Objectives: The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce its twenty-fifth session Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing for the year 2013. The grants serve as part of the Council’s contribution to the development of the social sciences in Africa, and the continuous renewal and strengthening of research capacities in African universities, through the funding of primary research conducted by postgraduate students and professionals. Hence, candidates whose applications are successful are encouraged to use the resources provided under the grants to cover the cost of their fieldwork, the acquisition of books and documents, the processing of data which they have collected and the printing of their thesis/dissertations. As the Council is strongly committed to encouraging African researchers to engage one another on a sustained basis, recipients of the small grants will also be supported to order books and journals produced by African scholarly publishers, including CODESRIA itself. They will also be encouraged to apply for participation in CODESRIA research methodology workshops.
Eligibility: The CODESRIA Small Grants Programme is open to graduate students and professionals currently registered in African universities, and preparing their thesis and dissertation in all social science fields and other disciplines involving social or economic analysis. Preference is given to those registered for doctoral studies (PhD or equivalent), though few grants are available for Masters thesis.
Application Procedures: Grants are awarded solely on merit, that is, on the strength of each individual application received by CODESRIA. All applicants are required to use the application forms designed by CODESRIA which is made available along with this announcement. The application forms can also be downloaded from the CODESRIA website (www.codesria.org). In filling out the forms, applicants are requested to bear the following guidelines in mind:
Research Proposal: Candidates’ research proposals should each contain a clear statement of the research hypotheses, a critical review of the existing literature, the methodology to be used, the expected results of the work, and a detailed work plan and timetable. The research proposal should be based on an innovative problematic which sets out the originality of the theme in relation to on-going research in the same area.
Budget: Applicants should present a detailed budget with expenses clearly linked to specific phases of their research. The budget should not exceed USD 5,000 for PhD (or its equivalents) and USD 3000 for Masters. Only trips for fieldwork in the country in which the research is actually conducted is funded under this grant.
Statement of Institutional Support: A statement is required from each applicant’s institution of affiliation, giving approval to the proposed research and an assurance of continued institutional support throughout the preparation of the thesis/dissertation. This should be done on the institution’s letterhead and must carry the official stamp. Contact details of the officer issuing the statement must also be included.
Letters of Reference: Two letters of reference must accompany each application, one from the thesis/dissertation supervisor, assessing the applicant’s research proposal and abilities; and the other from a faculty member, assessing the applicant in relation to other graduate students, and commenting on the scientific merit and validity of the proposed research. Contact details of the thesis or dissertation supervisor must be included in the letter of reference.
Curriculum Vitae: Applicants must include their current curriculum vitae which, among other things, indicates their discipline and nationality, and provides a list of their recent publications and on-going research activities.
Please note that any application which is submitted without duly completed application forms will be automatically disqualified.
Application Deadline: The deadline for the receipt of applications is Friday 14th June, 2013. An independent selection committee will meet in Dakar from 19 to 23 August 2013 to review the applications received. The results of their deliberations will be announced shortly after. Incomplete and late applications found to will not be considered.
All applications should be submitted to:
The Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing CODESRIA BP 3304, CP 18524 Dakar, Senegal Tel.: +221-33 825 98.22/23 Fax: +221-33 824 12.89 E-mail: small.grants@codesria.sn Website: https://codesria.org
The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce its advanced research workshop on issues of peace, security and post-conflict reconstruction in the countries of the Great Lakes, as part of the International Conference on the Great Lake Region (ICGLR). This call invites academics and researchers to submit their applications for participation in this workshop which is part of the CODESRIA Great Lakes Initiative. This Initiative was launched to mobilize the contribution of research to the process of pacification, reconciliation, security and post conflict reconstruction, and to ensure the well-being of the peoples of the countries in the sub-region.
