Symposium to Explore Regional and Ethnic Conflicts in Africa

Rwanda. Congo. Somalia. Violent regional and ethnic tensions have erupted in Africa in recent years, leaving thousands dead, wounded and driven from their homes. The first step in preventing a repetition of these tragedies is to understand them better.

Towards that end, the Yale Center for International and Area Studies will host a one-day symposium, “Current Regional and Ethnic Conflicts in Africa,” Wednesday, July 15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Luce Hall auditorium, 34 Hillhouse Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Members of the media are welcome. Of particular media interest will be a talk by Newsweek reporter Alan Zarembo on “The Politics of Justice in Rwanda” at 3:20 p.m.

Bruce Russett, the Dean Acheson Professor of International Relations and Political Science at Yale, will open the program. The schedule will be:

–9:30 a.m., Michael G. Schatzberg, professor of political science, University of Wisconsin (Madison), will speak on “Political History of the Mobutu Regime and its Effects on the Current Crisis”

–10:50 a.m., M. Crawford Young, professor of political science, Wisconsin (Madison), will speak on “Regional Politics in the Great Lakes and the Rise of Laurent Kabila”

–2 p.m., Ngwarsungu Chiwengo, professor of English at Creighton University, will speak on “Democracy and the Advent of the Third Republic: Failure of the Opposition?”

Each talk will be followed by a discussion session.

The symposium is part of the Africa Summer Institute, directed by Maxwell Amoh. It is one of four Summer Institutes at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies. Now in their 20th year, the Institutes enroll social studies teachers from New Haven and around the country who study with Yale faculty for two weeks. This year’s program runs until July 17. Student/teachers at the Institute, Institute coordinators and Yale faculty are available for interviews. For further information, contact Lauress Ackman at (203) 432-3413 or send email to lauress.ackman@yale.edu.