Events for the Week of April 7 - 13

Continue reading for some of the events next week in D.C. concerning Africa.

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MONDAY, April 7, 2014
Political Parties and Nigeria's Electoral Process
Hosted by: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Location: 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Summary: Join us for a discussion of the critical roles and responsibilities of Nigeria's political leaders, candidates, and party supporters in laying the foundations for peaceful, credible elections in 2015.  We will hear from the leaders of the two main parties about their plans for the primary contests, and their strategies for enforcing good conduct among candidates, promoting issue-based rather than personality-driven campaigning, ensuring a tone of moderation in the debates, and encouraging respect for the election outcome. This conference is part of an ongoing series, supported by the Ford Foundation, bringing Nigerian officials, civil society activists, and opinion leaders to Washington, D.C. to engage with U.S. policymakers and Africa experts on how best to ensure that Nigeria's 2015 elections are free, fair, and peaceful.
For more information, please visit: http://csis.org/event/political-parties-and-nigerias-electoral-process 

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TUESDAY, April 8, 2014
Hosted by: Empower Congo, American University
Location: 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Ward Building, Room 2
Washington, DC 20016
Time: 8:00pm - 9:30pm
Summary: Empower Congo is hosting a free screening of the film The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo in Ward 2 on Tuesday April 8th from 8:00-9:30pm and we will have food and drinks! This extraordinary film, shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shatters the silence that surrounds the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. Many tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. The world knows nothing of these women. Their stories have never been told. They suffer and die in silence. In The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo these brave women finally speak.

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WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2014

A Debate on William Easterly's New Book: The Tyranny of Experts

Hosted by: Center for Global Dialogue
Location: 2055 L ST NW, Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Summary: Why does poverty persist across so much of the world, despite billions of dollars in international aid and the efforts of development professionals? William Easterly's answer, as proposed in his new book,The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor, is a lack of respect for liberty — not just on the part of governments of impoverished countries but also, more provocatively, on the part of the development experts. Owen Barder, director of CGD in Europe and a noted development expert himself, disagrees. A vote of the audience will determine who wins the debate, which will also be streamed live.
For more information, please visit: http://www.cgdev.org/event/debate-william-easterly%E2%80%99s-new-book-tyranny-experts

Kenya after the 2013 Election: Devolution and the Role of Civil Society
Hosted by: National Endowment for Democracy
Location: 1025 F St. NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20004
Time: 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Summary: Kwame Owino and Vukasin Petrovic will assess progress and challenges over the past year in decentralizing governance and maintaining and expanding the environment for civil society and citizen participation. Panelists will discuss risks to devolution, highlight potential implications of the tensions between county and national government, and recommend approaches to keeping reforms on track. The event will provide an opportunity to discuss the relationship between citizens and the state and present alternatives for reinvigorating Kenya's civil society in order to safeguard democratic gains.
For more information, please visit: http://ned.org/events/kenya-after-the-2013-election-devolution-and-the-role-of-civil-society