19 December: Maastricht Debates: Public lecture on governance challenges in Africa and the role of the African Union

“Maatricht Debates” is a new platform for debate and networking on issues of international cooperation and globalisation.

On Dec. 19 Ambassador John Shinkaiye, Chief of Staff of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, will give a lecture on governance challenges in Africa and the role of the African Union. Discussant is João Gomes Cravinho, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal.

Press release:

First event in the monthly series of Maastricht Debates: Public lecture on governance challenges in Africa and the role of the African Union

On December 19, 6.00 pm Ambassador John Shinkaiye will give a public lecture on governance challenges in Africa and the role of the African Union. Shinkaiye is Chief of Staff of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The discussant is João Gomes Cravinho, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal.

This public event is organised by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.

It will take place on December 19 at 6.00 pm in La Bonbonnière, Achter de Comedie 1, Maastricht.

Maastricht Debates
Starting on December 19, each month a public debate will take place on issues of international cooperation and globalisation. The Maastricht Debates is a new platform for debate and networking for and by Maastricht organisations and actors. Each debate is organised by issue experts from within the Maastricht network together with internationally oriented study associations. The 2006-2007 series focuses on ‘governance’ as the overarching theme. See at www.maastrichtdebates.net.

January debate on education
The January debate will be on the need to invest more in developing world’s youth population. With Manny Jimenez, lead author of the World Development Report 2007, and Director of Human Development in the World Bank’s East Asia and the Pacific Department. The debate will take place on January 23 at 8 PM in the Auditorium of the Maastricht University, Minderbroedersberg.

Network organisation
The Maastricht Debates is a collaborate initiative of the University Maastricht, the Netherlands Chapter of the Society for International Development (SID), Europe-open and the European Centre for
Development Policy Management (ECDPM).

It receives financial support by the National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO) and operates in collaboration with the Municipality of Maastricht and Concordantia, the study association of the European Studies program of the University Maastricht.

It is the intention to link-up with representatives of other Maastricht-based and regional organisations to ensure broad support and commitment, for instance as advisor, co-organiser or host of one of the events. This is in line with the ambition to become an important multi-actor platform for debate.

The Maastricht Debates is explicitly seen as one activity within a larger programme of the Society of International Development (SID). SID aims to stimulate the public and political debate on international cooperation in the Netherlands and beyond, among others with its lecture series in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

For more information on the Maastricht Debates, see www.maastrichtdebates.net or contact Huub Mudde, project coordinator at huub@europe-open.info or T. +31-(0)621275064.

For more information on the ECDPM and the lecture by Ambassador John Shinkaiye, see www.ecdpm.org