http://tonyblairoffice.org en Copyright 2012 2012-01-29T18:07:02+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-sierra-leone-has-much-to-celebrate1/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-sierra-leone-has-much-to-celebrate1/ "...a lot done and a lot to do" - Africa Governance Initiative Founder tells AFP that, ten years after the end of the war, the West African country is moving in the right direction. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-01-27T16:48:49+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-africa-governance-initiative-to-support-president-of-guineas-dri/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-africa-governance-initiative-to-support-president-of-guineas-dri/ Tony Blair was in Conakry this week to launch a new Africa Governance Initiative project to support President Alpha Conde’s government, nearly a year after the President came to power in the country’s first ever free and fair democratic election. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-12-16T15:55:07+00:00 /africa/news-entry/capacity4dev-agi-building-capacities-to-get-things-done/ /africa/news-entry/capacity4dev-agi-building-capacities-to-get-things-done/ Capacity4dev.eu recently spoke with AGI's Director of Strategy and Development, Andy Ratcliffe, on the international community's role in supporting a new generation of development-focused African leaders. "The time is right for donors to support the ambitions and visions of a new generation of development-focused African leaders, according to representatives from the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, who took part in the recent Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan." Africa Governance Initiative 2012-01-29T18:07:02+00:00 /africa/news-entry/africa-governance-initiative-and-the-government-of-rwanda-establish-innovat/ /africa/news-entry/africa-governance-initiative-and-the-government-of-rwanda-establish-innovat/ Tony Blair joined President Kagame in Rwanda this Friday to praise the launch of a new and innovative programme, the Strategic Capacity Building Initiative (SCBI), which will drive Rwanda’s development and has the potential to transform the way capacity development is done in Africa. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-12-12T15:56:46+00:00 /africa/news-entry/optimism-and-ownership-key-at-busan/ /africa/news-entry/optimism-and-ownership-key-at-busan/ BLOG: AGI Chief Executive, Kate Gross, shares her reflections on the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness which took place in Busan, South Korea at the end of November. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-12-07T10:12:03+00:00 /africa/news-entry/USAID-and-Africa-Governance-Initiative-Statement/ /africa/news-entry/USAID-and-Africa-Governance-Initiative-Statement/ "We are optimists about Africa. Today, Africa offers opportunities one could scarcely imagine a generation ago. The continent is on the move. Economies are growing, creating jobs and improving livelihoods. Over the past decade, eight economies from Sub-Saharan Africa have more than doubled in size. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-30T17:01:44+00:00 /africa/news-entry/president-kagame-singles-out-agi-for-praise-at-global-forum-on-aid/ /africa/news-entry/president-kagame-singles-out-agi-for-praise-at-global-forum-on-aid/ President Paul Kagame of Rwanda today singled out the work of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) as a model of aid effectiveness, during his speech to the world's biggest forum for the developed and developing worlds to discuss how to make aid work. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-30T16:22:01+00:00 /africa/news-entry/countries-can-end-their-dependence-on-aid-tony-blair-tells-bbcs-today/ /africa/news-entry/countries-can-end-their-dependence-on-aid-tony-blair-tells-bbcs-today/ Tony Blair tells Today presenter Sarah Montague that "within a generation, no country need be dependent on aid." Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-29T10:41:58+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-ending-global-aid-in-a-generation/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-ending-global-aid-in-a-generation/ "Fifty years ago, the scene in Busan, South Korea, would have been a familiar image of international aid: sacks of grain stacked precariously on a crumbling dockside. But when national and development leaders gather in Busan this week to discuss the future of aid, they will see a very different place: the fifth-busiest commercial port in the world, transporting advanced technologies around the globe." Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-28T10:26:27+00:00 /africa/news-entry/were-about-to-enter-a-new-decade-of-exciting-innovation/ /africa/news-entry/were-about-to-enter-a-new-decade-of-exciting-innovation/ Next week will be the first time in years we see former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair taking to the international stage and attending a high level forum with world leaders. The Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectivenessin Busan, South Korea will review the progress made on former commitments to aid effectiveness, and showcase commitments that set a new agenda for development. Certainly one to watch. