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The Elgar Companion to War, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa
This dynamic Companion brings together esteemed academics from across the globe to provide ten distinct approaches to peacebuilding in Africa. With a timely and forward-thinking approach to war and conflict, the book focuses on the utilisation of traditional African dialogue in contemporary peacebuilding, developing infrastructures, and education for peace with a transformative agenda.
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Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
This dynamic Companion brings together esteemed academics from across the globe to provide ten distinct approaches to peacebuilding in Africa. With a timely and forward-thinking approach to war and conflict, the book focuses on the utilisation of traditional African dialogue in contemporary peacebuilding, developing infrastructures, and education for peace with a transformative agenda.
The Elgar Companion to War, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa connects strongly with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union in its Agenda 2063. Chapters explore how to develop nonviolent action in civil society, bad governance and political competition as causes of violence, implementing basic income grants as a means to reduce violence, and alternatives to African militaries. Ultimately, this Companion recognises that the task of violence prevention is not the responsibility of governments alone, and that governments must work to positively utilise the capacities and commitments of civil society and local communities.
Offering a comprehensive overview of the nature and scope of conflict in Africa in the 21st century, this Companion will be a vital read for academics, researchers and students specialising in development studies, international politics, international relations and war studies. It will also be an essential read for peacebuilding professionals and policymakers working in national government organisations, African governments and international cross-policy organisations.
The Elgar Companion to War, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa connects strongly with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and the aspirations of the African Union in its Agenda 2063. Chapters explore how to develop nonviolent action in civil society, bad governance and political competition as causes of violence, implementing basic income grants as a means to reduce violence, and alternatives to African militaries. Ultimately, this Companion recognises that the task of violence prevention is not the responsibility of governments alone, and that governments must work to positively utilise the capacities and commitments of civil society and local communities.
Offering a comprehensive overview of the nature and scope of conflict in Africa in the 21st century, this Companion will be a vital read for academics, researchers and students specialising in development studies, international politics, international relations and war studies. It will also be an essential read for peacebuilding professionals and policymakers working in national government organisations, African governments and international cross-policy organisations.
Critical Acclaim
‘This Companion provides an analysis of the drivers of war, conflict and everyday violence in Africa, and ten approaches to peacebuilding. Three stood out for me: traditional African dialogue, transformative education and infrastructures for peace. Quick fixes are an illusion, but this Companion is a reminder that there are several ways in which we can practically work towards sustaining peace.’
– Cedric de Coning, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway
‘In an era where insecurity appears to be on the increase and violence as a means of ending conflict has been problematic, we are woefully short of voices from those areas where conflict actually happens. This new and refreshing volume takes on that mantle to provide a new set of views based on a summary of conflict and explorations of horizontal inequality and bad governance. Drawing on hard evidence and experience of work from a range of African countries, it presents ten innovative and interesting approaches to peacebuilding and a set of core considerations that all of us need to take account of and consider in tackling organised violence.’
– Paul Jackson, University of Birmingham, UK
‘This collection is essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners seeking a comprehensive understanding of current conflict dynamics in Africa. Through a series of succinct and insightful essays, this volume addresses the full gamut of conflict drivers and responses to violence on the continent, including the vital role of socio-economic dynamics. In a rapidly evolving field of scholarship and practice, this collection provides the most up-to-date analysis available of these pressing issues affecting large swathes of Africa today.’
– Phil Clark, SOAS University of London, UK
‘This carefully edited volume gives voice to African scholars exploring patterns of violence in the continent and a wide range of regionally relevant approaches to peacebuilding. A very welcome addition to the literature.’
– Astri Suhrke, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway
– Cedric de Coning, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway
‘In an era where insecurity appears to be on the increase and violence as a means of ending conflict has been problematic, we are woefully short of voices from those areas where conflict actually happens. This new and refreshing volume takes on that mantle to provide a new set of views based on a summary of conflict and explorations of horizontal inequality and bad governance. Drawing on hard evidence and experience of work from a range of African countries, it presents ten innovative and interesting approaches to peacebuilding and a set of core considerations that all of us need to take account of and consider in tackling organised violence.’
