China Africa Research Network event (and a shameless plug)

While I'm no longer in Oxford, the China Africa Research Network I began there in January 2008 is alive and well, despite a short hiatus in the autumn of 2008.  To that end, for those of you still in Oxford or in and around the area, you may be interested in this upcoming event:

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The China-Africa Research Network is a group of students and professors interested in bringing issues of politics and development, related to China's involvement in Africa, to the forefront. In the last year, we hosted events on China's oil investments, aid and political relationship with Africa.

We will be holding a meeting this Friday, at 4pm in the SSL lounge, to discuss a day conference in Trinity term and plans for the following year. We're interested in recruiting new members to the group - so please do come and check it out!

For more information please contact Amreeta Mathai: amreeta.mathai@st-annes.ox.ac.uk

Noteworthy….

Oh good, someone told them (see post on Obama, Geithner and China for reference). Clinton signals broader focus on Beijing, from the FT.

Obama leads U.S. drive to topple Mugabe, from The Times.

Let developing nations rule. Dani Rodrik on the opportunities for developing nations to project their interests in multilateral institutions and gain influence in shaping economic globalization, even as the global financial crisis rages on, from VoxEU.

And now for something completely different: Refugee Run (!!??) at Davos. [HT: Bill Easterly]

You go, girl.

A new UN publication - Governing Women: Women's Political Effectiveness in Contexts of Democratization and Governance Reform - is out and looks quite interesting. Using case studies from around the world (actually, all the case studies are taken from the global South), the essays in the report consider the conditions for effective connections between women in civil society and women in politics for the evolution of political party platforms responsive to women's interests, for local government arrangements that enable women to engage effectively, and for accountability mechanisms that answer to women. 

An interesting read for those interested in good governance and women's rights.