Inaugural Conference

The first SIRP conference, “The Sudan Today: Challenges and Possibilities,” was held on November 10, 2007 at Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster PA. The daylong symposium brought together a gathering of Sudanese and Sudan specialists from across a variety of academic fields and professions to address major problems currently facing the Sudan and outline some future directions for research and policy. The subjects covered included:

• Peace and conflict, particularly in Darfur
• Nationhood and development
• State and religion
• The emerging oil industry
• Health care
• Education and information technology

Papers Presented in the Conference

On Conflict, Peace, and the Challenges of Nationhood
Chair: Richard Lobban, PhD Rhode Island College, Rhode Island

Locating Responsibilities: National and International Responses to the Crisis in Darfur
Munzoul Assal, PhD - University of Khartoum, Sudan

The Darfur Conflict is not a Climate Crisis
Michael Kevane, PhD - Santa Clara University, California

Bumps on the Peace Road and Conflict Transformation in Sudan
Mey Eltayeb Ahmed - University of Khartoum, Sudan

Transformation of the Sudanese Establishment for a New Sudan
Beniah Yongo-Bure, PhD - Kettering University, Michigan

Local Government in Darfur: Past and Present
Osman Zein-Elabdin - Ret. Lt. General of Police - Sudan


On Resources and Recovery: Oil, Technology, and Education
Chair: Eiman Zein-Elabdin, PhD - Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania

Mapping the Structure, Scope, and Diverse Dimensions of the Sudanese Oil Sector
Eiman Zein-Elabdin, PhD - Franklin & Marshall College, Pennsylvania

Economy and Oil Wealth in Economic Development of Postwar Southern Sudan
Abraham Matoc Dhal, PhD - University of Juba, Sudan.

A Nation in Turmoil: Is Education to Blame? An Analysis of Sudan National Primary School Curriculum
Hala-Asmina Ibrahim - Ohio University, Ohio

The Role of Master Planned ICT: A Challenge and Opportunity for the Government of Southern Sudan
Fareed Zein - Shell Oil Company, Houston,Texas


On the Transformation of Health Care
Chair: Shahira Ahmed, PhD - Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Embodying Honor: Gender, Health and Reproduction in Eastern Sudan
Amal Hassan Fadlalla, PhD - University of Michigan, Michigan

Experience in Collaborative Work in Healthcare
Mohamed E. Akoud, MD - Tuft University School of Medicine, Boston, MA

Elements of a Roadmap for Healthcare Strategy
Shahira Ahmed, PhD - Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

HIV in Sudan
Ahmed El Sayem, MD - University of Texas, MD-Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, Texas

Palliative Care and Cancer in Sudan
Nada A Fadul, MD - University of Texas, MD-Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, Texas


Plenary Papers

From the National Islamic Front to the National Congress Party: A Post-Islamist Transition?
Abdel Salam M. Sidahmed, PhD - University of Windsor, Canada

Self-Determination is Not The Culprit: The Password is Democratic Transformation
El Wathig Mohamed Kameir, PhD - Independent Consultant, Tunisia