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-24T11:36:26+00:00 /africa/news-entry/see-africa-differently-speaks-with-tony-blair/ /africa/news-entry/see-africa-differently-speaks-with-tony-blair/ Tony Blair recently spoke with the See Africa Differently team about his optimism for the continent, what he hopes to achieve at the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan and what he thinks of the campaign to portray the modern, progressive Africa. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-22T12:00:48+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-speaks-with-the-gates-foundations-impatient-optimists/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-speaks-with-the-gates-foundations-impatient-optimists/ Last week Amy Enright, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sat down with former Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss aid, leadership and what he means by 'giving aid to end aid'. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-11-21T17:33:11+00:00 /africa/news-entry/andy-ratcliffe-on-tony-blairs-speech-and-the-emerging-debates-in-the-uk-dev/ /africa/news-entry/andy-ratcliffe-on-tony-blairs-speech-and-the-emerging-debates-in-the-uk-dev/ "What made the event particularly powerful for me was the sense that it was part of a vibrant wider debate on the future of support for development -including, but not limited to a discussion of aid effectiveness." Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-21T18:23:56+00:00 /africa/news-entry/more-than-aid-an-interview-with-kate-gross/ /africa/news-entry/more-than-aid-an-interview-with-kate-gross/ Kate Gross, AGI's Chief Executive, tells Dynamics magazine about our work and ambitions for the future. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-21T14:43:03+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-challenges-international-community-to-eliminate-aid-dependency-w/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-challenges-international-community-to-eliminate-aid-dependency-w/ Tony Blair today set out his vision for how Africa working with the international community can eliminate aid dependence within a generation. He said: “Capacity is the answer; indeed the only long term answer. It has to be built in partnership with developing countries and through systems of effective and structured decision making. Around the world the lessons are there and available. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-20T15:55:04+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-new-world-bank-rankings-show-sierra-leone-is-fast-becoming-a-gre/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-new-world-bank-rankings-show-sierra-leone-is-fast-becoming-a-gre/ “Today’s World Bank report shows that Sierra Leone is fast becoming a great place to do business. Go there today and you will see that it is a country on the move with huge numerous investment opportunities. I am in no doubt that this is the result of the President’s pledge to run the country like a business, an approach that has the country firmly on the path to aid independence.” Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-19T17:59:32+00:00 /africa/news-entry/agi-ceo-kate-gross-named-among-the-uks-next-generation-of-development-leade/ /africa/news-entry/agi-ceo-kate-gross-named-among-the-uks-next-generation-of-development-leade/ Kate Gross has been chosen as one of the Devex 40-under-40 international development leaders in London. Devex, the world's largest community of aid and development professionals, named Kate along with leaders from Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, as one of the 40 young leaders with the biggest influence on the development agenda and impact on development results. The London 40 follows last year's Washington 40 including USAID head Raj Shah. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-17T10:35:56+00:00 /africa/news-entry/governance-in-liberia-and-sierra-leone/ /africa/news-entry/governance-in-liberia-and-sierra-leone/ Mo Ibrahim praised the striking improvements made by two of AGI’s partner governments – Liberia and Sierra Leone – in overall governance quality at the launch of the 2011 Ibrahim Index of African Governance. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-14T09:04:35+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-congratulates-president-ellen-johnson/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-congratulates-president-ellen-johnson/ Tony Blair, Founder of the Africa Governance Initiative, said: “It is difficult to think of a more deserving recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize than President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia. As Africa’s first female Head of State, she is undoubtedly a powerful symbol of the continent’s progress... Africa Governance Initiative 2011-10-07T16:18:24+00:00 /africa/news-entry/africa-america-institute-celebrates-sierra-leone-a-country-on-the-move/ /africa/news-entry/africa-america-institute-celebrates-sierra-leone-a-country-on-the-move/ The Africa America Institute (AAI) hosted its 27th Annual Awards Dinner Gala in New York in honour of the people of Sierra Leone. