GENEVA, March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The complexity of the challenges Africa faces today demands an integrative approach to finding feasible solutions. Whereas many conferences focusing on Africa are one-dimensional and revolve around recurring themes, the aim of Gateway to Africa is to invoke a panoramic discourse that will deal with the most vital issues in Africa today - health, education, energy, politics, and Africa's standing in the international arena - tackling these topics from an interdisciplinary approach.

Featured speakers and African panelists to provide multidimensional approach to Africa today

Mr. Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2007-2010), will open the conference with his insight on overcoming the financial crash and dealing with critical areas of development in an era of globalization. The subsequent session on environment will host former Vice President, USA, Mr. Al Gore, who will share his knowledge in a presentation entitled "Thinking Green", followed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of The Green Belt Movement, Dr. Wangari Maathai, who will speak about the critical link between environment, democracy and peace.

The conference will address the urgent health issues that Africa faces today, with an extensive health panel led by international experts. Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, will then give his perspective on democratic transformation and governance and the role citizens can take in empowering themselves, along with the future challenges in Africa.

The closing session of Gateway to Africa will bring together experts in diplomacy and international terror, including Prof. Shlomo Ben Ami, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel, who will address the conference on containing conflict and the limitations of diplomacy.

Throughout the conference, panels of African experts will openly discuss these significant issues, contributing to a multidimensional and interdisciplinary dialogue on Africa today.

For more information and registration to the conference, visit http://www.gateway2africa.org.