Event

Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa New

Challenges and new perspectives

Peace and security in Sub-Saharan Africa has become in the past years one the main subjects of debate and reflection in the international area. The 5oth anniversary of African independency processes is a good opportunity to assess and analyze the main challenges and dilemmas for the future. The situation of some conflicts, the evolution of peace processes, the role of civil society and regional organizations as well as the rising prominence of the African Union are some of the main axes of this colloquium.

Based on the experiences of specialists, activists and institutional representatives, the colloquium aims at being a space for reflection, outreaching and plural gathering with the view of contributing to the ongoing debate on the agenda and the big defies in the building of peace and security in the African continent. In addition, ICIP, in collaboration with Casa África and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) wishes Africa to become a permanent focus of interest, reflections and action in our environment.

 

Wednesday, 3rd November


6-6.30 pm: WELCOMING SESSION

• Rafael Grasa, President of ICIP

• Ricardo Martínez Vázquez, General Director of Casa África

• Rafael Vilasanjuan, Managing Deputy Director of CCCB.


6.30-7.30 pm: OPENING SESSION.

PEACE AND CONFLICT IN AFRICA: ASSESSMENT AND PERSPECTIVES

• David Francis, Peace Studies Department, Bradford University, United Kingdom.

Chairperson: Rafael Vilasanjuan, Managing Deputy Director of CCCB.


7.30-8.30 pm: Debate

 

Thursday, 4th November


9.30-11.30 am: SESSION 1.

REGIONAL AND LOCAL EXPERIENCIES OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• African regional organizations in conflict resolution: the ECOWAS case.

Kenneth Omeje, lecturer of international relations at the United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya.

• Civil society networks and organizations in conflict resolution: experiences from Sudan.

Asma Ismail Bushara, Institute for the Development of Civil Society (IDCS) from Sudan and member of Group of 40 Women Leaders (G-40) in the Horn of Africa.

• Civil society networks and organizations in conflict resolution: experiences from Western Africa.

Chukwuemeka B. Eze, West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Accra, Ghana.

Chairperson: Orla Díez, Club de Madrid.


11.30-12 am: Coffee break


12-2 pm: SESSION 2.

OUTCOMES, LIMITS AND CONTRADICTIONS OF PEACEBUILDING IN AFRICA

• Post-conflict peacebuilding in Western Africa.

Mohamed Salih, lecturer in development politics at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, and at Leiden University, The Netherlands.

• The role of the UN in post conflict peacebuilding processes in Africa.

Itziar Ruiz-Giménez, member of Grupo de Estudios Africanos and lecturer of international relations at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

• Conflict prevention, peacebuilding and human security: how to analyse, measure and assess it.

Chris Cramer, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, United Kingdom.

Chairperson: Josep M. Royo, Escola de Cultura de Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.


4-6 pm: SESSION 3.

AFRICAN APPROXIMATIONS TO AND EXPERIENCES IN PEACEBUILDING

• The role of women and of women organizations in peacebuilding in Africa.

Fatuma Ahmed, UNESCO Chair in Peace Philosophy, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain.

• Demobilization and Reintegration of ex-combatants: experiences from Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Krijn Peters, lecturer at the Department for Political and Cultural Studies, Swansea University, United Kingdom.

• Understanding Transitional Justice in Africa: experiences from South Africa, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

Jannie Malan, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), South Africa.

Chairperson: Antoni Castel, Centre d’Estudis Africans and lecturer of journalism at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

 

Friday, 5th November


10-11.30 am: SESSION 4.

AFRICAN SOLUTIONS TO AFRICAN PROBLEMS? THE RISING OF THE AFRICAN PEACE AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

• The African Union and the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA): where it comes from and where it stands.

Tim Murithi, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town, South Africa.

• APSA: main shortcomings and challenges for the future.

Mbuyi Kabunda, Institut International des Droits Humains, Strasbourg, France; and lecturer in international relations at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Chairperson: Anna Estrada, Director of the Institut Catalunya-Àfrica.

 

11.30-12 am: Coffee break

 

12-1.45pm: DIALOGUE.

AFRICA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE COOPERATION IN PEACE AND SECURITY

• Admore Kambudzi, Director of the Peace and Security Secretariat of the African Union.

• General Pierre-Michel Joana, Main advisor in peace and security on Africa at the Directorate-General on External Relations of the Council for European Union.

Chairperson: Rafael Grasa, President of ICIP.

 

2-2.30 pm: CONCLUSIONS AND CLOSING CEREMONY

 

 

Themes
The Present Continuous, The Electromagnetic Spectrum, Open Science, Psi Particle, Art Now, Eco Factor, Emerging Culture, Cybersphere, New Activism