Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, and Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), former Chair of the Africa Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, began the discussion with their impressions of key factors in the U.S.-Africa relationship, including economic partnerships, governance, and the global threat of terrorism.

Gallup Senior Analyst Magali Rheault presented the current Gallup data from Sub-Saharan Africa on approval of U.S. leadership, which rose from an already favorable level in 2008 (75%), to an even higher 87% in 2009 - making it the region with the most positive view of U.S. leadership in the world. Participants highlighted key factors underlying this view:

• The "Obama effect" - while part of the increase in favorability toward U.S. leadership throughout Africa is due to President Obama's election, many agreed that this increase may indicate unrealistic expectations of the new administration and may be followed by a decrease in 2010.
• Common objectives - leaders from Africa and the U.S. echoed our shared goals of peace, security and lasting economic development.
• The United States' economic strength.
• A history of strong U.S. partnership and engagement on HIV/AIDS issues.

Despite the consistently favorable opinions of U.S. leadership in Africa, participants addressed a number of ways to strengthen relations, as well as key challenges facing the African continent:

• Partner vs. Patriarch: There was consensus that America should work alongside African nations, in an effort to collaborate "from the side."
• Local Institutions: The U.S. should work through African institutions in order to help develop lasting solutions to the major issues under discussion.
• Focus on shared goals: While relations are strong, there are many who view the U.S. as trying to advance American concepts or ideals. To strengthen our partnerships, the U.S. and Africa should agree upon and focus on shared objectives.
• Changing the Narrative: A more accurate view of Africa should be promoted in the international media to reflect Africa's strong economic growth and to overcome stereotypes of both Africa and the United States.
• Transnational Threats: As in many other regions, Africa is faced with a number of transnational threats, including terrorism, the drug trade, and the environment, which will require international collaboration to confront.
• Democracy & Diversity: The process of establishing or strengthening democratic institutions in demographically diverse societies is a significant challenge that will require innovative, and intrinsically African, processes.

What can be done to strengthen U.S.-African relations? Potential areas for collaboration:

• Increase engagement on current efforts - the U.S. and Africa are already pursuing a number of positive initiatives, and the U.S. could increase the intensity of its engagement.
• Strengthen the rule of law, democracy and elections by providing economic resources for the judicial system and training for officials, teachers and regional authorities.
• Economic stimulation: Humanitarian aid efforts are strong, but the U.S. could strengthen economic ties through investment, trade, and long-term economic development initiatives.
• Combat poverty and hunger in a lasting way by making the link between strong institutions and strong economies.
• Strengthen the electoral process by helping to create strong African institutions and discouraging strong personalities.
• Develop innovative ways to address drug cartels and other transnational threats, including military capacity building.
• Strengthen education training and infrastructure.

Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA), a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee

Broad consensus indicated that U.S.-African relations are strong, built on a history of collaboration on pressing issues and a number of shared economic, social and political objectives. Approval of U.S. leadership in Africa is currently at its highest level, but there are several opportunities for the U.S. and African countries to work together to respond to major challenges facing not only the African continent, but the world. Many participants agreed that favorable views of the United States in Africa present an opportunity to forge new collaborations in areas such as infrastructure for good governance and a strong judicial system, education, and economic stimulation.

The U.S. - Global Leadership Project, a partnership between Meridian and Gallup, provides an ongoing assessment of the state of America's relationships with the world. The U.S.-Global Leadership Track of the Gallup World Poll monitors public opinion of U.S. leadership in over 100 countries around the world. Through an annual series of high-level discussions, the Project combines this data with analysis and commentary from global leaders to examine the factors driving global perceptions of U.S. leadership and to create a powerful barometer of U.S. relationships around the world.