In North America, the two biggest rivers meet up in St. Louis. The Missouri meets the Mississippi and then flows down to Cairo, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee. Before hitting the Gulf of Mexico down in New Orleans it flows within a few hundred miles of a place called Alexandria, Louisiana.
In Africa, the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet in Khartoum before heading to Egypt's Memphis, Cairo, and Alexandria.
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Khartoum is a pretty interesting place. There are 8,000,000 people in its metro area. It is a 3rd World oasis in in a vast desert. It is the capital of the largest country in Africa.
The potential trade offs of a partnership between St. Louis and Sudan are great.
University Relations
-St. Louis students could study Arabic, African Studies, Anthropology (Dinka, Bari, etc.), Hydrology, Desert Ecology, etc.
-Khartoum students could study whatever they want.
-Sudan is diverse and changing, has a long history, and a fragile ecosystem. Academic research potential is vast.
Business
-We have money, they have resources
-Our companies there, their companies here.
-They connect with the American market, we connect with the African and Middle Eastern markets.
Human Rights
-A more stable and worldy Khartoum is a more stable Sudan. Providing avenues for St. Louis volunteers and aid organizations to assist the Sudanese in securing a better quality of life would benefit the whole world.
The Future
-Sudan will not always be poor and violent. Their population and resources will develop them in time. Who will be their partner when they get there?
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