There is hope in Somalia. An influx of African Union troops has pushed insurgents out of Mogadishu and representatives from the country’s clans are meeting to discuss the formation of a new government and draft constitution. With sustained peace on the horizon, the Somali diaspora is returning home and starting businesses. International investors are exploring opportunities and the first Somali bank has now opened.

While the stability remains fragile, Somalis are optimistic that a turning point has been reached after 21 years of conflict, and we are witnessing the rebirth of Mogadishu.

The video stream will be available on this page beginning 2pm Somalia time, 1pm European time, 12pm London time, and 7am New York time on May 17. Mark your calendars.

http://tedxmogadishu.com/live/

http://tedxmogadishu.com/speakers/

TEDxMogadishu.com

https://www.facebook.com/tedxmogadishu

Program

A detailed program will be sent out soon if you’re a member of SWEACC.

·       Among the speakers will be the managing director of TANESCO, the governmental energy company in Tanzania. Other speakers will include independent expert on the energy market in East Africa, representatives from the Swedish government, Sida, SWEACC and others.

·       Lunch at Sida

·       Workshops concerning B4D, solar power, wind power, bio power, hydropower, wave power, waste power, sewage power, geothermal power, e.tc.

·       Information about coming activities regarding  renewable energy including  follow up  workshops  somewhere in Sweden and a seminar in Arusha, Tanzania.

·       Mingle.

The seminar fee of 500 SEK for SWEACC members and 600 SEK for non-members will be invoiced the participants. The fee includes coffee breaks, lunch and mingle refreshments. SWEACC members are invited to inform and display their products, services, business ideas etc. on tables and with posters close to the meeting room. Your application to take part in the seminar should reach us latest by March 30^th. Please fill out your application here:

Application Form: SWEACC – Renewable Energy in East Africa

For questions and suggestions, please contact

Göran Frisk, SWEACC, goeran.frisk@telia.com, 0706-140240 or

AnneLi Avenäs, Sida, anneli.avenas@sida.se, 073-257 25 68

Most welcome!

“I try to spread positive stories and experiences that I have from the African continent, hopefully I can contribute to a more balanced picture, rather then the most negative mediaimage of the African continent. What about starting off by planing your next vacation to Lonely Planets number one destination for 2012, Uganda! “, was Emres comments on Shortcuts Top 100 listing. On our LinkedIn-group you can follow more discussion regarding African Entrepreneurship, events, microfinance issues, potential business partner and more general discussions.

Kwa heri, på återseende, warm regards,

/

The Africa’s Potential Team.

For more info, check this link out.

The EAC is a dynamic regional economic bloc comprising 5 countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with a population of over 130 million people and a combined gross domestic product of US$73 billion.  The EAC region has plentiful natural resources, a youthful demographic structure and fast-growing economies. Furthermore, the EAC stands out in Sub-Saharan Africa as having the strongest momentum for integration between the countries, making it increasingly easy and profitable for multinational companies to operate in.

In order to register and knowing more about this Trade & Investment Conference, click here.

Africa’s Potentials Founder Emre Gürler, who also is the new Partner in the clean technology innovation company WatnerNeer won a Finalistprize in the innovations competition Globe Forums regional final in the Södermanland district in Sweden the 30th of March 2011.

In the competition Emre Gürler and WaterNeer competed against 8 other innovators that all had to convince the jury and the audience within a “60 seconds business pitch” that their idea was the best one innovative solution for sustainability and making great social-economical impact. Almost like the program Idol, but for Innovators!

Emre Gürler states after the win: ” This is a good start for WaterNeer, in order to be a part of a even larger network underneath the umbrella of the Globe Forum worldwide network of investors, governmental organizations, innovators, entrepreneurs and other change makers within the sustainability and clean-technology segment. Clean water is becoming a large scarcity in the entire world, especially in the developing world. This innovation transforms highly polluted water in lakes, ponds, mines, sewage systems into drinking water in a matter of seconds. More then 500 cubicmeter highly polluted water per hour can be transformed into drinking water in different product sizes, giving more then 1 million people 10 liters of clean drinking water, on a daily basis!  The sludge that comes out of the system can be used to build building materials, such as bricks. The aim is to spread this mobile water re-cycling system into more countries around the world. WaterNeer is a ultimate poverty reducer ! “

The Final of the Globe Forum will be staged at the Waterfront Hotel in Stockholm the 11th of May, 2011. These are the innovators and their innovations that will be competing in the Final.

Here are more of the pictures that were taken during the Globe Forum Innovators competition:

Media articles:

Media article 1 – Eskilstuna Kuriren.

Media article 2 – Affärsliv Mälardalen.

Media article 3 – MyNewsDesk.

Flickr photo album.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Africa’s Potentials newest partner is WaterNeer Sweden, which is a innovation company within the water re-cycling business.

WaterNeer is a mobile water re-cycling system, which cleans highly toxic and polluted water, such as magnesium, arzenik, copper, lead, cadmium, zink, chromium and all other known toxics.

WaterNeer Sweden has 5 different products, depending upon the need from the customer. From 100.000 (100 m3) liters per hour to 500.000 /(liters per hour, giving more then 1 million people 8-10 liters of clean water, per day. WaterNeer has customers in India, Sweden and Finland. Customers are governmental and private companies, using WaterNeer in dredging harbours, purifying water from mining companies, sewage systems and highly polluted lakes, ponds and rivers. If you’re an investor and interested in knowing more about WaterNeer, please email: info@africaspotential.com.

The conference is jointly organized between SIDAs (Swedish International Development Agency) Business 4 Development program and the Kenyan Government, in order to boost innovative solutions to Kenyas pressing social problems. The aim of the conference is to provide a platform for Local Authorities in Kenya to deliberate and identify entry points for sustainable local development values and solutions as they deliver services to the Kenyan people.

Some of the speakers at the GreenSolutions conference are from these organizations: Africa’s Potential, The Natural Step, Sida Partnership Forum, Foresight Economics, NEMA, ADEP, Clean Tech Region, e.t.c. After the conference representatives from Africa’s Potential will be heading to Addis Abeba for more investment meetings promoting the innovative water recycling solution, WaterNeer.