‘Africa: The Politics of Suffering and Smiling’

Having taught and researched in Africa, the USA and Europe, Prof. Chabal writes broadly on the history, politics and culture of African countries and, more generally, on political theory. His seminal ‘Africa Works’ with JP Daloz brought new perspectives to development theory and altered the way academia view development studies. He came to the Forum at the release of ‘Africa: the Politics of Suffering and Smiling’ which has been described as a radically different way of looking at politics in Africa and illuminates the ways ordinary people ‘suffer and smile’.

‘The State of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela’

Alan is one of the leading members of the International Marxist Tendency and editor of the “In Defence of Marxism” website, Marxist.com. His writings on the current revolution in Venezuela and the tasks to be carried out by the revolutionaries around the world are followed by members of the WCC around the world. At the political level he has had meetings with Hugo Chávez repeatedly and defends the idea that the Bolivarian Revolution is the germ of a World Revolution, and he also travel and supports other revolutionary processes in Pakistan, Bolivia and Cuba. Alan is the founder of the ‘Hands off Venezuela’ campaign.

‘The Trouble with Aid’

An experienced campaigner with Make Poverty History and aid worker with Christian Aid, Jonathan came to the Forum to discuss the impacts of aid at the release of his new book on ‘The Trouble with Aid.’ Jonathan critiqued the effects of Western aid to Africa and the role of aid organisations, opening up the argument that less aid better targeted could have a more positive effect while introducing the concept of ‘aid realism.’

‘For God’s Sake: The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy’

Following the publication of his book of the same name, an expert in US Foreign Policy Lee Marsden came from UEA to address the Forum on US election night 2008. After discussing Christian Extremism, Lee correctly predicted the outcome of the election itself, and went on to discuss permutations for US foreign policy as well as for Christian Right groups domestically in an enthralling presentation.

‘Russia-NATO relations after the South Ossetian Conflict’

Professor John Russell is a professor of Russian and Security Studies at the Department of Peace Studies, Bradford University. He is an invited speaker on Chechnya/Russia at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Royal Institute of International Affairs and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He is also an expert witness for the defence in the extradition hearing of the Chechen leader - Akhmed Zakayev. John is also a contributor on Chechnya/Russia to BBC World Service, BBC Radio Four, Voice of America (Washington), BBC Russian Service.

The South Ossetian conflict has severly damaged relations between Russia and the West resulting in the halting of cooperation in many areas. Prof. Russell will give his assessment on such issues as: what this means for NATO expansion, what will Russia do next, and are we entering a new ‘Cold War’?

‘Lula of Brazil’

The concluding part of our week about the rise of Brazil, Richard Bourne came from the School of Advanced Study, in association with Zed books, to speak about the presidency of Lula da Silva, the emergence of Brazil into the global economy and the possibilities that the Brazilian model of economic growth can be transferred to other Latin American countries.

‘Indigenous Communities in Rural Brazil’

Professional photographers and Reporters, Sue and Patrick work for the Indigenous People’s Cultural Support Trust, a charity that seeks to raise awareness and support for the rights of indigenous tribal communities in rural Brazil. They spoke about the relationship between under-represented tribes and the government, in the context of a field trip they undertook along a tributary of the Amazon river. Their presentation was supplemented by a spellbinding 20 year catalogue of award-winning photography. Anyone who wants to find out about IPCST can get in touch with Patrick at Patrick@ipcst.org, quoting International Affairs Forum.

‘Deforestation and the Brazilian Government’

Sue first got interested in the Amazon Basin in the 1970s, when she was working in Brazil as Financial Times correspondent. Violent clashes were erupting between the big cattle companies moving in and indigenous and peasant communities. She published her first book on the Amazon in the early 1980s – ‘The Last Frontier – Fighting over Land in the Amazon’. Sue has also created an acclaimed documentary on the Amazon for the BBC. Over the last 2-3 years she has been carrying out research into why the logging of the forest is still carrying on. Sue’s accompanying slides can be downloaded here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=cadaa370c56a7bdd391d7d881749d3a7e04e75f6e8ebb871

