COMING UP ON 28 AUGUST: "ECOMOG@30: Demystifying the AU's Transitional Justice Policy"

This post is simulcast on:

Ecowasbusinessnews.blogspot.com & East-Africarising.blogspot.com

Recent tensions in Mali and Cote d'Ivoire have called into question the regional solidarity that had hitherto been part of ECOWAS' exceptionalism. 

Thirty years ago this week, Ghana dispatched 3500 troops to join other West African soldiers, fighting under ECOMOG, into Liberia on an offensive mission to oust Liberia's Charles Taylor. 

ECOMOG, ECOWAS' military force, would fight a simultaneous war in Sierra Leone alongside Liberia  between 1990 and 1997 culminating in a departure from ECOWAS' economic integration mandate.

In the latest edition of Agenda2063 TV show, we return to an appreciation of Agenda2063's aspiration 3. 

Here are some key questions we shall be asking:

Questions:

1. What is relevance of AU's Transitional Justice Policy?

2. Thirty years after Ecomog's intervention in Liberia, can Liberia enjoy "benefits" of a TJ policy?

3. Can AU's TJ Policy help pave the way for a day dedicated to commemorating victims of Liberian civil war/genocide  of 1990s?

GENERAL NOTICE: *MAIDEN EDITION OF AFCFTA POLICY NETWORK WEBINAR SERIES*

*GENERAL NOTICE: MAIDEN EDITION OF AFCFTA POLICY NETWORK WEBINAR SERIES*

Dear Members & friends,

As we count down to the maiden edition of the APN's WEBINAR series, we want to encourage you all to register and join whenever practicable. 

There will be opportunities to be part of these WEBINAR series over time. 

Do let us know if you encounter any difficulties

Kind regards,

Emmanuel K Bensah Jr

Deputy Executive Director

HOW TO JOIN

Topic: AFCFTA POLICY NETWORK GHANA & DIASPORA WEBINAR SERIES 

Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Drivers of the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

Time: Aug 14, 2020, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (the US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2140866636

Meeting ID: 214 086 6636

*HOW TO REGISTER*

https://forms.gle/wa138tHoRC7cB5JKA

Please register with this link

ENDs

#Afcfta: MEDIA ADVISORY: The Impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on the African Continental Free Trade Area Infrastructure Development under the new normal

*Simulcast on*:

Agenda2063tvshow.blogspot.com

Ecowasbusinessnews.blogspot.com

Eastafrica-rising.blogspot.com

******

Pretoria, Monday 03 August 2020 –  Members of the media are invited to join the e-symposium on the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the African Continental Free Trade Area's infrastructure development, under the 'new normal' posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar will be held on Thursday, 6 August 2020 at 12h00 Southern African time (18h00 Chinese time).

The e-symposium is aimed at discussing BRI strategies to accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) infrastructure development.

Invited delegates from both the Chinese and African Think Tanks and regional organisations will address key issues such as whether the planned BRI projects under the new normal will be able to come to fruition in the current economic climate.

They will also interrogate whether Chinese development banks will be able to continue financing BRI infrastructure, particularly if long term profitability of some projects may have been compromised.

The dialogue is expected to bring out best practices that the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) should consider in implementing the AfCFTA in partnership with the BRI.

The event is organised by the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) BRICS Research Centre in collaboration with the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and AUDA-NEPAD.

Speakers include HE Minister Counsellor LI Nan (Charge d'Affares ad Interim, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa); HE Yu Yunquan (President of  the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies); HE Robert Lisinge, Chief (Energy, Infrastructure and Services Section, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa); Dr Cobus Van Staden (Senior China-Africa Relations Researcher, South Africa Institute of International Affairs); Liu Naiya (Director of Division for Social and Cultural Studies, The China-Africa Institute); and Dr Vuyo Mjimba (Chief Research Specialist, Human Science Research Council).

Details of the Webinar

Date:               06 August 2020

Time:               12h00 Southern African time | 18h00 Chinese time

Zoom Link:      https://zoom.us/j/96603505206?pwd=RUFVa2ZlenloY3dNL0dLMmdQNndHQT09

NB: Registration is compulsory. Please use the Zoom link to register by close of business on 5 August 2020.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Adziliwi Nematandani

HSRC

+27 82 765 9191

anematandani@hsrc.ac.za

Mwanja Ng'anjo

AUDA-NEPAD

+27 82 882 6866

MwanjaN@nepad.org

Notes to the Editor

Background

The Coronavirus disease, an ongoing global pandemic, has caused global social and economic disruption which resulted in cessation of economic activities that will lead to a significant decline in global GDP, an unprecedented social distraction, and the loss of millions of jobs.

As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) comes into play with the objective of creating a singular market spanning 2.5 billion, it has become critical to accelerate infrastructure development.

According to the African Development Bank, Africa's infrastructure development needs 130 billion to 170 billion US dollars a year, with a financing gap in the range of 68 to 108 billion dollars.

China has already been making efforts to develop free trade development zones and to promote industrialisation in Africa through the Belt and Road (BRI).

According to President Xi, Africa stands to benefit from the BRI as infrastructure remains the biggest bottleneck to continental development. The BRI is increasingly seen as a catalyst for African regional economic integration and competitiveness.

