Karima Rhanem (born September 29, 1979) is a communication and social media specialist, researcher on governance and public policy, journalist and a social activist. [1] [2]
Rhanem was born in Rabat city, the capital of Morocco. She gained a bachelor's degree in Languages & Communications Studies from the Institute for Leadership and Communication Studies (2000–2003), Master of Arts in Governance and Public policy from Mohammed V University of Rabat (2010–2012) and Master of Arts in Journalism from Paris School of Journalism (2018–2019). She is the president of the International Center for Diplomacy and co-founder and Director of Strategic Studies Research of the African Network of Youth Policy Experts. [3]
In 2012, she was nominated as Good Will Ambassador by Morocco World News newspaper for exceptional dedication to Morocco's public diplomacy and exemplary representation of Morocco abroad. [4] Rhanem was appointed by board members of the Pan African Humanitarian Summits and Awards as Ambassador and Country Director for the 4th edition of the event held in Morocco with the theme "Africa is My Home: A call for unity and development (2014). [5] In 2018 she was author of the fifth chapter of the Council of Europe publication Perspectives on youth – Young people in a digitalised world. [6]
On September 28, 2019, she received award at the Africa-Europe Youth Leadership Summit in Banjul, Gambia as one of the 30 most influential young leaders in 2019. [7]
Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and in other countries, particularly through the establishment of "sister cities" which are broad and long-term agreements formally recognized by civic leaders. A total of 1,800 cities, states, and counties have partnered in 138 countries worldwide.
Moulay Hassan bin Mohammed is Crown Prince of Morocco. He is the elder child of King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Princess Lalla Salma. He has a younger sister, Princess Lalla Khadija. He is named after his grandfather Hassan II. Upon his accession, he is expected to bear the regnal name Hassan III. In 2013, he began participating with his father at public official engagements.
Obiageli "Oby" Ezekwesili is an economic policy expert, an advocate for transparency, accountability, good governance and human capital development, a humanitarian and an activist. She is a former vice president for the World Bank's Africa region, co-founder and founding director of Transparency International, co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement and has served twice as Federal Minister in Nigeria. She is also the founder of #FixPolitics Initiative, a research-based citizen-led initiative, the School of Politics Policy and Governance (SPPG), and Human Capital Africa.
The Moroccan protests are a series of demonstrations across Morocco which occurred from 20 February 2011 to the fall of 2012. They were part of the larger Arab Spring protests. The protests were organized by the 20 February Movement.
Ilwad Elman is a Somali-Canadian social activist. She works at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Mogadishu alongside her mother Fartuun Adan, the NGO's founder. She was voted the African Young Personality (Female) of the Year during the 2016 Africa Youth Awards.
Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and human development expert whose work cuts across entrepreneurship, education, youth development and public leadership. She is the founder and chief executive officer of Rise Networks, a Nigeria-based private and public sector funded Youth Interest social enterprise.
Atul Keshap is an American diplomat and career United States Foreign Service Officer from Virginia who recently served as the Chargé d'affaires of the United States mission to India. He formerly served as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the United States Department of State. In January, 2022, he was appointed as the president of U.S.-India Business Council. In 2022, Ambassador Keshap was elected into membership of the American Academy of Diplomacy. In May 2023, Keshap was named one of Washington's most influential foreign policy influencers for his work to shape U.S. relations with India.
Chido Onumah is a Nigerian journalist, writer, and rights activist. He has worked for over two decades as a journalist, rights activist and media trainer in Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, India, the US, the Caribbean and Europe. He holds a PhD in Communication and Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, UAB, Spain. Onumah is a columnist with several newspapers.
Dorothy K. Gordon is a Ghanaian technology activist and development specialist. She was the founding director general of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE). She left AITI-KACE in 2016. She is former board member of Creative Commons and currently serves on its advisory council. She also serves on the board of Linux Professional Institute
Nina Lucine Hachigian is the first United States Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy under U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Biden administration. In this role, she seeks to bring benefits to, and learn from, local leaders in the US, and connect them to counterparts around the world.
Nasser Bourita is a Moroccan diplomat serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates since 5 April 2017.
Catherine Constantinides is a South African thought leader, environmentalist focused on climate change, food and water security and waste management, a social entrepreneur, social justice activist and human rights defender and beauty pageant titleholder.
Osasu Igbinedion Ogwuche is a Nigerian British media entrepreneur, philanthropist, and business executive. She is the Chief Executive Officer of TOS TV Network and co-founder of NatSu Global, a real estate and media investment firm. She is the former host of The Osasu Show, a syndicated TV show focused on development, business, and politics in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Scheaffer Okore is a feminist politician and global development strategy advisor in governance, leadership, democratic processes and sexual reproductive health rights. She is the vice-chairperson of Ukweli Party and former head of programs for civic engagement at Siasa place. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Nairobi.
Shadrack Osei Frimpong is a Ghanaian entrepreneur and global health leader. He is the founder of Cocoa360, a nonprofit organisation in rural Ghana where villagers work on communal cocoa farms in exchange for free tuition at an all-girls school and subsidized healthcare. Frimpong has won several awards, including the Queen's Young Leader Award and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Aya Chebbi, is a Tunisian diplomat, and a pan-African and feminist activist. She became the first appointed African Union Envoy on Youth in November 2018. Appointed by the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki in November 2018, as the youngest senior official in the history of the African Union and youngest diplomat in the chairperson's cabinet. She supports the Chairperson in addressing his thematic priority of working with and for young people and advocate to Silencing the Guns by 2020.
Vanessa Nakate is an Ugandan climate justice activist.
Adenike Oladosu is a Nigerian climate activist, and initiator of the school strike for climate in Nigeria. She has showcased her climate action at international conferences including the UN Climate Change Conference, World Economic Forum, and Elevate festival in Graz-Austria.
Mirabelle Morah is a social entrepreneur and the founder of BlankPaperz Media, a digital publishing platform. Morah was a panelist at the 2019 and 2020 Social Enterprise World Forum where she spoke on "Innovation in Youth Engagement," and "Building Youth Movements." She is also a recipient of Her Network Woman of the Future Award.
Melene Rossouw is a South African lawyer and women's rights activist. She is internationally recognised gender and human rights activist, global award winner, public speaker, moderator, facilitator, strategist, and consultant. She is an attorney by profession with more than 13 years experience in the private, governmental, and non-governmental sectors.