Tag: Africa
This week’s peace picks
Another quiet week in DC as the summer nears its end
1. U.S. Drones Policy: Strategic Frameworks and Measuring Effects, American Security Project, Monday August 20, 12:00pm-1:30 pm
Venue: American Security Project, 1100 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 710w, Washington, DC
Join us for a fact-based discussion with leading experts on counterterrorism about how we can better understand the effects and effectiveness of America’s drone campaign.
Are drones effective at containing al-Qaeda? Can we measure the social and political effects of a drone campaign? Is there a way to empirically determine what effects lethal drone strikes have on a country, on a terrorist movement, and on the broader global war on terrorism?
Speakers:
Aaron Zelin is the Richard Borow Fellow at The Washington Institute and the editor of Jihadology.net.
Will McCants is a research analyst at CNA, adjunct faculty at the John’s Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and the editor of Jihadica.com.
Christine Fair is an assistant professor in the Center for Peace and Security Studies (CPASS) at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. She is a renowned expert on South Asia and Islamist groups.
Moderated by:
Joshua Foust
Fellow for Asymmetric Operations at ASP who researches the strategic uses of drones, terrorism, insurgencies, and national security strategy – focused on Central and South Asia. He is also a columnist for PBS and The Atlantic Monthly.
This discussion will be on the record
The discussion will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. Please arrive by 12:15 p.m. for registration.
2. Three Elections that Might Change the World, Center for National Policy, Tuesday August 21, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Venue: Russel Senate Office Building, Room SR-485, Washington, DC 20510
In 2012, elections in the United States and Taiwan, along with the leadership transition in the PRC will all take place in less than a year’s time. What are the prospects for continuity and change in the complex triangle that is the US-PRC-Taiwan relationship?
Featuring:
Richard Bush
Director, Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies
The Brookings Institution
Wei (Victoria) Hongxia
Visiting Scholar
Carnegie Endowment’s Asia Program
Anil Mammen
Fellow for American Government and Politics
Center for National Policy
*A light lunch will be served*
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This week’s peace picks
1. Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Years Ahead, Tuesday August 13, 3:30pm-5:00pm
Venue: 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20036
The Middle East Institute is proud to present its new MEI Scholar Insight. Entitled ‘Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead,’ this publication draws upon the broad expertise of 20 Middle East Institute scholars and outside guest experts to examine three scenarios for Iran: diplomacy, containment, and military action. Over two roundtable sessions, participants analyzed U.S. policy, Iranian policy, Israel’s role in regard to the scenarios, reactions to prospective scenarios by the GCC states, Russia, and the other members of the P5+1, and the energy markets. The resulting report is a composite of MEI Scholar analysis on the above issues and seeks to capture points of substantial agreement as well as of divergence. Please join us for the launch of this MEI featured publication and a discussion with principal authors Allen Keiswetter and Roby Barrett and contributors Geneive Abdo and Melissa Mahle.
Register for the event here
2. Celebrating Future Sudanese Leaders, Wednesday August 15, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Venue: Elliot School of International Affairs, 1957 E Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20052602, Lindner Commons
Join Banaa.org for an evening ceremony: Celebrating Future Sudanese Leaders. The ceremony will honor Banaa Scholars, who will share their personal experiences, their motivations and their visions for peace and development in Sudan. The event will also feature interactive discussion about the Banaa Scholarship Program and its objective to leverage the energy at US universities to promote cross-cultural understanding and to foster leadership among talented young Sudanese. This will be the concluding event of the first annual Banaa Summer Summit held at the George Washington University in Washington DC.
Register for the event here
3. BBG Research Series: Nigeria Media Use 2012, Thursday, August 16, 9:00am-10:00am
Venue: Gallup World Headquarters, 901 F Street NW (Entrance on 9th Street), Washington, DC 20004
The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and Gallup invite you to attend the BBG Research Series briefing, Nigeria Media Use 2012. The BBG and Gallup will unveil new findings about media consumption habits in Nigeria, including strong growth of digital media and the continued popularity of radio.
