Picture: Sidney Chisi faces Barack Obama

 

This is the moment Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition spokesman Sidney Chisi came face to face with United States President Barack Obama. He was at the White House as part of the President’s Forum for Young African leaders organized by the US State department. Chisi went on to ask a question whose answer from Obama went on to create international headlines (see article; Obama says heart broken by Zimbabwe).

The Young African leader’s forum provides an opportunity for young African leaders to mingle with the President of the United States of America to discuss and plan on key issues including transparency, job creation, entrepreneurship, rights advocacy and empowerment.

Chisi, who played a pivotal role in mobilizing young people to go out and vote in the Zimbabwe 2008 harmonized elections is also the Director of Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe (YIDEZ) and a  Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition 2008 Human Rights and Democracy Individual award recipient.

The Zimbabwe delegation is also comprised of the Director of the Students Solidarity Trust (SST- which is also the inaugural winner of the Human rights and Democracy Organizational Award) Masimba Nyamanhindi and Women in Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) Former Director, Ms Cleopatra Ndlovu.

The three were awarded this opportunity as a result of their sterling work in pushing for a democratic and human rights based Zimbabwe as young leaders and quest for a better tomorrow. The President’s Forum which is being attended by 115 young leaders from across Sub Saharan Africa started on the 3rd of August and ends today, 5 August 2010.