CALL FOR PAPERSThe Role of Civil Society in the Challenges Confronting
Africa 3rd Conference of the ISTR-Africa Network on Civil Society Cotonou,
Benin October 3-6, 2003. This conference will provide a forum for debate on
the extent to which rhetoric, practice, activism and social engagement within
Africa=s civil society have yielded any outcome as far as political
emancipation and people=s livelihood are concerned. Beyond exploring the term
civil society and its application to African historical and contemporary
conditions, this conference is chiefly interested in the everyday processes of
interaction through which >civil society organisations= and individual actors
have/not managed to induce or contribute to any social transformation, and in
the potential for these actors to play any significant role in the challenges
confronting Africa today. Key Challenges facing Africa today Good
GovernanceEstablishing or consolidating democratic systems and good governance
in tune with so called universal values and in line with valuable aspects of
Africa=s own governance traditions. Taking into account the African context of
mass illiteracy and poverty, problematic ethnic and national identities there
is a need for ensuring political stability, local and regional security, and
genuine mechanisms for conflict resolution. PovertyEradicating poverty and
ensuring sustainable and gender balanced livelihood exempted from food
insecurity, hunger, famine, violence, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation,
lack of social services, etc. Regional Integration Effectively achieving
regional and continental integration in order, among others, to have Africa=s
voice heard and counted upon on the >globalised= international scene; The
central question is how far civil society in Africa has responded to these
challenges and the potential for significant achievement in the decades to
come. Call for papers The ISTR-Africa Network on Civil Society invites papers
on the major theme above or on any of the sub-themes listed below:1. Civil
society=s experiences in poverty alleviation, relations with state
organisations and the potential roles of civil society in the NEPAD project 2.
Civil society in conflict situations and in contexts of institutional crisis
3. Civil society and the social transformation in the process of
decentralisation: citizenship, institutional change, governance and local
development4. The African civil society and the challenge of widening and
broadening the social base of the AU project through a Pan-African
citizenship.5. Research practices, conceptual frameworks and methodological
challenges in investigations focussed on civil society and social
transformation.
The conference committee encourages papers with conceptual elaborations based
on sound empirical data and extensively documented case studies.
ParticipationThe conference will be of most relevance to those engaged with
investigating on issues related to civil society, governance, social
transformation and development as pertaining to Africa. To further the goal of
building a regional network, priority will be given to African scholars,
including doctoral students who are near completion or post-doctoral
researchers as well as those on the continent at the start of their careers.
Registration FeeThe conference fee is US$70. Invited participants are
responsible for the costs of participation. ScholarshipsIt is recognised
that researchers from within the region will need assistance to attend the
conference. Scholarships do not include a per diem or other payment for
participation, or for personal out of pocket expenses. Eligibility for an
ISTR scholarship is limited to individuals whose papers have been accepted AND
are members of ISTR, which can also be obtained at the conference. Details
of membership categories and subscriptions can be found on the ISTR website
www.istr.org [2] The Society can provide letters of support for member-invitees
in their efforts to secure funding in order to attend. Requests for
consideration for an ISTR scholarship should be submitted to: ISTR
Secretariat, 559 Wyman Park Building, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD
21218-2688 USA. ISTR will also accept requests by fax: (1-410) 516-4870.
Submission of AbstractsAbstracts in French or English B of between 500-1000
words B must be submitted by May 16, 2003. Authors whose abstracts are
selected will receive notification by July 2003. To be considered in
assessment by the academic committee, an abstract should: give a working
title; summarise the argument of the paper and the issue(s) which it
addresses; locate that issue within a wider literature; and refer to its
empirical and/or theoretical base. It should be suitable for blind
refereeing. A good abstract would include information about:- the
research question or hypothesis- relevance to the African setting and
experience- the research method(s) employed- findings, conjectures or
issues arising from the endeavour- cross-disciplinary or wider
relevanceBrief biographical details (name, qualification, current position)
should be given in an accompanying note or letter with the submission.
Abstracts should be submitted, preferably by email, to: In English, Send to:
Mammo MuchieMiddlesex University, Business School, Bramley Road, Oakwood,
London N22 5AP, UK, Phone: (44-181) 362-5665; Fax: (44-181) 441-4672 Email:
[email protected] [3] In French, send to: Roch Mongbo
Université ¤=Abomey alavi (ex. Un. Nationale du B鮩n)02 BP 778, Cotonou, Benin,
Phone: (229)304 139Email: [email protected] [4] Conference CommitteeProf. Andrew
Kiondo, Tanzania.Ms. Dorothy Gordon, GhanaProf. Mammo Muchie, EnglandDr. Paul
Opoku-Mensah, NorwayDr. Roch Mgonbo, Benin. (Chair)Dr. Rupert Taylor, Editor,
VoluntasDr. Shahida El Baz, EgyptDr. Sulaiman Khalid, Nigeria Conference
Secretariat CEBEDES B Xudodo02 BP 778 GbegameyCotonou, B鮩n RepublicTel: (229)
03 03 52 / 42 87 44 / 42 66 76 E.mail: [email protected] [5] What is ISTR?
Established in 1992, The International Society for Third Sector Research
(ISTR) is the major international association dedicated to building a world-
wide community of scholars in a broad realm variously designated as civil
society; voluntarism; the third or non-profit sector; philanthropy, social
economy and non-government organisations (NGOs). Its activities include the
publication of a quarterly journal "Voluntas", the organization of
international conferences and networks, facilitation of affinity groups and
the promotion of member-based research agendas and initiatives. ISTR
maintains a website and a listserv. The Society has already held five
International Conferences: Hungary (1994), Mexico (1996) Switzerland (1998),
Ireland (2000) and Cape Town (2002). The Society's mission is to promote the
development of high quality research and education internationally on Third
Sector related issues, theories, practices and policies; and to enhance the
dissemination and application of knowledge about the Third Sector as widely as
possible throughout the world. ISTR strives to broaden the participation of
researchers in all countries and in all disciplines and research traditions.
What is the ISTR African Network? The Africa network was initiated in 1996, it
gathers researchers from the region engaged in the study of the non-profit
sector, civil society, philanthropy, etc., who are interested in advancing
academic research as well as interaction with practitioners and policy makers
on these topics throughout Africa.