‘Burmese Political Prisoners’

Born in Rangoon the daughter of Mya Aye, prominent leader of the ‘88 Generation Students’, at five months old her father was arrested and sentenced to prison for his involvement in the nationwide student uprising. Because of her father’s activities her studies were pressured by the military government in Burma. Her father was arrested again in August 2007. Wai Hnin is actively involved in the democracy movement in the UK. She met the Prime Minister Gordon Brown in June 2008, made a speech in July 2008 at the Houses of Parliament about the issues of political prisoners and women activists, and is campaigning at the Burma Campaign UK to release the political prisoners in Burma.

Anyone interested in the Burma Campaign can contact Wai Hnin at wai.hnin@burmacampaign.org.uk

‘The ICC in Africa’

Tim Allen of LSE came to Leeds University to talk about the problems of implementing ICC warrants in developing countries. An experienced field researcher and academic, Professor Allen delivered an impassioned lecture about the recent indictment of Omar Al-Bashir and the continuing problems with the LRA leadership in Uganda.

‘Zimbabwe, Africa and the World: Beyond ‘Patriotic Blackness’

Mr. Chitiyo is head of the ‘Africa Program’ at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence. A former lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe and co-director of the University’s ‘Centre for Defence Studies’, Mr. Chitiyo has written extensively for The Guardian on Zimbabwe and was recently interviewed by David Frost on ‘Frost All Over The World’ to discuss the country.

In light of controversy and confusion surrounding recent parliamentary and presidential elections, Mr. Chitiyo spoke about “Zimbabwe, Africa and the World: Beyond ‘Patriotic Blackness.’”

‘Britain in Africa’

Tom Porteous has worked and travelled extensively in Africa as a journalist, UN peacekeeping official and for the Foreign Office, and is currently the London Director of Human Rights Watch. He spoke on the theme of his new book, “Britain in Africa”, addressing questions including ‘Why has Africa become such an important priority for Britain’s foreign policy under New Labour?,’ ‘What interests and values is the UK seeking to uphold by intervening?’, ‘Why has aid to Africa more than tripled over the past decade?’ And ‘How has the UK’s involvement in the War on Terror affected its efforts there?’

‘Crossing Nicaragua’

Peter Kilfoyle, MP for Liverpool Walton, and a former Defence Minister is author of the recently published Lies, Damned Lies, and Iraq, spoke to the Forum following his walk across Nicaragua in September. Whilst in Nicaragua MP Kilfoyle was received by members of the incumbent Sandinista government, and discussed his observations from his visit to Latin America’s poorest country.

‘The New World Disorder’

Lord Hannay, former ambassador to the UN (1990-95) and Chair of the United Nations Association discussed the new challenges facing the international community. Author of ‘New World Disorder: the UN after the Cold War’, Lord Hannay is an expert in the fields of UN Reform, The Security Council and the Middle East. His long and distinguished career has included FCO postings in Iran and Afghanistan, working with the European Commission and further Ambassadorial roles to the USA and the EU (then EEC).

‘Iraq – Winning the War, Losing the Occupation’

Ali Allawi, former Minister of Trade and Minister of Defence for the Interim Iraq Governing Council and subsequently Iraqi Minister of Finance, and author of “The Occupation of Iraq - Winning the War: Losing the Peace” discussed the future of Iraq and the region, followed by questions and answers.

Alex Renton, journalist for the Observer, Guardian, Prospect Magazine and Oxfam spoke on the changes and challenges to the processes of Food Aid in Africa.

Tim Finch, Communications Director for the Refugee Council, spoke on the shortcomings of the international refugee regime, and its implications in Britain and globally

Presentation video, part one (YouTube)
Presentation video, part two (YouTube)

Former Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Europe, and currently Chief Whip and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, spoke on the future of British Foreign policy under Gordon Brown.

Richard Bell First Secretary of the Political Office at the US Embassy, London, focused his talk on the situation in Darfur and the African Governance generally, then taking questions off the record from the audience on a range of issues relating to US foreign policy across the globe.

