Shiv's Newsletter #6
Welcome to the sixth issue! My 26th season begins 💪
👋 Bonjour! In today’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing moments from celebrating my 26th birthday with my parents in 🇫🇷 Paris and previewing the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC.
📖 In case you missed it, here’s the last edition from Dec. 1 where I talked about offsetting my personal carbon footprint and expressed my support for 🇧🇪 Belgium and 🇸🇳 Senegal in the 2022 men’s World Cup. Neither is in the tournament anymore lol 🫠
🎉 26th Birthday Recap
Even though it was a chilly Saturday morning in Antwerp, Dec. 10 marked another trip around the sun for me. My parents and I embarked on the Thalys high-speed train and within two hours we arrived in France’s capital. Shortly after traveling at 300 kilometers per hour and pulling into the Gare du Nord railway station, we made our way to Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. This was my first time coming back to the cinematic city in over a decade so I was soaking in all the vibes.
It was super fun getting to practice my French while strolling the streets, ordering hot chocolate at cafés (du chocolat chaud), and chanting “ALLEZ LES BLEUS!” with fans of the France national football team. Watching the France vs England quarterfinal match in a French sports bar was an unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime type experience. Other highlights from the weekend include visiting the Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) with my uni friend Aishwariya and shopping with my parents along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. I’m super grateful for spending my bday with them and a big thank you for all the wishes! 🎂
🇺🇸🌍 US-Africa Leaders Summit 2022
According to senior White House officials, president Joe Biden will host nearly 50 heads of state and representatives from across the African continent in DC from Dec. 13-15. This diplomatic exercise was initially launched by then-president Barack Obama in 2014 and hasn’t taken place again until now (unsurprisingly Donald Trump did not host the summit during his time in office).
The African continent will make up a quarter of the world’s population by 2050 and is home to the youngest demographic in the world (18.8 years median age compared with 30 years globally). So the US clearly cannot sleep on the continent and it already faces stiff competition from China and Russia on either investment and trade or military and security deals (for example, US trade with Africa dropped by 54% whereas China’s grew by 220% from 2007 to 2017). Biden plans to announce his support for adding the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 nations. In my opinion, this is long overdue and would help to finally have more African voices represented by the G20 on issues of global importance such as climate change, health, and security. Here’s a look at the schedule of the three-day Washington summit:
Dec. 13: Civil Society Day. The African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum will strengthen the dialogue between young Africans and citizens of African descent.
Dec. 14: Business Day. The US-Africa Business Forum (USABF) will host heads of state, global CEOs, emerging business leaders, sports figures, and celebrities.
Dec. 15: Leaders Day. It will feature government meetings and sessions on good governance, human rights, peace, sustainable development, food security, and more.
“For years, US engagement in Africa has emphasized poverty reduction, foreign aid, and addressing conflict and insecurity. While critically important, these priorities have not fully kept pace with dramatic changes occurring across the region, as Africa today has emerged as one of the world’s premier destinations for cutting-edge innovation and inspiring entrepreneurship. This upcoming summit presents an unparalleled opportunity for the U.S. to recalibrate its approach to the region’s rapidly changing dynamics.” —Brookings Institution
📚 What I’m reading
🇶🇦 The immigrants’ World Cup: See all the players who crossed borders to play football by Alexander Onukwue and Amanda Shendruk | Quartz
🇲🇦 Morocco are striking back for rest of the world against Europe and South America by Oliver Kay | The Athletic
🇩🇪 The Global Zeitenwende: How to Avoid a New Cold War in a Multipolar Era by Olaf Scholz (German chancellor) | Foreign Affairs
🇮🇳 Welcome to the Ambaniverse: How one billionaire dominates every aspect of life in India by Rest of World Staff
🎧 What I’m listening to
Creepin’ by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and 21 Savage
Love Language by SZA
Nevada by YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Rangisari by Kanishk Seth and Kavita Seth
👀 What to watch for
🇭🇷 Croatia vs 🇦🇷 Argentina (World Cup Semifinal on Dec. 13)
🇲🇦 Morocco vs 🇫🇷 France (World Cup Semifinal on Dec. 14)
🇬🇧 Finally finished season 5 of Netflix’s award-winning show The Crown which covers the 1990s with Imelda Staunton from Harry Potter assuming the role of Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Debecki brilliantly portraying Princess Diana
Thanks for reading fam! As always, let me know if you have any feedback on the newsletter. Wishing everyone a peaceful week ahead. 🥳 HBD to the Sagittarius squad.
À bientôt,
Shiv