went on to serve at the United Nations as Special Assistant to Ms. H. Elizabeth Thompson in her post as Assistant Secretary General and was based in New York. Her time spent in the capacity of Special Assistant afforded her the opportunity to play a significant role as part of a strategic team of organizers for the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development held in Brazil in 2012. That conference attracted participation from 192 UN member states and included some 57 Heads of State and 31 Heads of Government, private sector companies, Non-Governmental Organisations and other groups. 

A graduate of the University of the West Indies with a Masters in Sociolinguistics, and a Diploma in Business with an emphasis on Marketing, she has 23 years’ experience in the private sector. During those years Ms. Marville-Carter undertook several significant roles in administration, marketing, human resources, public relations, publishing, sustainable development and energy. 

Consul General Marville-Carter held portfolios of Managing Director of M3 Management Consultants, as well as Human Resources Co-ordinator for L.M.Konnections Inc. which is a management company for FLOW Barbados. A well-rounded person who enjoys interacting with people, Consul General Marville-Carter has a working knowledge of both French and Spanish, was an English Language Teacher and has been a member and soloist in the Methodist Church circuit for many years. She was an avid volleyball player, playing at first division level and functioned in the capacity of President of the Hoyte’s Village Volleyball Club. She swam competitively and was a member of the Barbados Dance Theatre for approximately 8 years. 

Consul General Marville-Carter sees the diaspora as a vibrant agent in the transformation and promotion of Barbados and the Caribbean throughout the world and is committed to doing what is necessary to further the development of relations between Canada and Barbados. Identifying and maximizing trade, Labour and other economic opportunities of mutual benefit to both Barbados and Canada are exceedingly important to her. 

To join Consul General Marville-Carter at The Africa Forum in Toronto, or to register for other editions of The Africa Forum in other parts of the world, VISIT COMMONWEALTHAFRICA.EVENTBRITE.CO.UK