Gervais Lagoke Gnaka, Ph.D.
Education
Ph.D., Howard University, Department of African Studies, Washington, DC, 2009.
Concentration: Public Policy and Development in Africa.
Dissertation: Discourse on Regional Economic Integration: Towards a Theory of Panafrican Authentic Development.
M.A., Howard University Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Washington, DC, 2002.
Area of Study: Interdisciplinary study of Spanish Language, Literature, and European political thought during and after World War II., in Germany and Spain.
B.A., University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (West Africa), 1989.
Area of Study: Interdisciplinary study of Spanish Language, Literature, and Latin American political thought and civilization
Professional Experience
Consultancy
2009 - 2010 Liaison, US Cote d'Ivoire Trade Investment Corporation, USA, Responsible for bridging the gap between American businesses and African businesses.
2009 - 2010 Consultant, Office of the Advisor to the President of Ivory Coast for Investments and African Integration, Ivory Coast, Responsible for mobilizing the African Diaspora.
2003 - 2004 Project Manager & Media Consultant, IDEAS, Inc. for the Ivory Coast Public Relations project, Responsible for promoting the image of the Ivory Coast in the USA.
2004 Co-Producer of a documentary: "Ivory Coast in Crisis: The Untold Story".
Teaching Experience
08/17 - present Assistant Professor of History at Lincoln University responsible for teaching African history and the Black American experience classes to college students.
08/12 - 06/17 Adjunct Professor of African History at Montgomery College responsible for teaching Africa up to 1800 and Africa since 1800 classes to college students.
05/10 - 06/17 Adjunct Spanish Professor at University of the District of Columbia responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students.
04/10 - 06/10 Spanish Teacher at the Art Institute of Washington responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/06 - 05/08 Spanish Teacher at Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS, responsible for teaching elementary students basic Spanish.
08/06 - 05/07 Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Bowie State University responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/05 - 05/06 Adjunct Professor of Panafricanism and Global Humanities, Howard University, responsible for teaching a class on Panafricanism to college students.
08/04 - 05/06 Adjunct Teacher of Spanish at University of District of Columbia) responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/04 - 05/04 Substitute Teacher of Spanish at Alice Deal Junior High School, responsible for teaching basic Spanish to middle school students.
08/01 - 05/05 Graduate Lecturer in Spanish and French at Howard University responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced French and Spanish classes to college students
Politics and Diplomacy
Communications and Political Strategist at the Embassy of Ivory Coast, 01/01 - 07/02
Member of a coalition of US-based grassroots movements which pursues nongovernmental diplomacy and public advocacy for a shift in US foreign policy towards Africa, since June 2009
Media Appearances
Interviewed In a documentary entitled, "Barack Obama: From Chicago to the White House", (French), 2009.
Communications specialist
Founder of former http://www.africandiplomacy.com/, an African news agency, which features African diplomacy, international diplomacy, and nongovernmental diplomacy, responsible for the daily management of the website.
Founder and Manager of NOA, LLC, a communications and consultancy company, 2004 - 2008.
Journalism experience
1991-1999: Journalist and Political Reporter in Ivory Coast, respectively at Le Nouvel Horizon, Le Populaire and Le Jour. Le Nouvel Horizon was the first independent press organization after 30 years of one-party rule (1960-1990), and was founded by the Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, while he was the leading figure of the opposition.
Internships and International conferences
1991: April-October: winner of an Internship with the press group Le Nouvel Horizon.
1992: April-June: was awarded a paid Mass Communication Internship in Egypt.
1993: August: Presented a Report on the presidential elections in Togo.
1994: September: presented a report on RPG political party for the Congress of Guinea.
1994: October 2-16: Field trip and report on German federal elections (Germany).
1995: April 1-15: was a featured presenter for an international seminar organized by the Friedriech Naumann Foundation in Gummersbach, Germany
1996: June: Report on the UNESCO Felix Houphouet-Boigny prize ceremony in Paris (France).
1996: October November: Field trip and report on American presidential elections (USA).
1997: May: Field trip and report on legislative elections in Burkina-Faso.
