"We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,"...The Committee said it hoped the three-way award "will help to bring an end to the suppression of women...

While China, with its unquenchable thirst for raw materials, has targeted nations across Africa, nowhere has it been more determined to pursue its interests than in Zambia. Sata says he's determined to stop China doing as it pleases in one of Africa's most resource-rich nations.

Hosted by Brand South Africa and the Brand Leadership Academy and featuring several high-profile local and international speakers... "Africa is richer than you think, and it is certainly not a 'media dark' continent.."

Beijing invests a lot of diplomatic and public-relations effort in persuading the world that China's "peaceful rise" is nothing to fear. This is especially true in Africa...Libya's recent turmoil represents a missed opportunity for Beijing to have shown its readiness to shoulder the responsibilities of a great power.

China relies extensively on its investment and foreign aid apparatus to bolster its soft power on the continent. While Sata's election will not deter the Chinese from further investing in Zambia, it could signal the beginning of a trend in African politics for candidates to run on anti-Chinese platforms.

As this laundry list of objectives indicates, it appears that the US is approaching terrorism in Africa from many different perspectives. Mirroring America’s foreign policy, however, the TSCTP places too much emphasis on hard rather than soft power.

That open-air midday prayer video on YouTube illustrates the operational capacity of Turkey as a natural extension of European soft power in the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey would definitely hold greater sway in the region if it was a member of the EU. But that requires visionary European leaders.

"...I also attended Brand Africa Forum in South Africa. The keynote speaker was a certain Simon Anholt, a nation-branding consultant. He has branded 33 countries in his career... he criticised countries, trying to brand their countries by running commercials on some media channels.