Youth speaker Omekongo Dibinga will be partnering with the State Department to empower youth leaders in Niger, West Africa. Omekongo will travel to Niamey, Niger this week to work with 40 youth workers on strategies that they can use to effectively reach youth in Niger. Niger has been dealing with serious issues of extreme violence as elements of Al Qaeda have made serious advances in parts of the country. The government of Niger and the United States both believe that youth in Niger need to have access to alternative means to extreme violence and have brought in Omekongo to work with them on this project. This will mark the State Department's third partnership with UPstander International.

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 Niger. Whether I'm speaking in English or French when I do a training, I know that youth issues are similar 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"