Pritzker Fellow Crystal Orderson on "Sub-Saharan Africa at a Crossroads"

(Current UChicago Students Only)

Tuesday, February 13

3:30-4:45 PM 

The crippling debt in key African economies like Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia has harmed development and threatened national sovereignty by opening the door to foreign influence. The dire impact of the debt crisis on Africa's development is likely to impact socio-economic progress and could breed revolt in countries where governments are unable to deliver on health and education and other services - and has forced them to rely on multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and China. Recently, military juntas in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, in response to sanctions that were issued because of their recent military coups. The issue of censorship and closure of media houses across the continent and the arrests of journalists remain a big concern and have impacted access to critical information. With mounting debt and a bulging youth population hungry for access to information and jobs, what is the short-term economic and political future for the continent?

Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Sarah Palmisciano (spalmisciano@uchicago.edu).