WASHINGTON D.C. – On July 26^th, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah will host the second day of the annual Global Diaspora Forum at USAID in Washington, D.C.

Administrator Shah will deliver keynote remarks on Thursday, July 26^th and announce new initiatives building on the U.S. government’s efforts to partner with diaspora community groups.  Sessions throughout the day will focus on public-private partnerships and identify new opportunities for engagement with the U.S. Government. Media must RSVP to attend the events.

Follow the conversation on Twitter with #2012GDF and @diasporaatstate and @USAID.

The following events will be open to the press:

• Opening session with remarks by Maura O’Neill, Chief Innovation Officer, USAID (9:15 to 9:30 a.m.) – Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, USAID
• Keynote remarks by Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, USAID (9:30 to 10:00 a.m.) – Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, USAID
• Remarks by Mimi Alemayehou, Executive Vice President, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (10:00 to 10:15 a.m.) – Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, USAID
• Remarks by Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator, USAID (12:45 to 1:00 p.m.) – Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, USAID
• Luncheon keynote remarks by Kingsley Aikins, Diaspora Matters (1:00 to 1:20 p.m.) – Atrium Ballroom, Ronald Reagan Building, USAID

The Global Diaspora Forum will convene more than 500 U.S.-based diaspora community leaders from the private sector, academia, media, and civil society.  The Forum recognizes and celebrates the work of American diaspora communities with roots across the globe and encourages them to contribute to the development of, and diplomatic relations with, their countries of origin.  The theme of this year’s Forum is “Moving Forward by Giving Back,” and will focus on how the U.S. Government and diaspora communities are partnering to further investment and trade, philanthropy, volunteerism, social innovation, and entrepreneurship in developing and emerging communities around the world. 

The first day of the forum will feature sessions on the future of diaspora engagement, and innovations for giving back, including social entrepreneurship, mobile applications, and diaspora volunteerism.  

The following events on the first day will be open to the press:

• Opening session with remarks by Kris Balderston, Special Representative for Global Partnerships, U.S. Department of State (9:30 to 10:00 a.m.) – Loy Henderson Auditorium, Department of State
• Keynote remarks by Secretary Clinton (10:30 a.m.) – Loy Henderson Auditorium, Department of State
• Remarks by Under Secretary Tara Sonenshine of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State (1:00 to 1:15 p.m.) – Loy Henderson Auditorium, Department of State

The Secretary’s remarks will be livestreamed on state.gov.  Follow the conversation on Twitter with #2012GDF and @diasporaatstate.

Media representatives may attend events upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification (driver’s license or passport).

Press Contact:
Lisa Hibbert-Simpson, Press Office, U.S. Agency for International Development, 202-712-5114, LHibbertSimpson@usaid.gov

Press contact for July 25 sessions: Lorin Kavanaugh-Ulku, Global Partnership Initiative, U.S. Department of State, 202-647-9302, kavanaugh-ulkulm@state.gov