Since its inception, the IPATC has established itself as one of the leading Institutes on Pan-African thought on the continent. It has particularly fostered its expertise in the area of Africa/European Union (EU) Migration in which it has engaged in research and policy development. In order to facilitate and shape the implementation of the 2018 United Nations (UN) Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration; IPATC, along with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) EU office in Brussels, and the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group secretariat, convened a one-day policy dialogue in the Belgian capital in October 2018 two months before the UN Global Compact on Migration was agreed in Marrakesh. IPATC received funding from the German Federal Foreign Office for a 6-month project on “Implementation of the UN Global Compact: Conflict, Governance, and Migration in Africa/EU Relations” which was implemented through the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IFA) between July and December 2019. In order further to consolidate the impact of this work, IPATC has been implementing a 9-month project (May-December 2020) funded by the German Foreign Office through IFA titled “Implementation of the UN Global Compact: Building a Community of Practice in Addressing Conflict, Governance, and Migration in Africa/EU Relations.”
A fundamental purpose of this project has thus been to establish a CoP on implementing the 2018 UN Global Compact on Migration. The informal group consists of African and European government officials, EU and African regional bodies, policy experts, and civil society activists from both continents. This goal was partly achieved through organising a two-day policy dialogue in Johannesburg in October 2019 with African and European actors to assess ways of implementing the UN Global Compact. This 2019 policy dialogue was built on an October 2018 policy meeting in Brussels which the Institute had co-hosted with the then ACP Group secretariat and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) office, both in Belgium. This latter meeting helped shape the ACP’s policy positions in its negotiations of a new trade accord with the EU, while its policy brief helped to inform government delegates who participated in the Marrakesh meeting two months later at which the UN Global Compact was finalised.
Overview: The African Union at 20: Progress, Problems and Prospects
The Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), based at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and TrustAfrica are jointly organising a continental symposium on the theme: “The African Union at 20: Progress, Problems and Prospects” to be convened in October 2022. The symposium is part and parcel of the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the African Union (AU) which was established and launched on the 9th July 2022 at Durban, South Africa. Like the Organization of African Unity (OAU) of 1963, the AU is a key institutional architecture and historical landmark for the advancement of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance, and its primary mandate is continental unity and integration.
The continental development blueprint of the AU is aimed at creating socio-cultural and politico-economic transformation for the betterment of the lives and livelihoods of African people.
This initiative of IPATC, CODESRIA, and TrustAfrica is premised on six (6) main factors.
First, the transition from OAU to the AU in the late 1990s was an epoch-making development and there is, therefore, a need to review the result of the transition to date. Second, there is a need to discover through evidence-based research the real difference and similarities between OAU and AU. Third, this initiative will breathe life into the almost defunct Agenda 2063 as the long-term development blueprint of the AU. Fourthly, this project will also reignite intellectual imagination towards collective and PanAfricanist efforts towards integration following years of unilateralism and bilateralism reinforced by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifth, this initiative will contribute to the decolonization of Africa’s international relations, so the continent is able to occupy its rightful place in the global community of nations within and outside the United Nations system. Sixth and finally, the AU is currently undergoing institutional reforms and it is imperative that we review this process so far.
The Goal of the Symposium
Key themes and topics for the symposium
Key deliverables from the symposium
Participation, Format and Language
The symposium will involve about 250 participants drawn from governments, policy practitioners, academia, civil society, the private sector, the African diaspora etc. It will be convened in a hybrid format involving both a physical meeting and a virtual platform.
The format of the symposium will include, inter alia, plenary and break-away sessions. One or more keynote speakers will be invited to set the tone for the deliberations throughout the duration of the symposium.
English and French will be used for abstracts and papers. The symposium will also be conducted in both English and French. All publications emanating from this initiative will be in both English and French.
Overview: SADC @30:Past, Present and Future
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was founded on 17 August 1992 in the Botswana city of Gaborone by states that are geographically located in southern Africa. The overriding raison d’être behind the formation of SADC was to create governance structures and systems that would address issues and phenomena that are transboundary in character. As a regional intergovernmental organisation can, SADC is used by member states to convene and deliberate on measures necessary to overcome problems of the Southern African region. Similarly, it can be used not only as an instrument for responding to regional crises but also as a tool to initiate and advance economic cooperation and regional integration broadly. From challenges of conflict, political crises, natural disasters, governance failures, political repression, migration, and collaboration, to poor levels of regional integration, inter alia, the issues that SADC focuses on are certainly too broad and diverse.
Proceeding of the SADC@30 Colloquium
SADC will be reaching 30 years of existence. In light of this milestone, the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), in partnership with the African Association of Political Science (AAPS) and the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS), has organised a 2-days SADC colloquium title “SADC@30: Past, Present and Future that will be taking place on 25 and 26 August 2022 in Johannesburg (South Africa) at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The management of the colloquium is the responsibility of the IPATC. The overall coordinator of the colloquium is Prof. Siphamandla Zondi (head of the IPATC, University of Johannesburg). Prof. Zondi can be reached via his email: siphamandlaz@uj.ac.za. He is supported by a group of staff at the IPATC, including Dr Noluthando Phungula (a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the IPATC) – Dr Phungula’s email is: maphungul@gmail.com; and Mr Vusi Gumbi (Research Assistant at the IPATC) – Mr Gumbi’s email is vusig@uj.ac.za.
