On March 25th, the International Peace Institute convened a lunchtime policy dialogue on “The Future of the African State” with two renowned scholars, Dr. Francis Deng and Dr. Mahmoud Mamdani, both of whom have just published provocative books about the challenges to statehood in Africa. The event, which was moderated by IPI Senior Vice President and Director of Studies Edward C. Luck, was followed by a question-and-answer session.

Attendees of this IPI Policy Forum included representatives from the academic, UN, and NGO communities.

Moderator
Dr. Edward C. Luck, Senior Vice President and Director of Studies, International Peace Institute

Speakers
Dr. Francis M. Deng, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General for the Prevention of Genocide; author of Identity, Diversity, and Constitutionalism in Africa (Washington, DC: USIP, 2008)

Dr. Mahmood Mamdani, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and Member of the Departments of Anthropology, Political Science, MELAC (Middle Eastern, Asian, and African Languages and Cultures), and the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; author of Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror (New York: Pantheon, 2009)