In the last few years, we have seen an increasing international awareness of the challenges facing the interaction between human populations and a changing environment. In France and Italy, these issues have in fact occupied a really important role in philosophical, social and political debates and initiatives for at least five decades. Our panelists will offer a diverse and far-reaching presentation of their own involvement with the research and initiatives presently occurring in Italy and France.
Moderator:
• Giuseppina Mecchia, University of Pittsburgh

The organizer and moderator of this panel is Jennifer Keating, Department of English, University of Pittsburgh

Panelist:

Garrett Carr, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland
John Carson, Carnegie Mellon University
Mairead McClean, Artist and Filmmaker, from Bath, England and Northern Ireland
Eve Patten, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

Over the past decades, Western democracies have experienced dramatic change. In Europe, the most obvious is the decline of the mainstream parties, particularly those on the center-left, that long anchored and defined politics in the region. This talk will examine the reasons for the decline of center-left or social democratic parties in Europe, stressing the role played by these parties changing ideas about the nature of the economy and society.

This panel considers several aspects of the current state of democracy in Europe, with special attention to the rise of right-wing populism, illiberal forms of democracy, declining party loyalty, and evidence of increasing disenchantment with the current state of democracy in Europe. The panel will seek to discuss these issues with the help of a broad comparative and historical perspective.

Professors Mohammed Bamyeh and John Markoff, Department of Sociology, Pitt, will moderate a panel discussion on "The State of Democracy in Europe."

The panel members include:

Panelist: Tim Bale, Queen Mary University of London, Jane Green, University of Oxford, Robert Ford, University of Manchester and Robert Johns, University of Essex
Moderator: Jae-Jae Spoon, University of Pittsburgh

Aunel Arneth Kimbembe Makaya is a pro-democracy activist, reporter, director and documentary film producer from the Republic of Congo. He directed "Keep Quiet or Die," a documentary advocating against the crimes committed by Congolese armed forces on civilians during a 2015 referendum vote. The documentary, broadcast by the French NGO Agir Ensemble pour les Droits Humains (AEDH) and the television channel My Media Prime TV, received financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy. Following the release of this film, Aunel was sued in the Republic of Congo and Senegal.

Dr. Abdesalam Soudi of the Department of Linguistics and Dr. Catherine Koverola of the Center for African Studies will discuss community engagement in the African context.

As part of the Celebrate Africa Series, please join Dr. Amani Attia for this discussion of African women in northern and eastern Africa.

During the Celebrate Africa Event, the Global Experiences and Nationality Rooms Staff will discuss opportunities for study abroad and internships across the African continent for undergraduate and graduate students. They will also explain how Pitt students can fund their trips to Africa and make these incredible experiences affordable!

As part of the Celebrate Africa conference, Dr. Abimbola Fapohunda will discuss her research and work on cancer in Nigeria.