2025 Mandela Day + Mandela Washington Fellows by ASU and Global Chamber PHX

In-Person Event at Global Chamber®

Featuring the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders at ASU

Friday July 18, 2025 at 10am AZ/PT, in person at Thunderbird School of Global Management

Our annual face-to-face conversation with Mandela Washington Fellows, discussing what they've learned, and the IMPACT they're planning when they return home.

We invite you to be inspired AND celebrate Mandela Day with the ASU cohort of the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a U.S. Department of State program that Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions has hosted annually since 2014. 

This year’s cohort is aged 26 to 35 years of age, from 21 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. Arizona State University is a sub-grantee of IREX and is implementing a Leadership Institute as a part of the Fellowship.  For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, please visit the Fellowship’s website at www.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org.

Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela's birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.

Agenda - Friday the 18th (10am - 11:30am)

Welcome Remarks on Friday

• Welcome to Phoenix / Mary Rabago, Advisory Board Leader at Global Chamber® PHX
• Welcome to Global Chamber® Africa / Alexandra Scott, Project Manager at Global Chamber®
• Welcome by Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU / Ghazal Khorshidi
• Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions / Dr. Kelly Bricker, Associate Dean

Main Program on Friday

• Meet the Mandela Washington Fellows / Hector Zelaya, Bob Ramsey Executive Education
• Main Program by the Mandela Washington Fellows
• Q&A, Open Networking and Close  

On the previous day, Thursday the 17th, register for the closing ceremony here with the leaders.

Speakers at the closing include...

1. Oyin Odidi, Nigeria – “The Problem of Permanence in Africa”
2. Dr. Bonaventure Niyoyita, Rwanda – “Nourish the Nation: Ending Malnutrition Starts with Us”
3. Seun Onarinde, Nigeria – “From Silence to Storm – When Citizens Refuse to Back Down”
4. Raghavi Naidu, Seychelles – “Be the Change: Our Collective Role in Climate Change”
5. Gift Bujjingo, Uganda – “The Cost of Digital Exclusion”

- - - - - - - - - -

Arrive by 9:50am local time to get you seated for a starting time of 10am.

Parking is available at street meters all around the downtown ASU campus. There are spots available at this time of day, and it’s at the regular rate of approximately $3/h. Also consider the parking garages nearby, which are $20 for the full day, $8 for partial. The AZ Republic Parking is adjacent to the building, though remember that you'll need to come around to the 1st Street side via Polk Street for the main entrance to Thunderbird.

• AZ Republic Parking - 455 N 2nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
• Sheraton - 340 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 – It’s right next to the AZ Republic Parking
• Chase Parking - 160 E Monroe St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 and the ASU

About Global Chamber

Global Chamber® is an inclusive, worldwide platform for leaders, CEOs, executives, investors and earnest professionals across 195 countries and in over 525 regions that supports finding opportunities and empowering growth, success and progress. We're the only chamber of commerce in the world that operates in hundreds of locations and delivers strategic connections, information and resources to facilitate exporting, importing and investing across regions and borders.

Be global and UNSTOPPABLE!

More about Global Chamber® here and Global Chamber® Phoenix here.

Global Chamber® is a registered trademark of Global Chamber, LLC since 2014.