Business
The U.S. and Africa Must Be Equal Partners
SH: First, if the Africans are going to get some traction, the issue (to be addressed) must be the state of mind in the U.S. I think too many still – regardless of the virtues and the values of the individuals of this administration – too many still see Africa as a development case as opposed to a partnership. If I were to advise the Africans, I’d urge that they ask for an equal partnership, and that they must expect to be treated as such. Of course, I hope that they will also say that they need less development aid, more trade and more working partnerships so that they can be equal decision makers.
Stephen Hayes is president and CEO of The Corporate Council on Africa. In his 13-year tenure as president, he has led CCA to become fully engaged in the most political and economic issues affecting commerce between the U.S. and Africa. These complex issues range from intricate trade legislation and small business development to workplace AIDS concerns. For his work at CCA, Hayes was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce
its highest award in 2008, The Ron Brown Award for International Leadership. Before coming to CCA, he was engaged in the international non-profit sector, including key positions in some of the world’s largest international non-profit organizations, including the
World Alliance of YMCAs in Geneva, Switzerland, and the world’s largest student exchange organization, AFS International.
Hayes founded in 1985 the American Center for International Leadership, which was funded by the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, Ford Foundation and others. In 2008, the Africa Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. honored Hayes with its award for outstanding contribution to U.S.-Africa relations, following then U.S. Sen. Barack Obama as the previous recipient. Hayes was a principal founder of the Infant Formula Campaign, often popularly known as the Nestlé’s Boycott, the only successful global citizens’ campaign.
