This paper presents the results of a short-term research project conducted in 2017/2018 on the various ways in which migration and land dynamics in West Africa are intertwined. Contrary to much... Show moreThis paper presents the results of a short-term research project conducted in 2017/2018 on the various ways in which migration and land dynamics in West Africa are intertwined. Contrary to much conventional (policy) thinking in the European Union (EU) today, our point of departure is not that migration is the problem to be solved – nor that (access to) land is the straightforward means to discouraging migration. Drawing on local case studies in four West African countries, this research aims to shed light on the various relationships between migration and land, and to analyze to what extent they may contribute to or obstruct (local) inclusive and sustainable development in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Benin. In doing so, we aim to offer food for thought concerning possible ways for making the connection between migration and land more fruitful and productive for as many people as possible, especially in relation to the opportunities and constraints facing different categories of West African youth. Show less
The Sahel has gained attention in international politics as one of the central theatres in the war on terrorism. International actors in this war seek alliances with states in the region,... Show moreThe Sahel has gained attention in international politics as one of the central theatres in the war on terrorism. International actors in this war seek alliances with states in the region, reinforcing the latter’s military strength and their legitimacy from outside. At the same time, increasingly-connected young populations question the legitimacy of their states, and contest that legitimacy from within and below. In the absence of states delivering any reasonable form of social contract, young people become torn between different governing orders and find themselves in a liminal space. In this article we present the cases of youth in Mali and Chad, who find themselves in a period of re-definition of their position in society and hence search for legitimate structures representation. In this search they may frame their belonging in terms of ethnicity, religion or political opposition – and increasingly also in adherence to global citizenship. New information flows and connectivity among young people in these regions, and between them and the diaspora, has given a new turn to their search for citizenship/belonging and rightful representation. However, whether their search will be successful in this geopolitical context is questionable. Show less
This thesis explores the postwar reintegration strategies of young women who had forcibly become affiliated with one of the fighting factions during the ten years of civil war in Sierra Leone.... Show moreThis thesis explores the postwar reintegration strategies of young women who had forcibly become affiliated with one of the fighting factions during the ten years of civil war in Sierra Leone. Instead of conceptualizing reintegration as the result of policies, the author defines it as the dynamic process that revolves around the (re-)establishment of relations between the individual and social networks. The thesis seeks to understand how the local meaning of the social identities 'youth' and 'female gender' affect the course of this process. It demonstrates how the social and cultural identity of the women as either daughters or wives influenced their decision to return or not to their former community and how they constantly have to negotiate their social identities in the community in order to integrate into new networks. Data collected during six months of fieldwork in Sierra Leone in 2003-2004 provide the basis for describing how reintegration is highly diversified and contextual. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
The study of sexuality in Ethiopia has until now remained largely the domain of medical scientists, public health professionals and epidemiologists; barely touched upon by sociologists,... Show moreThe study of sexuality in Ethiopia has until now remained largely the domain of medical scientists, public health professionals and epidemiologists; barely touched upon by sociologists, anthropologists and other social scientists. To the author's knowledge, no study has been carried out about the perceptions of different sexual practices in Ethiopia. This book is therefore a pioneering work that explores how young people in the Ethiopian town of Dessie express their sexuality and are experiencing HIV/AIDS in their daily lives. It also considers how poverty and other related structural factors are linked to HIV/AIDS infection and other processes affecting the sexuality of young people, how young people and key informants receive, interpret and evaluate ongoing interventions, and what can be done to reduce infection rates. The book provides insights into the role and interrelationship of the underlying structural, social and cultural factors in the context of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention. Show less
This volume contains a range of original studies on the controversial role of youth in politics, conflicts and rebellious movements in Africa. A common aim of the studies is to try and explain why... Show moreThis volume contains a range of original studies on the controversial role of youth in politics, conflicts and rebellious movements in Africa. A common aim of the studies is to try and explain why patterns of generational conflict and violent response among younger age groups in Africa are showing such a remarkably uneven spread across the continent. An introduction by Jon Abbink (Being young in Africa: the politics of despair and renewal) is follwed by three parts: 1. Historical perspectives on youth as agents of change (Murray Last on youth in Muslim northern Nigeria, 1750-2000; G. Thomas Burgess on youth in revolutionary Zanzibar); 2. State, crisis and the mobilization of youth (Peter Mwangi Kagwanja on youth identity and the politics of transition in Kenya, 1997-2002; Karel Arnaut on youth and the politics of history in C“te d'Ivoire; Jok Madut Jok on the position of youth in South Sudan; Piet Konings on anglophone university students and anglophone nationalist struggles in Cameroon; and Sara Rich Dorman on youth and politics in Eritrea); 3. Interventions: dealing with youth in crisis (Yves Marguerat on street children in Lom‚, Togo; Angela McIntyre on the phenomenon of child soldiers in Africa; Simon Simonse on failed Statehood and the violence of young male pastoralists in the Horn of Africa; and Krijn Peters on the reintegration of young ex-combatants in Sierra Leone). [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
