Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century

Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century PDF Author: E. Ike Udogu
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443820504
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century frames the discourse around the important issue of African unification, against the backdrop of the region’s political and economic marginalization. Arguably the richest continent in the world, in terms of its abundant untapped natural resources and human capital, it still lags behind the other regions of the world developmentally. Undeniably, Africa is at the crossroads in this millennium, within the context of the powerful events and effects of the “New Globalization.” One of the central issues that academics and political actors, interested in African development, must tackle immediately is how to make the region politically and economically relevant in global affairs. These objectives could be attained through continental amalgamation. Accordingly, this book debates and suggests, inter alia, strategies that might advance Africa’s unification effort in order to provide the politico-economic clout needed to spur continental development. Further, it argues that such a Union of African States is critical for promoting the “good political life” for all Africans.

Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century

Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century PDF Author: E. Ike Udogu
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443820504
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 299

Get Book Here

Book Description
Confronting the Challenges and Prospects in the Creation of a Union of African States in the 21st Century frames the discourse around the important issue of African unification, against the backdrop of the region’s political and economic marginalization. Arguably the richest continent in the world, in terms of its abundant untapped natural resources and human capital, it still lags behind the other regions of the world developmentally. Undeniably, Africa is at the crossroads in this millennium, within the context of the powerful events and effects of the “New Globalization.” One of the central issues that academics and political actors, interested in African development, must tackle immediately is how to make the region politically and economically relevant in global affairs. These objectives could be attained through continental amalgamation. Accordingly, this book debates and suggests, inter alia, strategies that might advance Africa’s unification effort in order to provide the politico-economic clout needed to spur continental development. Further, it argues that such a Union of African States is critical for promoting the “good political life” for all Africans.

Imagining the United States of Africa

Imagining the United States of Africa PDF Author: E. Ike Udogu
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 149850776X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
This book frames the debates around the pressing desire for some form of unification that found expression in the pan-Africanist movement and formation of the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1963 following the advent of home-rule for many former colonies of the Western powers. Discussions in this volume address the following fundamental issues: nationalism and political integration and how the contradictions between both philosophies can be resolved; the amelioration of corruption in order to attract internal and external investments critical for developing the vast natural resources housed in the continent; the need for Africa’s adaptation to the ideology and practice of capitalism and liberal globalization to suit the character of African states in a projected federal United States of Africa; solutions to ethnic conflicts that are bound to happen over clashes of competing group interests; the indispensability and promotion of information communication technologies and urgent need to strengthen a network of regional electric power grids that would provide constant energy to the Union and lead to improvement in communication and economic growth; and recommendation of social democracy as the genre of democracy suitable for a proposed United States of Africa.

Examining Human Rights Issues and the Democracy Project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Examining Human Rights Issues and the Democracy Project in Sub-Saharan Africa PDF Author: E. Ike Udogu
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 0739186965
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing an impressive measure of economic revivalism that is driven by both national and international forces at the beginning of the twenty-first century. That political and business leaders in the region are determined that development in this millennium will not mimic the slow pace of growth in the twentieth is a given. Undoubtedly, the rapid spread of information communications technology (ICT) and contemporary investments of China in the region’s growth agenda bear this thesis out. This book, among other things, advances the theory that improving human rights practices and the democracy project—i.e. democratic consolidation in sub-Saharan Africa will create an enabling environment that is critical for stimulating the current inspiring development objectives.

The Elusive African Renaissance

The Elusive African Renaissance PDF Author: George Klay Kieh, Jr.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476667748
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Africa faces several major development challenges that have adversely affected the political and material well being of the majority of the people living there. This collection of new essays rigorously analyzes those frontier development issues--including democracy, leadership, the economy, poverty alleviation through microfinance schemes, food security, education, health and political instability--and offers prescriptions that differ from the dominant neoliberal solutions.

Leadership and the Problem of Electoral Democracy in Africa

Leadership and the Problem of Electoral Democracy in Africa PDF Author: E. Ike Udogu
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443857203
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
This volume explores the notion that African leaders are fundamentally responsible for electoral malfeasance throughout the continent. The quagmire of fixing elections in order to stay in power ad-infinitum has frequently led – and will continue to lead – to political violence, civil wars, internal displacement of citizens, international refugee crises, and economic malaise with its attendant crisis of underdevelopment. This book provides five case studies selected from Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone Africa that illustrate some variations and similarities in the dilemma of electoral democracy in this epoch of Africa’s democratic experiment. It suggests, among other factors, Colin Powell’s and Abraham Lincoln’s theoretical templates as pointers for African political chiefs in their struggle for democratic consolidation – a successful move that could advance national legitimacy and political stability critical for impressive development in this millennium.

Confronting The Challenges Of The 21st Century - Proceedings Of The Forty-ninth Pugwash Conference On Science And World Affairs

Confronting The Challenges Of The 21st Century - Proceedings Of The Forty-ninth Pugwash Conference On Science And World Affairs PDF Author: Joseph Rotblat
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814489956
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
In September 1999, scientists and scholars from around the world, concerned with reducing the danger of armed conflict and seeking cooperative solutions to global problems, met under the auspices of the Pugwash conferences, the Nobel-Prize-winning organization. The proceedings deal with a broad range of issues, including: a nuclear-weapon-free world; emerging security threats; development; environment; and international governance.

