Edited volume "Africa: A Globalizing World and the Challenges of Peace, Security, and Development"

Edited volume "Africa: A Globalizing World and the Challenges of Peace, Security, and Development"

Organizer
Alem Hailu and Mohamed Camara, Howard University, Washington DC; Sabella Abidde, Alabama State University
Venue
Location
Washington/Montgomery
Country
United States
From - Until
15.12.2020 -
Deadline
15.08.2020
Website
By
Connections. A Journal for Historians and Area Specialists

Africa, the second largest continent covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of the earth has been foundational to the development of the world. Its enormous array of wealth, ranging from its huge material reserves to its human and cultural resources, has enriched the nations and peoples of the earth. As John Reader put it, “Africa is the birthplace of humanity, the nursery where we learned to walk, to play and love. Our every day is founded upon a talent for innovation that was first used to make stone tools in East Africa nearly three million years ago. From these beginnings, we have colonized the globe, built modern civilizations, and traveled to the moon.”

The two-volume books hence proceed from the vantage point of framing the study of Africa in its development and contacts with the world across its historical trajectory and sociopolitical continuity. It is based on the belief that understanding the current and future challenges of the continent is only possible through a judicious insight into the ways the continent has adopted in addressing past and contemporary problems. A balanced view of Africa is indispensable for the stability, prosperity, and security of the world. Undoubtedly, and despite the many scholarships that failed to acknowledge its great role and contributions to world civilizations and global wealth, Africa has been at the center of humanity’s existence and advance.

The integration of nations and regions of the world under the historic process of globalization has intensified the shared forces of existence for Africa and the world. Economic interchanges as trade and investment, global policies as well as the cross-border flows of technology, populations, arms, and ideas have played central roles in the paces of socio-political changes sweeping across the nations of our interconnected world. The collective achievements of humanity as the capacity of the world’s productive forces to feed millions, cure diseases and improve the living conditions of populations have also come with the negative costs of the attendant technological changes. The unfettered flow of arms, drugs, pollutants, and violent electronic messages have fueled conflicts, crimes, and socio-economic break downs. The African World as the weakest link in this global chain of stability and prosperity has been particularly burdened by this global phenomenon. States, social institutions, and civic communities have, thus, had to tackle the dual challenges of embracing the positive developments as well as the imperatives of confronting the problems.

The goals of the volumes are to provide scholarly foundations for the complex socioeconomic and public policy issues in the broader framework of security, peacebuilding, and development. An interdisciplinary approach to understanding the issues of peace, security, and development is envisaged as a resource for education, civic discourse, and research. The roots of violence, conflict, ecological degradation, and sociopolitical dissolutions are no longer confined to nations or regions. The threats and consequences of the problems, likewise, are not fenced off by geographic or national boundaries.

The two-part book series aims to contribute to the task of assisting in laying the foundation for developing systems of knowledge, public conversation, and commitment. Such efforts at finding answers to the persisting challenges of the African World are, therefore, trusted to help in making a difference through research, education, and meaningful engagement of all academic, civic and governmental stakeholders in the continuing quest for a coordinated response to the key concerns of our age. Hence, we invite scholars and public intellectuals to submit abstracts that address some of the issues we raised or address any of the proposed topics listed below. Interested contributors may also write on topics that are not listed if the said topic falls within the overall theme of this project:

AFRICA: BACKGROUND

History, civilization, contributions
Society, Economy, Politics
Culture, knowledge systems, Institutions
Early contacts and connections to the outside world
Kingdoms, empires, emirates, sultanates
The Atlantic World and Africa in the Indian Ocean

AFRICA IN THE WORLD/GLOBALIZING WORLD

International relations, Geopolitics,
Africa in - world affairs, Regional alliances, Global initiatives
Africa in – Global wars, national conflicts, International organizations
Africa and the modernizing world- Growth, development policy, transformation
Education, Technological change, The Information Revolution
State and nonstate international interactions, partnerships, and cooperation

THE CHANGING REALITIES OF SECURITY, DEVELOPMENT, AND CHANGE

Globalization, peacebuilding, Human Security
Impact of external actors on Africa - The West, China, and international powers
Understanding the historical and contemporary interconnections of Africa and its Diaspora
Threats of environmental degradation, global warming, and climate change
The new regional and global drivers of conflict, violence, and sociopolitical breakdown
Promises and threats of the digital revolution, population growth, and globalization

Submission Procedure

Please submit a 300-350-word abstract clearly outlining the leading ideas, insights, and anticipated research findings by 15 August 2020. Your 1-2-page CV is also required.

You will be notified of acceptance or rejection of your abstract by 30 August 2020. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be sent guidelines for completing their chapters.

Each chapter is set for a maximum of 30-double-spaced pages (including the notes, table, figures, and references). Completed chapters are due no later than 15 December 2020

Send your abstracts/inquiries to Prof. Alem Hailu (alemhailu@att.net) and please cc Prof. Mohamed Camara (mscam@bellsouth.net) and Prof. Sabella Abidde (Sabidde@gmail.com)

About the Editors:

Alem Hailu obtained holds a Ph.D. in Social Science and an MA in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He has worked in various institutions and engaged in development and public policy, and human security initiatives in the Global South. Professor Hailu’s research interests include public policy, sustainability and development, African in a globalizing world, and the political economy of nations in transition. He is a member of the African Studies Association.

Mohamed S. Camara is a Professor and Chair of the African Studies program at Howard University. He holds a Ph.D. (1996) and an MA (1991) in history from Northwestern University, Illinois. He was, for many years, a Professor of International Affairs, History, and Communication at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida. He is the author, co-author, editor, and co-editor of several peer-reviewed publications. Professor Camara is a member of the African Studies Association.

Sabella O. Abidde is a Professor of Political Science at Alabama State University. He holds a Ph.D. in African Studies from Howard (2009), and an MA in political science from Minnesota State University. He is an interdisciplinary scholar with research and publication interest in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa-China-Taiwan Relations. He is the author and editor of several publications. An upcoming book on Migrants, Refugees, and the Internally Displaced will be released in fall 2020 by Springer.

Programm

Contact (announcement)

Sabella Ogbobode Abidde
Department of History and Political Science
Alabama State University
E-Mail: Sabidde@gmail.com