On April 2, 2021, the Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC) African Peacebuilding Network (APN) held the virtual launch of the book, Researching Peacebuilding in Africa: Reflections on Fieldwork, Theory and Context, edited by Ismail Rashid and Amy Niang. Following the successful book launch, Natalie Bernstien, APN’s program assistant, interviewed both editors, posing questions about the […]
Africa
The Cognitive Empire and Gladiatory Scholarship
The cognitive empire is underpinned by gladiatory scholarship. The cognitive empire invades the mental universe of its targets. Ngugi wa Thiong’o in his book, Decolonizing the Mind: the Politics of Language in African Literature, depicted the cognitive empire as that “metaphysical” formation which operates through the detonation of cultural bombs at the center of a people’s universe and through the removal of hard disks of previous knowledge and memory so as to download into their minds the software of another knowledge and another memory.
Africa
Between Hopes and Nightmares: A Reflection on Armed Conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Two Years into President Tshisekedi’s Administration
Two years into President Tshisekedi’s administration, people continue to go through harrowing experiences in the conflict zones of the eastern DRC.
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Democratic Republic of Congo
Strategies for Building Inclusive Peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Reflection
Democratic Republic of Congo ![]()
by Trésor Makunya Muhindo
Fostering a Gendered Approach to Peacebuilding in the African Great Lakes Region: Perspectives from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Introduction Since the late 1990s, the African Great Lakes Region (AGLR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in particular, have been ravaged by interstate and intrastate conflicts. Negotiations were undertaken, under the supervision of the international community and regional organizations, in order to broker agreements among the belligerent parties and establish sustainable peace. These […]
Democratic Republic of Congo ![]()
by Pigeon Kambale Mahuka
Towards Inclusive Peace and Development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Introduction For more than two decades (1996-2021), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been ravaged by armed conflict. The main actors in these wars have been states, national and foreign armed groups, and multinational companies that sometimes support various fighting groups or factions1SECURITY COUNCIL, Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal […]
Democratic Republic of Congo
Promoting Inclusive Peacebuilding in the African Great Lakes Region: A Case Study of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo ![]()
by Balingene Kahombo
Natural Resource Governance and Peace in the African Great Lakes Region: A Legal Perspective to the Case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Introduction Natural resource governance is widely recognized as an important international public policy issue. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 12.2 seeks to achieve, by 2030, “the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.”1UNGA Res.A/RES/70/1, 25 September 2015: Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, p.22. The African Union (AU) prioritizes […]
Interviews ![]()
by Duncan Omanga and Kasaija Phillip Apuuli
Graduate Studies, the Makerere Factor, and the Future of Social Sciences in Uganda: A Conversation with Prof. Kasaija Phillip Apuuli
Social sciences and humanities are as important as sciences. Understanding how society functions is as important as scientific inventions. Thus, these disciplines should be promoted in tandem. In my opinion, the future of the humanities is bright as we seek to understand phenomena like globalization, universal justice, human rights, integration, etc. It is only social science that can give an explanation of why such phenomena exist.
Covid-19 in Africa ![]()
by Tapiwa Madimu
Reflections on Conducting Fieldwork during the Covid-19 Pandemic
The pandemic has necessitated the creation of new methodological tools and ethical practices, as well as the adaptation of older practices, to meet the challenges faced by researchers and the researched. Researchers have been confronted with the dilemma of either canceling field research, postponing it indefinitely, or continuing, with the attendant risks to their own health and the health of their informants.
Conflict ![]()
by Sela Muyoka Musundi
The Challenge of Mothering in the Context of Violent Conflict: How War Is Impacting Women in Tigray, Ethiopia
On June 22, 2021, the Ethiopian Air Force conducted an aerial bombardment of a busy marketplace in the village of Togoga, in Tigray, Ethiopia, causing the deaths of at least 64 people and injuring 180 others.1Jason Burke, “Scores Killed in Ethiopian Airstrike on Tigray Market,” The Guardian, June 24, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/24/ethiopian-airstrike-tigray-market. Although Ethiopian military sources […]
Africa
Understanding Gender Complementarity in Igbo Society: The Role of Ụmụada and Ụmụnna in Peacebuilding