The Goal of the Colloquium
Key themes and topics for the colloquium
Deliverables from the colloquium
Participation, Format and Language
The symposium will involve about 60 participants drawn from governments, policy practitioners, academia, civil society, and the private sector, mainly from within the SADC region. It will be convened in a hybrid format involving both a physical meeting and a virtual platform.
The format of the colloquium will include, inter alia, plenary and break-away sessions. One or more keynote speakers will be invited to set the tone for the deliberations throughout the duration of the colloquium.
English will be used for abstracts and papers. The colloquium will also be conducted in both English. All publications emanating from this initiative will be in both.
Coming Soon.
Overview: Women, Gender and Financial Inclusion
African women are often found to play second fiddle when it comes to matters such as redress, redistribution as well as financial inclusion. There is a need to asks questions on what are the reasons and how can this be remedied through policy transformation and implementation. Financial inclusion and Gender Budgeting Response are two multidimensional concepts that embrace all disciplines and are measurable and relevant to public policy. African government and financial institutions have tried to effectively implement strategies or measures that facilitate the integration of women’s access to finance and women empowerment, yet the efforts cannot seem to be reconciled with the current status of women. Even after a decade of African women in different communities being rated and ranked amongst the least financially literate globally, in line with Visa’s 2013 international barometer, the situation remains the same (Khumalo 2017). Women continue to be subjected to abject poverty, inequality, and insecurity within the gender spectrum, despite financial services and policies on women empowerment.
The reasons may lie in a sound analysis of financial inclusion as a tool for women’s empowerment and how this has worked or not worked so far, and Gender Budgeting Responses as a key strategy that presents the political and economic factors influencing budget allocation to women-oriented programs and projects in African communities and investigates the impact of gender-responsive budgeting on women’s empowerment and gender equality.
The initiative: Women, Gender and Financial Inclusion Symposium
The IPATC, WECONA, AAPS, CWBN, UNASA, OUTSURANCE, SolarCluster, Sivio Institute, ACSUS-UP and INKOMOKO (An extension of African Entrepreneurs Collective [AEC]) is hosting a symposium based on the following four factors.
Firstly, the symposium is set to further investigate the impact of gender-responsive budgeting on women’s empowerment and gender equality in various African communities. Second, the findings intend to analyse the effectiveness of the countries’ approaches and share lessons that different African economies, whether currently booming or struggling, can enhance or implement toward the financial inclusion and gender budgeting response at all structural levels.
The third factor is that the conference seeks to probe into the institutions which have been fallow ground for the entrenchment of gender disparities and understand the intricacies of financial inclusion. This will unpack the possible reason why financial inclusion is perceived as a window dressing tool, albeit it has the potential to bring great change. The fourth point is that the meeting will also engage in the notion of transformation when it comes to gender budgeting responses, and encourage dialogue that will inspire substantive change within the institutions so that gender disparities are remedied.
The Goals of the Symposium
Key themes and topics for the Conference
Deliverables from the colloquium
Participation and Format
The symposium will involve about 200 participants drawn from governments, Financiers, policy practitioners, academia, civil society, the private sector, the continental and global networks. It will be convened in a hybrid format involving both a physical meeting and a virtual platform.
The format of the symposium will include, inter alia, plenary and break-away sessions. Several keynote speakers will be invited to set the tone for the deliberations throughout the duration of the symposium.
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.
Overview: Chagos Island Conference
Chagos Islands is one of foreign domination by the United States and the United Kingdom. The forced removal of Chagossians from their territory is thus problematic. It is emblematic of coloniality, the control of a people by a foreign force which is European. This is tantamount to an imposition of a Euro-North American-centric civilisation, if at all, on an already existing civilisation or people. In order to undo the violence and brutality of denying the Chagossians their right to life, right to development and right to self-determination in their own territory, various law pundits and scholars had to opt for the route of litigation in domestic and international courts of law.
The litigation has been a protracted but worthy process. A number of cases have been initiated in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In the recent past, international court cases at the European Court of Human Rights such as the Chagos Islanders vs United Kingdom ECtHR case of 11 December 2012 and the International Court of Justice 2019 case that has been the landmark case so far granted by the International Court of Justice on the 25 of February 2019 (International Court of Justice, 2019; Burri & Trinidad, 2021: xvi).
The seminal ICJ ruling of 2019 cemented the need for decolonisation, especially for the subaltern. Decoloniality, both as an epistemic and political movement, provides the concepts, language and lenses to unmask the invisible colonial matrices of power that continue to operate in Chagos, and indeed globally, unabated. The need to decolonise formerly occupied and colonised spaces and places are ever more pertinent to today’s societies. The African Union sees the Chagos Question as a matter of unfinished business of colonization.
