Western governments – in particular, the United States and the United Kingdom – have proclaimed their support for democracy in Africa and around the world for generations, most prominently since the end of World War II.

However, there have always been questions -- and genuine skepticism -- surrounding just how sincere this commitment really is. From French complicity in the Rwandan genocide, to American support for authoritarian allies in the War on Terror, and to British funding for repressive regimes stretching from the Horn of Africa to the Great Lakes region, Western governments have been called out for saying one thing and doing another. This evident fissure between the rhetoric in support of democracy and human rights, and the often deeply anti-democratic actions, has understandably given rise to claims of hypocrisy and of actually being counterproductive to homegrown pro-democracy efforts.

In this show, we will bring together a stellar lineup of African activists, researchers, and political leaders to ask whether the West can -- or even should -- 'promote democracy' in Africa given these inherent and longstanding tensions.