On October 15th, two Alliance Guinea members organized a presentation and discussion entitled “Guinea on the Brink” at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. The talk began with an overview of Guinea (demographics, economy, brief history) and then addressed political events beginning with the coup last December and leading to the present. An accompanying slide show displayed images from September 28th and the aftermath, along with quotes from eye witnesses. Audience members were concerned and interested in helping to resolve the crisis. They raised suggestions for action during the question and answer period, including advocating for sustained diplomatic calls by the U.S. government and the United Nations for transparent democracy in Guinea. One attendee proposed investigating the flow of foreign investment into Guinea (especially in the lucrative bauxite industry) and urging key investors to suspend contracts pending free and fair elections.
Students at UCLA, Columbia University, and other schools across the country have held or are planning to hold similar events on their campuses. Alliance Guinea encourages campus organizers to share ideas or to ask questions regarding the logistics and content of information sessions and avocacy campaigns.