Background and Rationale of the Theme of the Workshop
Peace, security and post-conflict reconstruction are a constant concern in the countries of the Great Lakes. These countries have lived through decades of crises, conflicts, violence and wars that breed quasi-permanent insecurity. The tragedies caused by this situation are very obvious: millions dead or displaced, thousands of women raped, traumatized populations living in fear – a situation that does not allow them to engage in productive activities. In addition, this context encourages state fragility, autocratic regimes, the looting of resources, impoverishment, etc. It also explains why some countries of the sub-region have become the poorest in the world, despite abundant natural and human resources.
Several initiatives have been taken to put an end to this situation: UN peacekeeping missions, [1] multiple resolutions of the ICGLR to “put out the fire” where there is tension, commitment by the countries themselves to take steps that promote peace, but hotbeds of tension move or reactivate as actors constantly change.
Efforts must continue to build a lasting peace in these countries and research must contribute to these efforts. It is time to engage in a relevant research program, the results of which are expected to propose appropriate solutions, as everything seems to indicate that the root causes of this situation are not yet known and, so appropriate lasting solutions are yet to be found.
Objectives
Workshops are part of the tools used by CODESRIA to build the research capacity of young researchers, but also senior researchers and tertiary and research institutions. CODESRA is African academics and other researchers working on topics of interest to Africa. The workshop is planned as an advanced research workshop, and it will bring together eligible researchers for in-depth reflection on the theme. Thus, the following objectives will be pursued during the workshop:
1. Critically examine the theoretical constructs and solutions implemented towards the security and the pacification of the countries in the sub-region of the Great Lakes; 2. Propose a (new) epistemological, theoretical and pragmatic and appropriate approach for lasting peace and begin the process of reconstruction and development in countries in the region; 3. Provide participants with a framework for exchanges and deepening their research projects on the topics of the workshop; 4. Define the most suitable methodological approaches for carrying out the research on the topics of the workshop and the methodological capacity of the laureates to do so; 5. Strengthen the capacity of participants in scientific writing to help them produce quality reports; 6. Establish a network of competent researchers on the themes of peace, security and reconstruction in the countries of the Great Lakes sub-region.
The Sub-themes of the Workshop
The workshop will be organized around four sub-themes on which the research projects of the laureates will revolve.
1) The challenge of “impoverishing resources” and the crises How to pacify a sub-region where war benefits a multitude of individuals, institutions, or even other countries? How to protect national sovereignty in a context of globalization and “liberalism without a soul”, which has led some people to propose the sharing of resources between neighboring countries? How to end the illegal exploitation of resources in a context of fragile states in the sub-region? How to restore a “normal economy” based on economic diversification and a transformation of resources into utility, and therefore goes beyond the extraction of mineral resources?
2) Better safe than sorry! How to prevent conflicts and crises in a context where conflicts seem permanent? How to realize regional integration in the sub-region while ensuring state sovereignty? How to promote the peaceful coexistence between people of different sister nations?
3) State and popular practices of adaptation to the crisis How to formalize informal activities of individual self-care in an area where state and production structures have become faulty? Can we make models of self-development of them?
4) The challenges of post-conflict reconstruction How do these programs support traumatized populations living in fear, loss of confidence in oneself and in the future? How do they support dislocated or separated families, orphans and single-parent families? How to reconcile the imperatives of post-conflict reconstruction and the short-term requirements of sustainable development?
Organization of the Workshop
The workshop will consist of three types of activities:
1) theoretical and methodological orientation presentations, followed by discussions aimed at strengthening knowledge on the themes of the workshop, will be led by the workshop facilitator; 2) presentations and debates by the laureates on the basis of their research proposals; 3) exchanges between participants on the methodological challenges related to their research proposals.
The Workshop Facilitator
The workshop will be led by a facilitator who will be selected on the basis of his/her skills and expertise. The facilitator will be an academic or senior researcher whose extensive publications on the subject focus on current issues in the sub-region of the Great Lakes, and who has made significant and original contribution to these issues.