The country’s longstanding digital media gap has largely disappeared as mobile phone use has exploded nationwide, and Nigerians in the northern regions are more likely than ever before to turn to TV (67%), the Internet (20%), and SMS messages (45%) for news and information. The new research also reveals that Nigerians remain avid radio listeners, with 88% listening to the radio for news and information weekly or more frequently. Additionally, a growing number of mobile phone users (39%) in the north have used phones to listen to radio in the last week. In terms of content, the vast majority (83%) of Nigerians indicate a strong interest in health and healthcare issues.
Speakers will include:
• Chris Stewart, Senior Managing Consultant, Gallup
• Bruce Sherman, Director of Strategy and Development, BBG
• Robert Tortora, Chief Methodologist and Regional Research Director for Africa, Gallup
• William Bell, Research Director, International Broadcasting Bureau
The event will include a presentation of the key findings from the study, as well as a methodological overview and a review of historical media trends in Nigeria.
Register for the event here
4. Iraq and the Politics of Oil, Middle East Institute, Thursday August 16, 3:00pm-4:45pm
Venue: 1800 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036
The Middle East Institute is proud to host a discussion about Iraq’s oil sector with Naufel Al-Hassan, Raad Al Kadiri, and Denise Natali. Iraq’s crude oil production is recovering, producing a significant jump in oil exports in 2012. And yet the growth in Iraq’s oil sector has exacerbated longstanding challenges, aggravating tensions between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds and fostering accusations of patronage and corruption on both sides. How has the Iraqi government benefited from the recovery of Iraq’s oil industry? What hope is there of Baghdad and Erbil reaching an agreement over how to divide or share resources? What are the opportunities and challenges faced by international oil companies seeking to do business in Iraq? These are among some of the issues to be addressed by this distinguished panel.
Speakers:
Naufel Al-Hassan
Raad Al Kadiri
Denise Natali
Moderator:
Allen Keiswetter
Register for the event here
5. Religious Extremism in Africa: The Case of Nigeria, Thursday August 16, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Venue: Lehrman Auditorium, 214 Massachusetts Avenue Northeast, Washington, DC
Since his election to the position of Primate, the Most Reverend Okoh has seen a rising tide of violence throughout his home country of Nigeria. He has witnessed firsthand the damage and destruction caused by Boko Haram and has had to deal directly with their country-wide insurgency. Given the Archbishop’s leadership of the largest Anglican Province in the world – 22 million Anglicans in Nigeria (including President Goodluck Jonathan) – and his engagement with national and international governments and leaders concerning the religious conflict in Nigeria, Primate Okoh offers a unique viewpoint on the escalating violence that is occurring throughout Nigeria at the hands of Boko Haram. Primate Okoh will examine the major factors that are contributing to this violence, with a particular focus on the religious ideology that drives Boko Haram to target churches and civilians throughout Nigeria.
Register for the event here
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This week’s peace picks
Africa and India take the spotlight in this relatively quiet week:
1. Assessing Governance in Rwanda, 10:00am-11:30am, Tuesday, August 7
Venue: International Republican Institute
The International Republican Institute’s Democratic Governance Speakers Series and the Atlantic Council invite you to a discussion on governance in Rwanda with Professor Anastase Shyaka, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board; and Dr. J. Peter Pham, the Director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. Professor Shyaka and Dr. Pham will discuss Rwanda’s governance model and the successes and challenges facing Rwanda in terms of democratic governance.
Speakers:
Anastase Shyaka is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Governance Board. Previously, Professor Shyaka was Director of the Center for Conflict Management at the National University of Rwanda. Professor Shyaka is a leading expert on governance and political development in Rwanda and the great lakes region, having worked on many studies and publications focused on peace and conflict analysis, democracy, governance, and international relations. His academic accomplishments also include being named a Fulbright Scholar in Residence at George Mason University and Nothern Virginia Community College. Professor Shyaka holds a Ph.D. in Political Science.
