Call for Papers: Terrorism in Africa Workshop
January 28, 2016, University of Oxford
Conveners: Jonathon Earle, Andrea Grant, Andrea Purdeková
Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, ‘terrorism’ has increasingly become a matter of political, public, and academic concern. Yet what exactly do we mean by ‘terrorism’, and how does it apply in an African context? Although recent work has begun investigating terrorism in Africa – principally centred around the groups Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram – a continent-wide, comparative, and interdisciplinary perspective has so far been lacking. It is precisely this perspective that is needed to develop a more robust theoretical and methodological framework to consider the historical and cultural particularities of ‘terrorism’ in Africa. This, in turn, will help us to better understand how various African states and populations have been drawn into the global ‘War on Terror’.
To redress this gap, this workshop aims to bring together scholars from diverse disciplines working on issues related to terrorism across the continent. We invite participants to consider terrorism as both political discourse – addressed to local, regional, and international concerns – and lived experience. How have particular African states been incorporated into the global ‘War on Terror’, and what are the effects of this on social and political life? How has the label of ‘terrorism’ allowed African states to achieve more domestic security goals? What is the lived experience of terrorism for ordinary African citizens? How does ‘terrorist’ violence recall earlier periods of violence in the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras? What is the relationship between religion and terrorism in the African context? Theoretically, what conceptual tools are available to us to develop a more critical approach to terrorism in Africa?
Our aims are as follows:
· To consider ‘terrorism’ over the longue durée, and the various ways the label has been employed in the colonial and post-colonial eras
· To consider terrorism alongside work on (in)security, securitization, and democratization
· To consider terrorism as productive, producing particular kinds of subjects and political effects
· To consider the ways in which claims to ‘truths’ – religious, secular, political – are employed by terrorist organisations and counter-terrorist policies
· To consider terrorism in relation to gender and youth
We welcome papers from a range of disciplines, including but not limited to: anthropology, law, history, political science, religious studies, development studies, and international relations. In order to allow for discussion, presentations will be limited to 20 minutes.
To apply, please send a 300-word abstract to [log in to unmask] by 30th November.
We also ask all those wishing to participate to register their interest through the following link http://terrorisminafrica2016.eventbrite.co.uk
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