AFRICA AND CONFLICT: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND CURES

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, MAXWELL SCHOOL, WASHINGTON DC

Dr. Constance J. Freeman, Adjunct Professor

FALL SEMESTER, 2012

DRAFT COURSE OUTLINE

(Subject to Change before Sept. 2012)

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

THE PHILOSOPHY UNDER-PINING THIS GRADUATE COURSE IS TO MAKE THE STUDY OF CONFLICT IN AFRICA “LIVE” FOR STUDENTS IN A WAY WHICH TAKES IT OUT OF THE REALM OF THE PURELY THEORETICAL INTO SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE AND THUS POTENTIALLY APPLICABLE “ON THE GROUND.” THUS THE THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONSOF THE FIRST HALF WILL GIVE WAY TO MORE PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN THE FORM OF CASE STUDIES IN LEADERSHIP AND OF THREE MAJOR CURRENT CONFLICT AREAS: MALI AND THE SAHEL, SUDAN, AND CONGO. WHILE HISTORICAL CONTENT WILL BE REFERRED TO THROUGHOUT, THE PRIMARY TIME SPAN OF FOCUS WILL BE THE TWENTY YEARS FROM THE END OF THE COLD WAR TO THE PRESENT. STUDENT PARTICIPATION WILL BE EMPHASIZED, PARTICULARLY IN THE FORM OF CONTINUOUS APPLICATION OF THE THREE CASE STUDIES OF INTEREST. WHERE APPROPRIATE, GUEST SPEAKERS WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE ON PARTICULAR TOPICS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO ADD “REALITY” TO THE DISCUSSIONS.

OUTLINE

September 6: Introduction:

  • Class Outline, Concepts, Expectations and Assignments
  • Is Africa Unique?
  • Conflict/Warfare in the African Context
  • Why Does it Matter?

September 13:Causes: Political

  • State Control,
  • Ethnicity and Religion

September 20:Causes: Political

  • Militias and Small Arms Trade

Indexes and Measures:

  • Fund for Peace, Failed State Index asexample

Pauline Baker,President Emeritus, Fund for Peace

September 27:Causes: Economic

  • Poverty
  • Resources
  • Corruption

October 4:Consequences: Transformation (Peace versus Equity)

  • Wars of Liberation
  • Cold War and Democratization

October 11:Consequences: Destruction

  • Strongest Impact on Vulnerable: Women, Rape, Children
  • Economic Devastation, Infrastructure, Business, Agriculture

October 18:Cures (Remedies):

  • Negotiations,with an emphasis on Track II

Steve McDonald, Wilson Center, Leadership and Building State Capacity Program (invited)

  • Truth and Reconciliation Approaches

October 25:Cures (Remedies): Conflict Resolution and Leadership

Guest Speaker: Susan Collin Marks, Vice President,

Search for Common Ground

November 1:Leadership:

  • Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe
  • Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda

Michael Southwick, former US Ambassador to Uganda

November 8:Leadership and Career Night

  • Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President, Liberia:

Stephen Cashin, Pan African Capital Group and long-term political associate Johnson-Sirleaf (invited)

  • Panel Discussion of Career Options

November 15/29: Case Study Presentations from Student Groups

  • Mali/Sahel,
  • Congo
  • Sudan
  • Commonalities and Disparities in Case Studies

December 6:Role of the Outside World

  • International Intervention
  • Peace Building
  • Humanitarian Relief

December 13:Final Wrap-Up

  • Discussion of Final Papers
  • Left over/out Topics
  • General Evaluation and Ideas for Next Year

BASIC BOOKS

THESE THREE BOOKS PROVIDE BASIC BACKGROUND FOR THE COURSE AND WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY A LARGER BOOK-LIST FROM WHICH STUDENTS WILL CHOOSE TO WRITE “BOOK-PAPERS” TO SHARE WITH COLLEAGUES, THUS EXPANDING THE MATERIAL WHICH CAN BE REVIEWED BY ALL.

Meredith, Martin, The Fate of Africa, A History of Fifty Years of Independence. US: Public Affairs of the Perseus Books Group, 2005 (This book is long, 700 pages, but will be particularly useful to students who are relatively new to the study of Africa. Written by a journalist; it is an easy read.)

Bates, Robert, When Things Fell Apart, State Failure in Late-Century Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008 (A quick read, the authorweaves together a variety of different theories of causes and consequences of conflict into his own interpretation which he then applies to specific cases. Very readable, this book includes extensive references and a rich biography.)

Williams, Paul, War and Conflict in Africa. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2011. (A much more formidable undertaking, this book emphasizes political factors although it does a thorough study of the field including international intervention.)

STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS

In addition to preparing for the topic of each week in order to participate fully in the class discussion, students will be evaluated on their performance on the following:

1. Working Groups for Case Studies: At the first class meeting, working groups will be formed to cover each of the three conflict areas: Mali, Congo and Sudan. Each week, students will delegate one member of the group to give brief (five minute) updates on the conflict situation in the relevant country. The last few sessions of the course will be devoted to student group presentations of the overall country-conflict case studies, based on the theoretical concepts covered in the class and student research throughout the semester.

2. Book Paper: Each student will chose a book from the expanded list (to be provided) upon which to write a short (3-5 pages) book paper which summarizes the main themes of the book, identifies critical or new insights and makes recommendations to fellow students. These papers will be circulated within the class so everyone can benefit.

3. Final Essays: On the last day of class, students will turn in a final analytical essay on the themes of the class, based upon questions which will be distributed half-way through the class. These essays are designed to demonstrate overall acquisition of the material, creative thinking and application of general concepts to specific situations including the conflict case the student covered.

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