A successful example of the BRI is the recent $1.5 billion Chinese-built railway line linking Nairobi to Naivasha, Kenya. Moreover, a study funded by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa found that East Africa's exports could increase by as much as $192 million annually if new BRI projects are used profitably.

JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE HUMAN SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL (HSRC) AND THE AFRICAN UNION DEVELOPMENT AGENCY-NEPAD

Source: AUDA-NEPAD website 

Coming up on 7 August Edition of Agenda2063 TV Show: "Will COVID19 Derail the Agenda2063 narrative?"

Seven years after the launch of Agenda2063, 2020 is arguably the only time this AU blueprint has faced an existential threat of being realized.

The first major casualty was in July, when trading under Afcfta failed to take off, triggering a postponement in January 2021.

COVID's onslaught has undoubtedly affected #SilencingTheGuns, which is a cross-cutting theme in Agenda2063.

An equally-troubling development has been COVID's impact on schools.

That parents are at their wits end as to whether to sacrifice their children's education at the altar of safety offers a harbinger of how education will be adversely impacted. There's no gainsaying education of Agenda2063 itself may be compromised as priorities and resources are understandably shifted towards health.

In the 7 August edition of Agenda2063, we shall be asking hard and important questions to Association of African Universities' Dr.Violet Makuku as to whether COVID19 has come to veritably-derail the Agenda2063 narrative in ways in which we could not imagine.

What are challenges? What are opportunities to overcome and ensure Africans stay on course the Agenda2063 track?

We will use the interview to also unpack knowledge and requisite skills required in the new graduate to fit into the "New Normal Digitized World", and how Afcfta and Agenda2063 can be better-included in school curricula.

#SaveTheDate: "Advancing African and Diaspora Academic Relations’"

The Association of African Universities (AAU), in collaboration with the African Union and the Government of Ghana, is inviting all educational stakeholders to the first Virtual AAU-Academic Diaspora Homecoming.

The overall objective of the Homecoming is to strengthen collaboration and partnership among research and educational institutions of higher learning in Africa and the African Diaspora to advance quality of education and general wellbeing of all persons of African descent.

Main Theme:

'Advancing African and Diaspora Academic Relations'

Date: September 28 – 30, 2020

Time: 15:00 (GMT), 8:00AM (EST). Kindly convert the time to your local time.

Venue: Virtual, Association of African Universities' E-Forum

Registration: https://cutt.ly/Bo9XWFz

Sub-themes

Role of the Diaspora in Higher Education and Innovation in Africa

Strengthening relationships between US Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and African universities

Women of African Descent in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges.

Higher Education: A Panacea to Racism and Promoting Social Justice

Contact Details

Email: namo@aau.org; secgen@aau.org

Tel/Whatsapp +1312-5398473/+14102927449/+12022907841

+233 243 298 464/+233 208 152 735/+233 502 699 914/+233 246 425 147

Instagram TV clip of 24 July Edition on Drug Policy Network-Ghana & #AfricanHealthWeWant

In this 9-minute IG TV clip, I ask Juana why it is not just a lot easier leaving drug users to exercise their free will and take drugs but deal with consequences. 

To which she explained it is a problem and that drug users are not criminals: they need to be shown love and care -- rather than leave them to the vagaries of the criminal justice system.

She stressed we must go after the trafficker and support the users who patronise what is made available to them.

You reduce the rate of crime when you help drug users out of their quagmire and help integrate them into society.

"Drugs have harmed many, but bad policies have harmed many more" was how the late Kofi Annan put it with respect to drug policy reform.

View IG TV link here: 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDGUJDxJF4I/?igshid=m1fi649ze7vt

View the YouTube here: 

https://www.facebook.com/AAU67/videos/758128458354706/?d=null&vh=e

What You Missed: 24 July discussion -- "Drug Policy Network-Ghana & The African Health We Want"

In the last edition of #Agenda2063TV Show, I interviewed Juana Boateng, member of the Drug Policy Network-Ghana, for a discussion on whether with the new reforms on drug policy in Ghana, we can talk about the #AfricanHealthWeWant?

Find below some snapshots from the video

Juana elaborates on a point about drug users and harm-reduction, which Ghana needs to work harder on.

Juana Boateng has, since 2015, been at the forefront of mobilising youth around drug policies. I re-call the passion with which she talked about drug policy back in 2015 when I first met her at a CSO meeting. 

My name is E K Bensah Jr, regular host of #Agenda2063TV Show. I am happy and privileged to be hosting the only Show of its kind on the Continent offering regular updates on all aspects of Agenda2063.

The Association of African Universities TV platform could not have been a less appropriate platform on education on all areas of Agenda2063, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (Afcfta), the Secretariat of which is in Accra, Ghana as an AU institution making Accra the newest diplomatic capital on the Continent.

Coming up on 31 July: "The African Story of Democracy-promotion & Election-Monitoring"

In this latest episode, we speak to Executive Director of Penplusbytes Juliet Amoah about nineteen years of the organisation.

In consonance with aspiration 3 of Agenda2063, Penplusbytes has been on a mission to use ICT tools to deepen democracy and monitor elections. 

We talk to Juliet to help unpack how a Ghanaian organisation braved the odds for almost twenty years to tell the story of how African can proffer its own democracy-promotion solutions.

Follow us on #Agenda2063TV and @ekbensah