World Public Summit: Africa "New World: Africa in Shaping a Common Future" to Be Held in Addis Ababa
The World Public Summit: Africa "New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future" will take place on July 29–30, 2026, at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event is organized by the World Peoples Assembly in partnership with the Global Black History, Heritage and Education Centre and brings together over 2,000 representatives of international organizations, civil society institutions, government bodies, expert and business communities from 54 African countries, as well as participants from Eurasia and Latin America.
The Public Summit builds upon the outcomes of the First World Public Assembly "New World of Conscious Unity," held in 2025 in Moscow, and continues the series of World Public Summits in 2026, which began in India and continued in Brazil.
The event is grounded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu – "I am because we are," which resonates with the mission of the World Peoples Assembly.
The summit program is structured around six thematic areas:
values, development and partnership economy;
preservation of African heritage;
authentic sovereignty (infrastructure, food, information security);
Africa's youth and international leadership;
challenges of AI and media;
creativity and cultural diplomacy.
The roundtables and meetings will take place on July 29, 2026.
At the session of the International Media Club of the World Peoples Assembly "Africa's Information Sovereignty and the Crisis of Trust in Media: Journalist's Responsibility in the Era of Neural Networks," the moderator will be Philip Blessed Osagie (Nigeria), founder and strategist of JSP Communications. Speakers include: Evgeny Safronov (Russia), Head of the Media Center of the World Peoples Assembly and founder of the InterMedia news agency; Alfred Lastik Mushi, founder and chairman of the Kili Voices foundation and journalist at Daily Mail Tanzania; Eric Biegon (Kenya), trustee of a charitable foundation and journalist at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation; Tariku Negash (Ethiopia), founder of Serve Global; Zewdne Abdi (Ethiopia), editor-in-chief of Addis Media Network; Eyasu Zakaria (Ethiopia), editor of Capital Newspaper; Netsanet Jemal (Ethiopia), editor at Addis Media Network; Hiwote Desaleny (Ethiopia), blogger at Addis Podcast; Tesfaye Getnet (Ethiopia), deputy editor-in-chief of Fidelpost.com; and Clarissa Waidorven (Cameroon), journalist, co-founder and host of Global Insights.
At the roundtable "Economic Consciousness: The Missing Horizon of Pan-Africanism," the moderator will be Clarissa Waidorven (Cameroon), journalist, strategic communications specialist, co-founder and host of Global Insights. Speakers include: Michael Ndimancho (Cameroon), member of the GlobUs expert club, Pan-Africanist, Doctor of Sciences; Nyaka Lagoke (Côte d'Ivoire/USA), Associate Professor of History and Pan-African Studies at Lincoln University; Tedrel Oboa (Congo), advisor to the Director of DGSP; and Henriette Céleste Natasha Adiza Mwa-Dirabou (Gabon).
At the roundtable "NGOs in African Countries: The Invisible Power of Dimensions," the moderator will be Vyacheslav Ivanov (Russia), Chief Expert at the Centre for Civil Society and Non-Profit Sector Research at HSE University. Speakers include: John Aggrey (Ghana), Director General of the Ghana-Russia Centre for Trade and Liaison; Fassikaw Molla Amera, Deputy Director General of the Authority for Civil Society Organizations of Ethiopia; Irina Mersiyanova (Russia), Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Non-Profit Sector Research at HSE University; Anar Izden (Kazakhstan), Executive Director of the Qorqyt International Cooperation and Development Agency Public Foundation; and Daria de Conceição, head of the partner Russian House of the Centre for Public Diplomacy in Mozambique.
At the roundtable "Space Without Borders: Uniting the World through Education, Science and Humanitarian Partnership," the moderator will be Alena Kuzmenko (Russia), President of the Unity Charitable Foundation. The key speaker will be Oleg Skripochka, Hero of the Russian Federation and cosmonaut. Speakers include: William Schneider Rabelo (Brazil), engineer, space technology researcher, and coordinator of the Unity Foundation in Latin America; Raksana Batsmanova (Spain), NASA nurse, Unity Foundation ambassador, and specialist in medical support for space missions; Kirubel Menberu, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Space Science Society; and Kubakurungi Safira (Uganda), coordinator of educational programs at ASLI Education.
At the meeting of the Scientific and Expert Council of the World Peoples Assembly "Shared Values for the Future of Humanity," the moderator will be Alexander Ageev (Russia), Director General of MNIIPU, Chairman of the Scientific and Expert Council of the World Peoples Assembly, and member of the Club of Rome. Speakers include: Madi Bolero Hamada, Prime Minister of the Union of the Comoros (2000–2002); Sylvia Nkanyuza (South Africa), Vice President of the Global Black Centre and Head of the African Division, Doctor of Psychology, former President of NTESU; Emmanuel Argo (France), member of the High Advisory Council of the World Peoples Assembly, founder and chairman of the Africa Mundus network; Nyaka Lagoke (Côte d'Ivoire), Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of History and Pan-African Studies at Lincoln University; Nakedi Mbabama (South Africa), Senior Advisor to the Secretariat of the Global Black Centre, writer, ideologue and journalist; Hedi Ben Saleh, President of the Tunisian Association of Graduates of Soviet Universities; Souleymane Anta Ndiaye (Senegal), Chairman of the Executive Bureau of the International Movement of Russophiles and Chairman of the Forum for African Renaissance (FORA); Lang Fafa Dampha Akalan (Gambia), Senior Advisor to the Secretariat of the Global Black Centre, former Executive Secretary of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN-AU) and Acting Director of the African Centre for Migration Studies (ACSRMAU); Sisay Lucas (Ethiopia), representative of the Youth Wing of the Global Black Centre, software developer, HISA scholar at Oxford University; and online – Obafemi Olatunji Christopher Kasumu (Nigeria), member of the High Advisory Council of the World Peoples Assembly, head of ESPAM University (Kalawi campus).
