Yorkshire African Studies Network (YASN) Conference - at the University of Bradford

Liberalism in Action in Africa: State Rebuilding, Security Reform and Justice

Room P2.11

For the last quarter of a century, liberalism has been the dominant policy paradigm in the realms of politics, development, economics and security in Africa. Indeed, Africa has had little choice but to liberalise, at least officially, given the continued need for Western aid. Liberalism has thus manifested itself in fields ranging from democracy, civil society and state re-building, to the Millennium Development Goals and poverty, to natural resources and economic liberalisation, and to security sector reform and transitional justice.

Notwithstanding the rather uneven, limited or hybrid nature of its impact and the growing threat on its influence which has emerged from the presence of China and India in the last few years, it is still the dominant policy player. The conference aims to uncover some of the fine grain details concerning the implementation of liberal policies underpinning state rebuilding, security reform and justice in African countries and to identify the successes, obstacles and hybridities that have emerged when liberalism has met African realities – i.e. ‘liberalism in action’.

Keynote speaker: Dr Tom Young, SOAS

Please submit 300-word abstracts to Dr David Harris (d.harris7@bradford.ac.uk) by 17.00 on Monday 5 May for papers to be presented at the conference. We will let you know asap after the deadline. The call for papers is open to all, but we particularly welcome abstracts from PhD students and researchers from universities in Yorkshire.

The conference is free to attend and there may be some travel subsidies for students. Please register your interest in attending on the following link http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yasn-conference-liberalism-in-action-in-africa-state-rebuilding-security-reform-and-justice-tickets-9628630493