Author Archives: africaplus

By Howard W. French Howard French, a leading American journalist on Africa for four decades, returned to the continent after stints as New York Times correspondent in Tokyo and Shanghai. He discovered a resurgent continent increasingly wedded to Chinese growth … Continue reading →

By Storer Rowley EVANSTON, Ill. — Confronting a continent beset with challenges, Northwestern University has launched the Africa Demos Forum, an online network of democracy and policy analysts devoted to the promotion of growth, democracy and security in Africa.

By Carolyn Logan and Michael Bratton The political transitions that allowed many Africans to experience a degree of citizenship have been major achievements of the past quarter-century. But power corrupts, no less than before, and new democratic governments can corrode … Continue reading →

By Bruce Whitehouse In his essay on Mali, Bruce Whitehouse of Lehigh University shows how failures of elected leaders, state institutions, and external donors can shift power to the streets and an uncertain contest among armed forces.  

In the first essay of the Africa Demos Forum, Dr. Richard Joseph introduces the Forum and recalls its inspiration, the Africa Demos bulletin of the Carter Center of Emory University. In reflecting on the pioneering work of Africa Demos, Dr. Joseph sets the stage for … Continue reading →

With a second term secured, and decades of authority and influence ahead in his post-presidency, President Obama can become a transformative leader in Africa.[i] On March 7, 2013, Senator Chris Coons, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, … Continue reading →

A public meeting of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on February 28 will consider the question, “President Obama and Sub-Saharan Africa: Just Right or Not Enough?”  Several commentaries which demonstrate the increasing demand for enhancing American engagement with Africa … Continue reading →

Richard Joseph explores how “discordant development”—deepening inequalities and rapid progress juxtaposed with group distress— is often one of the root causes of uncertainty, insecurity and violent conflict in Africa.  For example, Mali and Ghana have experienced similar growth rates but … Continue reading →

In his most recent article, Richard Joseph analyzes the Obama administration’s June 2012 policy paper on Africa and provides specific policy recommendations for the President’s second term. This article was written as a guest post for John Campbell’s ‘Africa in … Continue reading →

Having faced multiple global emergencies during its first term, has President Obama’s administration paid enough attention to sub-Saharan Africa? Is more action needed to counter-balance China’s growing economic influence, emphasize democratization and human rights, and support the continent’s own security … Continue reading →