The White House Michelle Obama at an event for the Let Girls Learn initiative
In this week’s news, American first lady, Michelle Obama, will travel to Liberia for a goodwill visit, and the much-anticipated African Union e‑passport is set to roll out in July.
Michelle Obama Plans Trip to Liberia to Promote Girls’ Education
U.S. first lady, Michelle Obama and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, will travel to Spain, Morocco and Liberia later this month to support the Let Girls Learn initiative, according to this story from the Washington Post.
Obama’s activities in Liberia will occur on June 27, according to the While House.
Obama’s first stop in the country will be at a U.S. Peace Corps training facility where she will meet at a leadership camp for girls. The first lady will also meet with Liberian President, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, “the first woman elected to lead an African nation.”
The Let Girls Learn initiative seeks to help 62 million girls and young women around the world to understand the importance of education. This is among a series of so-called goodwill tours the initiative promotes overseas.
Electronic African Union Passport Set To Roll Out in July
Traveling in Africa is not easy for Africans. Visa requirements impair mobility between African countries while European Union (EU) and U.S. passport holders sail through international borders without much hassle.
To counter the challenges which Africans face when traveling within the continent, the African Union (AU), the continental body charged with the political, social and economic integration of the continent, will begin implementation of parts of the AU’s Agenda 2063.
The electronic passport (e‑passport) seeks to turn Africa into a continent with seamless borders. Abolishing visa requirements would loosen travel restrictions and promote free trade across the continent.
The passport is set to be unveiled at the July 2016 AU Summit in Rwanda, as related by AllAfrica.com
“The first group of beneficiaries will include: AU Heads of State and Government; Ministers of Foreign Affairs; and the Permanent Representatives of AU Member States based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, according to an AU statement Tuesday.”
