INVITE: Liberia at the Crossroads - Thursday 11:30am at SAIS
Emira Woods
Please join the Institute for Policy Studies, Global Witness, and the Liberia Democratic Institute for this timely forum on Liberia in the wake of pre-elections violence and closure of media outlets.
Liberia at the Crossroads:
How will the recent elections and oil affect its future?
November 17, 2011
11:30 am - 1:20 pm
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Rome Building Room 200, 1619 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
As Liberia continues to rebuild after its long period of conflict, few issues pose a greater challenge than cementing democratic gains and ensuring natural resources are managed sustainably. Two discussions will address these crucial subjects, focusing upon the recent general election and the status of the rapidly developing oil sector.
Special Guest: Hon. Ambassador William V. S. Bull, Ambassador of the Republic of Liberia to the United States
Panel: The 2011 Elections
On November 8, Liberia held the second round of its general election: a crucial test for the country's post-war political stability. Yet while the election's first round has been characterized as generally free and fair, a boycott by the leading opposition party and violence on the eve of the runoff led to a very low turnout during the second round. The closure of media outlets brought added concern. What does this election say about the strength of the democratic process in Liberia and what impact will it have upon the next government's ability to consolidate the country's post-conflict reconstruction?
Panelists:
* Professor Carl Patrick Burrowes, Penn State University Harrisburg
* Dan Saryee: Executive Director, Liberian Democratic Institute
* George Wah Williams: Executive Director, Liberia Democracy Watch
Moderator: Kwame Clement, Liberian journalist and attorney
Roundtable: Reforming the Oil Sector
International oil companies are rushing to acquire Liberian offshore concessions. With recent finds in Sierra Leone and production in Ghana, hopes are running high that oil will soon be discovered in Liberia. However, the Liberian Government currently has neither the laws nor the institutional capacity to govern what may be the country's largest natural resource sector. The Government has begun reform efforts, working with partners from the U.S. and Norway. What is required of these reforms to ensure that Liberia is not again cursed by its natural resources, but will instead benefit from any oil it finds?
Presenter: Dan Saryee, Liberian Democratic Institute, member of the Liberian Oil and Gas Initiative.
Moderator: Sarah Pray, Open Society Institute
Refreshments will be served.