The Center for African Studies will hold a lecture to discuss the state of African democracy Friday afternoon in Hitchcock Hall Room 131, with former President of Ghana John Mahama leading the discussion.
The event, titled “Successes and Challenges of Post-Cold War African Democracy,” is from 2 to 4 p.m. Mahama, who was in office from 2012-2017, will speak about African politics following recent coup d’etats staged in the countries of Niger and Gabon, according to the event’s webpage.
Dr. Ousman Kobo, director for the Center for African Studies, said many students on campus, both inside and outside African culture, may not fully understand the political state of the country.
“Some of them – they don’t know why, for example, a country would stage a coup d’etat,” Kobo said. “This is not a familiar subject within the environment, so this is our opportunity to really explain and add some nuances to some of the negative stereotypes and impulses you receive about Africa.”
The discussion will be held as part of the center’s public lecture series on contemporary African affairs, Kobo said, with a special focus on reviving interest in African culture within the community.
“We want to enlighten and educate OSU faculty, students and staff, and of course the Columbus community along with the city of Columbus in general, about knowledge about Africa,” Kobo said.
The event will be open to the public, with Kobo encouraging anyone who is interested in African culture to attend and hear a firsthand view of its lifestyle and history.
“Rather than people reading and sharing about stereotypes and sensationalized messages about Africa, we want them to see our leaders and learn positive things about Africa,” Kobo said.
More information about the lecture and Mahama can be found on the event’s webpage.
Source: The Lantern