In commemoration of the landmark “United Nations Court”[1], the International Court of Justice’s ruling that was handed down in 2019, instructing the United Kingdom to stop controlling the territory of Chagos Islands, Chagossians rightfully celebrate their victory on the path to self-determination, self-governance, as well as the delinking from the clutches of their former colonial master, the UK. Currently, Chagos Islands are administered by the colonial master, the United Kingdom under the name British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The Chagos Islands or the Chagos Archipelago are a group of about 60 islands that are located in the Indian Ocean, about 500 kilometres off the coast of the Maldives. The main island, Diego Garcia, is home to an American military base.
The Chagos Islands have undergone different political administrations that have not been without controversies. They were first a Dutch colony, then French and currently a British colony since 1814. The United Kingdom entered treaties with the United States in the 1960s to establish an American military base on the Chagos Island and both extra-territorial governments use the presence of that military base as a reason to keep the Chagossians in enforced exile. Thus, Chagos Islands have been in contention for the past 60 years (Farran, 2022). At the centre of the contention is the forced removal of the Chagossians from their territory in the 1960s by the British in order to make way for the establishment of an American military base. Chagossians have fallen victim to the two States’ colonisation and domination over the years. As such, this conference sets out to assess how far the Chagossians have come in freeing themselves of the imperial clutches of the United State and the United Kingdom since the landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice. The forced displacement and continued enforced exile of the Chagossians have negatively affected them in profound ways (Jeffery, 2013).
The Goals of the Symposium
Deliverables from the colloquium
The conference will hear from the Chagossians themselves, how the displacement has and continues to deny them of their human rights.
Overview: The New Republic Project
South Africa’s democratic dispensation came into being in 1994 following the first racially inclusive general election. For the first time in its history as a single and unified polity the country experienced universal suffrage for all qualifying adults to vote. Accordingly, 27 April 2022 marked 28 years since South Africa’s transition to democracy. The country has since become a serious player in regional and world affairs, building on the revolutionary and resilient efforts of many of its leaders, including one of history’s greatest statesmen, Former President Nelson Mandela. However, since then there have been many missteps, some with catastrophic consequences. Perhaps one of the most notable of these is the 2012 Marikana massacre, which some analysts and commentators referred to as the lowest point in South Africa’s democratic history and the downward spiral toward deeper crises. Additionally, there has been a constant and refractive triple scourge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. The latter predicament, coupled with corruption, mis-governance, capture of state institutions by criminal elements all arguably culminated in the July 2021 riots in which more than 350 South Africans lost their lives.
Recent expressions of democracy such as the 2019 general election as well as the 2021 local government elections all indicate a continuing apathy towards voting resulting in lower voter turn-outs ever recorded. These trends of declining citizen participation in democratic processes further highlight a looming threat to not only democracy as an edifice but to the very legitimacy of the current dispensation. It is at this juncture that South Africans need to step back and reflect on the country’s well-being and craft a meaningful way forward. Thus, there is an urgent need for a conversation on a shift from the existing socio-political landscape.
The last few years have without doubt become the most tumultuous across all segments of life; politically, economically and socially. The advent of Covid-19 exacerbated the developmental challenges facing the country and exposed the fragility of the South African project. Most assessments of the impact of the pandemic have laid bare these fragilities and inequalities.
The Rationale of the seminar
The African Peer Review mechanism (APRM), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, the Institute for Pan-African Conversation and Thought (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg, Wits School of Governance and Power FM proposes to host a series of conversations on “The New Republic”. These dialogues will examine the gradual decline in public trust. This is further evidenced by the low voter turnout in the 2021 Local Government Elections; incidents of attacks against foreign nationals; record unemployment levels at 35,3%, which is over 45% based on an expanded definition, including the over 66% of youth without employment.
On 27 November 2018, a High-Level Panel (HLP) on the Assessment of Key Legislation and Acceleration of Fundamental Change, chaired by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, handed over a 604-page report to the Chairperson of the Speakers’ Forum, and then the National Assembly Speaker, Ms. Baleka Mbete. The Panel was established to conduct research on the efficacy of laws passed by Parliament since 1994. It was hoped the recommendations would offer direction on how to “bring about accelerated change – land reform and poverty eradication.” The Panel identified the need to improve the quality of education to enable South Africans to participate in the modern economy. The panel also identified serious deficiencies in the quality of healthcare, especially public health. It made a call for the amendment of the country’s electoral laws to make Members of Parliament accountable to the public, through a constituency-based system. Set against the backdrop of the current crisis, there is a need to engage with the citizenry as widely as possible, to introspect and discuss the state of South Africa. There are ongoing conversations which seem to insinuate that the country will quickly become a failed state or be reduced to a state in perpetual crisis, and instability.
Proceeding of the seminar
Objectives of the seminar
Our partners and participants
The Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation will serve as a patron of the dialogue platform. Other key partners will include the APRM South African Chapter National Governing Council, Chapter 9 and 10 institutions established to deepen democracy in South Africa, civil society formations, organized labour, organized local government (SALGA), Parliament of the Republic of South Africa (and the entire legislative sector). The citizens and residents of South Africa must be the ultimate beneficiaries of this work, and hence their voices and views will be solicited through the medium of radio and other media platforms. Political parties, and interest groups, including opinion makers and shapers, will also be invited to participate and contribute to the discourse
Key themes and topics for the seminar
Participation, format and language
The first dialogue/seminar as part of this conversation, a hybrid of virtual and physical seminar will be held by the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the Southern Sun Hotel in Hyde Park, South Africa. It will be broadcasted by the media partners Power FM who will also facilitate live public engagement on the issues and themes of the dialogue, with a view of incorporating the public views and opinions into the conference report.
