LYNCHBURG, Virginia – The Equity for Africa Summit hosted by the Liberty University School of Business and the Freedom Center came to a close Thursday. On the final day, African business and African government representatives had the opportunity to sit one-on-one with over 30 American businesses and CEOs.
The focus of the three-day summit has been to connect African businesses’ needs with American solutions and technology. Attendees have several take-aways from this summit that include international business and governmental contacts; opportunities to start or grow an African business designed to improve the quality of life for Africans; connection with a global network of ministries and faith based organizations that will support the spiritual growth of African nations; and a warning of the atheistic/communistic infringement on African liberties, religious expression, and human rights by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
According to a BRI backgrounder by the Counsel on Foreign Relations (CFR):
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived. Launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, the vast collection of development and investment initiatives would stretch from East Asia to Europe, significantly expanding China’s economic and political influence.
Some analysts see the project as an unsettling extension of China’s rising power, and as the costs of many of the projects have skyrocketed, opposition has grown in some countries. Meanwhile, the United States shares the concern of some in Asia that the BRI could be a Trojan horse for China-led regional development and military expansion. Under President Donald J. Trump, Washington has raised alarm over Beijing’s actions, but it has struggled to offer governments in the region a more appealing economic vision.
Dr. David Brat, PhD, Dean of Liberty University School of Business agreed, “African nations are being offered unbelievably attractive infrastructure packages that look too good to pass up. The problem there is that if there is any default on the payments, or any political turmoil or economic downturn, the asset goes back to China.”
Dr. Brat added, “the greatest threat is that we do not share the same values. The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is a Marxist regime, which means there is no God and no human rights.”
The Equity for Africa Summit has presented and proposed American solutions to stand against the totalitarian efforts of China. The co-host of the Equity for Africa Summit, The Freedom Center, and the faith based Global Strategic Alliance (GSA) are just two of the many groups in attendance that have expressed American values as the antithesis of the atheistic, Marxist, totalitarian values of the Chinese government.
Kevin Jessip, the founder of Global Strategic Alliance, said, “The purpose of the summit is to counter China efforts with Belt and Road Initiative designed to enslave these people with unsustainable debt and eventually take over their mineral rights.”
GSAÂ is a 501(c)(3), Christian faith-based organization, which acts as a hub of networking ministries, organizations, and governments into a ‘Kingdom alliance.’
Jessip continued, “We are called by God to arise, align, and activate God’s people to accomplish His purposes.”
Through a project named the Joseph Mandate, GSAs is working to “create and offer ‘storehouses’ of innovative, sound infrastructure to the world through national planning to meet basic needs of decent shelters, clean water, crops, energy, technology and more.”
Summit co-sponsor The Freedom Center at Liberty University believes:
Religious liberty, limited government, free markets, rights of the unborn, right to bear arms, and traditional [Biblical] virtues are necessary foundations to a free and prosperous society. The threat of authoritarian statism, secularism, and socialism is contrary to the human spirit and a present danger. We believe that all citizens have a duty to promote, preserve, and defend American values through continuous cultural renewal and political engagement.
Watch Equity for Africa Summit video from the day here.
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Joshua Pratt is reporting for the Virginia Star and the Star News Network. He holds a degree in Political Science from Arizona State University, three master’s degrees from Liberty University including an MDiv. Joshua is conservative grass roots organizer and currently serves as the Political Director for Virginians for America First. He can be reached at [email protected].
Photo by Daniel Moreno / Liberty University