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-09-21T09:17:08+00:00 /africa/news-entry/reflections-from-agis-staff-development-week-2011/ /africa/news-entry/reflections-from-agis-staff-development-week-2011/ BLOG: AGI's, Director of Strategy and Development Andy Ratcliffe reflects on our annual Staff Development Week which allowed our teams based in Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone to return to London and share the lessons from their experience and hear the views of outside experts. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-09-01T17:40:07+00:00 /africa/news-entry/usaid-announces-new-partnership-with-agi/ /africa/news-entry/usaid-announces-new-partnership-with-agi/ The USAID has announced its support for the AGI Sierra Leone programme in order to promote broad-based economic growth by improving government support to investors and smallholder farmers. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-07-28T12:23:22+00:00 /africa/news-entry/development-drums-podcast-agi-patron-tony-blair/ /africa/news-entry/development-drums-podcast-agi-patron-tony-blair/ AGI Patron Tony Blair talks to Owen Barder about leadership, governance and the work of AGI in episode 27 of the development podcast Development Drums Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-20T12:01:05+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-africa-needs-stronger-governments-to-emerge-from-poverty/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-africa-needs-stronger-governments-to-emerge-from-poverty/ AGI founder and patron tells Guardian in Freetown: "Aid is important and it works and we should be really proud of what we as a country have done in aid, but aid is one half; the other half is governance. For most of these countries, their problems are every bit as much governance, as much as the lack or availability of aid." Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-17T21:03:48+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-praises-remarkable-pace-of-private-sector-development-during/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-praises-remarkable-pace-of-private-sector-development-during/ Tony Blair, Founder of the Africa Governance Initiative, was in Sierra Leone this week to review the progress of AGI’s Sierra Leone programme Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-17T13:41:07+00:00 /africa/news-entry/blair-elumelu-fellowship-programme-supporting-african-governments-to-advanc/ /africa/news-entry/blair-elumelu-fellowship-programme-supporting-african-governments-to-advanc/ The Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) and The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) are pleased to announce the signing ceremony of the Blair Elumelu Fellowship Programme, supporting transformational governments to advance the economic development of Africa. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-15T09:45:59+00:00 /africa/news-entry/president-johnson-sirleaf-and-tony-blair-meet-to-discuss-progress/ /africa/news-entry/president-johnson-sirleaf-and-tony-blair-meet-to-discuss-progress/ The President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with Tony Blair, Founder and Patron of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) today as part of her two-day visit to the UK, to discuss the ongoing work of AGI’s capacity development programme with the Ministry of State in Liberia. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-14T13:02:21+00:00 /africa/news-entry/pioneering-development-in-rwanda/ /africa/news-entry/pioneering-development-in-rwanda/ BLOG: AGI's Kate Gross reflects on her recent trip to Rwanda and how the country is taking charge of its own development and transforming itself into modern, connected service economy in the process. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-06-08T13:58:54+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Strengthening-Government-in-post-conflict-countries/ /africa/news-entry/Strengthening-Government-in-post-conflict-countries/ Speaking to Bill Eagle at the Voice of America, AGI's Paul Skidmore says with practical advice and support, fragile states can make government work for the poor. Africa Governance Initiative 2011-05-17T09:27:24+00:00 /africa/news-entry/sierra-leones-free-healthcare-initiative-one-year-on/ /africa/news-entry/sierra-leones-free-healthcare-initiative-one-year-on/ BLOG: After her latest trip to Freetown, AGI Chief Executive Kate Gross writes about Sierra Leone's Free Healthcare Initiative Africa Governance Initiative 2011-04-29T12:03:15+00:00