Diana Swain, former USAID Mission Director in Angola, and Dennis Flemming of Chevron originally thought of the idea of organizing an "Angola Day" event. They believed it was important to communicate to a larger audience what has been happening in Angola since the end of the war in 2002. As the idea grew, a number of partners became involved in planning the event. They included the Embassy of Angola (especially Ambassador Josafina Diakite), the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, USAID, and the US-Angola Chamber of Commerce. Many of the sponsors also participated in the planning stage either in Luanda or Washington, DC; without their generous support, "Angola Day" would not have happened. Gold level sponsors included BP, Banco de Fomento Angola, Chevron, and ExxonMobil; silver sponsors were MITC, S&N Pump, and the US-Africa Energy Association/Sonair; and bronze level were Banco Africano de Investimentos, Nalco Energy, and The Boeing Company. Other companies (ANIP, BPC, ENDIAMA, TAAG, Accession International, and Washington Diplomat) also contributed.

"Angola Day" was held at the Woodrow Wilson Center on May 9 with over 150 persons attending the event. In fact, some persons could not be accommodated because of space limitations. The Angolan government sent a distinguished delegation headed by the Minister of Industry, Joaquim David, and five Vice Ministers (External Relations, Agriculture, Health, Public Works, Education) to participate in the discussions. The panels also included speakers from the Angola National Private Investment Agency, Angolan Bank of Development, Catholic University of Angola, Banco de Fomento Angola, and MITC Investimentos. Other organizations represented included the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, World Bank, US Department of State, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

The success of the conference can be attributed in large measure to the very strong participation by the Angolan participants on all of the panels. The Minister of Industry played a particularly important role throughout the day starting with his keynote address followed by his participation on the first panel and contributions during the two afternoon panels. Another highlight was the lunch address by the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, during which she described the relations between Angola and the United States, which have grown stronger in recent years and show every promise of becoming even stronger in the future. Indeed, a recurring theme throughout the day's discussions was that Angola has made significant progress in many areas during the last five years, though major challenges still remain.

During the coffee breaks, attendees had the opportunity to talk to friends and admire the paintings of Alvaro Macieira and the photographs of Francisco Van-Dunem. At an evening reception, guests tasted delicacies of the Angolan cuisine and were entertained by the Grupo Kituxi dance group and the well-known Angolan singer, Yuri da Cunha. It was a wonderful end to a memorable day.

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