The 2022 Global Voices Symposium, “Africa in Our Century," examines the growing importance of this continent for the present and the future. The symposium draws upon the experiences and expertise of individuals from the UD campus and community leaders to discuss activities and initiatives that promote global education and engagement.
These proceedings are available free for download but also available for purchase in print for $6 plus tax and shipping.
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Africa in Our Century: Proceedings of the 2022 Global Voices Symposium
Julius A. Amin
Full proceedings of the 2022 Global Voices Symposium
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Introduction: Africa in Our Century
Julius A. Amin
Since 2017, the UD Global Voices Symposium has served our community by presenting stimulating and thought-provoking programs on global awareness and global engagement. This year the symposium proudly presents “Africa in Our Century,” examining the growing importance of this continent for our present and our future. As with past programs, the 2022 symposium draws on the experiences and expertise of individuals from our UD campus and community leaders to discuss activities and initiatives which promote global education and engagement.
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Why Focus the Symposium on Africa in Our Century?
Julius A. Amin
First, despite its growing significance, Africa continues to be among the least understood places. Second, Africa provides and has provided so much for the global economy. Third, Africa is huge, complex, and very diverse. Fourth, there exists so much ignorance about Africa’s historic contributions to the development of the idea of the West. Fifth, the twenty-first century has added another dimension toward the understanding of Africa’s contributions to the contemporary world. Sixth, rapid changes are taking place globally, and we can no longer afford to remain ignorant about the rising tide taking place in Africa. Seventh, Africa’s population growth has many implications.
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Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Amy E. Anderson
Dr. Landry Signé is a world-renowned scholar, teacher, writer, activist, advisor, public intellectual, consultant, entrepreneur, board member, commentator, keynote speaker, and award winner. Please allow me to give you just a sampling of his many accomplishments.
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Keynote Address: Unlocking Africa’s Potential in a Time of Competition between Rising and Global Powers
Landry Signé
Trade and investment are not just about money and prosperity. They also bring and support peace, stability, and security. In my book Unlocking Africa’s Business Potential, I explore key trade and investment trends, opportunities, challenges, and strategies that illustrate the tremendous potential of Africa and explain the complex competition between emerging and established powers on the continent. The following key trends are critical for policymaking, given their implications for trade investment, economic transformation, inclusive prosperity, and geopolitical dynamics in a time of competition between rising and global powers.
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Student Perspectives of Global Engagement
Christopher Agnew, Jayme Shackleford, and Khensani Ngwenya
In this session, we bring students together from the wider Dayton community to discuss their views on global education and their study abroad experiences and to suggest ways in which we might enhance global awareness on campus and the larger community.
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Resetting Global Awareness during the Global Pandemic
Maria Vivero, Satang Nabaneh, Corinne Brion, and Joann Wright Mawasha
During this session, four female presenters from diverse academic and service backgrounds spoke about the global pandemic of the past two years as a catalyst to raise awareness on global concerns about human rights, education, environment, immigration, and racism. Panelists were Dr. Corinne Brion, a professor in the department of Education; Dr. Satang Nabaneh, Director of Programs at the University of Dayton Human Rights Center; Dr. Joann Wright Mawasha, deputy director at the city of Dayton Human Rights Council; and Dr. Maria Vivero, a professor in the department of Economics and Finance. Together, they spoke about how the pandemic has revealed the depths of our mutual dependence.
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New Directions to Promote Global Education on College Campuses and in Communities
Rochonda L. Nenonene, Karla Guinigundo, Sangita Gosalia, and Furaha Henry-Jones
In 2000, South Africa’s president Thabo Mbeki stated that the twenty-first century would be the “Century of Africa.” Indeed I, like many, believe that Africa is a continent full of promise, rich cultural heritage, blessed with a wealth of natural resources, and poised to become a hub of innovation and progress. Recently, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken remarked that Africa is headed toward becoming one of the world’s most important economic regions, and that it will have a hand in shaping in the future of the world. Recent advances have been made in solar power, the “green tech” industry working to reduce carbon emissions, and the steady increase in access to education for both elementary and secondary school students.
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Sampling of Students’ Reflections on the Symposium
Abdulrahman Alazemi, Noah Aschemeier, Kylie Jones, Tenin Magassa, Emma Mason, Mary Newman, and Janaya Thompson
Following the Global Voices Symposium, some faculty members asked their students to reflect on what they had heard. The following are a sampling of those reflections.
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Global Awareness—The Wave of the Future
Julius A. Amin
The 2022 Global Voices Symposium occurred at a momentous time. In addition to the ongoing global pandemic, Russia had unleashed a brutal invasion of Ukraine. The presentations focused on students’ perspectives of study abroad, human rights, the role of women, COVID 19, new directions in study abroad, immigrant life, and the increasing importance of Africa. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the conversation. Repeatedly, speakers spoke about the positive impact of global awareness in their personal and professional development. Given the context in which the Symposium took place, there was renewed attention brought to the impact of the global pandemic and human rights. Maria Vivero convincingly showed how the pandemic helped to raise awareness on the state of “economic inequalities in the United States and around the world.” The pandemic, she continued, summons the nation to engage in structural changes designed to uplift the condition of the poor. Satang Nebaneh’s presentation built on that theme, arguing that the global pandemic has been impactful. There is an urgent need for human rights education because it helps to create a more just society. Human rights education, she stated, ultimately calls for redistribution of power, adding, “we need to be actively anti-racist, anti-colonial, and anti-oppressive in order to rebalance power.”
