The Africa/Asia/Latin America Scholarly Collaborative Program

APISA – CLACSO – CODESRIA International Workshop

Theme: Development and Social Movements in the Countries of the South: Successes, Dilemmas and Challenges

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 19-20 November, 2007

Call for Applications

The Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA), the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) are pleased to announce the Africa/Asia/Latin America scholarly collaborative initiative encompassing joint research, training, publishing and dissemination activities by researchers drawn from across the global South, and to call for applications for participation in the South-South workshops they are organising within the framework of the initiative. The theme that has been selected for the third workshop being hosted under the auspices of CLACSO is: Development and Social Movements in the countries of the South: successes, dilemmas and challenges. The workshop will take place in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, from 19 to 20 November, 2007.

Within the ambit of the APISA-CLACSO-CODESRIA collaboration, a series of activities and programmes has been scheduled for implementation over the period to the end of 2007, among them three annual workshops. The workshops are designed to serve as a research forum for the generation of fresh and original comparative insights on the diverse problems and challenges facing the countries of the South. In doing so, it is hoped also that the workshops will contribute to the revival and consolidation of inter-regional networking among Southern researchers, foster a culture of Southern scholarly cross-referencing, and contribute to a type of theory-building that is more closely attuned to the shared historical contexts and experiences of the countries and peoples of the South. The workshops are rotated among the three continents where the lead collaborating institutions are located, namely, Africa, Asia and Latin America. This way, participants in the workshops who are also drawn from all three continents are exposed to the socio-historical contexts of other regions of the South as an input towards the broadening of their analytical perspectives and the improvement of the overall quality of their scientific engagements. The inaugural workshop was held on the Asian continent, with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, serving as the host city; other workshops have been held in Caracas, Venezuela; Pretoria, South Africa;Kampala, Uganda; Bangkok, Thailand; and San José, Costa Rica.

1. THE 2007 WORKSHOP:

For the 2007 session of the South-South international workshop that is to take in Latin America, it has been decided by APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA to host it in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. CLACSO will assume overall responsibility within the tri-continental partnership for the session. The workshop will run from 19 to 20 November, 2007. It is a requirement that prospective laureates should have a demonstrable working knowledge of the English language. APISA, CLACSO and CODESRIA will work together with the local host to facilitate the procurement of entry visas to Brazil for the prospective participants whose applications are successful. At the end of the workshop, each participant will be expected to produce a publishable article which will be considered for inclusion in the book of proceedings that will be issued.

As a complementary activity, it is expected that the selected scholars also participate in an open International Seminar on Social Movements, to be held on 21, 22 and 23 November at the premises of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ).

2. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION:

Scholars resident in countries of the South and who are pursuing active academic careers are eligible to apply to participate in the workshops. Each applicant should have an advanced university education and an established track record of research and publishing in any of the disciplines of the social sciences and humanities. Selection for participation will be on the basis of a competitive process. All together, 12 people will be selected for participation in the institute on the basis of four each from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The full participation costs of the selected laureates will be covered, including their travel costs (economy return air tickets), accommodation and subsistence.

3. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Every researcher wishing to be considered for selection as one of the 12 scholars to be invited to participate in any of the research workshop organised within the framework of the APISA-CLACSO-CODESRIA tri-continental partnership is required to submit an application that will comprise the following key items of documentation:

a) An outline research proposal, written in English, on the subject on which s/he would like to work. The topic selected must be related to the theme of the workshop and should have a demonstrable comparative potential. Proposals should not exceed 10 pages in length and should have a clearly defined problematic which can be followed through further research and culminate in a publishable scientific paper;

b) A covering letter, of one-page, which should indicate the motivation of the prospective researcher for wanting to participate in the workshop and explaining how they envisage that they and their institution will benefit from the programme;

c) An updated Curriculum Vitae complete with the names of the professional and personal references of the researcher, the scientific discipline(s) in which s/he is working, the nationality of the applicant, a list of recent publications, and a summary of the on-going research activities in which the applicant is involved; and

d) A photocopy of the highest university degree obtained by the applicant and of the relevant pages of his/her international passport containing relevant identity data;

4. APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINE

As the international workshop involve the participation of researchers from Africa, Asia and Latin America, it has been decided that applicants resident in Africa should submit their applications to CODESRIA, those resident in Asia to APISA and those resident in Latin America to CLACSO. The full contact details for APISA, CLACSO AND CODESRIA are reproduced below for the attention of all prospective applicants. The deadline for the receipt of applications is 1 October, 2007. Applications found to be incomplete or which arrive after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.

An independent Selection Committee charged with screening all applications received will meet shortly after the deadline for the receipt of applications. Successful applicants will be notified immediately the Selection Committee completes it work.

