Dr. Judy Kuriansky
www.blacktiemagazine.com
Dr. Judy Kuriansky:
Africa Day at the UN
highlights Red Card violations, WASH, and youth
Dr. Judy Kuriansky
Black Tie International Magazine:
Africa Day at the United Nations May 26, 2026
Africa Day at the UN
highlights Red Card violations, WASH, and youth
Given the current World Cup, it is relevant to know that holding up a Red Card signals a serious rules infraction – and disciplinary penalty — used notably in soccer. Red cards have also become symbolic of the initiative that uses sports and culture to combat violence and discrimination against women and girls, promoted by the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN) that hosted the celebration of Africa Day at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on May 26, 2026.
ARDN mobilizes civil society and partnerships with government, business, educators, youth and other stakeholders using sport and culture to support the African Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as they relate to Africa and its diaspora.
Africa Day, celebrated annually to commemorate the founding of the African Union (AU), dating back to 1961, celebrates African unity, cultural heritage, and the continent’s socio-economic progress.
The event, convened by the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), was co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, the African Union Observer Mission, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
While the Red Card campaign is a signature of ARDN, this year’s event focused on sustainable development enshrined in the UN Agenda 2030 Goal 6 on safe water and sanitation and in Africa’s Agenda 2063. WASH is an acronym that stands for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. All three are essential for public health to prevent disease and promote human dignity.
The event connected water and sanitation to gender equity, sustainable development, practical solutions, youth leadership, sports, and international partnerships at the center of Africa’s renaissance
(left to right) Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the UN, Michaela E.B. Swallow; Dr. Judy Kuriansky; African Renaissance and Diaspora Network founder and CEO Dr. Djibril Diallo; Ambassador of the Republic of Namibia to the UN Penda A, Naanda; Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the UN Ricklef Beutin
Dr. Judy with Ambassador Michaela B. E. Swallow
Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative for Legal Affairs of Sierra Leone to the UN, Michaela B. E. Swallow, emphasized how safe water and sanitation are essential for Africa’s development, yet hundreds of millions of Africans on the continent lack access to safe water and basic sanitation services. Water and sanitation are national priorities for Sierra Leone, outlined in the country’s National WASH Sector Program 2025-2035, which sets out a vision for achieving a water-secure and sanitation-safe
Sierra Leone by 2035.
Dr Judy with Fatou Sombie Kabore, a policy analyst at the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, a United Nations Security Council Focus expert and the Focal Person of the African Women Leaders Network at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations.
Donna Tsufura (right) – self-described as an “entelechy” agent facilitating people and institutions to fulfill their potential — organizes everyone to take a photo with the soccer ball emblazoned with emblems of
the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Ensuring sustainable water and sanitation is enshrined in the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in Goal 6. Also, the African Union (AU) declared 2026 as the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” This theme elevates water and sanitation to a continental political priority, to achieve economic transformation, climate resilience, public health, food security, and regional stability. This theme was voted on at the annual meeting of the AU, which I witnessed when attending the annual meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last February.
ARDN CEO Dr. Djibril Diallo with my good friend
Gordon Tapper, Executive Producer of the event
The panel
Panelists addressed policy and institutional perspectives as well as initiatives on the ground, given that the importance of implementations to accompany policy is increasingly emphasized at the UN.
In that regard, ARDN board member and treasurer Mr. Tapper described a program in a rural community in Sierra Leone where children have to collect water from a dirty stream to use for drinking, cooking and washing, and use a less-than-favorable toilet facility. The project, founded by his colleague Gary Shultz (who began his commitment to the country when serving in the Peace Corps in 1961) and with funding help from Tapper through his Give Them A Hand Foundation, included installing a latrine with a standard toilet bowl to replace the usual primitive wooden structure. The foundation is raising funds to dig a well and furnish it with an electric pump powered by solar energy.
Mr. Gordon Tapper
Gary Shultz and children in the orphanage he founded
The unsafe water source in the village
The newly constructed toilet
Children at the orphanage
Ms. Fatou Sombie Kabore, Focal Person of the African Women Leaders Network at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations, introduced remarks by video of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Liberta Mulamula, who addressed the interconnections and importance of WASH, gender equality as in the Red Card campaign, partnerships, and the upcoming African Open for Business event – all in efforts to create an “empowered” Africa.
Ambassador Leila C. Lora-Santos, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines, and former Deputy Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York, noted how the Philippines and Africa share a common history navigating the difficult path from colonial rule to independence, and emphasized interconnections, friendship and partnerships between her country and nations on the continent.
The connection between Africa and China
was highlighted by two video messages.
Li Nan, Secretary-General of the China Brand Innovation and Development Project, described their partnership with Dr. Diallo on the upcoming celebration of Africa Open for Business to be held in the fall at the UN headquarters in New York City. The event will highlight that Africa is considered as a promising growth market by Chinese businesses looking to expand internationally.
Martin Wang, founder and Executive Chair of Global City Connect (GCC) which promotes global cooperation and sustainable development, also described bridges between ARDN and China and growing cooperation between China and Africa. GCC has established city hubs in multiple countries and is expanding its Africa cooperation network with the support of Dr. Diallo, who serves as Chairman of GCC Africa City Hubs. His remarks echoed those of Mr. Nan that Chinese enterprises are increasingly interested in long-term partnerships across Africa. These partnerships involve many areas, including renewable energy, smart infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, industrial development, digital trade, and transportation. Trust and long-term partnership are essential, he said, rather than short-term commercial gains.
Brief remarks were offered by the ARDN Goodwill Ambassador for Music and Culture Abass Mubarak Akenju; Chair of the ARDN Arts, Sports and Culture Committee, Richard Gant, on AI’s role in filmmaking; and Frank D. Jackson, Vice President for International affairs for the World Congress of Mayors.
The importance of youth participation in Africa’s development was emphasized throughout the event, including by panelist educator Gilbert Rochon, co-chair of ARDN’s Higher Education Initiative. Moderator Casanova-Willis, also an educator, emphasized that young people are essential to drive action and intergenerational collaboration. As such, the last segment of the event featured a panel of students talking about the role of youth as advocates, innovators and leaders in sustainable development, gender equity, use of sports, and practical solutions in WASH.
Moderator Dr. Vickie Casanova-Willis, a specialist in Global and Comparative Education, business development, and intergenerational co-leadership
Students speaking during the youth segment
The event served as a lead-up to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, 31 October-13 November, as the first Olympic event ever held on African soil and an opportunity to showcase Africa’s youth leadership, creativity, and global engagement. The Diaspora Youth focal point for the Dakar Youth Olympics described the “Road to Dakar” with a compelling video.
The event is on UN WebTV at:
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1c/k1c5ws0aqo
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