J. Peter Pham is Director of the Michael S. Ansari Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. Dr. Pham was previously a tenured Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Political Science, and African Studies at James Madison University, where he also served as Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs. A staunch advocate of robust American engagement with Africa, Dr. Pham has served on many of IRI’s election monitoring delegations to Africa, including Liberia (2005), Nigeria (2007, 2011) and Somaliland (2010). He is also a frequent guest lecturer on African affairs at the Foreign Service Institute, the U.S. Army War College, the Joint Special Operations University, the Defense Institute for Security Assistance Management and other U.S. government professional educational institutions.
2. An Indian Perspective on US Strategic Goals in Asia, 6:00pm-7:45pm, Thursday, August 9
Venue: School of International Studies Kenney Auditorium
Much has been talked about the U.S.-India strategic relationship in the last few months in Washington D.C., but mostly from a U.S. perspective. The Obama Administration has begun to pivot US power more toward Asia, recognizing the growing economic importance of Asia to U.S. interests and the heightened threat posed by challenges and instability in the region. While India generally has a sympathetic view of U.S. goals, there are a number of important differences as well as an Indian determination to control its own foreign policy objectives.
Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, a former senior Foreign Service officer of India, will lead a discussion of an Indian view of the growing U.S. presence in Asia and what that means for India and its interests. Ambassador Sreenivasan served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington D.C. during 1997-2000, and as India’s Ambassador to several countries including Austria and Slovenia. He also served as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Governor for India to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
3. The Legacy of Iran’s Green Movement: Film Screening and Discussion, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Thursday, August 9
Venue: West End Cinema, 2301 M Street NW
POMED is pleased to host a public screening of the groundbreaking documentary The Green Wave (2010), which examines the 2009 protests in Iran against the fraudulent presidential elections that summer and the subsequent crackdown on pro-democracy activists, members of what became known as the Green Movement. The film – a collage of direct video footage, live interviews, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and animation – won awards in 2011 at the Hamburg Filmfest, IDFA Amsterdam, and the Sundance Film Festival, and it will be released in theaters in the U.S. on August 10th and available on Movies on Demand.
To provide context for the film, Iran experts Alireza Nader, Jamal Abdi, and Suzanne Maloney will provide remarks about the legacy of Iran’s Green Movement, what effect it has had across the region, and opportunities for international actors to constructively and peacefully support democratic change in Iran. Why is the Green Movement important now, three years after mass street protests garnered international attention? How are pro-democracy efforts in Iran viewed in the Arab world, particularly in light of the 2011 Arab uprisings? How did the emergence of Iran’s Green Movement affect U.S. interactions with Iran, and how can the U.S. relationship with the Iranian people be renewed and leveraged in a way that helps Iranians achieve their aspirations for a more representative government and freer country?
6:00-6:30pm
Drink reception, patio of the West End Cinema
6:30-7:15pm
Panel discussion featuring:
Alireza Nader
Senior International Policy Analyst, Rand Corporation
Jamal Abdi
Policy Director, National Iranian American Council
Suzanne Maloney
Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the
Brookings Institution
Moderator: Stephen McInerney
Executive Director, POMED
7:30-9:00pm
Film Screening: The Green Wave
4. Ambassador of the Gambia to the US Discusses Food Crisis, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Thursday August 9
Venue: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Join us on August 9 for a discussion with the Ambassador of The Gambia to the United States Alieu Ngum as he addresses the bilateral U.S.-Gambia relationship in the context of regional economic, political, and social issues.
The Gambia is facing a severe food crisis due to water shortages and crop failure in the West Africa region. Ambassador Ngum’s remarks will open with his government’s response to the crisis and his diplomatic role with bilateral and multilateral policymakers in Washington, D.C. He will also touch upon prospects for economic development in the context of a food crisis, regional security concerns that arise in the short and long term, and civil society’s response to national disasters in The Gambia.
