Shifting Conflict Patterns in Africa: Drivers of Instability and Strategies for Cooperation

[Carl Webb]

Shifting Conflict Patterns in Africa: Drivers of Instability and Strategies for Cooperation

Food and water stress, migration and urbanization, and rapid political shifts are reshaping the sociopolitical landscape in Africa, and with it the incentives and triggers for potential conflict and cooperation in responding to these changes. Within this frame, the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, the U.S. Africa Command, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University, and the Army War College Fellowship at UT-Austin will host a two-day conference examining the drivers of changing conflict patterns in Africa. The conference brings together policymakers, practitioners, military personnel, and scholars to share new research and policy options on conflict issues impacting African and global security.

Monday & Tuesday, April 15-16, 2013

AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas

http://strausscenter.org/details/227-shifting-conflict-patterns-in-africa-drivers-of-instability-and-strategies-for-cooperation.html

Day 1: Monday, April 15, 8:00am-4:30pm
AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, Room 105

8:00am  Registration and Coffee

8:15am  Introduction

• • Francis J. Gavin, Robert S Strauss Center for International Security and Law
    
  • LTG (Ret) Joseph Yakovac, U.S. Army War College Fellowship
    

8:30am  Morning Keynote Address

• • MG Christopher Leins, Joint Staff J5, Political-Military Affairs (Africa)

9:15am  Shocks and the Mediating Role of Institutions

What national and international institutions are best positioned to respond to new dimensions of conflict in Africa, and through what mechanisms? Who can play the most effective mediating role in stressed environments? How might this vary for responding to different types of shocks?

• • Alan Kuperman, University of Texas at Austin
  • Esther McClure, Office of the Secretary of Defense-Policy, Strategy Office
  • Jack May, Defense Intelligence Agency
  • Julia Nelson, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations

11:00am  Food Shocks and Social Unrest

When and why do food price shocks and food insecurity lead to social unrest, conflict, or regime change? What are the trends and exceptions? How do large-scale land acquisition and land tenure reform impact social conflict?

• • Cullen Hendrix, College of William and Mary
  • Todd Smith, University of Texas at Austin
  • Bruce Zanin, U.S. Africa Command & U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Deborah Espinosa, Landesa Rural Development Institute

12:30pm  Lunchtime Keynote Address

• • Jun Bando, U.S. Africa Command, Special Advisor to the Commander

1:45pm  Demographic Shocks: New Threats in New Spaces
How are demographic trends like urban migration altering the conflict environment? Where is Islamist violence spreading? How do conflict actors' geographic control of territory and aid flows impact conflict risks? How does the current African security architecture meet these shifting demographic stressors?

• • Clionadh Raleigh, Trinity College Dublin
  • Caitriona Dowd, Trinity College Dublin
  • Daniel Strandow, Uppsala University
  • Nancy Brune, Sandia National Laboratories

3:30pm  Political Shocks and Conflict

With 2013 elections in Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe, and ongoing political reforms across the continent, analysts assess historical patterns and current contexts for conflict related to political events in Africa. What conditions could extend or alter historical trends in the future? What are perceptions of the role of the military in the political reformation process?

• • Idean Salehyan, University of North Texas
  • Jonathan Temin, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • COL Laura Varhola, Joint Staff J5, Political-Military Affairs (Africa)
  • Cynthia Brady, U.S. Agency for International Development, Conflict Management and Mitigation

5:00pm  Conference Day 1 Closing

Day 2: Tuesday, April 16, 8am-11:30am
AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, Room 102

These working sessions will take as their starting point an understanding of the broad range of innovative governmental and non-governmental, local and national, policy and research efforts underway to address the root causes and consequences of conflict in Africa. The sessions will examine how to best leverage new research to support ongoing and new efforts to meet evolving security needs in Africa.

8:00am  Working Session on Responding to Food and Demographic Shocks

• Mike Findley, University of Texas at Austin (facilitator)
• Kent Butts, U.S. Army War College (facilitator)

8:00am Working Session on Responding to Political Shocks

• Ashley Moran, University of Texas at Austin (facilitator)
• John Kelly, National Defense University (facilitator)

10:30am  Discussion and Findings

11:30am  Conference Day 2 Closing

Related Event: Tuesday, April 16, 12:30pm
LBJ School of Public Affairs, SRH 3.122

Conference attendees are invited to attend a CCAPS presentation on the Urban Resilience to Climate Change Challenges in Africa. LBJ School graduate students will present findings from a year-long CCAPS study on the capacity of local governments to respond to the impacts of climate change. 

REGISTRATION

Advance registration is required and space is limited. There is no registration fee. Please register here.

DIRECTIONS

The conference will be held at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The venue is located at 1900 University Avenue, Austin, Texas 78705. For directions and parking information, click here. 

LODGING

A room block has been reserved at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Please call 877-744-8822 and ask for the "CCAPS Conference" room block to receive the rate of $174 per night. The deadline to receive the room block rate is April 1, 2013.

Other nearby hotels include the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin - University Area, the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, the Sheraton Austin Hotel, and the Radisson Austin Hotel.

MORE INFORMATION

For questions or more details regarding the conference, please contact Dominique Thuot, CCAPS Program Coordinator, at domin...@austin.utexas.edu.

ABOUT THE CO-HOSTS

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University is the pre-eminent Department of Defense institution for strategic security studies, research, and outreach in Africa. The Africa Center engages African partner states and institutions through rigorous academic and outreach programs that build strategic capacity and foster long-term, collaborative relationships.

The Climate Change and African Political Stability Program is a five-year research program at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted in partnership with the College of William and Mary, Trinity College Dublin, and University of North Texas. CCAPS analyzes how climate change, conflict, governance, and aid intersect to impact African and global security. CCAPS is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense's Minerva Initiative.

The U.S. Africa Command, also known as U.S. AFRICOM, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. As one of six that are regionally focused, it is devoted solely to Africa. U.S. AFRICOM is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for U.S. military relations with 54 African countries. U.S. AFRICOM is committed to supporting U.S. government objectives through the delivery and sustainment of effective security cooperation programs that assist African nations build their security capacity to enable them to better provide for their own defense.

The U.S. Army War College Fellowship, a partnership of the United States Army and the University of Texas at Austin since 1992, is a one-year resident fellowship for Army colonels. Military participants attend UT in lieu of The Senior Service College resident program at the Army War College's Carlisle Barracks, PA and receive the award of Military Education Level One, the highest level of formal military education. Through access to the world-class educational assets of a top-tier university, selected officers prepare to meet the demands of strategic thinking and senior-level leadership that will be required of them as they lead the Army into the future.

To register for this event, click here at http://strausscenter.org/register/227.html