Transactional Politics: Theorizing practice, from Africa to the global stage
Transactional politics shape political systems around the world, but their impact is growing sharply in countries as varied as Venezuela, Russia, Ethiopia—and the United States. Now is an important time to take stock of what we know about transactional politics around the world. Join us for a discussion on this topic. How is the “political marketplace” emerging in Nigeria, Ethiopia and across the Horn of Africa? How does it shape war and peace, elections and humanitarian crises, along with a host of issues such as the energy transition? This seminar highlights our research findings, as part of the World Peace Foundation’s work on transactional politics for the Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform, a project with the London School of Economics and University of Edinburgh supported by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
Speakers:
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot is a WPF-affiliated researcher. He served as the director of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) of Addis Ababa University from 2009-2013. He holds PhD from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, an MA in Public administration from Harvard Kennedy School, an MBA from the Open University of London, a BA degree in International Management from the Amsterdam School of Business. As an expert in Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution with a focus on East Africa he has consulted with different international organizations including AU, DFID, DANIDA, ECOWAS, GIZ, IGAD, UNMIS, UNAMID, and UNDPA. He advised the AU and UN on mediation strategies and led the WPF program on African peace missions, 2015-17.
Jared Miller is a researcher at the World Peace Foundation specializing in political corruption, transactional politics, and elections. His work focuses on strengthening accountable governance in contexts of systemic corruption and violent conflict with a particular emphasis on Nigeria, where he previously lived and worked. Jared has also worked on anti-corruption and peacebuilding programs for The Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Program at Besa Global, MyIT Consult Ltd., and Search for Common Ground. Jared holds an MA and PhD from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a BA from the College of William & Mary.
Aditya Sarkar is a PhD candidate at the Fletcher School. He has been a visiting fellow at World Peace Foundation since 2017 and has advised the ILO and the Governments of Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia on developing National Employment Policies, and has consulted with the World Bank, and the Open Society Foundations. Aditya is qualified as a lawyer in India and in England and Wales. He previously worked with Linklaters LLP (a global law firm) in London as well as the Ministry of Commerce in India. He holds a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and is a graduate of the National Law School of India University in Bangalore, India. His research focuses on the political economy of transactional political systems, labour, and migration/displacement.
