The Rumi Forum presented "The Rise of Non-Western Influence in Africa" with Ambassador David Shinn.

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at Rumi Forum
1150 17th St. N.W., Suite 408 Washington, DC 20036

Ambassador Shinn has spoken about non-western involvement in Africa with a particular focus on China, India, Brazil, Russia and Iran. All of these countries, especially China, have stepped up their engagement on the continent at a time when western nations have leveled off or even scaled back their activities. With an average annual GDP growth rate of 5 percent since 2000, Africa should be a more attractive region for western trade and investment. Yet, it is the non-western countries that are stepping forward. Ambassador Shinn looks forward to engaging the audience in a dialogue on these issues.

Ambassador David Shinn has been teaching as an adjunct professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University for the past ten years. He served for thirty-seven years as a Foreign Service officer in the State Department with overseas assignments in Lebanon, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritania, Cameroon, Sudan and as ambassador to Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. He has published extensively on issues related to the Horn of Africa and is currently writing a book on China-Africa relations. He has a PhD from GWU