Borderland Communities, Rural Livelihoods and Sustainable Development in Africa

The workshop brings together postgraduate students, early career researchers and practitioners interested in the everyday lives of people in the margins, particularly borderland and rural communities in Africa. The workshop will discuss African communities’ experiences at the backdrop of conflicts, wars, socio-economic crises, climate change, hunger, famine, pandemics, terrorism, and transnational organised crimes across the continent. Amid various challenges bedevilling sustainable development in Africa, much attention has often been given to the macro dynamics of such occurrences, for instance, the impact of climate change and pandemics on states’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). There has been little attention paid to the lives of individuals residing in state marginal areas. Focussing on borderland and rural communities in Eastern and southern Africa, therefore, this workshop seeks to draw parallels in the experiences of households and individuals residing in borderlands and rural areas across the continent. The main objective of the workshop is to explore empirical research that informs policy aimed at enhancing sustainable development for the respective communities in 21^st Century Africa.

Workshop Objectives

1. To provide a platform for early career researchers to discuss challenges in borderland communities, survival strategies and possible ways of improving lives in African state margins.
2. To facilitate dialogue between development practitioners and scholars to explore interdisciplinary approaches to sustainable livelihoods analysis.
3. To examine the historical trends in borderland studies and impact on policymaking in Africa.
4. To explore emerging trends and new perspectives in sustainable development and rural communities’ livelihoods in an era of global climate change.
5. To popularise YSI Africa working group in Tanzania and Eastern Africa. The workshop also encourages networking and collaboration among participants, fostering the exchange of ideas and potential research partnerships in Africa.

Workshop Structure

The workshop will span over a period of two days day and consists of two keynote speeches, paper presentations, and interactive discussions.

Discussion Themes

1. Border regimes, border economies, borderland communities’ everyday lived experiences and survival strategies.
2. Climate change, peasant agriculture, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development in Africa.
3. Human-Wildlife Conflicts & Human-to-Human conflicts over wildlife in rural communities of Africa.

Speakers

Two keynote speakers will be invited:

1. Dr Alemayehu Erkihun –  Wollo University, Ethiopia.

2. TBA

Call for Papers:

• We invite early career researchers and scholars to submit abstracts (200 words max) related to the conference themes stated above.  All applications should be sent  to tevewangu@gmail.com by the 31st of July 2024. Selected abstracts will be presented during the workshop, opening broader discussions on the workshop themes. Travel stipends will be provided for the selected participants.