Peacebuilding in Contemporary Africa explores the challenges and opportunities faced by countries and societies transitioning from armed conflicts to peace in contemporary Africa. It evaluates the effectiveness, outcomes and failures of existing peacebuilding initiatives implemented by stakeholders, and proposes new strategies and approaches to facilitate the transition. The book investigates both micro- and macro-level conflicts in various parts of Africa, as well as the efforts made to resolve them and build peace. The book pays particular attention to grassroots-based micro-level conflicts often disregarded in peacebuilding literature, which tends to focus on macro-level, neo-liberal state reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts.

The book adopts an evidence-based, policy-relevant approach to peacebuilding in Africa. The various chapter contributors offer a lucid analysis and critique of some of the prevailing paradigms and strategies of peacebuilding practiced in Africa. Together, the authors recommend innovative strategies to mobilise and coordinate governance institutions and partnerships at all levels (international, regional, national, and local) to prevent conflict escalation in volatile states and advance the rebuilding of violence-affected states and communities.

Peacebuilding in Contemporary Africa provides a much-needed perspective from African scholars, and will be of interest to students, researchers, policy makers and practitioners with an interest in promoting legitimate policy interventions and sustainable peace in Africa.

About the Author

Kenneth Omeje is Senior Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa; Research Fellow at the Centre for African Studies, University of the Free State, South Africa; Visiting Professor at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; and Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria. He has previously held the positions of Professor of International Relations at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya and Senior Research Fellow at the John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies, University of Bradford, UK.

Reviews

Peacebuilding in Contemporary Africa aims to scrutinise the conventional peace building method used on the continent; in doing so it identifies areas which are often ignored and proposes alternative strategies accordingly. This remarkable volume is the result of 13 contributors including the editor, who opens the volume by intelligently introducing the intellectual debates on peacebuilding in Africa and closes it by skilfully laying out the proposed alternative strategies.

Niguse Mandefero Alene, Department of Political Sciences and International Studies, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Book Information
ISBN 9781138492028
Author Kenneth Omeje
Format Paperback
Page Count 226
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 362g