1998: February 22-28: International Seminar in Dakar (Senegal), as a Consultant of Ivory Coast Women's Rights Defense Association.
1998: November: 14-17: First International Conference of Jubilee 2000 Coalition in Rome as a Jubilee 2000 Africa Campaign member.
1998: November: 22-28: Workshop at the UK Jubilee 2000 Coalition Headquarters in London.
1999: September: 23-30: 50 Years is Enough: 4th international conference in Washington DC (USA), as the president of Jubilee
2000: Coalition-Cote d'Ivoire
Academic Conferences
African Studies Association 47th Annual Conference, New Orleans, November 11-14, 2004, presented a paper entitled, "Crisis in Ivory Coast: The Deconstruction of the Mainstream Perception"
Columbia University School of Business 8th Annual African Economic Forum, March 25-27, 2011, presented a paper entitled, "The CFA Zone, Tool of Domination or of Development"
Professional Associations
African Studies Association and The Ubuntu School of Philosophy
Volunteer/Community Activities
President of the Transition Committee of UFI DC Metro, the Ivoirian Community Organization, of DC, VA, MD (12/09 to 04/10)
Founder of Africa Alliance for the 21st Century.
Promoter of a new dispensation of Panafricanism "The Vision for the Redemption of Africa"
Founder of a public forum in Washington, DC "The Revival of Panafricanism Forum"
Founder and former President of Jubilee 2000 Coalition-Cote d'Ivoire
Founding member of UNJCI-The Ivory Coast Journalists and Union
President of UFI Transitional Committee - www.ufi2010.weebly.com
Founder of the Revival of Panafricanism Forum - www.revivalofpanafricanism.org
Language Proficiency
French, Spanish, and English: excellent writing, reading, and speaking skills in all languages.
Education
Ph.D., Howard University, Department of African Studies, Washington, DC, 2009.
Concentration: Public Policy and Development in Africa.
Dissertation: Discourse on Regional Economic Integration: Towards a Theory of Panafrican Authentic Development.
M.A., Howard University Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Washington, DC, 2002.
Area of Study: Interdisciplinary study of Spanish Language, Literature, and European political thought during and after World War II., in Germany and Spain.
B.A., University of Abidjan, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (West Africa), 1989.
Area of Study: Interdisciplinary study of Spanish Language, Literature, and Latin American political thought and civilization
Professional Experience
Consultancy
2009 - 2010 Liaison, US Cote d'Ivoire Trade Investment Corporation, USA, Responsible for bridging the gap between American businesses and African businesses.
2009 - 2010 Consultant, Office of the Advisor to the President of Ivory Coast for Investments and African Integration, Ivory Coast, Responsible for mobilizing the African Diaspora.
2003 - 2004 Project Manager & Media Consultant, IDEAS, Inc. for the Ivory Coast Public Relations project, Responsible for promoting the image of the Ivory Coast in the USA.
2004 Co-Producer of a documentary: "Ivory Coast in Crisis: The Untold Story".
Teaching Experience
08/17 - present Assistant Professor of History at Lincoln University responsible for teaching African history and the Black American experience classes to college students.
08/12 - 06/17 Adjunct Professor of African History at Montgomery College responsible for teaching Africa up to 1800 and Africa since 1800 classes to college students.
05/10 - 06/17 Adjunct Spanish Professor at University of the District of Columbia responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students.
04/10 - 06/10 Spanish Teacher at the Art Institute of Washington responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/06 - 05/08 Spanish Teacher at Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS, responsible for teaching elementary students basic Spanish.
08/06 - 05/07 Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Bowie State University responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/05 - 05/06 Adjunct Professor of Panafricanism and Global Humanities, Howard University, responsible for teaching a class on Panafricanism to college students.
08/04 - 05/06 Adjunct Teacher of Spanish at University of District of Columbia) responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced Spanish classes to college students
08/04 - 05/04 Substitute Teacher of Spanish at Alice Deal Junior High School, responsible for teaching basic Spanish to middle school students.
