South African Politician At Harvard

Robert Conway has spent the last nine months at Harvard studying the problem that the has confronted him his entire life; the need for a peaceful solution for South Africa's skewed society.

"There is too much polarization," says Conway. "The solution is not black violence or white oppression. What Needs to be done is to promote an evolutionary change as quickly as possible to render a more just society."

Conway sees change as only possible through a combination of particular economic forces in South African, and he speaks as an insider. Two years ago he left a top executive position with a $400 million South African corporation to run for Parliament for the Progressive Federal Party--the official opposition party which stands for a consensus government and is diametrically opposed standing incumbent from the National Party, which advocates aparthied.

As a fellow at the Center for International Affairs, Conway has a twofold purpose at Harvard: to educate the community about South Africa and to increase his won understanding of the issue.

"My idea in coming to Harvard was to look at the South African situation from an objective viewpoint," Conway says, adding. "South Africa is a real issue on campus and a source of conflict between students and administrators. There's no real consensus on how to handle the issues."

One of his major activities this fall has been to plan a series of HOUSE seminars to discuss the issues in South Africa. Three of these seminars have already taken place, and the fourth will be held in Leverett House. He plans to reach beyond the Harvard community as well, through speeches he will give all over the United States and by publishing journal articles.

Conway sees a real need for additional research on the topic. He points out the most statistics cited on South African are several years out of data.

"There's a lot to be learned from doing research, which is the reason I'm at Harvard." Conway says. He adds. "You find very little good research on the issue on campus, and very little research, period, on South Africa. I think it's proof of a general problem you find in the States--South Africa just seems so far away."

But Conway says that it's not for away, and points to last spring's senior class movement of Endowment for Divestiture as proof of the concern for the issue.

"Students have been trying to find the correct moral stance," says Conway." And the Administration is searching for the correct moral stance to take for Harvard. I think the feling is that it is an administrative burden for them, and they would like new ways to handle the situation."

One way Conway has immersed himself in the Harvard community is through the Law School where Conway is involved with the Harvard Negotiation Project, a program founded by negotiation expert Roger Fisher, which focuses on conflict resolution.

In June when his fellowship ends, Conway will return to South Africa.

"I will Probably run for Parliment again," says Conway. "But even after being in the political process, my main concern is to come up with new solutions to handle the problem."