Community Renewal to host African Renewal Summit

For release: March 14, 2008

Community Renewal International is making plans to host the first African Renewal Summit in Shreveport, La., to further the concept of social technology and "The New Village" in Africa.

Representatives from many nations are expected to attend the conference, which is tentatively planned for the spring of 2009.

Community Renewal efforts are well underway in Cameroon and there is strong interest in several other nations for using the model to build stronger communities, both socially and economically, within the traditional village structure.

Infopoverty has selected Community Renewal as a community-building model for the world, with the development of community renewal in Cameroon serving as a pilot project. Infopoverty is coordinated by OCCAM, a charter office within the United Nations charged with delivering information and communication technology to promote healthy communities throughout the world.

Pierpaolo Saporito, president of OCCAM, welcomed Valentin Miafo-Donfack, director of international relationships for CRI, to Milan, Italy, in February, for meetings on Community Renewal. Piergiacomo Ferrari, president of the OCCAM Promotion and Development Committee and Roberto Rossi, also with OCCAM, also attended the meetings. Saparito visited Shreveport in 2005 to sign a cooperative agreement with CRI, combining the power of social technology with information technology to promote healthy communities throughout the world.

Donfack also met recently with key officials in Ghana, including a "super chief" who is head over 64 other village chiefs within the nation.

Further details about the summit will be release in the near future.

Community Renewal International is a nonprofit effort to restore safe and healthy communities through caring relationships. Founded in 1994, CRI reaches at-risk youth through Friendship Houses built in impoverished neighborhoods, strengthens education through the Adult Renewal Academy, partners with The Fuller Center for Housing and connects caring partners who turn their neighborhoods into safe havens of friendship and support.

Contact: David Westerfield, director of communications
(318) 425-3222
davidwesterfield@sbcr.us