Weekly Events for May 5 - May 11

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

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MONDAY, May 5, 2014
Meeting Humanitarian Need in the Central African Republic
Hosted by: Center for Strategic and International Studies
Location: Room C-114
Center for Strategic and International Studies
1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Summary: More than a year of internal conflict has displaced nearly one million Central Africans. In the capital, Bangui, tens of thousands of people are living in makeshift camps that are prone to flooding. In rural areas, people are returning home to find their livelihoods destroyed. C.A.R.'s minority Muslim communities are under siege and many have fled the country. The international community was unable to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in C.A.R. Join us for a discussion of what donor governments and the United Nations can do to assist the needy and stop the crisis from getting worse. And hear what longer-term steps must be undertaken to lay the foundations for a peaceful outcome.
For more information, please visit: http://csis.org/event/meeting-humanitarian-need-central-african-republic 

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TUESDAY, May 6, 2014

The Special Court for Sierra Leone: Political Justice?

Hosted by: The Elliott School of International Affairs of the George Washington University
Location: Elliott School, Room 501
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Summary: This paper traces the case selection at the Special Court for Sierra Leone through the Court's design to the interests behind its establishment. The paper illuminates how alignment of previously opposing British and US regional policy, facilitated conclusion of the conflict by foreign-backed force, and pursuit of transitional justice processes to reinforce that military outcome. After collusion between the British government and Senator Judd Gregg, the Clinton administration changed its policy from one supporting Liberian President Charles Taylor, to one opposing him. The Special Court for Sierra Leone formed part of a multi pronged US policy to remove Charles Taylor from power - a project that included economic isolation and tacit support of an armed insurgency. These geopolitical underpinnings instructed the Special Court's design, undermining the possibility of an impartial and fair criminal justice process while subjugating the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I conclude by considering the comparative case selection independence of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. That comparative analysis indicates whether international criminal justice independence appears to be strengthening or weakening.
To RSVP, please click here: http://bit.ly/1iVm7iO 

Green Dreams: Myth and Reality in China's Agricultural Investment in Africa
Hosted by: Center for Global Development
Location: 2055 L ST NW - Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Summary: It is a widely held belief that the Chinese government and Chinese firms have played an active role in the recent rush for land acquisition in Africa, likely in an attempt to ensure food security at home. However, in this seminar, Deborah Brautigam will present a paper in which she and her co-author argue that there is little direct evidence to support this. Their research suggests that Chinese land acquisitions have thus far been quite limited, and focused on production for African consumption. Brautigam will trace the evolution of strategy and incentives for Chinese agricultural engagement in Africa, and examine more closely several of the more well known cases to contrast the perception of large-scale land acquisition in Africa with the reality on the ground.
For more information, please visit: http://www.cgdev.org/event/green-dreams-myth-and-reality-china%E2%80%99s-agricultural-investment-africa