On Friday, May 8, 2026, Dr. Drissa Kone, faculty member at HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership, launched his book titled Towards the Construction of the Ivorian Nation: Myth or Reality, published in French by Éditions Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
The event took place at the Multipurpose Hall of the Permanent Mission of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations in New York, bringing together members of the African diaspora in the New York area. The event was sponsored by the Consul General of Côte d’Ivoire in New York, His Excellency Inza Camara, with the support of His Excellency Tiemoko Moriko, Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations.
Dr. Thomas Walsh, HJI president, was a guest speaker at the event and addressed the challenges of building a democratic nation in the 21st century, followed by Professor Jean-Noël Loucou, Secretary General of the Félix Houphouët Foundation for Peace Research, representing the publishing house.
His Excellency Kangouté Issa, representing H.E. Inza Camara, welcomed the audience and thanked everyone for attending the event, emphasizing that such initiatives help bring the African diaspora together in promoting professional excellence, peace, and development.
Dr. Kone briefly presented the main themes of the book and later opened the floor for a question-and-answer session.
The event concluded with a book-signing session and networking among participants.
Please contact Dr. Kone directly at d.kone@hji.edu if you are interested in obtaining a copy of the book.
To view the book on the Librairie de France website, click here.