At the roundtable "The Zambezi River: Economy, Society, Soul," the moderator will be Victoria Piri Chitungu (Zambia), Director of the Livingstone National Museum and cultural historian. Speakers include: Perris Nkombe, Director of the Lusaka National Museum (Zambia); Manfred Gaeb, Director of the National Museum of Namibia; Kabelo Mogami, Acting Director of the National Museum of Botswana; Artem Silkin, Director of the Sviyazhsk Island-Fortress State Museum-Reserve and Vice President of the Russian Committee of ICOM; students from Russia Svetlana Dubeykovskaya and Alexander Pravednikov; and Ivan Zakharov, researcher at the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
At the roundtable "Creating the Image of the Future Human in Literature," the moderator will be Margarita Al (Russia), poet, Chair of the Literary Council of the World Peoples Assembly, and President of the World Organization of Writers (WOW). Speakers include: Addisalem Mulat Zewolde (Ethiopia), writer, poet, translator, educator and journalist; Alem Hailu Gebre Kristos (Ethiopia), writer, poet, translator and editor-in-chief of Ethiopia Herald; Melkamesera Afeworq, journalist, author-director and co-founder of Zema Biere Ethiopia Women Auteurs Association; Abebe Woldegiogis (Ethiopia), translator and journalist at Ethiopian Press Agency; and online – Alexandra Ochirova (Russia), poet, Chair of the WOW Board, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador; Timur Zulfikarov, People's Writer of Tajikistan, Nobel Prize in Literature nominee; Ashraf Abu Al-Yazid (Egypt), poet, writer and President of the Asian Journalists Association; Adel Khouzam (UAE), poet, writer and translator, columnist at Al-Ittihad; Rubén Darío Flórez Arcila (Colombia), poet, novelist and translator; and Wole Okediran (Ghana), writer, Secretary General of the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA).
The official opening of the World Public Summit: Africa "New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future" will take place on July 30 at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa.
Welcoming addresses to participants will be delivered by the organizers – Andrey Belyaninov, Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly, and Tsegae Chama, Secretary General of the Global Black Centre – who will outline the role of public diplomacy and the African continent in shaping a just multipolar world.
The opening ceremony will be attended by honorary guests: Mohammed Ali Nasser, President of the Arab Peace Group and President of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1980–1986); Samuel Kifle, President of Addis Ababa University; Evgeny Terekhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Ethiopia and Plenipotentiary Representative of Russia to the African Union; and Oleg Skripochka, cosmonaut and Hero of the Russian Federation.
The central element of the business program will be Plenary Session I: "Values, Development and Partnership as the Foundation for a Sustainable and Just World," moderated by Philip Blessed Osagie (Nigeria), founder and strategist of JSP Communications. Key speakers expected include Svetlana Smirnova, Chair of the General Council of the World Peoples Assembly; Tariku Negash (Ethiopia), Deputy Director of Serve Global Inc.; Mabvuto Tembo Chipata (Zambia), Executive Director of the Her Voice Charitable Foundation; Madi Bolero Hamada, Prime Minister of the Union of the Comoros (2000–2002); and Fidel Antonio Castro-Smirnov, academician of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and professor at the University of Havana.
Plenary Session II will be dedicated to the presentation of the Global Black History, Heritage and Education Centre project and the themes of preserving African heritage, cultural memory and identity. The moderator will be Tsegae Chama, Secretary General of the Global Black Centre, with speakers including Sylvia Nkanyuza (South Africa), Vice President of the Global Black Centre and Head of the African Division; Nakedi Mbabama (South Africa), Senior Advisor to the Secretariat of the Global Black Centre, writer and ideologue; Lang Fafa Dampha Akalan (Gambia), Senior Advisor to the Secretariat of the Global Black Centre; and Sisay Lucas (Ethiopia), representative of the Youth Wing of the Global Black Centre.
The business program of the World Public Summit: Africa includes 5 panel sessions focused on scientific and educational cooperation, leadership, innovation and cultural diplomacy.
