Dear Students As a Busy Year Draws to a Close, We'd Like to Provide You
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DEPARTMENT OF From 13 to 15 July, the Department, together POLITICAL SCIENCES with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and NEWSLETTER the Embassy of Sweden, hosted a seminar November 2011 on the “United Nations and Regional Challenges in Africa: 50 years after the death of Dag Hammarskjöld”. The event was Dear students opened by Ms Graça Machel , and speakers included former UN Special Envoy Jan As a busy year draws to a close, we’d like to Pronk , Dr Monica Juma , Kenya’s Ambas- provide you with an overview of events and sador to the AU, and the Kofi Annan Inter- goings-on in the Department of Political national Peacekeeping Training Centre’s Dr Sciences this semester. Kwesi Aning . The Department’s Dr Henning Melber delivered the keynote address, “Dag Our newsletter also affords us the opportunity Hammarskjöld: Ethics, solidarity and global to thank you for your participation in leadership”; Mr Jan Mutton chaired the Departmental events, and to acknowledge opening panel discussion; Professor Laurie your support and enthusiasm. Nathan presented a paper on “The SADC Tribunal: regional organisations, human security, human rights and international law”; HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEMESTER and Professor Sandy Africa participated in the final round-table discussion on “Africa and global governance: international perspectives for peace, security and the rule of law”. On 15 September, Mr Ebrahim Ebrahim , Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation led a panel discussion on the topic “Libya, the United Nations, the African Union and South Africa: Wrong moves? Wrong motives?” The event was co-hosted by the Department, the Centre for Mediation in Africa and the Centre for Human Rights, and sponsored by the Open Society Foun- On 13 October, South African President dation for South Africa. Professor Sandy Jacob Zuma delivered an address on South Africa chaired the panel discussion. Africa’s foreign policy to staff and students of the University of Pretoria, members of the diplomatic corps and the media. The Presi- STAFF ACTIVITIES dent’s visit was facilitated by the Department of Political Sciences and its newly established Dr Gerhard Wolmarans spent a month Centre for Mediation in Africa. visiting universities in the UK and the USA to further his research into the implications of In his address, the President focused on the post-structuralism for deliberative democracy. country’s foreign policy objectives: its priority Dr Wolmarans visited scholars at the London focus on Africa and the Southern African School of Economics, Indiana University (Fort Development Community, relations with Wayne), Wheaton College (Illinois) and New states in the developing South and developed School (New York). He spent time at the North, and working to strengthen and trans- archives of the LSE and the Marion Wade form international multilateral institutions to Center at Wheaton College for research on ensure greater representivity and diversity. Michael Oakeshott and CS Lewis. During his visit abroad, Dr Wolmarans Ms Uyo Salifu , an Assistant Lecturer in the presented five seminars on democracy in the Department and Administrative Assistant in South African context, with specific topics the Master of Diplomatic Studies office, was focused on the Truth and Reconciliation appointed as a Researcher at the Institute for Commission, the role of Nelson Mandela, the Global Dialogue, where she is currently ANC as liberation movement-turned- involved in the COP 17 preparations. Ms government, the role of political philosophy in Salifu remains with the Department on a part- SA politics, and the legacy of apartheid. time basis. On 22 September, Departmental Research Ms Ina Hugo , an Assistant Lecturer and Associate and former Belgian Ambassador Honours graduate in the Department, has Jan Mutton represented the Department at been involved at the International Institute of the launch of a study on “Climate change and Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Inter- the risk of violent conflicts in Southern Africa”, national IDEA) during the semester, assisting held at the Swedish embassy. The study was in a project that trains African electoral produced by Global Crisis Solutions in officials in democratic practice. Pretoria and the Center for Sustainable Development at the University of Uppsala in Ms Sonja Theron , an Assistant Lecturer and Sweden, in collaboration with the Swedish former student of the Department, was Government. awarded the Peace and Security Fellowship for African Scholars to read for her Master’s Mr Mutton , on behalf of the Department, also degree at King’s College, London. The attended a policy dialogue on building fellowship is set up by the African Leadership international consensus on 29 September. Centre, in