Round table discussion: Neocolonialism and Development

Policies and International Relations

CODES - Actividades - Round table discussion

05 Oct (17:00 - 18:45)

05 Oct (19:00 - 20:00)

Summary

Round Table discussion with 3 of the best spanish-speakers political analysts that will discuss about the role of international relations on the development of the continent.

The topics dealt with will be centred:

- On one hand, in the history and processes of conflict resolution in Africa, the economic interests generated by these conflicts and the consequences that these conflicts have for African societies.

- On the other hand, the role and influence of external powers in the continent's decisions will be debated, including an obligatory review of Spain's participation in these policies.

- Finally, they will provide proposals for sustainable development that are likely to change the current order of the planet and our conception of history.

Speakers

Óscar Mateos

Political analyst specialized in Africa

Óscar Mateos (@oscarmateos1) has a degree in Political Science and Administration, a postgraduate degree in Peace Culture and a PhD in International Relations, with a European mention, from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

For several years, he has worked in the UAB's School for a Culture of Peace and collaborated with organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières in Southern Sudan or Conciliation Resources in Sierra Leone. He was Visiting Scholar at the University of Sierra Leone (Fourah Bay College) from 2006 to 2008 and Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 2008.

He is currently a professor at the Blanquerna-Universitat Ramon Llull Faculty of Communication and International Relations as well as GLOBALCODES group's Principal Investigator, of the same Faculty. He is also a member of the Governing Board of the International Catalan Institute for Peace (ICIP).

His areas of expertise are the analysis of armed conflicts and peacebuilding processes in Africa and the role of social movements in the mechanisms of change and social transformation in today's globalization. He has published and edited several books and academic articles on these topics. Some of his most recent publications are : “From "tragedy" to "miracle"? Africa in the new multipolar context” and “África Subsahariana: democratización, a pesar de todo”.

Itziar Ruiz-Giménez

Coordinator of the African Studies Group (GEA in Spanish) of the UAM

Coordinator of both the Group of African Studies (GEA in Spanish) and the International Studies Group (GERI in Spanish) and lecturer at the Political Science and International Relations Department in the Autonomous University of Madrid. She is an expert on human rights, women's rights, peacebuilding, cooperation and has published more than 20 studies on these topics, among which the following stand out: 'Buenas intenciones: Intervención humanitaria en África' (Icaria, 2004), 'La historia de la intervención humanitaria: el imperialismo altruista' (Los libros de la Catarata, 2005), 'El sueño liberal en Africa Subsahariana: Debates y controversias sobre la paz' (Catarata, 2014) and 'Más allá de la barbarie y la codicia: Historia y política de las guerras africanas' (Bellaterra, 2012).

Nestor Nongo

African Information Analyst, who has worked in various ministries

Bachelor degree in Political Science and Sociology (Pontifical University of Salamanca), Ecclesiastical Studies and Theology (Comillas Pontifical University) as well as a degree in philosophy (Saint François Xavier. Mbuji-Mayi. RD Congo). Master in Tourism and Public Administration. Doctoral candidate in Political Science and Sociology. He belongs to the Higher Corps of Civil Administrators of the State. International information analyst, specialist in public communication and African politics. He is a technician of the Ministry of Culture and Sport and founder of the association Tracaf (''Trabajando por el corazón de África, which means "Working for the heart of Africa").