The value of CONVERSATION with AFRICA (2018)

SISTER CITIES are meant to promote knowledge and exchange between people. We start the conversations between Virginia and West Africa through two important texts.

Citizen Diplomacy with Malian Students (2014)

Citizen Diplomacy builds international understanding, and the Richmond’s Sister City relationship is intended to build relationships with their twinned cities. In my case, this means primarily Ségou, second city of Mali for which the citizen support group Virginia Friends of Mali was created.

PeaceElisabeth DrummOctober 24, 2020West Africa, Mali, Sister City, Segou, Richmond, Eisenhower, citizen diplomcay, students, teachers, VCU

Sister Cities and Citizen Diplomacy (2010)

We have created the Sister City relationship between Richmond in Virginia, and Ségou. The idea is that people who know each other, may like each other, gain respect for each other, and promote peaceful understanding.

PeaceElisabeth DrummOctober 24, 2020West Africa, Mali, Sister City, Segou, Richmond, Eisenhower, citizen diplomcay

Civil Society and Security in Africa (2010)

This text is based on a talk I delivered in Abuja on 20th April 2004 to a conference of senior ambassadors and officials who included the Nigerian Minister of Defense and of Foreign Affairs and the chiefs of staff of all the Nigerian armed forces. Some of it was also published as an opinion piece in The Comet newspaper of Lagos.