African Peacebuilding Network (APN)

APN-Next Gen Joint Research Methods Workshop in Partnership with AIPECT

The Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC’s) African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) programs held their joint Research Methods Workshop in Casablanca, Morocco in partnership with the African Institute for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation (AIPECT) on Sept 26-29, 2022. The event commenced with opening remarks by Dr. Fred Palm, the vice president of the SSRC, and Dr. Cyril Obi, the program director of APN and Next Gen. This was followed by the introduction of SSRC fellows and workshop facilitators by Dr. Duncan Omanga, the senior program officer of APN and Next Gen. Dr. …

Conference on Conflict and Peacebuilding in North Africa and the Sahel

The Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC’s) African Peacebuilding Network (APN), in collaboration with the African Leadership Center (ALC) of Kings College London, and Wilton Park held a two-day virtual conference on “Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sahel and North Africa.” The conference was the latest in the “Peacebuilding in Africa” series launched in 2015 aimed towards “moving peacebuilding beyond state and elite-centered approaches to encompass the wider communities involved in conflict, including, youth and women’s networks on the continent.” The event explored the connections between peacebuilding and the “historical and extensive socio-cultural, economic, and strategic connections between North Africa and the

Virtual Book Launch: The Failure and Feasibility of Capitalism in Africa

The event started with opening remarks and an introduction of the author, Kenneth Omeje, and two discussants, Ndongo Samba Sylla and Toni Haastrup, by the moderator and director of the SSRC’s APN and NextGen program, Cyril Obi. This was followed by an overview of the book by the author. He identified the main objectives of the book as providing a critical assessment of capitalism in Africa, providing explanations for the failure of capitalism to lead to Africa’s development, and exploring options of transforming African political systems in ways that could lift millions of Africans out of poverty. Omeje noted that

APN and Next Gen 2021 Virtual Fellows Research Methods Workshop

The Social Science Research Council’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) programs held their joint virtual fellows Research Methods Workshop from September 28-30, 2021. The workshop featured activities ranging from keynote lectures by leading scholars, cohort/thematic workshop and one-on-one mentoring sessions, and a joint fellows discussion panel. The opening address at the workshop was given by Cyril Obi, the program director of the APN and Next Gen programs, followed by welcome remarks by Ron Kassimir, the SSRC’s Vice President of Programs, and an introduction of fellows and facilitators by Duncan Omanga, the program

Webinar on Conflict and Peacebuilding in Mozambique

The Social Science Research Council’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN), in collaboration with the African Leadership Center (ALC) of Kings College London, and Wilton Park held a virtual two-day webinar on “Conflict and Peacebuilding in Mozambique,” from September 21 to 22, 2021. The webinar was the latest in a “Peacebuilding in Africa series” launched in 2015 aimed towards ‘moving peacebuilding beyond state and elite-centered approaches to encompass the wider communities involved in conflict, including youth and women’s networks on the continent.’ Participants included high-level practitioners, scholars, activists, and staff and fellows of the African Leadership Centre (ALC), African Peacebuilding Network (APN)

Virtual Book Launch of Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa: Conceptual and Empirical Considerations

The virtual launch commenced with a brief introduction of the book, Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa, the co-editors, and reviewers by the program director of the Social Science Research Council’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa programs, Cyril Obi.  Professor Karoi Mbugua—chairman of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Nairobi—and the representative of Dr. Pilisano Masake—dean of Human Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology—also provided remarks. The co-editors Jacinta Maweu and Admire Mare provided an overview of the book and some of the contributors spoke on their chapters. Mare provided

Virtual Book Launch of When Peace Kills Politics: International Intervention and Unending Wars in the Sudan

The virtual book launch commenced with brief introductions of the author of When Peace Kills Politics, Sharath Srinivasan, and discussant, Devon Curtis, by the program director of the Social Science Research Council’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa programs, Cyril Obi. Sharath Srinivasan provided an overview of the book against the background of the theories, history, and practices of peacemaking in Sudan. He examined the roles of various national, regional, and continental actors such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN), focusing on how international interventions

China-Africa Peace Research Fellowship, Writing and Research Workshops (New York)

The 2018-2020 cohort of the Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC) China-Africa Peace Fellowship met for a second time for a research and writing workshop in New York. The first day of the workshop, (18 November 2019) served as an opportunity for Fellows to workshop and refine first drafts of their research papers through a collaborative exchange of ideas with Program Director Tatiana Carayannis, and a small group of invited scholars working on their topics. The SSRC’s China-Africa Peace Fellows received training and research support to travel to five field-work sites (Juba, South Sudan, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monrovia, Liberia, and Johannesburg,

Research Workshop on Disinformation, Democratic Processes, and Conflict Prevention

On January 30, 2020, the SSRC convened the second research workshop of its Academic Network on Peace, Security, and the United Nations in New York, an initiative of the Council’s Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPPF) and its Understanding Violent Conflict (UVC) Program. This workshop, on “Disinformation, Democratic Processes, and Conflict Prevention,” examined the frameworks, findings, and debates in emerging scholarship on information disorder and the linkages between disinformation, elections, hate speech, and identity-based violence. Participants drew on cases in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The workshop also explored the ways in which disinformation affects the UN conflict prevention agenda, and how the UN

International Peace Research Association (IPRA) 28th Biennial Conference, Nairobi

African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (NextGen) fellows were part of the delegates of the 28th Biennial IPRA conference, that was held in Nairobi Kenya, from January 10-15, 2021. IPRA’s purpose is to advance research into the conditions of peace and the causes of war and other forms of violence. The theme of this years’ conference was on ‘Peace-Technology: Positioning the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Emerging Technologies in Fostering Global Peace.’ The program director of the Social Science Research Council’s APN and Next Gen programs, Cyril Obi gave a welcome address to delegates during the

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