Nation-states and the challenges of regional integration in West Africa The case of Sierra Leone Coll. Les États-nations face à l'intégration régionale en Afrique de l'Ouest
Langue : Français
Auteur : DAVID J. Francis
The positive role of ECOWAS and its military-security arm ECOMOG in
bringing to an end the decade-long bloody civil war in Sierra Leone,
restoring democratic governance and the rule of law, has brought to the
fore the value, legitimacy and impact of regional integration and
co-operation in West Africa. Insimple terms, ECOWAS and ECOMOG are widely
(though not universally) acclaimed as "saviours" and "heroes" in Sierra
Leone. But despite this popular acclaim, no serious effort has been made
by researchers, political actors, policy practitioners or regional leaders
to engage, on a long-term basis, with how regional integration could be
used as an engine of national and regional development, faced with the
opportunities and challenges of contemporary globalisation; how to
identify the critical everyday issues that affect the human and societal
security of the local populace; or how to use the regional integration
processes to find solutions to the myriad problems faced on a daily basis
by people of the sub-region. Infact, as Sierra Leone celebrates the 50th
anniversary of political independence from British colonial rule, there is
a noticeable absence of any focus on ECOWAS and West African integration
and co-operation by the political leaders and academic community.
The general lack of policy dialogue and critical engagement among researchers, political actors, policy practitioners and regional leaders has made it difficult, if not impossible, for rigorous evidence-based research to influence policy on the West African integration processes. Under the auspices of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations (MOSn Programme, a series of multidisciplinary seminars took place in each of the fifteen ECOWAS states to foster dialogue between resear chers and political, economic, and social decision-makers for a better understanding of the issues at stake.
This book is the result of one such seminar, and of a series of separately commissioned papers by Sierra Leonean researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Edited by Professor David Francis, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, it is based on extensive field research over a number of years, the assessment of primary source and secondary materials relating to ECOWAS integration, as well as to Sierra Leone's foreign, security and development policy approach to regional integration and cooperation.
The general lack of policy dialogue and critical engagement among researchers, political actors, policy practitioners and regional leaders has made it difficult, if not impossible, for rigorous evidence-based research to influence policy on the West African integration processes. Under the auspices of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations (MOSn Programme, a series of multidisciplinary seminars took place in each of the fifteen ECOWAS states to foster dialogue between resear chers and political, economic, and social decision-makers for a better understanding of the issues at stake.
This book is the result of one such seminar, and of a series of separately commissioned papers by Sierra Leonean researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Edited by Professor David Francis, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, it is based on extensive field research over a number of years, the assessment of primary source and secondary materials relating to ECOWAS integration, as well as to Sierra Leone's foreign, security and development policy approach to regional integration and cooperation.
David J. Francis is Professor of Ajrican Peace & Conjlict Studies in the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, UK.
Date de parution : 05-2017
Ouvrage de 192 p.
16x24 cm
Thème de Nation-states and the challenges of regional integration... :
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