The Ambassador Series offers YPFP General Members the opportunity to have a frank and informal discussion with an important member of the Washington diplomatic community. As a premier organization committed to mutual understanding and dialogue, YPFP seeks to engage Washington’s diplomatic community on a number of issues related to U.S. foreign policy, international cooperation and public diplomacy through this highly successful series.
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This week’s peace picks
Summer doldrums, but some interesting events nevertheless:
1. An Assessment of the Obama Administration’s Africa Strategy, Heritage Foundation, 10-11:30 am July 31
Venue: Lehrman Auditorium
When President Obama entered the White House in 2009, many in the U.S. and in sub-Saharan Africa believed his arrival heralded a major departure in U.S. policy toward the region. Expectations for America’s first African American president ran high. When President Obama visited Ghana, he delivered a message of faith and confidence in the African people. He also, delivered a message of tough love, encouraging Africans to take responsibility for the successes and failures of the continent.
Despite the anticipation for new a US-Africa strategy, the Administration required more than three years to deliver its U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa (June 2012). Customary policies – supporting trade and development, rendering security and humanitarian assistance, and combating poverty and HIV/AIDS – all mainstays of previous Administrations predominated, rendering an appearance of continuity rather than change in U.S. policy. To assess factors of continuity, change and shifting priorities towards an emerging Africa, please join The Heritage Foundation and its distinguished panel of experts for a lively presentation and discussion.
More About the Speakers
Ambassador Tibor Nagy
Vice Provost for International Affairs, Texas Tech University
Ambassador Mark Bellamy
Director, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Ambassador Richard Roth
Senior Advisor for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Hosted By
2. The Obama Administration’s Economic Strategy for Africa, Center for Global Development, 11 am-12 pm July 31
Featuring
Michael Froman
Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs
Hosted by
Nancy Birdsall
President, Center for Global Development
The Center for Global Development is pleased to host Michael Froman, President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor and Assistant for International Economics, for a discussion of the Obama Administration’s strategy to achieve poverty alleviation and sustained economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Froman recently led an interagency delegation to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria to meet with a cross section of government officials, private sector leaders and young entrepreneurs on a range of issues and initiatives including the East African Community trade and investment partnership, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition; energy; and infrastructure.
Location: Center for Global Development, First Floor Conference Center, 1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
3. Syria in Crisis: Refugees and the Challenges of the Humanitarian Response, Islamic Relief USA, 12-1 pm July 31
Address
B-354 Rayburn House Office Building, U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Speakers
Abed Ayoub, Islamic Relief USA CEO | Michael Kocher, International Rescue Committee Vice President | Michael Gabaudan, Refugees International President | Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Syrian American Medical Society President
Fees
FREE
Contact
Join Islamic Relief USA, the International Rescue Committee, Refugees International and the Syrian American Medical Society for a luncheon panel discussion about the on-going humanitarian crisis facing Syrian refugees.
More information about the situation for Syrian refugees
The crisis in Syria has escalated dramatically since it began sixteen months ago and has resulted in the displacement of an estimated one million Syrians. While the majority of Syrians are internally displaced within Syria, more than 114,000 have registered as refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq. Many are fearful of formally registering as refugees, meaning the actual number of refugees may be significantly higher than reported. As the violence and death toll continue to rise in Syria, the Syrian people remain displaced and unable to return to their homes. Essential aid and services are needed for both internally displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. Learn more about how Islamic Relief USA by visiting IRUSA.org.
Syrian refugees arrive to neighboring countries suffering emotional and physical trauma with little savings and often nothing more than the clothes on their backs. While host countries have been generous and welcoming to the refugees, their resources are becoming increasingly stretched. They need increased international assistance in order to most effectively respond to the influx of refugees.
Syrian refugees are in urgent need of increased access to shelter, water and food, livelihood opportunities, and medical services. While a number of Syrian refugees are living with host families, these families’ resources are being drained. For others, high rent prices mean they have to share accommodation leading to cramped, overcrowded conditions. Syrian refugee women and girls have identified gender-based violence as one of the primary reasons they had to flee. Ensuring that proper psychosocial and other health services reach victims of gender-based violence is a vital need.
