Freedom House Africa Head on Kenya’s Political Trajectory

Tags

Freedom House, Kenya, NED, Uhuru Kenyatta, Vukasin Petrovic

Petrovic at Left

Things have been getting very hectic with my impending relocation to Liberia (I’ve probably only got a few more posts left in me, although I suspect I’ll continue blogging in Monrovia).  Yesterday, I did stop by the National Endowment for Democracy for part of an event on ‘Kenya after the 2013 Election.’

Vukasin Petrovic, Director of sub-Saharan Africa Programs at Freedom House was one of the two speakers and the only one I heard deliver his full set of remarks.

His main theme was one of negativity.  Petrovic noted that East Africa is one of the least democratic regions on the continent and that Kenya’s governance situation decreased democratically with the election of Uhuru Kenyatta.  Petrovic noted that  Kenyatta has took stops to close ‘operating space for civil society and media’, modeled on Ethiopia’s moves to clamp down on opposition following that country’s 2005 elections.

 

Advertisement

Thiat of Y’en a Marre: Senegalese Activist, Entertainer & Visiting NED Fellow

Tags

Charles Mangongera, Kennedy Center, NED, Thiat, Y'en a Marre

Thiat (R)

Last week I had the pleasure of bumping into Thiat – activist, entertainer, and visiting NED Democracy Fellow from Senegal on two occasions.  First, we spoke briefly at NED before Charles Mangongera’s presentation.  He gave me a copy of a very interesting documentary in which he features prominently, Boy Saloum (there is particularly compelling footage of him being arrested while opposing Wade’s attempts to remain in power in Senegal).  Our second encounter (above) was on the metro while he was heading to the studio for a recording session (and I was returning from reading Liberian newspapers on microfilm at the Library of Congress).

In this blog I often speak on what I perceive to be a significant lack of interest by Africa watchers in regards to African entertainment issues, particularly those that appeal to youth.  NED has taken a great step in bridging this divide by recognizing Thiat.

To register for Thiat’s presentation at NED on January 30 and to get more background info on him, go here.  I’ve also been informed that he’ll be performing at the Kennedy Center soon.

MDC Staffer and NED Fellow Charles Mangongera on the Role of the Military in Zimbabwe’s ‘Economic, Social, and Political Decline’

Tags

Charles Mangongera, DRC War, Freedom House, IRI, JOC, Josiah Tongogara, Mengistu Haile Mariam, NED, Operation Murambatsvina, Robert Mugabe, USAID, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe diamonds, Zimbabwe military, Zimbabwe securocrats

Mangongera at left of NED Moderator and Commenter

Yesterday, I attended a talk by Charles Mangongera, a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy.  Mangongera is the Director of Policy and Research for the Movement for Democratic Change (Tsvangirai branch), the main opposition party in Zimbabwe.  Before assuming this position, Mangongera worked with Freedom House and was authoring reports for DC-based organizations like USAID and IRI.  Mangongera masterfully covered  wide-ranging remarks on ‘Zimbabwe’s Military and the Prospects for Democratic Reform.’

Veiled Threats from Zimbabwe Embassy to MDC Official and NED Fellow?

Tags

Charles Mangongera, George Chinoingira, MDC, NED, Whatmore Goora, WOZA, ZANU-PF, ZCTU, Zimbabwe civil society, Zimbabwe criticism of West, Zimbabwe Embassy in USA, Zimbabwe GPA, Zimbabwe opposition, Zimbabwe political violence, ZUJ

Aggrieved Zimbabwe Embassy Official

Today, I attended a superb talk by visiting NED Fellow (and Zimbabwe opposition staffer) Charles Mangongera on Zimbabwe’s military.  His superb presentation warrants a post (to come soon) that focuses solely on its own merits.  For this space here however, there was a very interesting exchange at the end of Q & A with an official from the Embassy of Zimbabwe that warrants a separate examination.

Of Metro Fiascos & Media in Southern Africa

Tags

African Media, CIMA NED, NED, Southern Africa Media

A perfectly timed metro issue prevented me from attending the recently concluded National Endowment for Democracy event on ‘The Role of Media Development in Democratic Transitions: The Case of Southern Africa‘.

While I am saddened at the loss of the opportunity to see the lady in the brown skirt who often shows up at NED events, I am heartened that this issue is being discussed (although the bias toward participants of US origin is a bit unfortunate).  I have devoted considerable attention to Zimbabwe in the last weeks, a country that aside from its relatively frequently bombed newspapers, has basically no independent media.

South Africa aside (and even the Rainbow Nation does not have much of a projection – I loved watching Rhythm City, but it doesn’t seem to have much reach in Africa), the region on the whole does not seem to have a particularly vibrant media infrastructure, especially when one goes beyond newspapers, which are falling increasingly out of favor worldwide – however, the Wilson Center has recently informed me that Zambia now has a Chinese language newspaper.

As the region represents the part of Africa that is best connected to larger global currents and is primarily English speaking, further development of southern African media should have important repercussions in shaping global perceptions of Africa.

You can read the report the event is based on here.  Interestingly, it seems to only address South Africa.

Beyond the Elections in Zimbabwe Pt 1*: Democratic Institutions

Tags

Dewa Mahvinga, Human Rights Watch, Irene Petras, Jabusile Shumba, Jenni Williams, NED, Robert Mugabe, Simon Khaya Moyo, WOZA Zimbabwe, ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe elections, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

*I will publish part 2 tomorrow on the comments of Shannon Smith, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.  I took great exception to her diplomatic speak, so please indulge my venting in a dedicated post.

Alas, work commitments today meant that I missed most of the ‘Beyond the Elections in Zimbabwe‘ conference convened at the National Endowment for Democracy and co-sponsored by a variety of local organizations.

I arrived late, in the middle of the 2nd panel, and had to leave early (fortunately, I still got a delicious lunch).  This meant that I missed the first panel, on civil society, which was what I most wanted to hear.  Fortunately,