The Africa Project

The Africa Project (TAP)

Introduction

Contemporary Africa’s changing reality necessitates the fusion of theoretical aspects of policy formation and applicative aspects of policy implementation to provide creative, innovative and timely solutions to changing needs. These needs are especially important in the areas of conflict prevention; conflict-de-escalation, mediation and resolution; and post-conflict reconstruction. By dis-aggregating the conception of Africa, the African Project identifies specific conflict-related issues within specific African states. Specific problem identification leads to the development of country-specific initiatives (tailored with the help of local partners and stakeholders) to address issues raised. Thus, the Africa Project seeks to work from community to country to make a difference in nurturing a sustainable peace in Africa.

Over ten years since the Rwandan genocide, conflict causes persist in most African states. A cursory appraisal of the continent in 2005 shows 34% of the countries either emerging from or trapped in protracted social conflicts. Approximately 83% of states in Africa are low income countries[*]. Meanwhile, some 77% of African states exhibit partial application of constitutionally enshrined political and civil freedoms[†] which, together with micro and macroeconomic frailty, are at the core of state weakness and subsequent collapse into protracted social conflict.

These macro figures present the need for conflict-prevention and intervention within many African states. However, they fail to identify specific community and country conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict reconstruction needs. The Africa Project acknowledges the need to customize program needs according to country specifics, as well as the need for local individual and group stakeholders’ involvement in building sustainable peace. The merger of thorough knowledge of theoretical antecedents in peace-building methodologies with requisite local knowledge is The Africa Project’s investment in a peace dividend.

Click here to view a map of Africa.

Mission

The Africa Project at the Center for Global Peace seeks to

create partnerships with local Community Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organization in Africa. The purpose would be to strengthen human and institutional capacity in all stages of conflict transformation – prevention, negotiation and mediation, post-conflict reconstruction;
make policy contributions on issues relating to conflict in Africa, by providing an interpretive and evaluative voice on US foreign policy as it impacts peace prospects in Africa;
provide external evaluation of NGO impact on African communities;
promote the role of traditional authority within conflict prevention and resolution processes in Africa;
advocate the importance of institutionalizing good governance as part of a comprehensive conflict prevention mechanism in Africa;
promote the training of civil society leaders (media, religious, traditional, military and educational) to incorporate peaceful dimensions into their different agendas; and
serve as a research center on peace processes in African conflicts – such evaluations serve both evaluative and prescriptive needs in future policy design and recommendation for good practice in conflict negotiation and mediation.

Objectives

The Africa Project’s objectives are to

encourage the development of local capacity for conflict prevention, resolution, peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa;
provide conflict escalation time-sensitive early warning analysis of political, social and economic evolutions in African states;
enhance immediate understanding of implication for peace in Africa.

Mission Statement

The end of the Cold War brought mixed blessings to the African continent. In some states, it offered a glimpse into the possibilities of democratic governance and macro-economic development. In others, mismanaged political transitions forced states into collapse, thereby escalating a problematic spiral into protracted social conflict. The Africa Project at the Center for Global Peace is committed to promoting peace initiatives and peace-building in Africa by working in non-mainstream sectors of conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

Africa has witnessed an unprecedented flurry of NGO activity to meet varying needs in the areas of health care and sanitation, humanitarian relief, the rule of law, and political development. However, the footprints of these NGOs on poverty eradication and conflict prevention are left to be evaluated. This is an area the Africa Project is also committed to addressing.

Present Project Area

a) Peace Education Curriculum Development Project (PEC). The PEC Project develops peace education programs tailored according to specific needs of countries emerging from protracted social conflict. As the case may require, such projects will be expanded to incorporate countries susceptible to conflict escalation. The purpose of this project is to create a sustainable basis for conflict prevention in countries likely to plunge into protracted social conflict and in countries emerging from protracted social conflict.

TAP Activities

Friday, July 15th: Screening of "Liberia: America's Stepchild"

Click here to view a poster for the event.

Saturday, July 23rd: Peace Education for Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Liberia

Click here to view a poster for the event.

Donations to support TAP activities are welcome!

Click here to print out a donations form.

TAP Team

The African Project Team:

Dr. Abdul Karim Bangura

Project Advisor, Center for Global Peace

American University, Washington D.C 20016