4. The Twilight War: The Secret History of America’s Thirty-Year Conflict with Iran, Washington Institute, 12:30-2 pm July 31
Beneath the thirty-year war of words between Iran and the United States have been parallel campaigns of espionage, covert action, and military activities that have rarely come into public view. In his latest book, Dr. David Crist details the dramatic secret history of this undeclared conflict, from the weeks immediately following Iran’s 1979 revolution through today’s tensions. A Marine reservist and senior historian with the U.S. government, Crist had unprecedented access to senior officials and key documents. The product of ten years of research, Twilight War reveals the undercover activities and policy debates that have roiled U.S.-Iranian relations.
To discuss the book’s findings, The Washington Institute cordially invited Dr. Crist to address a Policy Forum luncheon on July 31, 2012, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Ambassador James Jeffrey, who retired from the Foreign Service in June, will add personal observations from three decades in the State Department, most recently as ambassador to Iraq and Turkey.
David Crist is a senior historian for the U.S. government and a special advisor to the head of U.S. Central Command. As an officer in the Marine Corps Reserve, he served two tours with Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Author of the 2009 Washington Institute report Gulf of Conflict: A History of U.S.-Iranian Confrontation at Sea, he holds a doctorate in Middle Eastern history from Florida State University.
James Jeffrey recently retired from the Foreign Service after a thirty-three-year career in which he attained the highest rank of career ambassador. His assignments included deputy national security advisor in the White House, three years in Iraq as ambassador and deputy chief of mission, and ambassador to Turkey and Albania. From 1969 to 1976, he served as a U.S. army officer in Germany and Vietnam.
5. Next Steps on Syria, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10 am August 1
Presiding:
Senator Kerry
Location:
Senate Dirksen 419
Witnesses:
Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy
Brookings Institution
Washington, DC
Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center
RAND Corporation
Washington, DC
Senior Fellow, Program on Arab Politics
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington, DC
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Africa rising
Gregor Nazarian writes:
We are used to bad news from Africa. The antidote was Wednesday’s discussion at Johns Hopkins/SAIS of “The Hopeful Continent: Can Sustained GDP Growth in Africa Lead to a New Future?”
Bernadette Paolo set the optimistic tone: despite the obvious challenges facing African societies, the continent’s economy is growing. The central questions are whether economic growth translates into poverty reduction and whether growth is sustainable. Positive signs have emerged, but continued gains depend on many factors: improved governance, strengthened civil society, restoration of peace and stability, rooting out corruption, diversification of economies, and regional integration.
The optimism continued with Tony Carroll stressing the growth of the middle class and the rise of consumerism. Susan Lund noted that economic expansion based on political and economic stability has benefited large numbers of Africans. Previously vulnerable workers (mainly subsistence farmers) are moving into stable jobs, but still only around one-third of the workforce is employed in productive occupations. Accelerating this process will require macroeconomic stability above all, as well as access to affordable financing and infrastructure improvement. The challenges are clear, but a transformation along the lines of East Asian economies in the 1970s is possible.
Ezra Saruma focused on how African states could maintain progress in this direction, arguing that political stability is the necessary prerequisite for sustainable growth. Uganda’s experience during and after the Idi Amin era demonstrates the need for a framework of reasonable justice, fairness and inclusiveness. Recent growth in countries like Sudan and Nigeria based largely on oil and mineral finds will not be sustainable without equitable political arrangements and cohesion. Short-term gains from resource wealth should be spent developing state institutions as well as investing in sustainable infrastructure.
The effects of the resource boom should not be overestimated, according to Volker Treichel. Much of the economic growth in Africa in the last decade has been in other areas, reflecting fundamental change. Generating formal sector jobs is one of the keys to emulating the East Asian model. This structural transformation toward labor-intensive industries is beginning to happen. With China losing its competitive edge in low-cost labor, African economies have an opportunity to step in. Governments can and should facilitate this evolution by working closely with the private sector, creating special economic zones and dedicated power plants, ports, airports and roads.