The Workshop Facilitator will be responsible for:
• presiding over the selection of participants; • designing and conducting sessions on theoretical constructs, the epistemological aspects, issues and solutions implemented in relation to the crisis, insecurity, peace and post-conflict reconstruction in the Great Lakes; • interacting with the participants during the session to assist them in improving their research projects; • evaluating research reports to be submitted by the participants and editing the book to be published after the workshop; • moderating the political dialogue to be held at the end of the workshop to communicate research findings to policy makers, organizations working in the sub-region, researchers, journalists, etc.
The Workshop Participants
Prospective participants at the workshop must be doctoral students or young post-doctoral candidates. They must be able to demonstrate the capacity to carry out research on the themes of the workshop within a timeframe of 12 months after the workshop.
Applications
The facilitator’s application must include the following:
1. A letter of motivation 2. A curriculum vitae 3. Two already published articles on the topic of the workshop 4. Notes of the lectures that will be delivered at the workshop.
Each participant’s application must include the following:
1. A letter of motivation 2. A letter of attestation of membership of training and research institutions in a country of the Great Lakes Region 3. A curriculum vitae 4. Two letters of reference from academics and researchers (with their names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses) known for their competence and expertise on the subject, and certifying the priority research areas of the candidate, his/her ability to lead the research from beginning to end, his/her moral and ethics 5. Two copies of a ten-page research proposal, including the subject that the candidate wants to tackle in relation to the sub-themes of the workshop, the problem or the reasons for the choice of this topic, a review of relevant literature, expected research results and their contribution to the advancement of knowledge on peace, security, reconstruction and development in the countries of the Great Lakes Region.
Deadline for the Submission of Application
The deadline for submitting applications is 30 April 2013. The applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection process no later than 31 May 2013. The applicants selected will then use the months of June and July 2013 to improve their research and obtain, with the assistance of the CODESRIA Secretariat, entry visas to Tanzania.
Date and Venue
The workshop will be held from 5 to 10 August 2013 in Arusha (Tanzania).
All applications should be sent to the following address:
CODESRIA Advanced Research Workshop on Issues of Peace and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in the Great Lakes Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop x Canal IV B.P. 3304, CP 18524, Dakar, Senegal Tel: (221) 33 825 98 21/22/23 – Fax: (221) 33 824 12 89 E-mail: peace.institute@codesria.sn Website: http://www.codesria.sn Twitter: http://twitter.com/codesria Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CODESRIA/181817969495
[1] It is one of the region where the United Nations have deployed the greatest peacekeeping mission of their history, that is the MONUSCO with 19.000 blue helmets.
Theme: Fields and Theories of Qualitative Research
Date: 14-19 October 2013 Venue: University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Call for Applications
One of the major weaknesses of contemporary social research in and about Africa is its lack of careful attention to epistemological and methodological issues. This weakness has made itself manifest at a time when the increasing complexities of the social dynamics that shape livelihood on the continent and the wider global context call for a greater investment of effort in the refinement of the procedures and instruments of investigation and analyses with a view to achieving a more accurate and holistic assessment of rapidly changing realities. But instead of such an investment of efforts, we are increasingly witnessing an astonishing neglect or misapplication of theory and methodology on a scale and with a frequency that calls for intervention. At one level, the neglect that has taken place has comprised a serious trivialisation of basic research protocols and their reduction to a fetishist evocation of superficial recommendations thinly disguised with ritualistic appeals to rigour that are not reflected in the analyses undertaken. At another level, methodological issues have simply been instrumentalised in ways that ensure that narrow ideological considerations and pre-determined outcomes take precedence over science. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to come across studies in which methodological questions are out rightly ignored in the name of an alleged specificity or immediacy that amounts to the exclusion of African social realities from universal debates on the validity of scientific frames of analyses. The result is that in those debates, studies produced on Africa come across as a mixture of purely literary discourses without an empirical anchorage or anecdotes hidden under a “scholarly” discourse that is not only pretentious but also vacuous. Consequently, the knowledge produced is bereft of heuristic value and simply becomes an element that, wittingly or unwittingly, justifies a predetermined set of economic, political and social policies. This is clearly not an acceptable state of affairs, if only because it impoverishes African social research. It is, therefore, high time that the social research community revisited and discussed the methodological foundations of current knowledge about Africa in order first to put an end to scientific impunity as it manifests itself within and outside Africa, and give a new impulse to the African social sciences through support programmes targeted at younger researchers.
