As part of its strategy for reinforcing its research programmes
in the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa, CODESRIA is
organizing an international colloquium from
12 to 14 May 2005
in Maputo, Mozambique. The theme of the colloquium is:
“Lusophony” in Africa: History, Democracy and Integration.
History, democracy and integration are recurrent themes in
African social science research. Placed in the context of the
African countries that use Portuguese as their official
language, these themes develop a particular resonance which
suggests that they are not simply abstract questions. Their
essence results from a variety of contested specificities
connected to the experiences of these countries as site of some
of the most difficult moments in the recent history of Africa.
The Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa, with the kind of
relations that linked them to their former colonizer, have
developed an identity that goes beyond the simple use of a
common language; they have all been shaped by a long history of
rapacious external exploitation and domination. The slave trade,
colonial domination, the fascist administration, a system of
economic pillage and an aggressive assimilation policy are some
of the salient features of the “Lusophony” in Africa. These
experiences have all fed into the contemporary modes of
expression that have been forged by the peoples of Angola, Cape
Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome. The relationships
of domination and exploitation that were established during the
colonial period were central to the shaping of the state and the
articulation of state-society relations. The persistent
political instability which many Lusophone African countries
have experienced is linked to the type of colonization to which
they were subjected. The civil wars in Angola, Guinea Bissau and
Mozambique, as well as the political difficulties in Sao Tome
were not only the results of contradictions exacerbated during
the post colonial period; they are, in fact, closely linked to
historical factors that go back to the period before
independence. Colonialism in Lusophone Africa was founded on
highly authoritarian modes of governance.
This heritage, which produced repressive political regimes
during the colonial and postcolonial periods, justifies the
popular demand for the establishment of democratic institutions
in these countries. This is all the more so as Cape Verde that
has followed the same colonial itinerary and experienced a
one-party regime has also in recent years enjoyed a spectacular
rate of development that is an example for the rest of the
continent. Yet, the wave of democratic transitions that spread
across Lusophone African countries during the 1980s has
encountered serious difficulties which, if they are to be
understood, must be located in the historical processes that
have helped to shape each of these countries. The colloquium
will be an opportunity to reflect on the link between history
and the dynamics of change in Lusophone Africa in the context of
the new challenges posed by the economic, social and political
transitions of the last twenty years. Political liberalization
plays an important role in this process of change. Beyond the
specificities that define them, it will also be useful to
reflect on the involvement of Lusophone African countries in the
political and ideological dynamics that are shaping contemporary
Africa. Among the Lusophone countries themselves, local
differences can be decisive. In this collective movement, how
does this Lusophone particularity assert itself? How does it
distinguish itself and how does it connect with processes
elsewhere? What, for instance, is the common denominator between
the political instability in Guinea Bissau and the growth of
Cape Verdian democracy? The colloquium will provide participants
with an opportunity to better understand the political reach of
the transitions taking place in Lusophone Africa, the
connections that link them and the specificities that separate
them.
To discuss “Lusophony” in Africa implies not only taking stock
of political dynamics, but also of the complex and related
economic problems that manifest themselves at the national,
regional, continental, and even global levels. The proximate
contexts of these problems are admittedly local, but they cannot
be separated from their regional contexts, which is why it is
important to pay attention to the dynamics of transborder
exchanges between Lusophone African countries and their
neighbours to better understand the individual and collective
actions of the actors. It is also important to assess the
modalities for the assertion of “Lusophony” in relation to the
strengthening of regional integration. Will cooperation among
Lusophone countries be an essential stage towards a financial
and economic cooperation at the international level? Will
membership of this “Lusophony” give birth to a new political
community that is able to act as one in the international
political system? How will the Lusophone African world
participate in the collective response of African countries to
the challenges of globalisation?
Social researchers, whether Lusophone or not, are invited to
reflect on the various analytical issues generated by the
experiences of the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa. In
light of the objective of the colloquium, which is essentially
to identify the links between history, democracy and
integration, CODESRIA is inviting contributions on the following
sub themes:
1-
Perspectives on the Historical Heritage of Lusophone
African Countries;
2-
Political and Social Mutations in Lusophone African
Countries and in the Context of the African Democratic Project;
3-
“Lusophony” and African integration.
These themes are being treated as the three broad clusters
around which it is hoped to structure the symposium. However,
abstracts on other related themes are also encouraged, including
proposals for special panels and roundtables. Deadline for
submission of abstracts and proposals closed 15 January 2005.
Researchers whose abstracts are selected will be invited to send
their final contributions by 31 March 2005.
All correspondence pertaining to the colloquium should be sent
to the following address:
International Colloquium on “Lusophony” in Africa
CODESRIA, P.O. Box 3304, CP 18524
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV
Dakar, Senegal
Tel : +221 8259822/8259823
Fax : + 221 8241289
E-mail :
lusophonafrica@codesria.sn
Web site: www.codesria.org