The question-and-answer session revolved around several recurring themes. Expanding access to financial services is vital but should also come along with methods of generating wealth and better execution of funded projects. China’s involvement in Africa represents both promise and peril; the most constructive direction is a move toward Chinese manufacturers setting up in Africa and using domestic labor rather than imported Chinese labor. Investments in infrastructure and increasing productivity in agriculture are the best avenues for sustainable growth.
Vivian Lowery Derryck‘s closing remarks centered on the theme of promise and threat. The resource boom and political stability in a number of states should allow continued growth of the middle class and civil society. Lingering economic and political instability elsewhere threatens all of Africa, as do global recession and worrisome unemployment numbers. Still, the outlook is positive, provided there is investment in education and responsible economic stewardship.
Event details:
Moderator: Anthony (Tony) Carroll, Vice President of Manchester Trade Limited Investment and Adjunct Professor at SAIS
Opening Remarks: Bernadette Paolo, President and CEO of The Africa Society
Panel:
Susan Lund, Director of Research and a DC Partner at the McKinsey Global Institute
Dr. Ezra Saruma, Senior Advisor to the President of Uganda on Finance and Economic Planning and Brookings Institution Fellow
Volker Treichel, Lead Economist, Operations and Strategy for the World Bank
Closing Remarks: Vivian Lowery Derryck, President and CEO of The Bridges Institute
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This week’s peace picks
A relatively slow week with most interesting things concentrated in the first couple of days:
1. Disentangling Smart Power: Interests, Tools, Strategies, SAIS, 9-5 June 4
Kenney Auditorium
1740 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington DC, 20036
9.00 AM – 5.00 PM
9:00 Registration
9.30 Welcome, Amb. András Simonyi, Managing Director CTR, Aude Jehan, French Embassy Fellow
9.40 Public Diplomacy in the 21st Century: New Approaches in a Changing World
A discussion with: Bruce Wharton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Public Diplomacy, Bureau of African Affairs
Amb. Philip Reeker, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Spencer P. Boyer, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations (Moderator)
10.15 Setting the Stage: Battleships, Diplomats, and Rock & Roll
Amb. András Simonyi, Managing Director, Center for Transatlantic Relations
11.00 The New Face of Public Diplomacy
Walter Douglas, Senior Visiting Fellow, CSIS (Moderator)
Tom Wang, Executive Editor, Science and Diplomacy, Deputy Director, AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy
Emilienne Baneth-Nouailhetas, Attaché for University Cooperation, French Embassy in the United States
Sharon Memis, Director British Council USA
12.30 Lunch Break
13.15 Smart Power 2.0: Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA
14.15 Combining Hard and Soft Power: Dilemmas and Opportunities
Mark R. Jacobson, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States (Moderator)
The Hon. Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Member of European Parliament, Belgian Minister of State
Amb. Kurt Volker, Executive Director, McCain Institute for International Leadership
Stacia George, Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow
Douglas A. Ollivant, Senior National Security Fellow, New America Foundation
16.00 Smart Power in Action: A View from the Obama Administration, Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer, Bureau of International Organization Affairs
16:45 Closing Remarks: Daniel Hamilton, Director, Center for Transatlantic Relations
17.00 Reception
2. Gains in Afghan Health: Too Good to Be True? Center for Global Development, 12-1:30 pm June 4
Brownbag Seminar
**Please bring your lunch–beverages provided**
Featuring
Kenneth Hill
Professor of Global Health and Population
Harvard School of Public Health
With discussants
Pav Govindasamy
Regional Coordinator for Anglophone Africa and Asia
ICF International
Mohammad Hafiz Rasooly
Technical Advisor, Afghan Public Health Institute
Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan
Hosted by
Victoria Fan
Research Fellow
Center for Global Development
The results of the 2010 Afghanistan Mortality Survey were hailed as showing dramatic declines in child and maternal mortality when they first became available last year. Afghan surveyors in all 34 provinces brought back data suggesting that life expectancy at birth is now 62 years. Child mortality under age 5 dropped to 10 percent. Of 100,000 live births, the maternal mortality number was down to 327. However, more detailed examination of the results has raised questions about their accuracy. In this presentation, Kenneth Hill examines data quality indicators and issues of plausibility to try to establish what can, and what can’t, be believed from the survey.
