Athens, Ga. (April 3, 2007) — The International Center for Democratic Governance (ICDG) recently joined with the university’s Small Business Development Center and Office of International Public Service and Outreach to hold a free workshop at Gwinnett College aimed at helping minorities interested in starting their own businesses and working with counterparts in Africa. The workshop came as follow-up to suggestions offered by participants attending the first African Leadership Seminar sponsored by ICDG and funded by the Office of the Vice President of Public Service and Outreach in 2006.

“Those attending the March 3 workshop represented a range of African nations of origin, including Kenya, Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria,” said ICDG faculty member and workshop coordinator Njeri Marekia-Cleaveland. “They were all interested in learning more about the basics of starting and operating a small business in this country and also about the logistics regarding collaborating with communities and entrepreneurs in their home countries.”

As of 2006, Georgia ranked eighth in the nation among states receiving the largest numbers of permanent residents from Africa, with Atlanta hosting more than 200,000 African immigrants.

For more information about ICDG African initiatives, visit www.cviog.uga.edu/icdg/

This article was posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007 at 3:49 pm and is filed under News.