The future of young social researchers begins with an excellent mastery of core research processes and their patient application to concrete situations as demanded by their work in the field, the archives, and the library. Unfortunately, the combination of the prolonged crises in African higher education systems and the poor example set in the writings of an increasing number of Africanists who have succumbed to the temptation to take liberties with methodological rigour mean that younger African researchers are poorly served in matters of training for independent social research. It is for this reason that the CODESRIA Secretariat has decided to convene young African researchers to workshops on epistemological and methodological issues in social research designed to fill the gaps in their formal and informal training. The workshops are meant to serve as a critical space that would offer experience-sharing in the basic epistemological and empirical prerequisites for rigorous scientific imagination. The workshops will not only offer insights into the current state of the art but also provide an occasion for a critical review of contemporary research procedures, tools and theories as seen from an African perspective. The major question which the workshops will address can be summarized as follows: How can the researcher productively establish a link between dominant theoretical approaches and concrete situations in the field whilst simultaneously taking into account the state of knowledge, the techniques to be mobilized, and the evolution of African societies? In answering this question, the workshops will privilege qualitative research methods and tools on the basic premise that the popular tendency to oppose quantitative and qualitative methods is due to a wrong assumption that the former offers an exactness and “hardness” which the latter is supposedly too “soft” and “fickle” to match. Without diminishing the importance of quantitative research and methods, participants in the workshops will be encouraged to explore qualitative methods of capturing African social dynamics which do not always or often find expression, fully or partially, in figures and which are, therefore, lost to those who are wedded to rigid and exclusively quantitative approaches.
This year’s edition of the methodological workshops is designed for doctoral and masters students as well as young, mid-career African researchers based in Nigeria and elsewhere in English-speaking Central and West Africa. The working language to be employed during the workshop will be English. The session will be led by a director who will be assisted by two lecturers, all with acknowledged expertise in the application of social science research methods. Senior researchers wishing to be considered for a role as resource persons are invited to send an application which indicates their interest and includes their current CV and an outline of issues they would like to cover in four lectures of two hours each. The outline submitted should be detailed enough to enable the director of the workshop compile a syllabus for the guidance of the resource persons and laureates. Apart from the actual preparation of lectures and field visits, the resource persons will also be expected to submit a bibliographic list of texts relevant to the theme of the workshop and which can be made available to the laureates.
Among the issues that will be covered during the workshop are:
1. A critical assessment of the distinction between “quantitative” and “qualitative” research with particular attention to the question of measurement in the social sciences. Participants will be taken through presentations and exercises aimed at showing that the mode of processing data that is collected depends both on the field constraints encountered and the paradigmatic options of data interpretation that are available. The procedures for the “quantification” of “qualitative” approaches will also be reviewed through discussions on the distinction between the non-metrical and “comprehensive” presentation of data and the more mathematical renditions favoured by the quantitativists;
2. A presentation of the methodological principles of “object construction” which enables the researcher to transcend the illusions of immediate knowledge and undertake a hypothetical reconstruction of social reality. This demands that the status of the researcher, as well as the systematic role of theories and tools be subjected to intense epistemological control.
3. An assessment of various techniques of data collection and “fact-finding” instruments available to the researcher. The usual tools of qualitative research such as interviews, observation, archival studies, and the less usual ones such as photography, will be reviewed, so as to locate their potentiality for construction of successful research projects.