Proceedings of the Forty-ninth Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, Rustenburg, South Africa, 7-13 September 1999

Proceedings of the Forty-ninth Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs, Rustenburg, South Africa, 7-13 September 1999 PDF Author: Joseph Rotblat
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9810247737
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
In September 1999, scientists and scholars from around the world, concerned with reducing the danger of armed conflict and seeking cooperative solutions to global problems, met under the auspices of the Pugwash conferences, the Nobel-Prize-winning organization. The proceedings deal with a broad range of issues, including: a nuclear-weapon-free world; emerging security threats; development; environment; and international governance.

The African Union and New Strategies for Development in Africa

The African Union and New Strategies for Development in Africa PDF Author: Said Adejumobi
Publisher: Cambria Press
ISBN: 1604975741
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 508

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Book Description
The early twenty-first century witnessed remarkable attempts by Africa's political leadership to promote regional integration as a means of fast-tracking economic progress, facilitating peace and security, consolidating democratic gains, and promoting the general welfare of the African people. The transition of the Organization of Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU), as well as the foisting of a new economic blueprint for the continent-the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), combined with the growing role of the regional economic communities (RECs) in harmonizing and creating subregional norms and standards in the political and economic arena suggests a new trend towards regionalism in Africa. Indeed, in the new regional integration architecture, the RECs are considered to be the building blocks of the integration process led by the African Union. This new impetus of a regional development strategy was largely prompted by the slow pace of economic progress on the continent, the increasing marginalization of Africa in the global economy, and the need to create regional resources and standards that would benefit the continent in all spheres of social life. A painful realization became obvious that small micro-states in Africa sticking to their political independence and sovereignty would hardly make much progress in an increasingly globalised world. A macro-states' approach of regional integration has assumed Africa's new strategy to intervene in and integrate with a globalizing world. The current regional trend in Africa has received very little scholarly attention especially in a systematic and comprehensive way. This is due partly to the fact that the processes are currently unfolding and there is still uncertainty in the outcomes. Poor documentation and the dearth of primary materials (especially from the regional institutions) also contribute to the lack of scholarly work in this area. This study assembles the voices of some of the most seasoned African and Africanist scholars who have constantly, in one way or another, interacted with the integration process in Africa and kept abreast of the developments therein, and seeks to capture those developments in a nuanced manner in the economic, political and social spheres. The essence of this book is to analyze those processes--teasing out the issues, problems, challenges and major policy recommendations, with tentative conclusions on Africa's regional development trajectory. The book therefore fills major knowledge and policy gaps in Africa's regional development agenda. This book is a landmark contribution in a systematic attempt to comprehend Africa's regional development strategy led by the African Union. It examines the background, nuances, and dimensions of the process, which include the basis and historiography of pan-Africanism, the transition of the OAU to the AU, the issue of popular participation in development, the NEPAD and APRM initiatives, the evolving regional peace and security architecture, and the efforts of regional institutions to facilitate democracy, human rights, rule of law and good governance on the continent. The book underscores the fact that formidable obstacles and challenges abound in the trajectory, politics, and processes of this regional development paradigm, especially as Africa navigates an uncertain future in a deeply divided and unequal yet globalised World. The book constitutes a major reference material and compendium for a wide range of readers--students and scholars of African affairs and African development, policy makers both in Africa and the western countries, regional and international institutions and organizations, and all those interested in the past, present and future of Africa's development process.

Challenges to the Nation-state in Africa

Challenges to the Nation-state in Africa PDF Author: Adebayo O. Olukoshi
Publisher: Nordic Africa Institute
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
The challenges facing the nation-state in contemporary Africa are increasingly attracting the attention of scholars interested to understand how the decomposition and recomposition of popular political identities on the continent are affecting the post-colonial unitary project. The studies presented in this volume show that the challenges to the post-colonial nation-state project in Africa have mainly taken ethno-regionalist, religious and separatist forms. These challenges have been shaped by the long drawn-out economic crisis, zero-sum, market-led structural adjustment, and the legacy of decades of political authoritarianism and exclusion that dates from the colonial period. The contributors to this book present different suggestions to promote national unity and a supporting civic identity in Africa.

Africa's Development in the Twenty-first Century

Africa's Development in the Twenty-first Century PDF Author: Kwadwo Konadu-Agyemang
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 9780754644781
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Book Description
Having been under colonial rule for the first half of the century, by 1965 all but a handful of African countries had regained their independence and were poised to take off into an era of development. However, Africa now suffers from the most acute form of underdevelopment anywhere in the world. Bringing together a broad selection of case studies covering a wide range of key issues, this volume provides a multidisciplinary exploration of Africa's development opportunities and challenges into the twenty-first century.