Podcasts about csis africa program

Catherine Nzuki is joined by Cameron Hudson, Senior Fellow with the CSIS Africa Program. He unpacks the immediate causes of the war, the growing number of regional actors involved in the war, how the entry of foreign actors is changing the dynamics of the conflict, and the unique role the U.S. can play in mediating a peace process. Cameron Hudson's testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa can be found here.

Three West African countries - Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso - have finalized their exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Another thing they have in common? All three countries are under junta rule after military coups that took place in recent years. They have since formed their own union - the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).   Why have these three countries exited ECOWAS, and is this a crisis point for the regional bloc? Catherine Nzuki is joined by Beverly Ochieng, Senior Analyst for Francophone Africa at Control Risks, and a Senior Associate with the CSIS Africa Program, to unpack these questions and more.   They discuss the state of politics and security in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso (1:30); why the leaders of these military juntas are popular at home and across Africa (4:40); what drove the decision to exit ECOWAS and what this means for unity in the region (7:37); how the AES is using arts, culture, and media to self-legitimize; (20:00); how the pan-African, decolonial rhetoric of the leaders of AES is translating into their governance choices (24:11); if the AES confederation is strong enough to weather rough international winds on their own (28:49); the state of Africa's legacy institutions today and how responsive they are to shifting regional politics and the collapsing post-WWII order (37:15).

Catherine Nzuki, associate fellow in the CSIS Africa Program, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of new policies—like U.S. withdrawals from the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement—on Africa, how African nations can use great power competition between the United States and China to their advantage, and her new CSIS podcast, The Afropolitan. Please listen to the African tunes Catherine shared with the Truth of the Matter Afropunk Playlist Afropop Playlist

The CSIS Africa Program is excited to announce the launch of The Afropolitan, a podcast hosted by Catherine Nzuki, Associate Fellow with the Africa Program. The Afropolitan is dedicated to exploring Africa's growing influence on the global stage. By 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. Africa will increasingly drive key aspects of the future—from the global workforce and cutting-edge innovations to creative industries that inspire global culture and arts. The decisions made across Africa today, both positive and negative, will shape the world's future.   The future of cosmopolitanism is increasingly African. The Afropolitan delves into the stories, trends, and challenges shaping today's realities and defining the decades ahead.   You can find The Afropolitan on the same feed as Into Africa. Search for "Into Africa" wherever you get your podcasts.

Mvemba is joined by Maria Burnett (Senior Associate, CSIS Africa Program) and Gyude Moore (Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development). They discuss the slate of high-level U.S. government visits to Africa, culminating with Vice President Kamala Harris, and the impact of these visits on U.S.-Africa relations.

Mvemba is joined by Cameron Hudson, Senior Associate with the CSIS Africa Program. They unpack the long-term drivers of tensions between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the factors that have triggered the current deadly unrest, and its devastating impact on civilians. They also discuss concerns about the conflict spreading across the region and the fate of Sudan's beleaguered democratic transition and security sector reforms.

Catherine Nzuki, Associate Fellow with the CSIS Africa Program, steps in for Mvemba this week. Catherine is joined by two Ghanaian clerics: Bishop Alfred Agyenta and Sheikh Dr. Hazic Hussein Zakaria. They discuss insecurity and peacebuilding in the Sahel, the drivers of conflict in Ghana, the power of religious peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue, and the long-term solutions to the crisis in the Sahel.   Find out more about the Sahel Peace Initiative: https://www.crs.org/media-center/current-issues/sahel-crisis-facts-and-how-help

In this episode, GFSP director Caitlin Welsh and CSIS Africa Program director Mvemba Phezo Dizolele sit down with Melodine Jeptoo, researcher and coordinator at PlantVillage. PlantVillage is a non-profit research unit that uses AI technology, satellite systems, and field work to increase the yield and profits for millions of farmers in East Africa. They discuss the drivers of food insecurity in the region and explore how technology can be leveraged to build resilient food systems in East Africa. This episode is co-hosted and co-released with the CSIS Africa Program's podcast, Into Africa. 

