Into Africa
Fearless music activists. Savvy tech entrepreneurs. Social disrupters. Into Africa shatters the narratives that dominate U.S. perceptions of Africa. Host Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Africa program director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C., sits down with policymakers, journalists, academics and other trailblazers in African affairs to shine a spotlight on the faces spearheading cultural, political, and economic change on the continent.
26
Fostering Transformative Leadership: The Mandel...
In this episode of Into Africa, Mvemba is joined by three distinguished MWF alumni who share their experiences and insights from the fellowship, as well as their professional journeys.
35 min
27
Rethinking U.S.-Africa Strategy
Former CSIS Africa Program director and Into Africa’s creator, Judd Devermont, rejoins the podcast to share his insights into the U.S.’s approach to Africa and the role of America in a multipolar world. Drawing on his experience as Special Assistant to President Biden and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, Judd offers a deep and informed perspective on these critical issues.
38 min
28
Building Africa’s Digital Future
Fran Katsoudas, Executive VP and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer at Cisco, joins Mvemba to share findings from Cisco’s recently launched report “Elevating Africa's Cyber Resilience: Unveiling Regional Challenges and Charting AI Solutions.”
32 min
29
Partnerships for Peace: The Global Fragility Act
Peter Quaranto, Director of the Office of African Affairs in the Department of State Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), joins Mvemba to share CSO’s approach to better anticipate, prevent and mitigate violent conflicts. They discuss how CSO’s mission to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships for a more peaceful future.
39 min
30
The Hidden Genius Project
The CEO and founder of The Hidden Genius Project, Dr. Brandon Nicholson joined Mvemba to dive into what it means to be a hidden genius and how his team curates programs that support their mission.
30 min
31
Young and Radical
Mvemba is joined by McDonald Lewanika, Southern Africa Regional Director at Accountability Lab, to discuss the importance of adapting to Africa’s fast-changing demographics by ensuring that the majority’s voices are catered for and given the appropriate platform.
39 min
32
Understanding the DRC’s Governance Structure
Fred Bauma, Senior Fellow and Executive Secretary of Ebuteli, joins Mvemba to discuss the reasons this government took so long to form, the state of governance in DRC, and the expectations of Tshisekedi’s second term in office.
31 min
33
That’s A Great Question!
Mvemba is joined by Claude Grunitzky, Founder of TRACE and friend of the pod, to discuss asking the right questions about Africa, and limitless answers.
35 min
34
Into the Africa Land Forces Summit
Mvemba, joined by Command Sergeant Major Reese Teakell of the US Army Southern European Task Force and Command Sergeant Jeremiah E. Inman of US Army Europe and Africa, discusses the highlights of partnerships between African and partner nations in security training, focusing on NCO education programs and leadership development.
22 min
35
The Twists and Turns of U.S.- Tanzania Bilatera...
Mvemba is joined by Ambassador Michael Battle, United States Ambassador to Tanzania, to discuss the history and current state of U.S.- Tanzania bilateral relations. Ambassador Battle shares his hopes of transformed US-Tanzania relations from an aid and development assistance model to a trade and investment model.
45 min
36
From a Jail Cell to the Presidential Palace
Hawa Ba, Director of Core Partners in Open Society Foundations, joins Mvemba to share her impressions from Senegal's election.
35 min
37
The State of Eight: Challenges Facing the East ...
Beverly Ochieng, CSIS Senior Associate (Non-Resident), and Pascal Kambale, Human Rights Lawyer, join Mvemba to untangle the issues and opportunities faced by the EAC.
40 min
38
Project Hope: Improving Maternal Health in Sier...
Mvemba is joined by Dr. Uche Ralph-Opara, the Chief Health Officer at Project HOPE to discuss the current situation, work, and progress made by Project Hope in improving maternal health crisis in Sierra Leone.
30 min
39
AFCON and the Power of Unity
Afolabi Adekaiyaoja, Research Analyst at CDD-West Africa, joins to discuss the remarkable achievements of AFCON 2023, its impact on Africa and beyond, and the inextricable links between sports and politics.
39 min
40
Mali: Between the Lines
Moussa Kondo, Executive Director Sahel Institute, joins Mvemba to share perspectives and insights into the political and economic landscape of Mali.
31 min
41
Breaking Up with ECOWAS
Mvemba is joined by General Saleh Bala, retired Brigadier General from the Nigerian military and CEO White Ink Consult in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss how to understand the withdrawal of AES and where ECOWAS falls short as a regional bloc.
35 min
42
How to Speak about Africa
Roger Muntu, International Broadcast Journalist at Voice of America, joins to discuss what it means to be an African journalist.
36 min
43
The Promises of COP 28
COP28 participant and CSIS Africa Intern, Denis Owiny, joins Mvemba to discuss impressions from the conference, climate financing in Africa, and the future of Africa’s position in the clean energy transition.
28 min
44
Peaceful Transitions, Close Elections, and Voti...
Charles Lawrence, Liberian Political Analyst, joins to delve into the voting landscape in Liberia.
29 min
45
Angola’s Paradox of Abundance
Sergio Calundungo, Founder of Social Observatory of Angola, and Carlos Rosado de Carvalho, Journalist and Radio Host on MFM Radio, join Mvemba to discuss the “paradox of abundance” that Angola faces.
36 min
46
Taking Africa's Pulse with Afrobarometer
Dr. Joseph Asunka, the CEO of Afrobarometer, speaks with Mvemba about data collection in Africa as well as methodologies for various contexts in Africa.
36 min
47
Cooking Up a Storm from Dakar to Brooklyn
Mvemba is joined by Pierre Thiam, a renowned chef, author, and social activist. Hailing from Senegal, Chef Thiam is best known for bringing West African cuisine to the global fine-dining world.
38 min
48
CorpsAfrica: Peace Corps by and for Africans
Mvemba is joined by Liz Fanning, Founder and CEO of CorpsAfrica, to discuss the ideas, challenges, and successes of CorpsAfrica as well as the ways African youth are engaging with the organization.
33 min
49
A Look Inside the First Africa Climate Summit
After attending the Africa Climate Summit, Ikal Angelei, an indigenous rights activist in Kenya, and Serah Makka, Africa Executive Director at ONE, shared their reflections with Mvemba.
37 min
50
Nine Coups in Three Years
Burkina Faso (twice). Chad. Gabon. Guinea. Mali (twice). Niger. Sudan. The recent spate in coups has forced many to pause and ask difficult questions. Has democracy failed? Why do a minority of citizens support or tolerate military rule, and what does this backing say about the ineffectiveness of their previous governments?
37 min