partnership with the Conflict, This event was organised by the Southern Security and Development Group at King’s Africa Liaison Office and addressed by College and the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Ambassador Lindiwe Zulu, Presidential The fellowship is funded by the Carnegie Advisor on International Relations. Corporation. During the semester, Mr Roland Henwood presented lectures at the South African VISITORS, CONFERENCES, National Defence College and the South WORKSHOPS and LECTURES African War College. Professor Maxi Schoeman presented a Dr Mzukisi Qobo pursued research on South paper on failed mediation in Côte d'Ivoire at a Africa’s political economy and the future of workshop on “New Trends in the mediation of mining in South Africa. This is an ongoing conflicts in Africa”, hosted at the Stellenbosch research project that looks into the historical Institute for Advanced Study from 5 to 6 role of the mining sector in shaping South September. Professor Schoeman also Africa’s political economy and further presented a paper on “Rising powers and examines its possible contribution towards peace operations” at a workshop on “Rising South Africa’s development futures. powers and global challenges”, hosted by the Center for International Relations at Dr Cori Wielenga , a Postdoctoral Fellow in Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo in the Department, spent time in Burundi from October. She will deliver a keynote address 12 to 19 September researching the pro- on regional integration in Africa at a posed transitional justice system that is to be conference of the Regional Integration and implemented in Burundi next year. The Social Cohesion Research Consortium, to be system includes both a truth commission and hosted by the University of Johannesburg special tribunal. from 30 November to 3 December. Professor Sandy Africa participated in an On 10 June, Dr Yolanda Spies presented a experts’ dialogue on the Protection of State paper on South Africa and India’s respective Information Bill, hosted by the Nelson positions vis-à-vis UN Security Council reform Mandela Foundation and the Wits Law at a South African Institute of International Centre at the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Affairs conference on “India and South Africa Johannesburg offices on 8 June 2011. She and Africa in a changing global landscape”. also participated in the follow-up event on 23 June and attended a further session on 1 In the course of 2011, two leading Australian November. universities invited the Department of Political Sciences for joint ventures in delivering From 11 to 12 July, Professor Africa diplomatic training courses for African attended a closed experts’ meeting on the diplomats. The training forms part of Responsibility to Protect at the Kofi Annan the Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility, an International Peacekeeping Training Centre, official development aid programme for Africa in Accra, Ghana. While in Ghana, she was a funded by the Australian Government. The guest speaker at a public panel discussion on first such course was hosted by the University “Libya and the Responsibility to Protect”, held of Pretoria and took place from 27 June to 15 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping July. Dr Yolanda Spies assisted the Univer- Training Centre. sity of Queensland with the design of the programme, coordinated its delivery and Professor Africa also attended the second lectured in it, along with several other staff “South African conference on strategic members of the Department. A total of 30 theory”, held at the Stellenbosch Institute for diplomats from three countries (Swaziland, Advanced Studies from 22 to 23 September. Zambia and Tanzania) participated in this The conference was hosted by the Faculty of very successful three-week programme. Military Science at Stellenbosch University and the Royal Danish Defence College, and Another training programme for African was focused on the theme “Military culture diplomats, hosted by the Australia National and African armed forces”. University’s Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy, took place during October/ Professor Africa attended a closed experts’ November. Dr Spies and Professor Kata - meeting on “Financial oversight of intelligence baro Miti were invited to guest lecture in the services”, hosted by the Geneva Centre for programme, which took place in Canberra. Democratic Control of Armed Forces in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10 to 11 October. The programmes will continue in 2012 and The meeting, sponsored by the Dutch the Department has been requested by both government, is aimed at producing a universities to continue its involvement. handbook on best practices that can be used by parliamentarians, governments, audit Professor Laurie Nathan , Director of the authorities and civil society in the former