– Paul Jackson, University of Birmingham, UK
‘This collection is essential reading for students, scholars and practitioners seeking a comprehensive understanding of current conflict dynamics in Africa. Through a series of succinct and insightful essays, this volume addresses the full gamut of conflict drivers and responses to violence on the continent, including the vital role of socio-economic dynamics. In a rapidly evolving field of scholarship and practice, this collection provides the most up-to-date analysis available of these pressing issues affecting large swathes of Africa today.’
– Phil Clark, SOAS University of London, UK
‘This carefully edited volume gives voice to African scholars exploring patterns of violence in the continent and a wide range of regionally relevant approaches to peacebuilding. A very welcome addition to the literature.’
– Astri Suhrke, Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway
Contributors
Contributors include: Olubunmi Damilola Akande, Diana Benoit, Joseph Farha, David Häfner, Geoff Harris, Crispin Hemson, Oseremen Felix Irene, Moses Monday John, Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala, Tlohang Letsie, Brian Martin, Theodore Mbazumutima, Kabale Ignatius Mukunto
Contents
Contents:
Preface x
PART I THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF CONFLICT
AND VIOLENCE IN AFRICA
1 Armed conflict in Africa in the 21st century 2
Geoff Harris
PART II UNDERLYING CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND
VIOLENCE
2 Bad governance, political competition and economic
inequality as causes of violence 14
Kabale Ignatius Mukunto
3 Horizontal inequality, ethnicity and religion as causes of
inter-group violence 28
Olubunmi Damilola Akande
PART III TEN APPROACHES TO PEACEBUILDING
4 Using traditional African approaches in contemporary
peacebuilding 49
Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala
5 Using dialogue in intractable land conflicts: evidence
from Burundi 90
Theodore Mbazumutima
6 Education for transformation 113
Crispin Hemson
7 Training civil society in nonviolent action: evidence from
South Sudan 134
Moses Monday John
8 Trauma healing as an essential supplement to truth commissions 155
Diana Benoit
9 Removing firearms? An alternative approach to civilian
firearms ownership in post-conflict settings 169
David Häfner and Joseph Farha
10 Can a basic income grant reduce violence? Evidence from
Namibia, Kenya and Uganda 193
Geoff Harris
11 Implementing security sector reform: a case study of Lesotho 204
Tlohang Letsie
12 Nonviolent security: an alternative to African militaries 220
Brian Martin
13 Developing infrastructures for peace 231
Oseremen Felix Irene
Afterword 252
Preface x
PART I THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF CONFLICT
AND VIOLENCE IN AFRICA
1 Armed conflict in Africa in the 21st century 2
Geoff Harris
PART II UNDERLYING CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND
VIOLENCE
2 Bad governance, political competition and economic
inequality as causes of violence 14
Kabale Ignatius Mukunto
3 Horizontal inequality, ethnicity and religion as causes of
inter-group violence 28
Olubunmi Damilola Akande
PART III TEN APPROACHES TO PEACEBUILDING
4 Using traditional African approaches in contemporary
peacebuilding 49
Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala
5 Using dialogue in intractable land conflicts: evidence
from Burundi 90
Theodore Mbazumutima
6 Education for transformation 113
Crispin Hemson
7 Training civil society in nonviolent action: evidence from
South Sudan 134
Moses Monday John
8 Trauma healing as an essential supplement to truth commissions 155
Diana Benoit
9 Removing firearms? An alternative approach to civilian
firearms ownership in post-conflict settings 169
David Häfner and Joseph Farha
10 Can a basic income grant reduce violence? Evidence from
Namibia, Kenya and Uganda 193
Geoff Harris
11 Implementing security sector reform: a case study of Lesotho 204
Tlohang Letsie
12 Nonviolent security: an alternative to African militaries 220
Brian Martin
13 Developing infrastructures for peace 231
Oseremen Felix Irene
Afterword 252