The seminar will be held on 24 February 2023, and will bring together all stakeholders as well as the identified paper contributors. The commissioned papers will accordingly be based on the outlined themes and the compilation is planned to produce one coherent publication. The Director for IPATC in consultation with all partners will provide leadership and guidance on working with the publisher once identified.
Coming soon!
Broadcaster: Power 98.7 FM
Title: Stories of the Week Power Podcast | New Republic Project
Interviewee(s): Dr Mabutho Shangase, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC)
Interviewer(s): Mr Morio Sanyane
Date: 12 March 2023
Link: https://omny.fm/shows/power-podcasts/storiesfromtheweek-1#description
Radio Interview (Power 98.7 FM)
Publisher: IOL News
Title: Towards a ‘Second Republic’ of South Africa or an Independent Azania?
Author: Masilo Lepuru, Junior Researcher at the Institute for Pan African Though and Conversation
Link: https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/towards-a-second-republic-of-south-africa-or-an-independent-azania-29447d8b-62e7-4254-ba72-fb6c23633375
Date: 15 February 2023
Image courtesy of: sweggs via Flickr.com
Article (IOL News)
Coming soon!
Overview: Innovation and Sustainability in Africa (WIISA), Conference
Introduction
Gender equality is a right. Fulfilling this right is the best chance to meet some of the challenges of our time—from the economic crisis and lack of health care to climate change, violence against women and escalating conflicts. Women are more affected by these problems and possess ideas and leadership to solve them. Gender discrimination still holds too many women back and our world back too. The
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015, embody a roadmap for progress that is sustainable and leaves no one behind. Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is integral to each of the 17 goals. Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals will we get to justice and inclusion,
economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.
Despite many global policies such as the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aiming “to leave no one behind” in development, gender inequality persists. This contention was supported by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which stated that “Although women account for over one-half of the potential talent base throughout the world, as a group they have been marginalized and their economic, social, and
environmental contributions go in large part unrealized. The disproportionate impacts on women of the cost-of-living crises, the toll of conflict and displacement, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that are experienced across our region, risk further setting back progress towards equality.
Innovation and Technology, the focus of this year’s International Women’s Day, presents powerful opportunities for gender equality and offers welcome hope during great challenges for women’s empowerment. The regional progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) released revealed that the use of information and communication technology is the only target of SDG 5 (“Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls”), which African and the global economy is currently on track to achieve (UN-Women, 2021). While it is clear that much work remains to be done to catalyse progress on the remaining eight SDG 5 Targets, this important indicator of progress identifies innovation, technology and sustainability as an area with strong momentum towards effective change as we draw closer to 2030 and consolidate our efforts for gender equality. These targets can help women secure information, protection, education and employment and attain gender parity.
Most governments have abdicated their role in shaping economic structures under the influence of a neoliberal macroeconomic policy framework. They have enabled each person to participate and are self-reliant in the financial system (Berry, 2015: 510). This notion has reinforced existing disparities because inherently capitalist principles still govern the economic environment, which means African women remain marginalised according to the hierarchy.
The Institute of Pan African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg, presents a conference titled “Women’s ImPACT: Innovation and Sustainability in Africa (WIISA)”,
This initiative of IPATC, with supporting partners, is premised on eight (8) main factors. This is an international initiative to promote the role of women in all disciplines including, science, innovation, technology and engineering. The conference’s mission is to inspire transformative actions and more effective development by understanding the impacts of the SDGs on women. The
conference aims to build partnerships among its participants to identify, understand, and develop strategies to apply the gender lens in seven key areas to be debated in four panel session.:
1. Women and their role in the SDGs
2. Innovation and Technology
3. Climate Change and the Green Economy
4. Science, Education and Workforce
5. Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship
6. Governance and Leadership
7. Women and Mental Health.
8. Gender Based Violence
Its aim is to demonstrate that this can provide deeper insights, more effective programs and more sustainable outcomes in the context of development. The conference hopes to network with researchers and policy-makers, organizing awareness-raising activities and using dissemination tools
and resources.
The Goal of the Symposium
The overall goal of the symposium is to advance sustainable women’s economic empowerment in line with the SDGs and Agenda 2063. The conference seeks to answer questions on women’s current and future inclusion, innovation and leadership towards a sustainable economy and accessing digitalized jobs.
Conference Agenda
The conference will feature five panels over two days, with a keynote speaker each day. The conference program will outline the key issues for each panel and provide a case study. Moderators for each panel will guide the discussion with the panellists, fielding general and specific questions to panellists, and then opening up to include audience participation.
Panel One (Plenary Session): Women and Impact: Innovation and Sustainability.
