Youth speaker Omekongo Dibinga will be partnering with the State Department to empower youth activists in Mali, West Africa. Omekongo will travel to Bamako, Mali in June to work with 40 youth workers on strategies that they can use to effectively reach youth in Mali. Mali has been dealing with serious issues of extreme violence as elemnts of Al Qaeda have made serious advances in parts of Mali. The government of Mali and the United States both believe that youth in Mali need to have access to alternative means to extreme violence and have brought in Omekongo to work with them on this project.

Omekongo and his organization UPstander International has been working with youth populations across the globe to provide concrete development strategies for youth. Says Omekongo of this latest project: "I am excited to partner with the State Department and to work with youth in Mali. Whether I'm speaking in English or French when I do a training, I know that youth issues are the same throughout the globe. Youth want to feel valued, motivated, and want to feel as if they have true pathways to live their dreams. This is going to be a great experience!"

Omékongo Dibinga is the UPstander. In this capacity he serves as a diversity educator, CNN contributor, and trilingual recording artist. He is the Director of UPstander International and host of the cable TV talk show "Real Talk." Internationally, he has worked in 18 countries. His work has appeared on TV & radio in over 150 countries. He is the winner of the "CNN iReport Spirit Award" and the "Urban Music Award". He provides educational empowerment for organizations, associations, corporations, and educational institutions. His motivational book & CD is entitled "G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! 10 steps to living your best life"