2016 Darl Snyder lecture: Zéphirin Diabré

Diabre's lecture will focus on recent political developments in Burkina Faso, from the fight against constitutional change to the restoration of democracy, specifically the actions that led to the toppling of the Compaore regime to the parliamentary and presidential elections in 2015, in which he was a candidate.

“Dr. Zéphirin Diabré is a foremost political figure in Burkina Faso and his insight on the recent political developments will be of great value to the international audience at UGA and the Athens community,” said Akinloye Ojo, associate professor of comparative literature and director of the African Studies Institute. “Burkina Faso has been a UGA focus since the early 1990s, including numerous research projects in Burkina Faso on products such as cotton and peanuts supported by the USAID.”

The Darl Snyder Lecture Series was established in 1992 in recognition of Snyder's dedication, research and service learning programs in and about Africa. Snyder's affiliation with UGA began in 1969 as a program specialist at the Rural Development Center in Tifton, GA; he eventually became director of the Office of International Development in 1989. Although he retired from UGA in 1992, Dr. Snyder and his family continue to support African studies and UGA endeavors in Africa.

Image: Zéphirin Diabré, courtesy of the African Studies Institute.