CSIS 2012 Global Forecast

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think thank, has issued its 2012 Global Forecast that looks ahead after the November elections and tries to predict what will be the main risks and opportunities facing the next administration. What are the big issues facing the United States that leaders from both parties are not sufficiently prepared to address? How can the United States better recognize and capitalize on new opportunities that might arise? The analysis is broken down into five parts: I Building a Foundation of Security; II Assessing Major Regional Challenges; III Anticipating Instability and Recognizing Opportunity; IV Managing Nuclear and Proliferation Risks; and V Developing New Security Paradigms.

The brief section on Africa by Jennifer G. Cooke focuses on the positive news coming out of Africa, especially improving economies as a result of higher commodity prices and new discoveries of energy and minerals. There are also improvements in social indicators such as education and health. She cites the growing competition coming from emerging nations such as China, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea and even Iran. She argues that there is a strong and growing upside in Africa that the United States should not ignore.

To access the entire report, click here.