Here we seek to examine the challenges of women in innovation and sustainability, the impact of the SDGs and overcoming gendered inequality in Africa. The outcomes include a substantive contribution of the African participant countries and indirectly the continent to the achievement of the United Nations (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 5 – Gender Equality through
this particular focus on SDG 5 targets as the foundation for African women to self-actualise with universal access to good education and skills development; quality healthcare enhanced by safe water and sufficient and nutritious food; decent living conditions; gender-based violence being the exception and not the norm to be financially empowered securing political, social and economic
leadership and active citizenry in individual states but more so as a collective across the continent. In addition, it speaks to the Agenda 2063 aspirations 6, which aims to ensure “Africa will be a continent where all citizens will be actively involved in decision-making in all aspects of development, including social, economic, political and environmental. Africa will be a continent where no child, woman or man will be left behind”.
Panel Two: Women, Climate Chang e and the Green Economy.
We seek to understand the challenges of climate change on women, the impact of climate finance and overcoming gendered food security inequality in Africa. Furthermore, we seek to examine the gender lens to job creation in the green transition in Africa and identify opportunities for women’s participation in green jobs in key sectors driving growth in African economies. Lastly the Panel seeks
to highlight initiatives on financial and digital inclusion for women towards a green economy and provide solutions and employment opportunities for women in achieving a green economy. It further explores the role of Gender, Social Policy and Institutions and Political Participation.
Panel T hree: Gendered T ransition into the Dig ital Economy and Economic Growth for African Women.
How do we solve the connectivity gap and create opportunities for Africa’s women and girls to be part of a more inclusive digital world? How do we provide access to digital technologies that allow Africa’s women to benefit fully from the goods, services, and capital available across online markets? How do we leverage emerging technologies and business models to remove longstanding barriers to
women’s economic opportunities in poor countries? What examples have arisen in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that illustrate the embrace of new digital platforms, e-commerce, and mobile payment solutions?
Panel Four: Streng thening Institutional and Policy Frameworks, Funding , and Networks to Advance Women Entrepreneurs.
How can policy formulation promote and elevate women’s entrepreneurship as a priority for African economies? How do we overcome the funding gap? How
can we design banking products and offerings that African women entrepreneurs need? How do we strengthen corporate governance and legal frameworks to guide women entrepreneurs to on the international scene? What national responses to the economic impacts of COVID-19 have been successful in supporting women’s entrepreneurship and getting funding to those who will most
benefit?
Panel Five: Women and M ental H ealth Awareness.
Women self-care is still being treated as an
afterthought instead of a priority. Proper mental healthcare prevents chronic illness and diseases. It
involves a deliberate and intentional action that someone takes to maintain their health. It empowers
women not to be bystanders in their own health optimization but having a balanced lifestyle physically,
mentally and emotionally. The section explores the policies, approaches and initiatives by African
states for proper mental health for women in all disciplines. How do we manage a balanced health
lifestyle?
Panel Six: Gender Based Violence and Impact. Africa continue to experience notoriously high levels of violence against women. In South Africa for instance, the latest police figures show that 10,818 rape cases were reported in the first quarter of 2022. The country has among the highest rape incidence in the world. How can gender-based violence in the continent be reduced? How can policy
formulation mitigate and reduce gender-based violence as a priority for African economies? How do we overcome the challenges instigating violence? How other approaches can be explored to reduce gender discrimination and empower women?
Key deliverables from the symposium
The symposium will involve about 200 participants drawn from governments, Financiers, policy practitioners, academia, civil society, the private sector, and continental and global networks. It will be convened in a hybrid format involving a physical meeting and a virtual platform. The symposium format will include, among other things, plenary and break-away sessions. Several keynote speakers will be invited to set the tone for the deliberations throughout the symposium.
For inquiries please contact Reshika Dwarika at reshikam@uj.ac.za or +27(0)11 559 7232 and Bella Mkhabela at bmkhabela@uj.ac.za
Thank you.
Coming soon!
Coming soon!
Dr Tinuade Adekunbi Ojo is a Senior Researcher and Head Pan African Women Studies Unit (PAWS) at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She obtained a Master’s and Honours degrees in Development Studies from the University of South Africa. She is a feminist political economist who explores the gendered dimension of trade, financial inclusion, digital transformation in policy, politics, and digitalisation. She specialises in international political economy, gender inequality, and poverty reduction strategies. She has several publications in accredited journals. Dr Ojo is currently the African Association of Political Science (AAPS) program officer and a recipient of the Global Stature Award at the University of Johannesburg.
Ms Hope Tshepiso Dhlamini is a Communications Intern at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained Public Relations and Communication Management Diploma Qualification at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She has a passion for Sustainable Development and Social Change since she was nominated for the 2021 Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans competition. Ms Dhlamini received a salutation award for Academic Excellence in 2020 and 2021 Faculty of Humanities Deans List and Top-Achievers awards, respectively.
