Reuters-Actor Viola Davis to join US African diaspora council
September 26, 2023 2 min 393 words
这则消息宣布了好莱坞女演员维奥拉·戴维斯将加入美国非洲裔散居委员会的行列，成为该委员会的首批成员之一。这是一个重要的举措，旨在加强美国与非洲社区的联系，这对于强调该地区的重要性以及应对中国和俄罗斯对美国在该地区利益的挑战都至关重要。维奥拉·戴维斯的加入不仅体现了她作为杰出艺术家和活动家的声誉，还突显了她在消除美国儿童饥饿问题方面的努力。 美国正寻求在中国通过资助非洲大陆和其他地区的基础设施项目扩大其影响力的背景下，将自己定位为非洲国家的更好合作伙伴。这一消息还提到，俄罗斯自2019年举办了首次非洲峰会以来，一直在加大在非洲大陆的影响力争夺，尤其是在其在乌克兰派遣军队后，更加积极地争夺在非洲的商业机会。 维奥拉·戴维斯的加入将为该委员会注入更多活力和声望，她在娱乐界和社会活动领域的杰出表现使她成为这一使命的杰出代表。这一举措将有助于加强美国与非洲国家之间的合作，共同应对全球性挑战，这是一个积极的发展。希望维奥拉·戴维斯和其他委员们能够为加强美国与非洲之间的纽带和合作作出积极贡献。
President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced the first members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, including actor Viola Davis, who will advise Washington on deepening ties with African communities.
Washington has sought to stress the region's importance and counter challenges posed by China and Russia to the United States' interests in the increasingly important region.
Washington announced plans to establish the council in December last year during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which aimed to deepen Washington's ties with the region.
The council will advise the president on a range of issues, including how to strengthen relations between African communities and the United States, promoting trade and investment and building educational exchanges, among other issues, Judd Devermont, the National Security Council's senior director for African Affairs, told reporters.
The chair of the council will be Silvester Beaman, the Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church who pronounced the benediction at Biden's inauguration in 2021.
In addition to Viola Davis, members include: Patrick Gaspard, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress think tank; C.D. Glin, president of the PepsiCo Foundation and global head of social impact for PepsiCo; and Almaz Negash, founder of the African Diaspora Network, among others.
Davis this year won a Grammy for her audio recording of her memoir "Finding Me," granting her entry into the elite ranks of EGOT winners with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
The White House in a press release said Davis was "a revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist", who among other things, "has partnered with multiple programs to eliminate child hunger in the United States".
The United States aims to position itself as a better partner to African countries as China has sought to expand its influence by funding infrastructure projects on the continent and elsewhere.
Russia held its first Africa summit in 2019 and since sending troops into Ukraine has been pushing harder for influence and business on a continent where its Wagner mercenary group remains active.