Debt Forgiveness Explored at "Our Story" Conference

Gustavus Adolphus College’s eighth annual “Our Story” Conference, focusing on debt forgiveness for developing nations, will take place Saturday, Nov. 10. The conference is free and open to the public and will feature keynote speaker John Jal Wang.

John Jal Wang will deliver the keynote address at this year’s
John Jal Wang will deliver the keynote address at this year’s

Gustavus Adolphus College’s eighth annual “Our Story” Conference, focusing on debt forgiveness for developing nations, will take place Saturday, Nov. 10. The conference is free and open to the public and will feature keynote speaker John Jal Wang.

Jal Wang is a community activist specializing in global immigration and resettlement issues. He has held the positions of Deputy Chairman for Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association in London, Chairman and Permanent Representative of Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association in Paris, and Chairman of the East African Welfare Organization in Liverpool.

Born in Sudan, Jal Wang has been living in Liverpool since the outbreak of civil war in his native country. He continues to work from his office in Liverpool to assist in the redevelopment and incorporation of South Sudan as an independent state and implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was passed in 2005 to end two decades of bloodshed, corruption, and chaos in Sudan.

The schedule of events for the conference includes:

  • 11 a.m. — Registration outside of the Evelyn Young Dining Room in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center.
  • 11:30 a.m. — Workshop #1: “Economic Co-Dependence and its Sociological Effects on Developing Nations” by John Jal Wang in the Heritage Room in the campus center.
  • 12:30 p.m. — Workshop #2: “External Debt Issues in Sub Saharan Africa: An Overview” by Vasant A. Sukhatme in the Board Room in the campus center.
  • 2:15 p.m. — Workshop #3: “The Developing World Debt Crisis: Origins, Options, and Opportunities” by Richard Leitch in Linner Lounge.
  • 2:15 p.m. — Workshop #4: “A Brief History of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund: The Goals and Effects of the Contemporary World-Economy” by Paul Prew in the Board Room.
  • 3:30 p.m. — Keynote address by John Jal Wang in Christ Chapel.
  • 4:30 p.m. — Panel Discussion in the Board Room in the campus center.
  • This student-led conference, sponsored by the Gustavus Pan Afrikan Student Organization and the African American Affairs Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato celebrates the rich heritage of the Afrikan Diaspora by increasing awareness of the struggles and triumphs of its people. The term, “Our Story” is used as an aid to recognize that documented history has not always been accurate and truthful about the Afrikan descendant’s experience in the world.


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