Prof. Fredrick Ogenga is an Associate Professor of Media and Security Studies at Rongo University, and the Founding Director Center for Media, Democracy, Peace and Security at Rongo University. He is also The President and CEO of the Peacemakers Corps Foundation Kenya, a local NGO that is a member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding that uses technology to build peace, working with the youth. Ogenga is a 2014 Individual Research Fellow (IRF 2014), Africa Peacebuilding Network and 2016 Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholar (SVNP 2016), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC. He is a former Visiting Research Fellow at the African Studies Center, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, USA and Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath, UK. Ogenga is also a former Visiting Scholar at the Institute for the Advancement of Social Sciences (IASS), Boston University and the Boston University Sociology Department and a Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Ogenga is widely published in the area of media, peace and security. Currently, he is championing African Peace Journalism through a Pan-African institutional methodological and philosophical approach to media and peacebuilding in Africa anchored on the philosophies of Utu or humanity, Umoja or Unity and Harambee or collective responsibility captured in his latest edited book “Peace Journalism in East Africa- A Manual for Media Practitioners” published by Routledge. He has developed a new MSc and PhD program in Media and Security Studies at Rongo University through the Center for Media Democracy, Peace and Security. Ogenga is currently a Letsema Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Pan-Africa Thought and Conversation (IPATC) at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa and Academic Co-chair, East Africa Hub Joint Learning Initiative (JLI)
Wendy Nkosi currently is an MA candidate in Politics and International Relations and has research interests in Pan-Africanism and the African Peer Review Mechanism(APRM) focusing on the governance of African states. She is a research intern at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation and a project manager: bilateral relations at the South African BRICS Youth Association(SABYA). She recently published an op-ed. Titled “There are no women’s struggles but black women’s struggles”.
Ms Divine Keren Yamulamba is a research intern at the Institute of Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences (cum laude), an Honor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Pretoria. To name a few, her research interests focus on international migration, peace and conflict within Sub-Saharan Africa and African Agency within BRICS and FOCAC.
Dr Seife Tadelle Kidane is a Senior Researcher Fellow at the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He has held significant roles in the government, private, non-profit, international, and academic sectors for more than two decades. Seife has worked in the public sector as a senior government advisor for policy strategies and a public diplomat at the level of a chief commissioner. He served as the chief executive officer of Africa Technology Holdings in the private sector and taught at both private and public universities. He has contributed immensely to the Pan African Youth Movement (PYU), African Youth Peace Council (AYPC), World Federation Democratic Youth (WFDY), Africa Speaks, and Great Run Africa in the sector of non-state actors. He has also served in various capacities for the African Union and the UN ECOSOC. Expertise and research interests include African intergovernmental organisations; Regional Economic Communities (RECs). In addition, the development, analysis, and implementation of indigenous governance; and the theory, study and practice of African unity and institutional renewal.
Dr Tinashe Sithole is a Research Intern at the Institute for Pan-African thought and Conversation (IPATC). He is also a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Political Sciences and holds a PhD in Political Studies from the University of Johannesburg. Dr Sithole has widely published and his research interests focus on democracy, natural resource governance and International political economy- focusing on challenges of development for African states in the global world, elections, human security and peace and conflict.
Mr Masilo Lepuru is a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. He has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and an LLB (Law degree) from the University of Pretoria. He has also obtained an Honours degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Johannesburg. Masilo is currently pursuing an MA in Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg in the Department of Politics and International Relations. His research interests include African philosophy, Jurisprudence, the Black Radical Tradition, African history, literature, South African history and politics.
Mr Dominic Maphaka is a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He holds an Honours degree in International Politics and is completing a Masters of the same degree at the University of Limpopo. His research focus is on BRICS, Africa-China relations, South Africa’s foreign policy and development policies. He has publications on BRICS, South Africa-China relations, paradiplomacy and development policies
Dr. Njabulo Banda is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a doctorate in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) from the Centre for AAC at the University of Pretoria. Njabulo’s research focuses on HIV/AIDS programming, monitoring & evaluation, strategies of health information and communication, prevention and health systems strengthening. Dr. Njabulo has worked in various public health NGO’s and published articles on HIV/AIDS, child, youth and mental health.
Dr Koliswa Matebese-Notshulwana is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained her doctorate from the University of Pretoria titled “A Critical Analysis of the Role and Function of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) in Promoting Accountability in South Africa’s Public Sector”; MPhil from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and BA from University of Port Elizabeth (UPE). She is a gender-based-violence survivor and author of a memoir titled “I Kept on Crying”. Her research interests are in the areas of governance, legislative oversight, education, development, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Currently, Dr Koli is co-editing a book project titled “Doctoral Journeys in the Humanities and Social Sciences in South African Universities”, and is an external examiner for Masters and PhD Thesis as well as an Honours supervisor for the University of Pretoria.
Ms Reshika Dwarika comes with many years of knowledge of UJ policies and processes, and holds various qualifications from different Institutes: Certificate Executive Office Assistant, Certificate in life coaching, Basic Counselling Certificate and Tourism Management Diploma and still in progress with Bachelor of Business Administration Degree. She joined the Department of Sport and Movement Studies and is responsible for all administrative functions within the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg, since July 2022. Reshika looks forward to offering additional opportunities for personal and professional development.
