Highlighting: Ambassador Amina Salum Ali

 

AU Permanent Ambassador To US-Amina Salum Ali

 Over the weekend I had a good discussion with a long time friend of mine, Michael, on a variety of issues. It was one of those discussions that make you think, learn and admire the vision of a good friend. It was a 360 degree conversation that took a "world tour" of ideas, theories, news and of course a bit of hearsay. This friend of mine knows how much I love highlighting my country of birth, Tanzania, its people, culture, traditions and anything we can offer. Michael understands that this site was established under that rationale. I want not only to create a space for ideas but also a place to reserve a piece of history. So as our coffee cups ran dry, he challenged me to start highlighting Tanzanians abroad who are holding important positions or playing an important role into shaping not only their future but also of our country, the United Republic Of Tanzania. We had talked about Tanzanian experts across the globe. I accepted the challenge. To start with I thought of “ladies first”. The name Amina Salum Ali caught my attention. I had recently saw her in the news with President Kikwete during his recent visit to the United States.

 

Ambassador Amina Salum Ali

 Amina Salum Ali is currently serving as the permanent representative of the African Union to the United States a position she has held since April 13, 2007. Ambassador Ali was born and raised on the Island of Zanzibar and educated in India, where in 1979 she earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics. Two years later, she earned a Master's degree in Business Administration in Marketing. On her role as AU representative in the US, Ambassador Ali speaks on behalf of the African Union and its member states to accelerate socio-economic integration of the continent, promote peace and stability, and build partnerships between African governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women and youth, as well as the private sector. One of the major functions of her office is to support the African diplomatic corps in its efforts to consolidate and strengthen partnerships with both the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government, as well as other federal agencies, the Bretton Woods institutions and the Organization of American States. Ambassador Amina Salum Ali with former US President, George W.Bush

Before embarking on her current role, she was a long-serving Member of Parliament and has held various ministerial positions in the Tanzanian government. Her most recent position before moving to the US was minister of state in the office of the chief minister in Zanzibar. Ambassador Ali also served as a board member of various institutions such as the Tanzania Telecommunication Company and Mzumbe University in Morogoro. In addition, she established various capacity-building institutions including the Institution of Finance Administration and the Presidential Fund for Self- Reliance. As the African Union's first woman ambassador, Ambassador Ali is also committed to promoting women's rights and children's issues. She is also the founder of Zanzibar Women Welfare Trust, an NGO that supports the development of women and children to combat devastating health issues like HIV/AIDS.