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DIIS og DR2 Dokumania seminar: Olie i Afrika – en velsignelse eller forbandelse?
TID: Torsdag den 22. maj kl. 15-18
STED: DIIS, Danish Institute for International Studies, Main auditorium, Gl. Kalkbrænderi Vej 51A, 2100 København Ø.
TID: Torsdag den 22. maj kl. 15-18
STED: DIIS, Danish Institute for International Studies, Main auditorium, Gl. Kalkbrænderi Vej 51A, 2100 København Ø.
TILMELDING: Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use the online registration form no later than Wednesday, 21 May 2014 at 12.00 noon. Sign up: https://www.conferencemanager.dk/OilinAfricaaBlessingoraCurse/sign%2Dup.html
Oil in Africa – a Blessing or a Curse? DIIS and DR2 Dokumania present the documentary Big Men
Are Africa’s untapped natural resources the key to autonomy and the end of development aid? Or is it the secure path to the so called `resource curse’ where, instead of creating prosperity for the good of the larger population, the outcome is further corruption, conflicts and irreversible damage to the environment?
At this DOX & Talks event we will look at the dilemmas connected to oil extraction and the development of African countries. We will discuss one of Denmark’s main donor countries, Ghana, and how oil is affecting the country’s future.
The captivating documentary `Big Men’ gives us a unique peak into how a small foreign oil company tries to profit from being the first movers in the race to extract oil in Ghana.
The film also reveals how Ghanaian government officials try to influence and take ownership of the process to avoid ending up with the same problems as their ‘bad big brother´ Nigeria.
Luke Patey, Senior Researcher, DIIS, will contextualize the movie in the political economy of oil in Africa and draw upon examples of oil extraction in other African countries.
Nauja Kleist, Senior Researcher, DIIS, an expert on Ghanaian migration, will discuss the local expectations to Ghana’s potential oil adventure and the role of BIG MEN in Ghana.
About the documentary
The director of ‘Big Men’, Rachel Boynton, gives us a unique possibility to look into the world of big men and big business in the oil industry and in African politics.
The movie follows a small group of American explorers at the Dallas-based oil company Kosmos Energy and their quest to discover and develop the first commercial oil field in Ghana’s history.
But what started off as an oil adventure soon turns into a nightmare, when the American investors meet real politics in Ghana and the economic crisis quick in.
To bring the Ghanaian example into perspective Boynton and her film crew takes us to the swamps of Nigeria’s Niger Delta, where militant youth blow up oil fields to protest against the system.
The Nigerian example of increased conflict and violence reveals the ramifications of the economy of oil: in a country where the disillusion of how the oil will benefit the people seems immense.
‘Big Men’ shows the larger implications of foreign investors’ oil ventures in Africa and how African countries also try to get their share of the pie after centuries of exploitation. But who ends up with the profit and who will pay the final price?
About DR2 Dokumania
DOX & Talks is DIIS’ new documentary initiative. In the resent years documentaries that focus on international relations have affected the way we look at current conflicts, human rights issues, politics and development.
DOX & Talks gives you the possibility to get a strong visual insight into issues that are usually not accessible to the broader public; and our experts give you further food for thought.
Step into the darkness, grab some popcorn and see the world from a different perspective!
Speakers
* Mette Hoffmann Meyer, Head of Documentaries at DR – Danish Broadcasting Corporation
* Ida Marie Vammen, PhD Candidate, DIIS
* Luke Patey, Senior Researcher, DIIS
* Nauja Kleist, Senior Researcher, DIIS
Programme
15.00-15.10
Welcome and introduction
Ida Marie Vammen, PhD Candidate, DIIS
Mette Hoffmann Meyer, Head of Documentaries at DR – Danish Broadcasting Corporation
15.10-16.40
Screening of the documentary Big Men
16.40-16.55
Coffee Break
16.55-18.00
Open Discussion with Luke Patey and Nauja Kleist
The seminar will be in English.
Read more: http://www.conferencemanager.dk/OilinAfricaaBlessingoraCurse/the-event.html
