Cedza Dlamini

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Cedza Dlamini engaging audiences on the Millennium Development Goals in 2005.

Cedza Dlamini is a humanitarian, youth activist, spokesman for the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, and the founder of the Ubuntu Institute for Young Social Entrepreneurs. His vision is to create a unified global order by establishing global networks of young leaders who can work collectively to address current world problems, such as HIV/AIDS, poverty and hunger, and illiteracy.

1 Professional History
2 Education
3 Awards/Recognition
4 References

[edit] Professional History

In 2005, Cedza founded the Ubuntu Institute for Young Social Entrepreneurs, a youth-led non-profit organization that strives to provide leadership enrichment, practical skills training and access to financial resources to young African social entrepreneurs from all sectors of society. He believes that social entrepreneurship is the key to solving the problems youth face in Africa because it encourages a mindset shift in young people, challenging them to become masters of their own destinies and inspires them to create self-sustaining organizations instead of being dependent on foreign aid.

In June 2004, Cedza was recruited by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to be part of the first-ever Pan African Youth Leadership Summit held in Dakar, Senegal focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) in Africa. After achieving great results from this conference, he was appointed as an activist and spokesman for the MDGs and has represented his continent in youth leadership conferences in Japan, Bosnia and Canada.

In October 2003, Cedza was also appointed Co-chair for the World Youth Peace Summit (WYPS) in Africa. Cedza attended World Youth Peace regional conferences in Sarajevo and Tokyo in 2004 where he joined over 500 young leaders from across Europe and Asia to discuss ways to use peaceful means to resolve global conflicts and promote tolerance between cultures, faiths and religions.

Cedza moved to the United States to study international relations in 2000. After September 11, 2001, Cedza began a speaking circuit throughout the U.S. that promotes global forgiveness, compassion, and the use of dialogue –instead of violence– as a powerful tool for conflict resolution. To-date, Cedza has spoken to over 50 non-profit organizations and academic institutions with audiences ranging from 200-14,000 people. He now also inspires young people, speaking on youth empowerment and leadership. Through his 3 Principles of Success, Cedza helps youth realize that with the right attitude they can overcome any challenge.

Prior to moving to the U.S., Cedza worked with Mitsubishi Corporation in South Africa. At Mitsubishi he served for several years as an assistant to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) Manager, facilitating development programs between Japan and all 14 countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. During his time at Mitsubishi, he aided in providing mobile clinics that brought medicine and healthcare to poor rural areas and he assisted in developing the company's affirmative action policy.

Before Mitsubishi, Cedza worked with Mandela, Dlamini and Associates (MDA), his family’s international business consulting firm in Johannesburg. At MDA, he was exposed to the many obstacles emerging black entrepreneurs in the post-apartheid South Africa faced. He was determined to return one day to expand resources and provide economic opportunities for Southern Africans.

[edit] Education

Cedza earned his bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts in 2005.

[edit] Awards/Recognition

In recognition of his work for social causes around the world, Cedza has been honored in the United States with Keys to the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Little Rock, Arkansas.

For more information please visit his website at http://www.cedzadlamini.com.