All interested candidate are each requested to submit an application that should comprise the following:
1. A letter of motivation which should also clearly indicate the area of research or topic on which they are working;
2. A statement of their research project (maximum of three to five pages) stating clearly the problematic that is being addressed, the kinds of field research to be undertaken, the theoretical and methodological framework being used, as well as the methodological and epistemological problems encountered;
3. A detailed and up-to-date curriculum vitae;
4. Two reference letters, one of which must be from the thesis supervisor and the other from the head of the department in which the applicant is registered. The reference letter from the supervisor is expected to address the relevance of the research project, the state of progress of the research and the theoretical and methodological approaches used, as well as the results expected. The reference letter from the head of the department is expected to attest to the qualities and academic potential of the candidate; and
5. A letter confirming the institutional affiliation of the applicant.
Applications will be selected on basis of the innovative nature of the research question being addressed, a commitment to gender equality that is central to CODESRIA’s institutional mandate. Candidates who had earlier submitted proposals can renew them. Applications must be submitted by 16 August 2013. They should be sent to:
SUB-REGIONAL METHODOLOGICAL WORKSHOP (Nigeria and other Anglophone West African Countries) CODESRIA B.P. 3304, Dakar, CP 18524 – Senegal. Tél: +221-33 825.98.22/23 — Fax: +221-33 824.12.89 E-mail: methodological.workshop@codesria.sn Website: https://codesria.org
In recent years, the CODESRIA Publications and Dissemination Programme has undergone considerable expansion that has translated into a significant increase in the number of books, monographs and journals published by the Council, as well as in the organisation’s online publication services. This expansion has necessitated additional human resources with a view to further maintaining the role of CODESRIA as the leading social science scholarly publisher on the African continent.
1. Managing Editor (English)
Under the overall authority of the Executive Secretary and the direct supervision of the Head of the Publications and Dissemination Programme, the Managing Editor will be expected to take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the CODESRIA publications in English. S/he will be required to play a key role in enhancing the quality, timeliness, and reach of the different publications in the language.
Key Tasks
• Supervising the publishing process from manuscript submission to final production; • Liaising with both in-house and external copyeditors, proofreaders, typesetters, translators, and designers; • Maintaining a database of various consultants and service providers used by the Publications and Dissemination Programme; • Liaising with authors, contributors and editors of publications under his/her portfolio and resolving editorial queries where necessary; • Ensuring adherence to strict guidelines and deadlines of the Publications and Dissemination Programme • Proofreading manuscripts in English and crosschecking bibliographic entries according to the CODESRIA style guide; • Preparing instructions for typesetting and checking proofs before final production • Liaising with the staff of other CODESRIA programmes for the purpose of facilitating the publication process; • Preparing blurbs, abstracts and summary information for covers and dissemination activities; • Liaising with the CODESRIA Marketing and Distribution officer in the dissemination publications.
The Managing Editor will need to be a self-motivating and target-oriented individual requiring minimum supervision. S/he must also be capable of leading and motivating a team of support staff.
Requirements
Candidates must: • Possess a minimum of a Masters degree in English or Literature in English from a recognised university; • Have at least 7 years relevant work experience in a research and/or publishing environment; • Have a demonstrable experience of copyediting/proofreading in an academic/research work environment; • Be fully conversant with current information technology and electronic publishing; • Be highly competent in spoken and written English, with a good working knowledge of French.
2. Bilingual Editor (English/French)
Under the supervision of the Head of the Publication and Dissemination Programme, the Bilingual Editor will be mainly responsible for editing CODESRIA publications in the two languages. Key Tasks
• Editing CODESRIA publications in English and French; • Translating abstracts, blurbs, short reviews, etc. from either of the two languages to the other; • Controlling the quality of freelance translations;
Requirements
Candidates must: • Possess a sound university education in English and French (Combined Honours), or in either of the two languages (with minors in the other) from a recognised university; • Have at least 3 years relevant work experience in a research and/or publishing environment; • Have a demonstrable experience of copyediting/proofreading in an academic/research work environment; • Be fully conversant with current information technology and electronic publishing; • Be fluent in both English and French.