Ms Selemo Nkwe is a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained a MSc in International Development from the University of Bath (UK) under the Chevening Scholarship Programme. She also holds a Master’s in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her research interests focus on: international migration, foreign aid, development management, sustainable development goals, policy analysis, critical diversity studies and institutional development.
Mr Blessing Mbalaka is a Junior Researcher at the Institute for Pan-Afrian Thought and Conversation. He holds an honours degree in Development Studies, and majored in Anthropology, Development Studies and Public Management and Governance at the University of Johannesburg. Additionally, Blessing is a current MA candidate in development studies, and has research interests in blockchain technology and AI. He is particularly interested in a critical outlook on the role and social impact these technologies can play in circumventing/causing social issues.
Ms Olerato Carol Manyaapelo is a Junior Researcher at the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC), South Africa. She is currently a Master’s candidate in Politics and International Relations at UJ, and a first-year student’s tutor for the Introduction of International Relations, International Political Economy and Development Studies at UJ. She worked as a Field Researcher and Field Supervisor for Social Surveys Africa for the Department of Education EGRP project in 2021. Her key research interests include public policy, youth development issues and local governance (governance)
Ms Naledi Ramontja is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained a Bachelor’s and an Honours degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Studies at UP. Her research interests include African political literacy, decolonisation, foreign policy, security studies and peacekeeping, and gender studies.
Ms Kamogelo Segone is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She has completed her Master of Arts in Political Studies degree and obtained a BA Honours degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She specializes in Pan-Africanism, decolonial thought, feminist theory, and modernity studies. Ms Segone has published several opinion editorials.
Malaika Wa Azania is a Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a Master of Public Affairs at the University of Pretoria and another Master of Science in Urban Regional Planning at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She obtained her undergraduate and Honours in Geography from Rhodes University in South Africa. She is a Pan-Africanist feminist and bestselling author of internationally acclaimed books and has published opinion editorials and book chapters. She has served on several continental structures such as the Secretary-General of the African Youth Coalition, and the youth representative of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Committee. She also served in the SADC election observer mission in the harmonised elections in Zimbabwe in 2013.
Dr Chidochashe Nyere is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He holds a doctorate in International Relations at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Dr Nyere holds a Master’s degree in International Politics at the University of South Africa, and completing another Master’s degree in Human Rights Law (LLM Multidisciplinary Human Rights) at the University of Pretoria. Dr Nyere is a certified English Language editor. His research interests are as follows: decolonial studies, international relations, African politics, academic literacies and human rights. He has several publications.
Ms. Hellen Adogo is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained a Master of Political Science from the University of Johannesburg and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Relations from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Her key research interests include Africa-China relations, African agency in international relations, and BRICS-Africa relations.
Dr Noluthando Phungula is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She obtained her doctorate from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. She holds a Master’s in International Relations from UKZN. Dr Phungula’s research interests focus on conflict transformation and peace studies, China-South Africa relations, and governance in local government.
Dr Rich Mashimbye is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He holds a doctorate in International Relations from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. His research focuses on regional organisations, conflict resolution and intervention, sovereignty, norms, and security studies. Dr Mashimbye has published in several journal articles.
Odilile Ayodele is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a D.Litt. et Phil in Political Studies at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), and obtained her BA, BA (Hons), an MA in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. She completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the South African Research Chair: African Diplomacy and Foreign Policy at UJ. Odilile is currently the convenor of the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) research committee on international relations and diplomacy, an associate editor and book review editor of the Journal of BRICS Studies, as well as the book review editor of the African Journal of Political Science. Her current research projects centre on Global Technopolitics including, the international relations of technology, and digital diplomacy in Africa.
Ms Lesego Motsage is a Student Assistant at the Institute of Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She is a BA Honours in Politics and International Relations student and completed her BA Social Sciences degree (cum laude) at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. Her research interests focus on women empowerment, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), and artificial intelligence technologies in relation to women in Africa.
Mr. Vusimuzi Gumbi is a Research Assistant at the Institute of Pan African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Politics at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and obtained his BA (Honours) in Politics and International Relations at UJ, with a distinction. His research interest in elections and political processes, and democracy and governance institutions were reinforced when he was deployed by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) to Lesotho in 2017 and Mozambique in 2019, as part of the electoral team. In 2020, he won Season 8 of the South Africa’s Youth Leadership Reality Show, One Day Leader, hosted by the SABC. He has published many opinion editorials in several newspapers in South Africa.
Ms Nqophisa Diko is a Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She is a doctoral candidate in International Relations at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She obtained her Master of Social Science degree from North-West University in South Africa. Ms Diko has a great interest in the political economy of developing countries, decoloniality of economic and political relations, and BRICS studies. She has several journal articles and opinion editorials.
Dr Hlengiwe Phetha is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She holds a doctorate in International Relations and Political Science, from the University of Zululand in South Africa. Dr Phetha’s areas of interest are international relations, youth development, gender-based violence, corruption, and ICT. She has broadly published on peacekeeping and conflict resolution, South Africa’s foreign policy, and access to education and employment opportunities.
Dr Emmaculate Asige Liaga is a Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). Her research interests focus on the analysis of conflict and conflict resolution mechanisms and approaches, and peacebuilding in Africa. Dr Asige has worked as a researcher in several countries and has widely published in accredited journals.