African applicants should send their applications to:

CODESRIA,

(2007 South-South Research Workshop),

BP 3304, CP 18524, Dakar, SENEGAL

Tel: (221) 825 9822: Fax: (221) 824 1289

E-mail: [email][email protected]

Website: http://www.codesria.org

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Asian applicants should send their applications to:

APISA,

(2007 South-South Research Workshop)

Strategic Studies and International Relations Program

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, MALAYSIA

Tel: 603- 89213647; Fax: 603-89213332

E-Mail: [email][email protected]

Website: www.apisanet.com

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Latin American and Caribbean applicants should send their applications to:

CLACSO,

(2007 South-South Research Workshop)

Callao 875, 3º (1023) Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

Tel: (54 11) 4811-6588 / 4814-2301; Fax: (54 11) 4812-845

E-mail: [email][email protected]

Website: www.clacso.org

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Concept Paper

Development and Social Movements in the Countries of the South: Successes, Dilemmas and Challenges

Since the decade of the 90s, there has been a rapid multiplication of social movements across the South, a trend which continued into the new millennium as to become a distinguishing feature of the 21st century. In addition to traditional unions and civil society and human rights organizations, a variety of new urban land and rural movements, organizations of indigenous peoples and feminist groups, among others, emerged both to play a major socio-political role and to contribute to shifting the frontiers of praxis. Some of these movements came to fill important spaces in the terrain of politics, and to assume decisive decision-making functions. Others developed a major international profile, animating sessions at big international conferences organized by the United Nations. The fields covered by the social movements are broad: Environmental issues, sustainable development, education, health and housing, cultural rights, and the fight against discrimination and other forms of intolerance. The new movements have enriched the debate of ideas on global change, including participation in successive World Social Forums organized in different cities of the world where the struggle for the democratisation of national and international institutions, among other issues, have been pursued with a view to securing sustainable human development, reducing inequalities between the rich North and the poor South, and guaranteeing decent conditions of life and livelihood for all.

Without doubt, the social movements of the South have contributed in an original way and in no small measure to the ideas’ debates and to the promotion of concrete interventions for change. Some of them have performed an important role of solidarity-building and the re-composition of the social fabric in different local contexts, thereby expanding and consolidating their discursive and representative platforms, especially in those countries where the state has been weakened and/or has abdicated its responsibilities in crucial social sectors such as education and health. Although it is true that the social movements of the South rarely have a trans-national character and - in comparison with the national conglomerates and multi-national companies that dominate the agro-business industry, the media and the financial sector - exercise a limited degree of direct influence on many states, it is also clear that, in the light of recent changes, they have built up a capacity for local action and the mobilisation of international solidarity. In Africa, this has, for instance, manifested itself in the creation of an international network of associations that have sought to couple human security and democratic governance. In parts of Asia, a trans-national network to combat discrimination on the basis of the circumstances of birth has emerged to play a frontline role in the struggle for democracy. And in Latin America, indigenous movements have built up their influence to fight for cultural rights and land justice. In sum, the social movements have contributed to the promotion of debate around the idea of a pluricultural and democratic state that accommodates the citizenship of all without sidestepping difference.

The challenges arising from the efflorescence of social movements at the beginning of the 21st century are many. Sociologists and Political Scientists have focused on their defensive role, a role the movements assumed on account of the erosion of the social responsibilities of the state, particularly with regard to education, health and social security, among others, and the privileging of a socio-economic logic whereby individualism prevails against collective ties. But there has also been a proactive aspect to the interventions of the movements. Such proactivity has given momentum to the quest for alternative sustainable development strategies that are sensitive to the livelihood concerns of the populace and to the challenges of diversity. One of the central pillars of the discourses promoted by the social movements and the actions they have taken is their critique of a monocultural and linear conception of development and modernization, a model which has become visible in the new extractive-productive models that are generalized in the different regions of the South. These models are integral to various elements of neo-liberal globalization that has marginalized a considerable part of the humanity and fundamental human rights. The social movements have championed social demands which not only question the assumptions of neo-liberalism but also seek to ensure that the quest for integration is subordinated to human development.

The workshop on Development and Social Movements in the countries of the South is designed to focus attention on the plethora of social movements active in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean with a view to understanding their processes and impact, as well as their discourses on sustainable human development. Of particular interest will be their role as protagonists of a critical perspective that seeks to challenge a dominant discourse on development and democracy. If the elasticity of the concept of social movements contributed to the success of their multiple objectives, there are also numerous challenges which expose them to criticism and menaces – open and subtle – from various power interests, state and non-state, public and private. Indeed, over the last few years, attempts have been made in different parts of the South to criminalize social protest and close public spaces in the name of citizens’ security. Attempts have also been made to militarize territories considered strategic to the development of private (monopoly) capital. These efforts at containing the social movements will be explored at the workshop with emphasis on their consequences. Workshop participants will also be invited to examine the extent to which full independence of action is indispensable to the capacity of the social movements to produce alternative types of politics that go beyond classical forms of struggle against inequality. Additionally, attention will be paid to the conditions under which alternatives advanced by the social movement produce emancipatory possibilities.