ROYALTY REDEFINED: FIRST AFRICAN KING TO BE KNIGHTED IN MALTA

His Royal Majesty Drolor Bosso Adamtey I of the Se Traditional area of Ghana will soon receive another royal title: Knight.

On February 28, 2009, King Adamtey will become the first African leader to ever receive investiture as a knight in the historic Knights of Malta. By virtue of King Adamtey's current status as a traditional ruler in Ghana, he will enter the Knighthood ranked as the third highest individual in the order. The Investiture ceremony will take place at 11:30am at Castello dei Baroni in Wardija, Malta. The press and the public are invited to witness this historic occasion.

The Knights of Malta, whose history dates back to Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire, is one of the world's oldest and most influential orders of chivalry. The Ecumenical Order is more active today than at any time during its continuous long history. The Order's worldwide charitable activities, active on nearly every continent, still carry out the unbroken tradition of its founding charter: to care for the sick and the poor, regardless of race, religion, or language. In 2008, the Knights of Malta contributed over $40 million in goods and services to charitable causes.i e.

King Adamtey, who is known in private life as Dr... Kingsley Fletcher, divides time between homes in Ghana and the United States. He has been a coronated king of the Se (Shai) traditional area of Ghana since 1999 and admits it is unusual for an African leader to be invited into Knighthood, but says that “because it is an effort of nobility, I gladly accepted.” His passion is the educational and economic development of Africa and he hopes this honor will allow him to become an even greater voice for the people there and bring attention to the challenges and opportunities affecting the continent. “It is my desire to use my position to positively influence progress on behalf of people who are marginalized. I feel very strongly that my mission is to give hope to Africa,” says King Adamtey. Currently, two of his primary focuses are technology development and job creation in Ghana. He hopes to expand his efforts throughout the continent.

A citizen of the United States and Ghana, King Adamtey is a former special advisor to the Assistant Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Development Program and is the founder of Life for Africa, a nonprofit humanitarian organization which seeks to address the ever-growing need for support of sub-Saharan African nations. He lectures around the world several times a year discussing globalization, social justice, conflict resolution, faith-based leadership, and his broad vision for Africa.

In 2008, King Adamtey was a keynote speaker at the World Public Forum in Rhodes, Greece – the first African leader ever invited to address this international event. The author of fourteen books, he holds doctorates in philosophy and theology and is currently pursuing the Ed.D. in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst... King Adamtey is also a member of the prestigious University of Oxford Round Table.

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Note to editors: King Adamtey will be available for media interviews prior to and following the Investiture ceremony. This can be pre-arranged by contacting TBG Media at + 1 (919) 233-5230 or via e-mail at [email protected].