"International Cooperation in Science and Education as a Driver of Sustainable Development: From Global Strategies to Collective Action" will be moderated by Alana Kochieva (Russia) and will bring together experts in education and science from various countries. Expected speakers include Mahaman Bachir Saley (Côte d'Ivoire), Abebe Assefa Abate (Ethiopia), Rasul Omarov (Turkey), Sidahmed Alfadi Seidnaly (Niger), Mimoun Oumeilaïd (Morocco), Abebaw Yirga Adamu, Abossede Paulette Okpeitcha (Benin), and Melkamu Afeta (Ethiopia).
"Humanistic Leadership and Public Initiatives: Investing in People as the Foundation of Africa's Future" will focus on new models of leadership, social projects and human capital development. Moderated by Philip Blessed Osagie (Nigeria), speakers include Yanina Dubeykovskaya (Russia), Khristina Romanenko (Tunisia), Nina Zelenskaya (South Africa), Jibrin Muhammad Usman (Nigeria), as well as nominees of the International Competition "Leader of Public Diplomacy" – Marlis Ndjega (Cameroon), Ekpome Jean-Louis Brou (Côte d'Ivoire), Christiana Onoya (Nigeria), Tsegay Gidey Gebreanenia (Ethiopia), Douda Amadou Kassé (Senegal), Jean-Jacques Lukusa (DR Congo), and Lucile Naziambe Mubenda (Zambia).
"The New Generation of Leaders: Education, Employment and International Cooperation," organized in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, UNICEF, the African Union Department for Women, Youth and Gender Equality, Serve Global and the Global Black Centre, will focus on opportunities for youth. Moderated by Hiwote Desaleny (Ethiopia), speakers are expected to include Alime Kukoeva (Russia), Mustafa Bajji (Gambia), Mohamed Falfoul (Tunisia), Hiwot Gebeyehu (UNICEF), Keiso Matashane-Marite, Ziona Ayorkor Holm (Ghana), Platon Mersiyanov (Russia), Rumeet Valiya (India), and Rediet Negussie (Ethiopia).
"Innovations for the Future: Challenges and Opportunities," prepared in partnership with the African Union, will address technological development, digital transformation and new economic models. Moderated by Alexander Ageev, speakers include Chisala S. Bwalya (Zambia), David Okpatuma Otujor (Nigeria), Marlis Ndjenga (Cameroon), Yaroslav Tarasyuk, Trade Representative of the Russian Federation in Ethiopia, Zekarias Assefa, Ilya Shakalov, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Krasnodar Krai, as well as participants from Russia – Nikita Popupanov, Dmitry Medvedev and Elena Vdovina.
"Creativity and Cultural Diplomacy for a Shared Future" will address the role of art, culture and creative industries in developing international dialogue and strengthening trust. Moderated by Victoria Piri (Zambia), speakers include Martin Mhando (Tanzania), Igor Skvortsov (Russia), President of the Cultural Diplomacy Community Association; Shaibu Mohammed (Ghana), Maria Rogacheva, Director of the Intercultural Centre at RUDN University; Sibalwa Hope (Zambia), Jenori Klot (Namibia), Vladimir Golovachev, Director of the Russian House in Addis Ababa, and Henok Zerihun (Ethiopia).
The awards ceremony for the laureates of the regional stage of the V International Competition "Leader of Public Diplomacy" in Africa will take place in the evening at the Adwa Victory Memorial complex in Addis Ababa. The honoring of laureates will be followed by the "Unity" concert program featuring performers from different countries, serving as a symbolic cultural highlight of the Public Summit.
A special place in the Summit program will be given to the presentation of international projects of the World Peoples Assembly and its partners.
For the first time, the international project "The Zambezi River: Economy, Society, Soul" will be presented, aimed at the integrated development of the Zambezi River basin territories.
The Summit will feature an international exhibition program, including the "Unity" exhibition of contemporary artists from 16 African countries, dedicated to the cultural diversity of African peoples, as well as the international children's art exhibition "The World Paints Happiness," bringing together works by young artists from around the world.
Special attention will be paid to the development of international business cooperation. Representatives of the business community, chambers of commerce and industry, and public organizations will discuss prospects for joint investment, educational, social and humanitarian projects aimed at strengthening economic ties between African countries and other regions of the world.
A practical outcome of the World Public Summit: Africa will be the signing of cooperation agreements between the World Peoples Assembly and partners from African countries.
Based on the outcomes of the work, participants will adopt the "African Communique," reflecting proposals for the development of public diplomacy, humanitarian cooperation, education, science, culture, youth policy, civil society and international partnership.
The results and recommendations of the World Public Summit: Africa will be presented at the Second World Public Assembly "New World: Values That Unite," to be held on September 18–19, 2026 in Moscow.
The Second World Public Assembly will bring together representatives of government bodies, international organizations, civil society institutions, science, education, culture, business and youth from around the world to discuss pressing issues of international humanitarian cooperation, public diplomacy, and the formation of an international agenda based on shared values, mutual respect and partnership.
Additional information about the program and participants is available on the official websites of the World Public Summits and the World Peoples Assembly.
Media inquiries: media@world-assembly.org and by phone +7 (985) 768-2053 (contact person – Oksana Leontyeva).
For partnership inquiries: dubeykovskaya@world-assembly.org (Yanina Dubeykovskaya).