Global Congress unites Black Women Leaders
Presenting Sponsor
BP Americas
"Africa Meets the Americas"
Houston
7-11 October 2005

Black Women Will Influence the Balance of the World This Century!

(AANEWSWIRE)On October 7-11, 2005 a historic event will take place in Houston for Black Women across the world. The Global Council of Black Women Leaders, Inc. is organizing "The Global Congress" at the Hilton Americas-Houston and George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The event will gather a diverse group of Black Women Leaders and will be an opportunity to exchange on global issues affecting Black Women beyond nationalities, cultures and languages. This effort will enable Black Women to be more effective and concerted at addressing critical issues such as Global Black Health, Global Business, Global Tourism, Global Peace, Global Justice and Global Black education as they represent collectively a new geopolitical force of more than 400 millions lives in the world.

The vision of a Global Congress uniting Black Women Leaders was officially presented in July 2004 at the Headquarters United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization and in the Palace of the City of Paris, France to close to 1,000 Black Women from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, North and South America by Martiniquan-born Sandrah Monthieux Pélage. She conceived, and organized the event with a global team of volunteers. She's the Founder and President of the Global Council of Black Women Leaders as well as the creative mind and global strategist generating its concepts and events with the diverse input of men and women of all races from many fields and countries who support her vision.

The Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, who has a passion for the rights of women from everywhere is constantly active around the Darfur Crisis and has kept close to Black Women progress in Ghana, Brazil and other countries. She has been in the United States Congress for more than ten years and will welcome and address foreign delegations as the "Host & Honorary Chair" of the Houston Global Congress.

The other Honorary Chairs of the Houston Global Congress who will address the audience are:
lDame Jocelyn Barrow, Honorary Chair of the Global Council of Black Women Leaders, Inc., London, UK
lDr Dora Akunyili, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Control, Nigeria
lThe Honorable Piedad Cordoba, Member of the Colombian Senate
lThe Honorable Joyce London Alexander, United States Magistrate Judge
lHer Excellency Barbara Masekela, Ambassador of South Africa to the United States
lHarriet Michel, President of the Minority Supplier Development Council, New York
lJudith Morrison Executive Director Inter-Agency Consultation on Race Inter-American Dialogue, Washington DC
lDr Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Associate Dean, Harvard School of Public Health
lThe Honorable Matilde Ribeiro, Minister for the Promotion of Racial Equality, Brazil
lDr Jane E. Smith Executive Director, Spelman College's Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (LEADS)
lThe Honorable Christiane Taubira, Member of the French Parliament
lHer Excellency, Marina Anette Valère, Ambassador of Trinidad & Tobago to the United States

The Global Congress welcomes Black Leaders, male and female, as well Leaders of other races to convene to convene at this historic gathering.

The Speaker of the Congress Award will be given after a vote of the Congress at the "Diplomats Gala" in Traditional Dress where the Congress participants themselves will be the models of a Global Fashion Show celebrating the richness of the Global Black Culture amidst other cultures.

UnityFirst.com, a multicultural news and wire service (African American Newswire), reaching across the U.S. as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and South America, is proud to support the conference as a media partner and will share news and announcements via its UnityFirst.com World News column on UnityFirst.com and also via direct email (to sign up, go to UnityFirst.com)

The Houston Global Congress will also aim to redefine the meaning of leadership and will feature a diverse group of powerful Black Women Leaders as goodwill Contributing Speakers, making it a powerful transformative experience that will enlighten, motivate and renew all Congress participants.

The strategic choice of Houston, one of the largest ports in the world, for this Global Congress resides in its unique geographic position as well as its demographic and business diversity, what will make it in the near future "The Hub of the Americas" linking people of African descent (an estimated 200 million throughout the continent) and all other origins from North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America.

The Houston International Protocol Alliance, a division of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, will provide support for the Houston Global Congress and serve in an advisory capacity on matters of protocol and cross-cultural relations. The Chief of Protocole for the Global Congress will be UN veteran Annick Thebia Melsan.

The Global Council of Black Women Leaders, Inc. objectives are to educate and inform Black Women and all other segments of society about their value to the world in order to promote and develop their economic participation, stability and influence in all fields through strengthened global connections for the benefit of humankind.

The Global Congress for Black Women is interested in learning about the work that women leaders or their organization are doing that relates to women and/or global issues, or global business. Please send your information to submissions@gcbwl.org and be acknowledged by the Global Council of Black Women Leaders. Also, let us know if you will be able to attend this history-making conference on October 7-11, 2005 in Houston, Texas, so that we can acknowledge your organization.

The Global Congress is scheduled to take place in 2006 in Brazil and in 2007, the Continent of Africa will welcome the Global Congress.

All enquiries from the public at gcbwl@earthlink.net
For registration, visit www.gcbwl.org or call 1 713 589 4886

It's a global family reunion! Will you be there?