How to Apply
All applicants wishing to be considered for these positions are required to supply the following documents:
• A written application; • A detailed CV describing the candidate’s professional experience; • Three reference letters (two of such letters must come from people living in countries other than the applicant’s country of residence;
Both the application and the reference letters should be sent to:
The Executive Secretary CODESRIA Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV P.O. Box 3304 CP 18524 Dakar, SENEGAL
Closing Date
All applications must be received by 15 April 2013. Any application received after this date will not be considered.
Theme: Health, Environment and Development in Africa Deadline: 15 June 2013
Date: 07 – 25 October 2013 Venue: Dakar, Senegal
2013 Session
Health, Politics and Society in Africa is one of the research themes identified by the last strategic plan of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) for 2007-2011. The theme falls within CODESRIA’s goal of revitalising and consolidating development thinking in Africa. Within the broad framework of the mandate defined for the Council in its Charter, various research and training programmes have been developed over the years for the purpose of both mobilizing the African scholarly community and responding to its needs. Training programmes have been conceived for younger and mid-career scholars who need support in advancing their reflections on conceptual and methodological questions. The Institute on Health, Politics and Society in Africa is part of those training programmes for younger scholars.
Objectives
The main objectives of the Institute on Health, Politics and Society are to:
Encourage the emergence and sustenance of a networked community of younger African scholars in the field of health research; Promote methodological and conceptual innovations in research on African health questions through the application of an enhanced social science approach; Develop a whole range of analytical tools capable of integrating Social Science approaches into health research in Africa; Encourage a structured dialogue between the Social Sciences on the one hand, and the Health/Biomedical Sciences on the other hand, as part of the quest for a holistic approach to understanding the relationship between health, politics and society in Africa, Promote the sharing of experiences among researchers, activists and policy makers drawn from different disciplines, methodological/conceptual orientations, and geographical areas.
Organisation
The activities of all CODESRIA institutes centre on presentations made by researchers, resource persons, and the participants whose applications for admission as laureates are successful. The sessions are led by a scientific director who, with the help of resource persons, ensures that the laureates are exposed to the range of research and policy issues generated by or arising from the theme of the Institute for which he is responsible. Open discussions, drawing on books and articles relevant to the theme of the institute, are also encouraged. Each of the participants selected for any of the Council’s institutes as a laureate is required to prepare a research paper to be published by CODESRIA. For each institute, the CODESRIA Documentation and Information Centre (CODICE) prepares a comprehensive bibliography on the selected theme, and also facilitates access to a number of libraries and documentation centres in and around Dakar.
The 2013 Session: Health, Environment and Development in Africa
The theme of the 2013 session of the Institute on Health, Politics and Society in Africa is “Health, Environment and Development in Africa”. The interface between health and the environment is an overriding challenge for development in Africa today. In many African countries, health is often the source of the slow pace of development processes. The examples of AIDS and malaria are instructive for their negative impact on the economic growth of countries. Health is also adversely affected by these development processes and their corollaries, such as migration flows and the rapid urbanisation phenomena, which are difficult to manage. Indeed, the urbanisation of populations affected by humanitarian or security crises and their activities in urban territories contributes in no small measure to health hazards , notably through, air pollution, noise, overcrowding and stress, poor quality of water, waste disposal, and the proliferation of plastic bags; leading to another cycle of health, security and environmental crises.
On the other hand, with their integration in the global market, African economies become highly dependent on the environment and the exploitation of natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable. The share of the exploitation of natural resources in African countries’ GDP is more significant than that of their processing, and the environment is a substantial source of supply for medicines for African populations who are attached to their pharmacopoeia. Environmental degradation, therefore, causes greater vulnerability of economies and populations, proves to be a determinant at the source of not only human morbidity but also human mortality. There is broad consensus today in the research community that this environmental degradation is related to the climate change phenomenon. The latter is a threat to public health, and global warming entails adverse consequences for health by causing more storms, fires, and severe droughts that disrupt the supply of water, food, and medical services. Rising temperatures will increase the incidence of food- or water-borne infectious diseases. Air quality degradation will increase the prevalence of respiratory infections as well as the number of hospitalizations and non-work days. The frequency of heat waves will increase mortality. Those countries where malnutrition is widespread and infrastructures are inadequate will find it more difficult to face health risks due to climate change. In these circumstances, working out ways to mitigate the health effects of climate change may have beneficial consequences, especially for African countries reputed to be vulnerable. But the environment is not only physical; it also takes into account the socio-cultural aspects of the populations living there, in terms of norms, values and social practices which also pose health problems.