This is the first episode of the Into Africa podcast with new host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, who joined the CSIS Africa Program as director and senior fellow in December 2021. Mvemba speaks with author Howard French about his newest book, Born in Blackness. They discuss French's research process, the outsized role that São Tomé played in the modernity of the Western world, and how plantations—or, more accurately, prison labor camps—were the most important economic innovation of the modern age prior to the industrial revolution. French also describes the West's centuries-long attempt to strip Africans of their identity, and how Africans and the diaspora are working together along identity lines to win back their rightful place. Born in Blackness (W. W. Norton & Company)

CSIS Africa Program director Judd Devermont joins the podcast to discuss his latest research findings that Beijing's observable interactions with current and former African security chiefs pale in comparison to equivalent U.S. engagements, and, why this is so important for the United States in the era of strategic competition.

Introducing 49, CSIS Africa Program's newest podcast, about the past, present, and future of U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa. Hosts Judd Devermont, director of CSIS's Africa Program, and Nicole Willet, Chief of Staff at the Open Society Foundations, discuss past U.S. successes and failures; offer policy recommendations for the Biden Administration; and share the best of the region's music, movies, food, and culture. One country at a time. The first episodes drop on Thursday, 15 July 2021.

Introducing 49, CSIS Africa Program's newest podcast, about the past, present, and future of U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa. Hosts Judd Devermont, director of CSIS's Africa Program, and Nicole Wilett, Chief of Staff at the Open Society Foundations, discuss past U.S. successes and failures; offer policy recommendations for the Biden Administration; and share the best of the region's music, movies, food, and culture. One country at a time. The first episodes drop on Thursday, 15 July 2021.

The film industry is booming across the African continent. In Nigeria, Nollywood generates an annual $600 million for the national economy and indirectly employs more than 1 million people. With African filmmakers expanding from DVDs to theaters and streaming services, there is an opportunity for African governments and the international community to support and invest in the continent’s growing creative sector. Join the CSIS Africa Program for a screening of “Lionheart”, the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria, followed by a panel discussion and reception. As the inaugural event in the CSIS Africa Program’s “Creatives Series”, the evening will explore Nigeria’s burgeoning creative industries, its investment potential, and how the United States and international community can harness Nollywood’s soft power. This event is made possible by the support of Chevron.

The situation in Mali and the Sahel continues to deteriorate. Despite significant international engagement and investment, violent extremism is increasing. The number of reported violent events linked to militant Islamic group activity in the Sahel has doubled every year since 2016, reaching 465 incidents in 2018. Violence also spread and then rapidly escalated in Niger and Burkina Faso in the past two years. As the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the Security Council, the Sahel region needs support from the international community “now more than ever.” On September 11, 2019, the CSIS Africa Program will host a half-day conference examining the escalating violence in the Sahel. The conference will feature a keynote address by the Republican Leader of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Michael McCaul, who will share his views of U.S. policy toward the Sahel. Two expert panels, consisting of academics and policymakers from Europe, the Sahel, and the United States, will also discuss the state of play and response efforts. The opening and closing plenary and all panels will be live webcast from the CSIS website. Agenda: 9:00 AM - Panel 1: The State of Play Corinne Dufka (Human Rights Watch), Andrew Lebovich (Columbia University), Susanna Wing (Haverford College), and Doussouba Konate (Accountability Lab Mali) will examine the political incentives and disincentives underlying the regional responses to the escalating violence in the Sahel. 10:30 AM - Keynote address delivered by Representative Michael McCaul (Republican Leader, House Foreign Affairs Committee) 10:45 AM - Break  11:00 AM - Panel 2: The Way Forward U.S. and European officials will discuss the international architecture of the response efforts in the Sahel, including mechanisms to increase coordination and bridge gaps. Panelists will include Whitney Baird (U.S. State Department), Heike Thiele (German Directorate‑General for Humanitarian Assistance, Crisis Prevention Stabilisation and Post‑Conflict Reconstruction), Rigmor Elianne Koti (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Section for the Horn of Africa and West Africa), Robert Jan Siegert (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Ambassador Antonio Torres-Dulce (Spanish Special Envoy to the Sahel, Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation). This event is made possible by the support of the European Union, the Embassy of Germany, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, and the Embassy of Spain.

