2021 – Africa’s Role in the Contemporary World
Omaha Forum
Monday, October 25, 2021 and
Lincoln Forum
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Read the University of Nebraska Omaha’s write-up here.
Africa is the only world region that will undergo a dramatic population increase by mid-century – with a doubling by 2050. This “Youth Tsunami” will represent either a significant force for economic growth and improved living conditions in Africa, or increased global terrorism, instability, and migration flows. In either case, the policies adopted now – by both the international community and African Governments – will determine which course the Continent follows. Yet Africa is currently the continent least understood by Americans; the perception – which is unfortunately amplified by Western media – is of a land of war, famine, and pestilence. But the reality is much more complex and nuanced. While no single panel can cover the myriad of issues in Africa’s 56 countries, three major themes form the basis for the discussion of the Ambassadors Forum of 2021.
The panelists spoke about Africa’s population boom, infrastructure projects being led by China along Africa’s northern borders, global warming’s impact on migration, colonialism’s harmful legacy on the continent, the importance of humanitarian aid to quelling extremist violence, and the innovative young people who will shape the future of their nations.
Panelists
Ambassador Wanda L. Nesbitt most recently served as the Dean of the School of Language Studies. She holds the rank of Career Minister in the U.S. Foreign Service. She joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1981 as a consular cone officer. She served as U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar from 2001 to 2004 and U.S. Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, President Obama nominated and the Senate confirmed her as Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia. She also served as Senior Vice President at the National Defense University.
Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy, Jr. is currently serving as Assistant Secretary on the Bureau of African Affairs for the U.S. State Department
During the 2002 academic year he was the Department of State’s “Diplomat in Residence” at the University of Oklahoma.
Previously he was the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia from 1999-2002, and Ambassador to Guinea from 1996-1999.
Before that, he attended the Department of State’s prestigious Senior Seminar. (During this year, Ambassador Nagy lectured extensively at educational institutions and to civic groups around the U.S. about U.S. foreign policy, Africa, diplomatic careers and Foreign Service life.)
Ambassador Nagy joined the Foreign Service in 1978 as a management analyst in the Bureau of Personnel. His first overseas assignment was as General Services Officer in Lusaka, Zambia from 1979-1981.
After that, he was assigned to Victoria, Seychelles, for two years as Administrative Officer. He served as Systems Administrator for the African Bureau in Washington from 1983-84 and then returned overseas as Administrative Officer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1984-86. For the next eight years, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at Lome, Togo (1987-90); Yaounde, Cameroon (1990-93); and Lagos, Nigeria (1993-95).
Ambassador Nagy was born in Budapest, Hungary on April 29, 1949 and arrived in the United States as a political refugee in 1957. He received a B.A. from Texas Tech University in 1972 and an M.S.A. from George Washington University in 1978.
He speaks Hungarian and French, and has received numerous awards, including the Department of State’s “Superior Honor” award, five “Meritorious Honor” awards as well as being runner-up for the prestigious “Deputy Chief of Mission of the Year” award.
Ambassador Nagy is a resident of Texas, and is married to Eva Jane Nagy. The Nagys have two sons and a daughter: Peter, Stephen, and Tisza.
W. Stuart Symington IV is the former United States Ambassador to Nigeria from 2016 to 2019. Previously, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Africa and African Security Affairs (2015-2016), U.S. Special Representative for the Central African Republic (2014-2016 and Political Advisor to the Commander NORAD/US Northern Command 2011-2014). He served as Ambassador to Rwanda (2008-2011), Ambassador to Djibouti 2006-2008), and Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge’ d’affaires in Niger (2001-2003). He was also United States Department of State’s Representative at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia from 2005-06, Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004-05, and Deputy Director of the Department’s Office of West African Affairs from 2003-05.
Earlier in his career, Symington served in Ecuador, Mexico, Spain and Honduras and as a Pearson Fellow in the Office of U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton. Before joining the Department of State he practiced law in Missouri, New York, London, and Paris.
Symington received a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He and his spouse Susan Ide Symington have been married for 40 years.