CALL FOR PAPERS; Resources, Peace and Conflict in the Horn of Africa

CALL FOR PAPERS
The 12th Annual Horn of Africa
Conference in Lund, Sweden
Focus On
Resources, Peace and Conflict
in the Horn of Africa Region
Date: 23-25 August 2013
Place: City Hall, Lund, SWEDEN
Whether natural resources are a blessing or a curse depends largely
on a country’s governance system and leadership. This proposed
conference on the Horn of Africa 23-25 August 2013 aims to
provide perspectives on the complex linkages between natural
resources, conflict and conflict resolution in the Horn of Africa. As
this annual conference has pointed out, the Horn of Africa is
unfortunately entangled by many different complex conflict drivers,
of which some are continuously exacerbated by new local, regional
and global developments.
We as organizers have identified “Natural resources, conflict and
conflict resolution” as a highly relevant topic for the conference
2013. In the region, there is nearly at least one ongoing conflict in
each Horn of African country related either directly or indirectly to
natural resources as a primary driver of the conflict. We witness
today hostilities between the Sudan and the newly established state
of South Sudan, which both desperately need the oil to run their
governments, feed their people and stamp out insurrections.
Many participants during previous conferences have concluded that
competition over access to control of resources leads to conflict in
the Horn Africa region.
The countries in the region share not only political borders and
communities but also freshwater resources in their common river
systems which are important for their socio-economic development
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and environmental conservation for communities and countries
sharing them.
The question of The Nile River-Lake Victoria basin which falls
within 10 countries (Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Uganda, Tanzania,
Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea)
is also relevant to the theme of the conference.
The Horn of African conferences provide a great opportunity for
academics, civil society actors, policy makers, and government
representatives, international organizations to present their
perspectives on and understanding of these linkages between natural
resources, conflict and conflict resolution. In the Horn of Africa
region, there are both intra- and interstate conflicts, and the
conference is a platform to exchange knowledge, experience and
ideas about mechanisms for public policy, local grass roots and
human responses to the natural resource driven conflicts. The
discussions will enlighten participants about countries in the region
that are dependent on water for agricultural commodities and
endowments of oil, or how to pursue strategies of diversification.
Likewise, the conference expects to bring further understanding
around the role of the weak state structure, rebels and grievance
among marginalized or discriminated groups. Furthermore, the
conference aims to bring clarity around needed localized governance
and management systems of extraction processes and better usage of
resource revenues that are controlled by states.
Papers:
The conference calls among others for inter-disciplinary papers
within the following areas:
and#61589;and#61472;Resource wealth causes conflict (greed-based analysis) in the
Horn of Africa
and#61589;and#61472;The power distribution of the central government, the
political structure in (Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan,
Eritrea, Djibouti etc.)
and#61589;and#61472;The setting up of an equitable framework for the
management of the country's (Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan,
South Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea etc.)
and#61589;and#61472;The issue of disputed areas controlled by local groups.
and#61589;and#61472;Natural resources scarcity as a cause of conflicts in the Horn
of Africa
and#61589;and#61472;Conflict causes poverty (costs of conflict analysis) in the
Horn of Africa
and#61589;and#61472;Poverty causes conflict (grievance-based analysis) in the
Horn of Africa
and#61589;and#61472;Joining insurgencies for economic reasons
and#61589;and#61472;Regional Economic Relations – Can Closer Economic Ties
Reduce Conflicts in the Horn of Africa?
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and#61589;and#61472;The role of International community in resolving conflicts
for resources (water, oil, and other minerals) in the Horn of
Africa?
You are invited to send a one page abstract which should include a
working title, the author’s discipline and field, address, institutional
affiliation and e-mail address to either of the conference
coordinators written below before 15th March 2013. Deadline for
the complete paper is 30th May 2013. Papers are expected to be of
high quality. All guest speakers are requested to take an intersectional
approach to their papers. We look forward to receiving
your abstract.
For more information please contact:
Abdillahi Jama, Conference Coordinator
Somalia International Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC)
BOX 974,
220 09 Lund, Sweden,
Tel/fax: +46 46-2114502,
Mobil: +4673-989 75 33,
[email protected], http://www.sirclund.se
Ambassador Count Pietersen,
Conference Co-Coordinator
Somalia International Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC)
BOX 974
220 09 Lund, Sweden
Tel: +46 46-2115269
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
www.sirclund.se