Chatham House Africa Programme News and Events

February 2010

Zimbabwe Government Minister: Justice to the People Feb 03

African agriculture: land reform or land grab? Feb 16


The fight against malaria in Africa Feb 17




Publications:



Report

Decisions and Deadlines: A Critical Year for Sudan

A Chatham House Report by Dr Edward Thomas, Rift Valley Institute

Commissioned by the International Rescue Committee

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/823/





Book

Eritrea's External Relations: Understanding its Regional Role and Foreign Policy

Edited by Dr Richard Reid, School of Oriental and African Studies, London

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/research/africa/books/view/-/id/967/

(Available online and in shops)





News:



Fragile progress in Guinea, where delicate negotiations are ongoing to allow a return to civilian rule, offer a strong demonstration of the power of diplomacy, and the value of sustained and nuanced engagement. Ironically, foreign ministries rarely seem skilled at selling themselves when governments are seeking budgets to cut. Once lost, such a capacity is difficult to re-acquire, depending more upon valued human resources and imagination than capital outlay.



The importance of diplomacy was once again underscored during the launches in the UK and USA of the Chatham House report on Sudan and book on Eritrea ’s external relations. Diplomacy in Sudan paved the way for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended three decades of bloody conflict, and continuing delicate international engagement will remain key if the agreement is to endure over the next twelve critical months. The book on Eritrea offers a salutary warning of what can happen when diplomatic engagement is neglected or rejected by all sides – whether out of frustration or lack of insight.



Ever growing interest from emerging powers in engaging with and investing in Africa underscores the central importance of pro-active diplomacy if such complex multipolar relations are to be managed without conflict. How to do so is not always clear. This was underlined in meetings Africa Programme staff had with governmental, non-governmental and business leaders in New York and Washington DC , including meetings hosted by the US Corporate Council on Africa . It was also evident in meetings in London to discuss Nigeria ’s regional and international importance.



Events:



Entry to these expert meetings is restricted. Experts and interested individuals should apply via the email address below. Only receipt of a confirmation email from Chatham House allows entry to meetings.



Places are limited & Chatham House reserves the right to restrict access to any of its meetings without notice or explanation. Attendees may be required to present photo identification at any time.



Unless otherwise stated, if you would like to apply to attend any meeting please email Tighisti Amare at tamare@chathamhouse.org.uk stating your name and affiliation.





Wednesday 3 February 2010 17.30 – 19.00

Zimbabwe: Taking Transitional Justice to the People



Sekai Holland, Minister for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Zimbabwe

Gabriel Shumba, Human Rights Lawyer; Director, Zimbabwe Exile Forum

Okay Machisa, Director, Zimbabwe Association for Human Rights; Board Member , Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum



Chair: Abel Chikomo, Executive Director, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum



Years of violence and intolerance have left Zimbabwe ’s population and properties damaged and have generated a sizeable Diaspora and refugee groups. This event will mark the UK launch of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum’s Taking Transitional Justice to the People Programme to consult and educate Zimbabweans who have gone through periods of state sponsored and politically motivated violence in their lives on the nature and processes of transitional justice. Discussion at the event will focus on current trends in Zimbabwe in the context of transitional justice.





Tuesday 16 February 2010 17.00 to 18.30

African agriculture: land reform or land grab?



Lorenzo Cotula, Research Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Development

Professor Michael Lipton, University of Sussex



Chair: Andrew Dorward, School of Oriental and African Studies



After decades of neglect and declining support from both national governments and donors, African agriculture is attracting growing attention. But who will benefit from this increasing investment and political interest?



Rules and institutions governing the distribution and security of land ownership will be one of the crucial factors determining whether this revival of interest in agriculture leads to broadly based, long-term growth and poverty reduction – or whether the benefits accrue mainly to a new group of large-scale (and therefore less employment generating) landowners, both domestic and foreign. Land reform is on the agenda in many African countries, but so is land grab.





Wednesday 17 February 2010 17.30 – 18.45

The fight against malaria in Africa : progress made and challenges remaining



John Tedstrom, President and CEO, Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Professor Michel D. Kazatchkine Executive Director, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (tbc)

Adel Chaouch, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Marathon Oil Company



More people die as a result of malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa any other part of the world, and most of these deaths are among children under the age of five. Malaria is a major impediment to development, and it costs the African economy billions of dollars each year, despite being a preventable and treatable disease. A number of initiatives and organizations have been working to try and significantly reduce the prevalence of malaria, such as the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the World Health Organization’s Global Malaria Programme. At this event the speakers will discuss the progress that has been made in the fight against malaria and the key challenges that slow or prevent progress.









The work of the Africa Programme is principally supported by:



ANGLO AMERICAN, BANCO AFRICANO DE INVESTIMENTOS, BG GROUP, BP, CHEVRON, CHRISTIAN AID, CRS, DE BEERS, EXXONMOBIL, FCO, GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, GOVERNMENT OF NORWAY, GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, MARATHON, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE, ONE WORLD ACTION, REVENUEWATCH, SABMILLER, SAVE THE CHILDREN, SHELL INTERNATIONAL, SONANGOL, STATOIL, STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION





If you would like to know more about the benefits of sponsorship please visit

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/research/africa/sponsors/





Many thanks for your support from the Africa Programme team.







Best wishes,



Tom Cargill



Assistant Head

Africa Programme

Chatham House

The Royal Institute of International Affairs

10 St James’s Square

SW1Y 4LE

0207 957 5718