By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 25 June 2012:
A number of high-profile speakers have now been confirmed for the three-day ‘Libya Summit to Explore Newer . . .[restrict]Avenues and Novel Strategies for the Emerging Economy,’ which is being held at Tripoli’s Radisson Blu Mahari Hotel starting 20 November.
Dr Abdulmonem Alyaseer, a member of the General National Congress, will be the keynote speaker. Osama F. Elguile, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Ministry of Finance and Richard H. Griffiths, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Libya, are two further names. There will also be a special pre-conference session with American freedom-fighter Matthew VanDyke.
With more than 40 speakers and panelists, the Libya Summit is being billed as one of the country’s biggest business event this year. It is bringing together business leaders, global policy makers, diplomats and other stakeholders in the country to explore opportunities for Libya to become a thriving economy. The summit also promises more than ten hours of networking sessions among attendees.
Topics will range from the emerging trends in the Libyan economy and strategies for its re-building to re-developing the healthcare and educational systems. Panel discussions will centre on areas such as transforming Libya to a model of stability and economic excellence, encouraging the private sector and exploring opportunities for the oil and gas sector.
The vice president of Middle East Affairs from the US Chamber of Commerce, Lionel C. Johnson, will be presenting a special session on supporting Libyan-US relations. On the topic of hydrocarbon resources, Vladislav Kulakovsky, project risk manager for Lukoil, will discuss the role of foreign investment in expanding oil production.
Other speakers will include Princess Alia Al-Senussi, art patron of the Libyan Heritage Trust and the Global Heritage Fund, Dr Ahmed M. Shembesh, who set up the Libyan Foundation for Rehabilitation and Dr Filiz Katman, director of Turkey’s Istanbul Aydin University.
Alaa Murabit, founder of the Voice of Libyan Women, Abdul Rahman Al-Ageli, the vice president of Libyan Youth Forum and Ahmed Shebani, founder of the Democratic Party of Libya, have also been confirmed as speakers.
The special pre-conference session with VanDyke will be held on 19 November. The American journalist and film-maker fought in the revolution alongside friends made during his 2007-2011 motorbike travels in the Middle East.
He was captured by Qaddafi forces and spent 165 days in solitary confinement in the notorious Maktab Al-Nasser and Abu Salim prisons, before his escape with other prisoners in August 2011. He immediately returned to the front line and remained in Libya until after the fall of Qaddafi.
VanDyke is the author of the award-winning ‘Freedom Fighter blog’ and a journalist for the Huffington Post. He has also recently founded the NGO ‘After the Revolution.’ This aims to bring experts to newly-liberated countries to train local mental health professionals and counsellors in the latest methods for treating combat-related stress disorders.
His session will be followed by a networking and cocktail reception for all delegates.
The lead media partners for the summit are the Libya Herald, Libya Business News and Libya Business TV. [/restrict]
