STATEMENT ON “AFRICA DOWN UNDER CONFERENCE”
STATEMENT ON "AFRICA DOWN UNDER CONFERENCE" Members of East Africa Rising have noted with serious concern a poster advertising "Africa Down Under". Scheduled to be held in Perth, Australia, for September 2021, the conference showcases 23 white faces who are scheduled to serve as presenters for the three-day conference. First, the absence of any African expert on the panel is execrable for a conference that purports to talk about Africa. Secondly, members of EAR believe that any serious modern conference worth its salt should be more gender-inclusive by identifying women who work in the industry. Third, perusing the programme, we note there are 5 sessions in total of meeting African diplomatic Corps in Australia. This is too small and too insignificant an attempt to reflect Africans in the programme. Diplomats will never offer a full and robust picture of their country's resources against such an intimidating audience of white faces. Fourth, two of our members