Dr. Mabutho Shangase is a Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He also lectures in the Department of Politics and International Relations (UJ). He holds a Ph.D. in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh (UK). Dr Shangase has widely published and his research interests centre around the Post-Apartheid State, South African Public Policy, South African Political Economy, and Regional Integration.
Ms. Nompumelelo Ndawonde is a Researcher at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). She is currently a PhD student at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa. She obtained a Masters of Political Science, a Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) in International Relations (cum laude), and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (cum laude), all from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. Ms. Ndawonde was awarded academic exchange scholarships for studies at the University of Calgary in Canada, and the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Her key research interests include regional organisations, trade, and development.
Dr. Adeoye O. Akinola is the Head of Research and Teaching at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He obtained a doctorate in Political Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa. He was a Lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Nigeria; a Post-Doctoral Fellow at UKZN and the University of Zululand; and a Visiting Professor at the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE) in Addis Ababa. He is the author of the book, Globalization, Democracy and Oil Sector Reform in Nigeria; co-author of Boko Haram’s Terrorism and the Nigerian State; and editor and co-editor respectively of The Political Economy of Xenophobia in Africa, and The Trajectory of Land Reform in Post-Colonial African States. Dr. Akinola has published about 40 articles in accredited journals. He specializes in globalization, African political economy, development studies, resource governance, conflict and peace studies.
Mr. Stephen Mashatola is a Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation (IPATC). He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Social Research and a Master’s degree in Social Impact Assessment and Public Participation, both from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in South Africa. Mr. Mashatola has diverse experience in media and library administration, and in the media newsroom and on its commercial side. He worked for the Times Media Group in Johannesburg for 12 years. He also has experience in media advocacy in the non-profit sector. His areas of research include Social Capital and Retrenchment.
Ms. Phumzile Ntuli is an Administrative Assistant at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously worked as an Administrative Assistant in various departments at the universities of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand between 2002 and 2017. She completed her National Diploma in Office Management and Technology at the Tehcnikon Witwatersrand (now University of Johannesburg). She received Best Student of the Year awards in her class in 2000 and 2002.
Ms Tsitsidzashe Bvute is a Master’s Student in Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies, Classics, and Philosophy from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Special Honours degree in Religious Studies from the University of Zimbabwe. Her research interests include Religion, Migration, Political Economy, and Gender.
Ms Zoliswa Ntsoko (South Africa) is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant who assists with general administration and research. She is a seasoned professional with a background in Disaster Management. She holds an Advanced Diploma in Management from Milpark Business School, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management from Regenesys Business School. She also holds certificates in Project Management, and in Disaster Management. Previously, she has worked as a Disaster Management Specialist at the City of Johannesburg – Disaster Management Centre.
Ms Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe-Moyo is the Research Coordinator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. She previously served as a Regional Coordinator at the Centre for Peace Initiatives in Africa (CPIA) in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2013. She completed her master’s degree in International Studies, Peace, and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia as a Rotary Peace Scholar. She has just completed her doctoral studies at Rhodes University. Her areas of interest include: gender, foreign policy, regional organisations and conflict resolution.
Mr Nhluvuko Mark Nkonwana is a MA in Development Studies candidate at the University of Johannesburg. He holds a BA degree in Sports Development (2015) and a BA honours in Development Studies (2016), both obtained from the University of Johannesburg. His research interests include; Water Governance, Political Ecology, Human Rights, Rural Development, Political Economy, and Sport for Development.
Ms Gcinwemseni Hope Hadebe is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant with a wealth of experience in personal assistance, office administration, and management. She previously worked at Community Medical Scheme as an Executive Personal Assistant and Office Manager for eight years. She has a national diploma in Language Practice, as well as a Certificate in Office Administration.
Mr Zenzo Moyo is a Research Administrator at the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation. He is an educationist with 15 years of work experience in this sector. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Johannesburg. In 2014, he was awarded a Global Excellence and Stature (GES)scholarship by the University of Johannesburg to undertake a PhD in Development Studies, which he has just completed. His areas of research interest include: African Politics; Civil Society; Education; and Participatory Development.
David Moore is a Professor of Development Studies. He headed the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Anthropology and Development Studies for six of his nearly 10 years there. At present, he is spending his sabbatical as a Visiting Researcher at IPATC, where he is working on a book, tentatively entitled: From Comrades to Coups: Robert Mugabe, ZANU-PF, and their Zimbabwe. His PhD on the contradictions of constructing hegemony in Zimbabwe (1956-1980) is from York University in Toronto. He has continued his scholarly interest on Zimbabwe since 1984, when he began his doctoral fieldwork. David has edited and co-edited three books ranging from Zimbabwean Political history, and current affairs to development discourse and theory, as well as publishing over sixty academic articles, chapters, and popularly-oriented works.
Ms Thembeka Somtseu is a seasoned professional with a background in the textile and construction sectors. She holds a National Diploma in Business Administration from the Durban University of Technology, and studied Development Communication and Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She worked as a corporate communications specialist for more than ten years, serving in both local and multinational companies.
