A presentation and book launch by David Coltart
Former Zimbabwe Senator and human rights lawyer

Date: Wednesday 9 August, 6:00pm
Refreshments served from 5:30pm

Venue: AIIA Conference Centre – Stephen House
32 Thesiger Court
Deakin ACT 2600

“Ever since Ian Smith unilaterally declared independence from Britain over 50 years ago on 11 November 1965, the country now known as Zimbabwe has been in turmoil. There were great hopes when Zimbabwe obtained its independence from Britain in 1980 that Robert Mugabe would steer the country down a new road of democracy and tolerance. However the last 37 years of Mugabe’s rule have been marked by violence, electoral fraud, corruption, abuse of power and the collapse of a once thriving economy.
Senator David Coltart was born in Zimbabwe in 1957 and has lived through this tumultuous period, eventually becoming Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in the government of national unity brokered by the AU and SADC in 2009. His recently published book The Struggle Continues: 50 Years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe sheds new light on why Zimbabwe remains in such an oppressed state. The presentation will draw on the lessons learnt by Coltart from his unique insider’s perspective as a human rights lawyer and opposition politician in Zimbabwe since 1983.”
The book will be launched by Matthew Neuhaus, First Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Division, DFAT and former Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe.

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This is an AIIA ACT Branch event.

Registration is encouraged through the following link:
https://aiiaact.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/14538-opposing-tyranny-lessons-from-50-years-of-struggle-for-democracy-in-zimbabwe

Registration is also available at the door.

Date: 12:30-1:30pm, Thursday, 27 July, 2017
Venue: Acton Theater, J.G. Crawford Building

Speaker

Margaret O’Callaghan — Visiting Fellow; Resources, Environment, and Development Program (RE&D); Crawford School of Public Policy

Margaret O’Callaghan formerly worked for AusAID and then for the United Nations in Papua New Guinea and Zambia. In recent years she has been researching the socio-economic impact of a mining boom in North Western Province, Zambia. The subject of the role of mining conferences came up during this research.

Abstract

This seminar will provide an overview of the main types of mining conferences which are held about African mining, mostly in Africa, and question whether the benefits participants promote to potential investors are realistic. The speaker will then focus on the corporate Mining Indaba held in Cape Town and explain how the Alternative Indaba which is run by NGOs has influenced the social content of that major corporate conference and why that has been an important development.

Crawford School Contact:

ida.kubiszewski@anu.edu.au

On 13 June 2017 the Senate referred the following matter to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report by 14 February 2018:

Australia’s trade and investment relationships with the countries of Africa.

Submissions to this inquiry close on 18 August 2017.

The committee invites individuals and organisations to send in their opinions and proposals in writing (submissions). For more information see

http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/TradeinvestmentAfrica

Committee Secretariat contact:

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3535
Fax: +61 2 6277 5818
fadt.sen@aph.gov.au

The Foreign Minister has announced the appointment of Ms Jenny Dee as Australia’s next High Commissioner to Mauritius with non-resident accreditation to Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles.

Ms Dee is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Director, External Budget Section. Her overseas experience includes a posting in Harare.

“Australia works closely with Mauritius and its island neighbours on maritime security, economic growth and sustainable development, including through the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the newly established Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.”

http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2017/jb_mr_170626.aspx