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Evènement Posté le 08:30 04-05-2023, modifié le 08:30 04-05-2023 par Tournons la Page
Co-organized by Cornell University, Northwestern University and Sciences Po, in partnership Tournons La Page and Politique africaine.
PLACE : Amphithéâtre Simone Veil - 28 rue des Saints-Pères - 75007 Paris
DATE : From 16 to 17 May 2023
In the 2010s, African civil society organizations got increasingly involved in public debates about constitutional changes (especially on the limitation of presidential terms), and the freedom of expression. Civic movements tried to coalesce and bring about new debates about the meaning of democracy and whether it actually had delivered in their country. With some differences, they elaborated new narratives on the legacy of colonial time that further questioned foreign military interventions and the essence of their national sovereignty.
In the 2020s, mobilization against French engagement rose all over the Sahel region. This was the unsurprising outcome of these debates as well as a surge in defiance of France’s policy towards Africa and new activism on social networks. Military take-over in several West African countries was met with ambivalence by these activists. How to account for this growing uncertain relation between citizen movements, praetorian restorations and new international configurations? This conference will tackle these controversial issues by bringing together academics and civic movements activists, mostly members of the pan-African coalition Tournons la page.
More content on the general argument and the abstracts of each panel.
Please register here (mandatory)
Day 1 - Tuesday, May 16
9:30 : Official Opening Speeches
Panel 1 - 10:00 - 11:15
Democratic progress in Africa, 1990-2023: Stylized facts and hypotheses about the Future
Nic van de Walle, Cornell University
Speakers : Mohammed Tozy, IREMAM, Aix en Provence - Marc Ona Essangui, Tournons la Page (TLP), President
Panel 2 - 11:30 - 13:15
Democratic Backsliding and Resilience: Opening Democratic Space Through Opposition Strategies
Speakers : Elhadji Idi Abdou, TLP-Niger
Panel 3 - 14:45 -17:45
Speaker : Brigitte Ameganvi, TLP – Togo/France
Jour 2 / Day 2 - Mercredi 17 mai - Wednesday, May 16
Panel 4 - 9:30 -11:30
Speaker : Paul Samangassou, TLP