Dermot Scott, the head of the European Parliament’s UK office in London, about the difficulties and opportunities in making the work of the European Union, particularly the European Parliament, more accessible and engaged with the British public, answering a range of questions from the audience.

Martin Wolf, author of Why Globalisation Works and Chief Financial Commentator at the Financial Times, gave a detailed talk about the nature and future of Globalisation, and his perspective as an economist, answering a range of questions from the audience.
Martin Wolf's Presentation (Powerpoint)

Professor Jentleson of Duke University, North Carolina, discussed how he saw America’s changing place in the world following the Bush administration. As a Democrat, and formerly Al Gore’s senior foreign policy advisor, Professor Jentleson put forward an alternative American foreign policy, including addressing the Middle East, the Rise of China, America’s military effectiveness and International Development.

Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central, then Secretary of State for International Development and the Prime Minister’s Personal Africa Representative, discussed the role Britain has to play in International Development, responding to a broad range of questions and giving a deep insight into the work of DFID. The students of Leeds University had a range of questions for Mr Benn from how Britain should respond to the situation in Darfur to issues of privatization in the developing world.

Mr Benn was keen to stress that he was “optimistic” about Darfur and said that large steps are being taking. Since the talk the U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair has written to European Union leaders, calling for sanctions against the Sudanese government to force it to end attacks on civilians in the western region of Darfur. Tony Blair has also called for a UN resolution to expand sanctions against Sudan and proposed a no-fly zone over Darfur.

The Department for International Development (DFID) has also been deeply criticized for having a stringent, neo-liberal privatization policy to aid developing nations. Activist have held that DFID is paying vast sums of money to investment banks such as KPMG and the Adam Smith Institute which only lead to rising prices on previously public owned services. Mr Benn immediately rejected this assumption. He said that the money that DFID pays to private projects is a minute fraction of DFID’s budget. The vast majority of the expenditure is on public services working with the governments of the developing nations.

The IAF interviewed Hilary Benn before the event
Click here for the full text of the interview.

Zaki Cooper, Director of Business for New Europe, spoke about the benefits of Britain’s relationship with Europe and the future of Britain’s role in the European Union.

David Campbell-Bannerman, Deputy Leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party spoke on Britain’s relationship with the European Union and UKIP’s vision of British foreign relations outside of the EU.

Click here for the full text of David Campbell-Bannerman’s Speech to the IAF (PDF)

The IAF interviewed David Campbell-Bannerman before the event
Click here for the full text of the interview.

Leslie Tsou, the Political Officer at the American Embassy in London, and expert on the Middle East, spoke openly on America’s foreign policy and Britain’s ‘special relationship’ with the United States, answering an extensive range of audience questions.

“Saudi Arabia’s role in the Middle East, The future of the Saudi-British relationship”

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and former Ambassador to Tel-Aviv spoke extensively on Saudi-British relations and the importance of the tie between the two states. This point was particularly emphasised in relation to the goals shared between the two kingdoms. “The Saudi’s are on our side” in looking for a “Two State Solution” and a “non-nuclear armed Iran”. In covering these points it was clear that Sir Sherard advocated a cooperative approach to achieving aims with Saudi Arabia. Sir Sherard went on to note Saudi’s impressive history of aid donation “Saudi Arabia gave £1.6 billion to Lebanon alone!”.

The question and answer session proved interesting with Sir Sherard answering questions on the current controversy over BAE systems as well as the democratic and human rights situation in Saudi. “Saudi Arabia has come from roughly where we were at the time of Boudica in a very short period of time.” Sir Sherard also covered the topics of diplomacy and the make up of the FCO and the importance of cooperation on terrorism prevention.

The IAF interviewed Sir Sherard before the event
Click here for the full text of the interview.

“A Conservative perspective for African development; A Pan-African trade area?”

The International Affairs Forum’s inaugural event; we were delighted to host the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell MP for Sutton Coldfield, who shared a Conservative perspective on African development, Britain’s role in the Developing world, and its vision of a Pan-Africa Trade Area.