The Narendra Modi government has pulled out all the stops to host the first all-Africa Summit in India. If China could get heads of state and government of an entire continent at a single venue in 2006, a faster growing India can surely do so in 2015. Well, almost. 

With the Modi government planning to host representatives of more than 50 African States in New Delhi from 26 to 29 October, it is time to understand what this means for India, the reason for this sudden interest and what the dimensions are of this engagement.

Pope Francis on Sunday decried the deaths of 71 migrants in an abandoned truck in Austria, calling it an offense against "the entire human family. We entrust each of them to the mercy of God," the pontiff said in Rome, calling on world leaders "to cooperate with effectiveness to prevent these crimes."

African stars joined U2 frontman Bono on Friday in a campaign to use music to help empower women around the world. Bono and top African male musicians D'banj, Diamond and Banky W announced that they will be included in a remix of the song "Strong Girl," a rallying cry for women's empowerment which features top African female talent.

Rwanda and Ethiopia have suggested new development models they believe can help Africa break away from the prescribed Western models. The discussion, under the theme “The African Democratic Developmental State”, was inspired by ideals from the late Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, who believed that Africans needed to shape their own destiny by “doing things their own way.”

While at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, last month, I had the opportunity to witness a powerful exchange between U.S. Culinary Ambassador for Clean Cookstoves and famous Chef Jose Andres and a group of African chefs who were catering the event.