FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, May 4, 1998

Interactive Forum will Explore Opportunities for Youth to Connect with Africa

Atlanta, May 4, 1998—The Peace Corps and the Carter Center\'s Educational Programs will co-host Getting Connected—Africa And You!, an interactive forum to explore opportunities for youth to connect with Africa. A part of the National Summit on Africa\'s Southeast Regional Summit, this "Youth Forum" will take place on Thursday, May 7, from 3 to 5:30 P.M., at the Carter Center in Atlanta. , Getting Connected—Africa And You! will creatively highlight opportunities for people under 30 years old to get more involved with African people, culture, and issues by using the arts and youth speaking to youth.
Atlanta Hawks Center Dikembe Mutombo will share his experiences in his homeland of Zaire, and in his travels throughout Africa as the spokesperson for CARE, the international development agency. Mutombo was recently named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and sponsored the Zaire women\'s basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He speaks English, French, Portuguese and five African languages. "We have made an effort to include young role models who have spent time in Africa, so Atlanta\'s youth can begin to discover what it is like to live on the continent and to experience the cultural richness," said Dr. Joyce Jones, Director of the Carter Center\'s Educational Programs.
Informational booths will feature opportunities for youth to get involved with the continent through study abroad programs, African/International Studies Programs, Habitat for Humanity, the Carter Center Internship Program, Friendship Force, the Peace Corps and more.
The National Summit on Africa is a forum for creating an important U.S. - Africa partnership. Representing an unprecedented nationwide effort to create awareness of Africa, there will be eight regional summits and the final national summit in Washington, D.C. in 1999. The first regional meeting, the Southeast Regional Summit, will take place in Atlanta on May 6 to 10.
To learn more about the National Summit, visit their web site at www.africasummit.org.

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