08/01 - 05/05 Graduate Lecturer in Spanish and French at Howard University responsible for teaching elementary, intermediate, and advanced French and Spanish classes to college students
Politics and Diplomacy
Communications and Political Strategist at the Embassy of Ivory Coast, 01/01 - 07/02
Member of a coalition of US-based grassroots movements which pursues nongovernmental diplomacy and public advocacy for a shift in US foreign policy towards Africa, since June 2009
Media Appearances
- Voice of America
- Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
- Russia Today
- O Globo,
- Australian Broadcast Corporation
- Hispan TV
Interviewed In a documentary entitled, "Barack Obama: From Chicago to the White House", (French), 2009.
Communications specialist
Founder of former http://www.africandiplomacy.com/, an African news agency, which features African diplomacy, international diplomacy, and nongovernmental diplomacy, responsible for the daily management of the website.
Founder and Manager of NOA, LLC, a communications and consultancy company, 2004 - 2008.
Journalism experience
1991-1999: Journalist and Political Reporter in Ivory Coast, respectively at Le Nouvel Horizon, Le Populaire and Le Jour. Le Nouvel Horizon was the first independent press organization after 30 years of one-party rule (1960-1990), and was founded by the Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, while he was the leading figure of the opposition.
Internships and International conferences
1991: April-October: winner of an Internship with the press group Le Nouvel Horizon.
1992: April-June: was awarded a paid Mass Communication Internship in Egypt.
1993: August: Presented a Report on the presidential elections in Togo.
1994: September: presented a report on RPG political party for the Congress of Guinea.
1994: October 2-16: Field trip and report on German federal elections (Germany).
1995: April 1-15: was a featured presenter for an international seminar organized by the Friedriech Naumann Foundation in Gummersbach, Germany
1996: June: Report on the UNESCO Felix Houphouet-Boigny prize ceremony in Paris (France).
1996: October November: Field trip and report on American presidential elections (USA).
1997: May: Field trip and report on legislative elections in Burkina-Faso.
1998: February 22-28: International Seminar in Dakar (Senegal), as a Consultant of Ivory Coast Women's Rights Defense Association.
1998: November: 14-17: First International Conference of Jubilee 2000 Coalition in Rome as a Jubilee 2000 Africa Campaign member.
1998: November: 22-28: Workshop at the UK Jubilee 2000 Coalition Headquarters in London.
1999: September: 23-30: 50 Years is Enough: 4th international conference in Washington DC (USA), as the president of Jubilee
2000: Coalition-Cote d'Ivoire
Academic Conferences
African Studies Association 47th Annual Conference, New Orleans, November 11-14, 2004, presented a paper entitled, "Crisis in Ivory Coast: The Deconstruction of the Mainstream Perception"
Columbia University School of Business 8th Annual African Economic Forum, March 25-27, 2011, presented a paper entitled, "The CFA Zone, Tool of Domination or of Development"
Professional Associations
African Studies Association and The Ubuntu School of Philosophy
Volunteer/Community Activities
President of the Transition Committee of UFI DC Metro, the Ivoirian Community Organization, of DC, VA, MD (12/09 to 04/10)
Founder of Africa Alliance for the 21st Century.
Promoter of a new dispensation of Panafricanism "The Vision for the Redemption of Africa"
Founder of a public forum in Washington, DC "The Revival of Panafricanism Forum"
Founder and former President of Jubilee 2000 Coalition-Cote d'Ivoire
Founding member of UNJCI-The Ivory Coast Journalists and Union
President of UFI Transitional Committee - www.ufi2010.weebly.com
Founder of the Revival of Panafricanism Forum - www.revivalofpanafricanism.org
Language Proficiency
French, Spanish, and English: excellent writing, reading, and speaking skills in all languages.
References
Dr. Michael Frazier
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
202-865-2984
Dr. Wilfred David
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
301-649-1578
Dr. Sulayman Nyang
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
240-498-8623
Dr. Pascal D. Kokora
Former Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to US
President and CEO of USCITIC
[email protected]
202-204-4048
Dr. Michael Frazier
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
202-865-2984
Dr. Wilfred David
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
301-649-1578
Dr. Sulayman Nyang
Professor, Howard University
[email protected]
240-498-8623
Dr. Pascal D. Kokora
Former Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to US
President and CEO of USCITIC
[email protected]
202-204-4048