African Social Science researchers are therefore invited to reflect, taking into account the gender dimension, on the interface between health and the environment which is today an important issue for the development of the continent.
Eligibility and Selection
The Director: For every session, CODESRIA appoints a director from the academic and research community, to provide intellectual leadership for the Institute. Directors are senior scholars well known for their expertise in the selected theme and for the originality of their thinking on it. The Director of the Institute will be required, among others, to:
Identify resource-persons to help lead discussions and debates; Participate in the selection of laureates; comment on their projects to help them make necessary readjustments for publication; Design the course for the session, including the sub-themes; Deliver a set of lectures and conduct a critical analysis of the papers presented by resource persons and laureates; Submit a written scientific report one month after the end of the Institute.
In addition, the Director is expected to (co-)edit the revised versions of the papers presented by the resource persons, with a view to submitting them for publication by CODESRIA.
Resource Persons Lectures to be delivered at the Institute are not introductory courses. Rather, they are intended to offer laureates an opportunity to advance their reflections on the selected theme and on their own research topics. Resource persons are therefore senior or mid-career scholars who have published extensively on the theme, and who have significant contributions to make to debates on it.
Once selected, resource persons must: Interact with the Director of the Institute and laureates to help the latter readjust their research questions and their methodological approaches; Submit a copy of their course materials for reproduction and distribution to participants not later than one week before the lecture begins; Deliver their lectures, participate in debates and comment on the research proposals and papers of the laureates; Review and submit the revised version of their lecture notes or research papers for publication by CODESRIA, not later than two months after their presentation at the Institute.
Laureates Applicants should be African researchers holding at least a Masters degree, with a proven capacity to carry out research on the theme of the Institute. Intellectuals active in the policy process and/or social movements and civil society organisations are also encouraged to apply. The number of places offered by CODESRIA at each session of its institutes is limited to fifteen (15). Non-African scholars who are able to raise funds for their participation may also apply for a limited number of places. An independent committee composed of outstanding academics and researchers will select the candidates to be admitted to the Institute.
Applications for the position of Resource Persons should include: • an application letter; • two published papers; • a curriculum vitae; •a proposal, not more than five (5) pages in length, outlining the issues to be covered in their proposed lecture.
Applications for Laureates should include: • an application letter; • a letter indicating institutional or organisational affiliation; • a curriculum vitae; • a research proposal (two copies) of not more than 10 pages, including a descriptive analysis of the work the applicant intends to undertake, an outline of the theoretical basis of the topic chosen by the applicant, and the relationship of the topic to the problematic and concerns of the theme of the 2013 Institute; • two reference letters from scholars and/or researchers known for their competence and expertise in the candidate’s research area (geographic and disciplinary), including their names, addresses, telephone and/or fax numbers, and e-mail addresses; and • a copy of passport
The deadline for the submission of applications is 15 June 2013, after which the Selection Committee composed of senior researchers will meet on the applications.
Laureates will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by late July 2013.
Laureates are expected to use the month of July to collect information and prepare the draft research papers to be presented during the Institute.
The revised papers should be submitted to CODESRIA not later than 20 September, 2013. All papers submitted should include a 300-word abstract that will be translated for all laureates who are to participate in the Institute. The Institute will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from 07 – 25 October, 2013.
All applications or requests for additional information should be sent to:
Institute on Health, Politics and Society in Africa CODESRIA Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop x Canal IV BP: 3304, CP 18524 Tel: +221 33 25 98 21/22/23 Fax: (221)33 824 12 89 E-Mail: health.institute@codesria.sn Website: https://codesria.org
Theme: African peer review mechanism working for the peoples of Africa: a decade of self-assessment
21-22 May 2013 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Call for Abstracts and Papers
Background
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was established on 9 March 2003 by the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as an instrument for self-monitoring for better governance.