Since their first October 2017 attack in Mozambique, Islamist extremists—invariably called al-Shabaab or Ahlu Sunna wa Jama—have conducted over 110 attacks, with more than 295 civilian and military deaths. Despite this escalating violence, there are significant gaps in our understanding of the problem. There is not a consensus about the key drivers of extremism in the region, including the linkages between local, regional, and international extremist networks. Experts have struggled to identify who comprises al-Shabaab (Ahlu Sunna wa Jama), and furnish answers to key questions regarding their objectives, recruitment, or funding sources. Join the CSIS Africa Program on Thursday, June 6, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a half-day conference on growing insecurity in Mozambique. This event will feature two expert panels on the drivers of extremism and potential response efforts in Mozambique.Keynote Address: Stefanie Amadeo, Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs (U.S. Department of State)Panel 1: Examining Social, Political, and Religious DriversFeaturing Dr. Alex Vines (Chatham House), Dr. Yussuf Adam (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane), and Dr. Liazzat Bonate (University of West Indies)Moderated by Emilia ColumboPanel 2: Exploring Regional and International Response EffortsFeaturing H. Dean Pittman (former U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique), Zenaida Machado (Human Rights Watch), and Dr. Gregory Pirio (Empowering Communications)Moderated by Judd Devermont (Director, CSIS Africa Program)This event is made possible by the general support to CSIS.

The CSIS Global Food Security Project and the CSIS Africa Program invite you to join a discussion on the economic decline and food insecurity crisis in Zimbabwe. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s 2018 Rural Livelihoods Assessment, nearly 2.4 million people in rural Zimbabwe were projected to be severely food insecure by March 2019. In the wake of Cyclone Idai, Zimbabwe's dire condition seems poised to worsen. If the current trends continue, Zimbabwe could be facing a severe humanitarian crises that rivals some of the worst in the world.   Is Zimbabwe prepared to reform its economy, address its food security challenges, and develop a sustainable strategy to response to natural disasters? How can the international community and the U.S. government support peace and prosperity in the wake of this disaster? Panelists Ashok Chakravarti, Jason Taylor, and Peter Thomas will tackle these questions and shine a light on the escalating situation in Zimbabwe to the Washington policy community. This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The CSIS Global Food Security Project and the CSIS Africa Program invite you to join a discussion on the economic decline and food insecurity crisis in Zimbabwe. According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s 2018 Rural Livelihoods Assessment, nearly 2.4 million people in rural Zimbabwe were projected to be severely food insecure by March 2019. In the wake of Cyclone Idai, Zimbabwe's dire condition seems poised to worsen. If the current trends continue, Zimbabwe could be facing a severe humanitarian crises that rivals some of the worst in the world.   Is Zimbabwe prepared to reform its economy, address its food security challenges, and develop a sustainable strategy to response to natural disasters? How can the international community and the U.S. government support peace and prosperity in the wake of this disaster? Panelists Ashok Chakravarti, Jason Taylor, and Peter Thomas will tackle these questions and shine a light on the escalating situation in Zimbabwe to the Washington policy community. This event is made possible through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The ongoing Ebola crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first Ebola outbreak in a war zone, is posing unprecedented challenges to responders. Much of the difficulty stems from the difficult security situation in the region, yet the particulars remain a mystery to many. In this episode of Take as Directed, we are joined by Judd Devermont, Director of the CSIS Africa Program, for a conversation that provides critical context on operating in eastern DRC, including clarity on who the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are and perspective on the relationship between the Ebola outbreak and the upcoming, highly anticipated elections in DRC. Hosted by J. Stephen Morrison.