Pan Africanism, Peace and Security, Sustainable Development and Science and Technology take centre stage at AUR 2019
DATE: 20 May 2019
Pretoria, Monday 20 May 2019 – To revive Pan Africanism that speaks to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century and drives development, peace and security on the African continent, the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) will host the 9th annual African Unity for Renaissance International Conference from 22 to 23 May 2019 and Africa Day Expo on 24 May 2019.
Taking place at Kievits Kroon Faircity Hotel, Pretoria, the conference will bring together over 100 leading researchers, practitioners and policy makers from around the continent to share ideas and best research practices under the theme: “Pan Africanism for the 21st Century: Innovative Paths for Africa’s Future Development”.
The two-day conference is aimed at, among other things, reflecting on the continued relevance and contribution of Pan Africanism in Africa’s development. It will also focus on identifying key current governance, peace and security and sustainable development challenges and opportunities, as well as the Continental Free Trade Agreement and the ways in which an innovative Pan African approach can effectively contribute to moving agendas forward.
AISA Executive Director, Professor Cheryl Hendricks, stated that these deliberations will provide a deeper understanding of some of the progress, challenges and opportunities in relation to peace and security, development and science and technology in Africa and the relevance for a pan-Africanist approach to dealing with them.
“This conference is being held in the month in which we celebrate Africa and its achievements and recognise the contributions of pan African institutions, policy makers and knowledge producers. It is imperative that we as Africans from across the continent contribute to solving some of our most vexed challenges in relation to peace and security, development and science and technology. This conference contributes towards this endeavour,” she added.
The event will take place over two days with the third day being dedicated to Africa Day celebration. It will be structured around plenary sessions and commissions. Participants will address specific questions, which will inform the discussion of the commissions and lead to a set of concrete recommendations on the three identified themes.
The African Unity for Renaissance Conference is a partnership between the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) in the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute (TMALI), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Water Research Commission (WRC), International Science Council – Regional Office for Africa, African Union (AU), Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).
Media invited to attend as follows:
Date: Wednesday 22 May 2019
Time: 09h00 - 11h40
Venue: Kievits Kroon Faircity Hotel, 41 Reier Rd, Kameeldrift-East, Pretoria, 0035
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact Adziliwi Nematandani, 0827659191 or anematandani@hsrc.ac.za
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Notes to the Editor
About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.
Our mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.
The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.
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