UCI “Blood Diamond” Expert Addresses Africa Peacekeeping


Richard Matthew, an associate professor of planning, policy & design at UCI Irvine, studies
the complex social and environmental factors that have led to the
proliferation of “blood diamonds” in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. The director of UCI's Center for
Unconventional Security Affairs discusses “From Blood Diamonds to
Mountain Gorillas: An Environmental Perspective on Peacebuilding in
Africa” Tuesday.
]

His discussion is culled from his field research on violence driven by the struggle
to control natural resources in sub-Saharan Africa, and he'll assess the risks and opportunities that exist for conservationists who set out to
manage natural resources there.

Matthew works with the United Nations in Africa as a senior expert on
environment, conflict and peacebuilding. He recently conducted field
research in the Albertine Rift, one of the most biologically diverse
and ecologically unique regions of Africa–and the site of much
political and social violence.

He is scheduled to speak from 7:30-9 a.m. Tuesday in the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of
Sciences & Engineering, 100 Academy Way, Irvine. His talk is free and open to the public, but a RSVP is requested at (949) 824-2686
or cu**@uc*.edu as space may be limited. Free parking is available in the Beckman lot.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *