Prof. Howard Wolpe
30 November 2010, 6.30pm, Old Theatre, Old Building
Howard Wolpe, who has very recently stepped down as President Obama's special envoy to the Great Lakes region, provided an overview of the Democratic Administration's policy and views towards the African continent, and the challenge of conflict resolution in particular. He emphasised that never has there been a case that the top leaders of the American administration have invested such time, effort and attention to the African continent, shown in repeated visits by top officials to African states; the additional resources provided to the Africa Bureau within the State Department; and the African continent in general. He elaborated on the four themes addressed by President Obama at his keynote speech in Ghana in 2009 of the necessity of American support for strengthening African institutions; stronger American partnership with African states, investing in people, infrastructure and agriculture, to promote food security; public health; and the prevention and resolution of conflict. Dr Wolpe then looked at innovative ways in which the State Department is seeking to promote on-going conflict resolution, and societal reconciliation, to build the necessary foundations before a return to adversarial politics inherent in democratic contested elections. His lecture emphasised on the critical role of neutral sponsors, and local ownership of the long-term process. In the Q&A he covered a wide range of issues, including America's views of China's engagement in Africa, the role of informal diplomatic networks, the International Criminal Court, the US and war in the Congo in 1999, and the role of natural resources in fuelling conflict.
Further information about Wolpe's work in the post-conflict reconstruction of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia can be found in the Africa Program and Leadership Project of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
A podcast of the event can be found here.
Speakers
Dr. Howard Wolpe, a former seven-term Member of Congress and former Presidential Special Envoy to Africa's Great Lakes Region in the Clinton Administration, recently returned to the State Department as Special Advisor to the Secretary for Africa's Great Lakes Region. Previously, he served as Director of the Africa Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Dr Chris Alden is Co-Head of the Africa International Affairs programme at LSE IDEAS.
Michael Cox is Co-Director of LSE IDEAS and Professor of International Relations at LSE.
Location
Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of Economics. Map.