Elections 2024: South Africa’s Democracy and Foreign Policy Outlook
Virtual Salon Series
Thursday, February 8, 2024 | 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM ET
Later this year, voters in South Africa will vote in the country’s general election, which is expected to be extremely competitive. Internal struggles within the ruling African National Congress (ANC), coupled with the lingering economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, have worsened its popularity, and created an opening for opposition parties to unseat the ANC from decades in power. In the meantime, South Africa’s role in the growing BRICS alliance and its recent case against U.S. ally Israel in the International Court of Justice highlight Pretoria’s inclination towards a multipolar world order. Will the ANC succeed in remaining in power in South Africa? What will the upcoming elections mean for South Africa’s democracy and its role on the world stage? How would a shift in government impact the nation’s ties with the United States, China, and Russia?
Join us on Thursday, February 8th from 6 PM ET to 7.15 PM ET for a virtual conversation with Ambassador Charles A. Ray, former US Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Kingdom of Cambodia, and Chair of the Africa Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
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SPEAKER:
Ambassador Charles A. Ray
Ambassador Charles A. Ray, a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Africa Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, served as US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Zimbabwe. In addition, he was the first U.S. Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, opening the Consulate General there in 1998. During his diplomatic career, Mr. Ray served as deputy chief of mission in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and at consular posts in Guangzhou and Shenyang, China, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. He was diplomat-in-residence at the University of Houston during the 2005-2006 academic year; responsible for outreach and recruiting at colleges and universities in South Texas.
Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 1982, he served 20 years in the United States Army, with postings in Europe and Asia, including two tours in Vietnam during the war. He retired in 2012 from the Foreign Service and is now engaged in consulting, public speaking, and writing. He is the author of more than 30 works of fiction and nonfiction, including a historical series about the Buffalo Soldiers, the African-American soldiers who served on the western frontier, and is the author of an Amazon best-selling mountain man adventure series. His nonfiction works include books and articles on management, leadership, international relations, and history. He is the author of over 250 works of fiction and nonfiction.
Ray is currently a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Diplomacy, communications director for the Association of Black American Ambassadors, a member of the American College of National Security Leaders, a member of the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, and a member of the board of directors of the Cold War Museum.
In addition to his government service, Mr.Ray has worked as a newspaper/magazine journalist, photographer, and artist, and was editorial cartoonist for the Spring Lake (NC) News, a weekly newspaper in central North Carolina during most of the mid to late-1970s.
He has a B.S. in business administration from Benedictine College, in Atchison, Kansas; an M.S. in systems management from the University of Southern California; and an M.S. in national security strategy from the National Defense University. In 2001, he received the Thomas Jefferson Award from American Citizens Abroad (ACA) for his work in support of American business in southern Vietnam.
THIS SESSION IS FREE FOR NETWORK 20/20’s MEMBERS
NOT YET A NETWORK 20/20 MEMBER?
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*Image Credit:
Creator: GovernmentZA
Copyright: GCIS
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