  Not mentioned enough, highly likely in the current climate because they don't have so much oil, is Africa as a player on the world stage.
African nations have endured an historical struggle, internally and externally, with poverty, famine, cultural and literal subjugation as they strive to establish a regional identity beyond that of 'a good place to go for a safari'. The rise of the Middle East as an agressor towards (or respondent to, depending on your outlook) the west made me think of the similarities to be found in Africa.
Mixed religion, lack of resources, perceived exploitation of existing resources etc etc. Northern Africa has traditionally been a training ground for terrorist activity and as this continent begins to emerge in importance, I think it'd be good for the west to gain a foothold and promote partnerships in the area - true partnerships that will advance the African people and demonstrate the goodwill of the west in doing so.
It's not like there's a shortage of things to help out with. There's continuing poverty and hunger, AIDS education, public health and hospitals (there has been a new urlLink Ebola outbreak in Sudan as recently as this month). So good luck to the urlLink Africa Union as they urlLink establish a new Peace and Security Council today. Hopefully they can establish and promote a unified desire for peace and security in the region and act as a conduit for relations with the rest of the world. 
