media releases - Brazilian Foreign Policy Towards Africa in the spotlight

Brazilian foreign policy towards Africa will be in the spotlight during Unisa’s Business Breakfast Roundtable discussion to be held on Wednesday, 19 September 2012.

Brazil’s ambassador to South Africa, His Excellency Ambassador Pedro Luiz Carneiro de Mendoça will deliver the keynote speech, with Dr Siphamandla Zondi, Executive Director: Institute for Global Dialogue as the respondent.

Amongst the attendees will be the ambassadors and embassy representatives of Colombia, Belgium, Hungary, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Syria, Serbia, China, Uruguay, Spain and United States of America; representatives of organisations such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID); as well as representatives of the private and public sector.

The roundtable discussion is hosted by Unisa Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Mandla Makhanya, under the auspices of the ‘African Intellectuals, Knowledge Systems and Africa’s Futures’ programme.  This programme aims to -

-       promote research, innovation and development outputs by African intellectuals in Africa and the Diaspora;

-       promote inter-disciplinary approaches to science, research and innovation for Africa’s development;

-       identify research areas and innovative ideas with possible industrial applications needing attention and research in the context of South Africa, Africa and the world;

-       expose youth and young adults and emerging scholars, researchers and intellectuals to a plethora of successful African leaders, in academia, as well as public and private sectors; who are engaged in advancing the African agenda for development; and

-       promote research, innovation and social justice as key components of successful universities or Africa’s futures.  

Unisa cordially invites the media to this event. The details are:

Date     :           Wednesday, 19 September 2012

Venue   :           Protea Restaurant, 3^rd Floor, OR Tambo Building,

Unisa Muckleneuk Campus,

Tshwane

Time     :           08:30 for 09:00 – 11:00  

Profile of Ambassador Pedro Luis Carneiro de Mendoça

Academic studies:

• High Level Studies Course, IRBr/MRE, thesis presented: “Paris Club: systematics and functioning of a relevant forum to Brazilian interest”, 1989

• Bachelor in Law, PUC/RJ, 1968

Work history

• South Africa, Ambassador 2011

• Paris, Consul General, 2006 – 2008

• Mozambique, Ambassador, 2001 – 2004, cumulative with the Republic of Madagascar, the Republic of Seychelles and the Kingdom of Swaziland

• Holy See, Minister-Counselor, 1996 – 2001

• Bonn, Minister-Counselor, 1994 – 1996

• Paris, Counselor, 1988 – 1991

• Bogotá, First Secretary, 0982 – 1985

• London, First Secretary, 1979 – 1982

• Holy See, Second Secretary, 1974 - 1977

• Undersecretary-General for Economic and Technological Affairs, 2005–2006; 2008-2011

• Special Adviser for Parliamentary and Federative Issues, 2004 – 2005

• Head of the International Trade and Manufactures Division, 1992 – 1994

• Head of the Financial Policy Division, 1986 – 1988

• Assistant Head of the Financial Policy Division, 1985 – 1986

• Assistant Head of the Central and Northern America Division, 1977 – 1979

• Assistant Head of the Personnel Division, 1972 – 1973

• Assistant Press Attaché to the Foreign Minister, 1970 – 1972

Dr Siphamandla Zondi

Dr Siphamandla Zondi analyses the intersection of social policy and regional governance in Africa. He was trained in African studies at the former University of Durban Westville (UDW) and University of Cambridge, UK. He lectured for short stints at UDW and the former Randse Afrikaanse University. He later co-ordinated the SADC integration programme at the Africa Institute of South Africa before being appointed Director of the Africa and Southern Africa at the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD). In that position, he led the Institute’s two-track diplomacy transition projects on the Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Sudan and Zimbabwe.  In January 2010, he was appointed the Executive Director of the IGD, responsible for its strategic direction and positioning internationally. Dr Zondi has published widely on issues of regional integration, South Africa’s international relations and foreign policy, governance in Africa, social policy, public health, migration-development nexus and soft power politics. He is a sought after political/policy analysts in the media, diplomatic engagement and government briefings on these and other strategic issues of policy.                                                                                                      

-Ends