3. Inside the Iranian Nuclear Crisis, Carnegie Endowment, 9-10 am June 5
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, George Perkovich
Register to attend
Seyed Hossein Mousavian, who served as Iran’s nuclear spokesman and a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team from 2003 to 2005, will discuss his new book providing an insider account of Tehran’s nuclear policy and negotiations with the international community. Mousavian will analyze the West’s current options for dealing with Iran as well as outline what a nuclear agreement needs to include for it to be acceptable to both the West and Tehran.
For over four years, Mousavian operated at the heart of Iran’s power structures before political tables turned and he was arrested and tried for espionage by the government of President Ahmadinejad. The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir is a first-of-its kind book that describes the history of the Iranian nuclear crisis and explains how to bring it to a peaceful resolution.
Copies of The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir will be available for purchase.
Ambassador Seyed Hossein Mousavian is an associate research scholar at Princeton University. He previously served as the Iranian ambassador to Germany (1990–1997), the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (1997–2005), the spokesman for Iran’s nuclear negotiation team (2003–2005), and foreign policy adviser to the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (2005–2007).
4. Sudan in Conflict, Carnegie Endowment, 12:15-1:45 pm June 5
Amb. Princeton Lyman, Amb. Alan Goulty, Marina Ottaway, Frederic Wehrey
Register to attend
Less than one year after the formal split between Sudan and South Sudan, the two countries are wrapped in conflict again over border demarcation, oil, and other issues. Both nations are also contending with serious internal turmoil in the form of tribal conflict, weak institutions, and mounting popular dissatisfaction.
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| June 6, 2012 | 6 – 8 pm | |||||
| Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Kenney Auditorium | |||||
| 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW | |||||
 Can Sustained GDP Growth in Africa Lead to a New Future? The United Nations Association-National Capital Area Chapter (UNA-NCA) and the Africa Society invites you to a panel discussion on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Bank recently reported that in eight of the last ten years Sub-Saharan growth has been faster than East Asia. With an average of 5% GDP growth, amid a global financial crisis, “Africa could be on the brink of an economic take-off, much like China was 30 years ago and India 20 years ago.” Can this record GDP growth provide substantial poverty reduction and positive change in the lives of everyday Africans? Anthony Carroll, Vice President, has 20 years of experience as a corporate lawyer and business advisor in the areas of international trade and investment, with a particular focus on the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. He possesses an extensive background in intellectual property law, first as an in-house lawyer with a venture capital firm specializing in high tech investment, and more recently as an adviser to the international pharmaceutical industry and sovereign and regional governments on TRIPs and WTO accession. Panelists: Volker Treichel has been a Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank since December 2010. From 2007, he was the Lead Economist for Nigeria. He also led the first subnational Development Policy Operation in sub-Saharan Africa in Lagos State as well as the initial engagement with the Niger Delta. Prior to 2007, Volker was at the IMF, including as mission chief for Togo and resident representative in Albania. Dr. Susan Lund is the director of research and a Washington, D.C. partner at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), McKinsey’s business and economics research arm. Her research focuses on global financial markets, labor markets, and on economic growth. Recent reports have looked at shifting pools of global wealth and the rise of emerging market investors, prospects for US job creation and the future of work, and the long-term growth prospects for African economies. Dr. Ezra Suruma is a Senior Adviser to the President of Uganda on Finance and Economic Planning. Dr. Suruma is a former visiting fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, his work focused on governmental and financial institutions and its impact on stability and economic growth. |
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