Join us for an ASA Member exclusive event on Thursday, April 3 at 2:00 eastern, co-hosted by the Kongo Academy and the Congolese Studies Association. The Zoom link will be available to ASA members in MyASA. Be sure to renew your ASA membership and support the Kongo Academy and Congolese Studies Association by becoming members in MyASA.
Open to all ASA Members. Pre-registration in your MyASA Dashboard is required.
Understanding the Congo Crisis: Geopolitical and Human Rights Perspectives:
The war in the Congo is the latest surge in a prolonged infringement on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This presentation will explain Congo’s political crisis through geopolitical, economic, military, and human rights dimensions. Understanding the Congo requires an appreciation of the fact that its modern history runs in parallel to the evolution of key stages of the global economy. The Congo’s mineral wealth made possible the emergence of the automobile industry, the Industrial Revolution, the success of the Allied Forces in WWII, and the life-altering information technology that powers laptops and cell phones and key industries around the world. Through speakers and video clips, the webinar will highlight the challenges of nation-building amidst competing local, regional, and global interests, and how this reality has critical implications for the human rights of the Congolese people, and the entire African continent. The presentation also shares the entrepreneurship and fortitude that the Congolese people exemplify in the face of these odds.
Event Speakers:
Dr. Eyamba Georges Bokamba is a Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and of French & Italian at the University of Illinois and an activist in the quest for democracy and development in the Congo.
Lukogho Kasomo, MBA, is a co-founder of the Congolese Diaspora Impact Summit and has an extensive background in business development, policy analysis, and cross-sector collaboration across multiple industries.
Dr. Salikoko S. Mufwene is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics and in African Studies at the University of Chicago.
Moderators:
Muadi Mukenge, M.A., is President of the Congolese Studies Association and brings over 25 years of experience in international development and philanthropy. She implements rural development initiatives in Congo and serves on the boards of several advocacy and international NGOs.
Dr. Adrien Ngudiankama is the founder and director of Kongo Academy, which was founded in 2020 to promote Kongo studies through research, webinars, conferences, symposia, publications, and joint projects.
Register for this event in your MyASA Dashboard.
