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The situation regarding state and democracy continues to complicate in Africa and globally. For the Roundtable at the Buffett Institute:

Galya Ruffer, Center for Forced Migration Studies, will speak on how refugee populations in weak states can become “actors” in the democratization process.

Rachel Riedl, Political Science, will share ideas from a project on Conflict and Instability in the Sahel.

Sam Oloruntoba, University of South Africa, will contrast aspects of state- and democracy-building in Nigeria and South Africa.

Sean Hanretta, History, will address Islamophobia in the context of Islam and the Public Sphere.

Moses Khisa, Political Science, "Electoral Autocracy in Africa: The Case of Museveni's Uganda."

Juliet Sorensen, Law, will discuss legal rights and actions from her research engagement in Mali and Nigeria.

Richard Joseph, Political Science, will draw on the ever-faltering search in Nigeria for a harmonious and developmental democracy.

This roundtable is one of several meetings that have taken place over the past two years at Northwestern. Intensive discussions on these topics also occurred at the new Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy in Nigeria. The roundtable will be followed by a colloquium on May 9. Conferences are planned in Paris on May 26 and in Evanston on October 27-29.