At the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the United States made a point to listen and support Africans’ solutions to the continent’s security, humanitarian and development challenges. While the summit did help deepen ties with African leaders, it also offered a platform for African civil society leaders to make their voices heard in the conversation. USIP spoke with several participants of the summit’s Civil Society Forum to discuss the importance of peacebuilding for everyday Africans, the need to amplify marginalized voices in African politics and public life, and what the summit can do to help open up African societies to a more diverse array of contributions from their citizens.