The APRM has, at its fulcrum, the deepening of democratic practices, with a view to strengthening achievements, disseminating best practices and rectifying underlying deficiencies in governance and socio-economic development processes among AU Member States. The aim is to encourage and build transformative leadership and constructive national dialogue, through an inclusive and participatory self-assessment process, and foster policies and practices that would lead to the attainment of the NEPAD objectives of political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration.
Since its inception, the APRM has made significant progress in terms of the number of countries that have acceded to the Mechanism, the rolling-out of the review exercise, the deepening of the review process, as well as the level of participation and engagement of stakeholders. Indeed, APRM membership has grown steadily since 2003. In 2013, APRM has a membership of 33 countries that have voluntarily acceded. The countries are: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.
Seventeen (17) of these countries have completed their self-assessment exercise and have been peer-reviewed by the Forum of Heads of State and Government. They are: Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria, Benin, Uganda, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Lesotho, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Tanzania.
The benefits derived from the APRM cannot be overemphasized. The Mechanism has opened up the political space for citizens’ participation in policy debates, fostered national dialogue, and increased advocacy for good governance and improved service delivery. In some countries, its findings have warned of impending crises, and indeed when crises erupted, APRM findings provided a useful framework for reform. The APRM has created a platform for African peer learning and sharing of experiences and best practices.
The APRM National Programme of Action (NPoA), which emanates from the review exercise, is of crucial importance. The value addition of the mechanism lies in the implementation of the NPOA recommendations. Peer-reviewed countries, have implemented, albeit at various degrees, the recommendations of the NPoA.
As the APRM marks its 10th Anniversary in 2013, it is imperative to reflect on its achievements and the challenges it is facing with a view to improving its tools and processes and enhancing its effectiveness over the next decade.
The APRM Colloquium is part of a series of events organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary. It will serve as a platform for a high level discourse on governance among prominent African scholars, thought leaders, government officials, governance academics and practitioners and other stakeholders. The APRM Colloquium will reflect on the progress of the APRM process; its strides, challenges and prospects and the importance of better governance in the social and economic transformation of the continent.
Specific objectives
The Colloquium seeks to achieve the following objectives:
Assess the state of governance in Africa and the role of the APRM in it; Reflect critically on the APRM in terms of its background, structures, mechanisms, instruments, processes, outcomes and impact; Analyze the lessons learned, problems, challenges, opportunities and the prospects of the APRM in improving governance performance in Africa; Discuss key cross-cutting issues that have arisen from the APRM country review reports and proffer policy options on how those issues can be addressed by member-states; Map out strategies of entrenching APRM values and principles in Member States and making the APRM project people driven and sustainable on the continent; Discuss the prospects of improved governance in Africa in line with ideas and ideals of pan-Africanism and the role of the APRM in it.
Sub-themes:
Governance and the APRM project in Africa: Theoretical conceptions, and empirical issues of background, institutions, processes and outcomes; Pan-Africanism, Governance and the APRM Project; Problems, challenges, and opportunities of the APRM in governance improvement in Africa; Role of international, regional and sub-regional institutions in the APRM; Building a people driven and people owned APRM agenda in Africa;
Submission of Abstracts and Papers:
A short one or two pages abstract maximum should be submitted to the APRM Secretariat on or before 20th March 2013. Authors of successful abstracts will be notified by the end of March 2013 and full papers to be submitted by 30th April 2013.
Successful papers will be sponsored for presentation during the APRM colloquium scheduled for 21-22 May 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In this regard, the APRM Secretariat will cover an economic air ticket and DSA.
Abstracts should be sent to:
Dr. Rachel Mukamunana, Colloquium Coordinator, APRM Secretariat, Midrand, South Africa. Email: RachelM2@dbsa.org
