Africa: CODESRIA: Democratic Governance Institute 2009

CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute

Theme: Security companies and Democratic Governance in Africa

Date: 03 -28 August, 2009

Venue: Dakar, Senegal

Call for applications for the 2009 Session

The CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute is an interdisciplinary forum which brings together African scholars undertaking innovative research on topics related to the broad theme of governance. The aim of the Institute is to promote research and debates on issues connected to the conduct of public affairs and the management of the development process in Africa. The Institute was launched in 1992 and has been held every year since then in Dakar, Senegal. It serves the critical function of forging links among a younger generation of African scholars and intellectuals by meeting their scientific needs in terms of access to recent documentation, participation in current debates, retooling of their research capacities and the updating of their conceptual, theoretical and methodological approaches. Increasingly, the Institute appeals to the interests of African policy intellectuals and civil society activists as well, thereby allowing a judicious mix of researchers, activities and policy makers to be achieved in the admission of participants. In general, a total of 15 African scholars from across the continent and the Diaspora and a few non-African scholars participate in the Institute each year.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Governance Institute are to:

1. encourage the sharing of experiences among researchers, activists and policy makers from different disciplines , methodological and conceptual orientations and geographical/linguistic zones on a common theme over an extended period of time;

2. promote and enhance a culture of democratic values that allows Africans to effectively identify and tackle governance issues confronting their continent; and

3. foster the participation of scholars in discussions and debates about the processes of democratization taking place in Africa.

Organisation

The activities of all CODESRIA Institutes centre on presentations made by resident researchers, visiting resource persons and the participants whose applications for admission as laureates are successful. The sessions are led by a scientific director who with the help of invited resource persons ensures that the laureates are exposed to a wide range of research and policy issues generated by or arising from the theme of the Institute for which they are responsible. Open discussions drawing on books and articles relevant to the theme of a particular institute or a specific topic within the theme are also encouraged. Each participant selected to participate in any of the Council’s institutes as a laureate is required to prepare a research paper to be presented during the course of the particular institute they attend. Laureates are expected to produce a revised version of their research papers for consideration for publication by CODESRIA. For each Institute, CODESRIA Documentation and Information Centre (CODICE) prepares a comprehensive bibliography on the theme of the year. Access is also facilitated to a number of documentation centers in and around Dakar.

The 2009 Session: Security Companies and Democratic Governance in Africa

One key manifestation of the crisis of governance in Africa is the rise of insecurity, not only of the state but also of ordinary life in cities, on interstate highways and in the countrysides of some countries.

Although the state of human security is already now a subject of extensive research, very little is known about the evolution, growth and impact of security companies on democratic governance in Africa. The absence of a coherent and systematic body of knowledge on this sector is a major limitation to understanding the current and changing nature of state power as it impacts on populations in various African urban areas.

The issue of individual, household, community and national security in Africa is increasingly gaining currency because of a number of reasons. The perceived illegitimacy of some African governments, combined with widening gaps between the rich and poor, high unemployment rates , declining quality of educational institutions and the continuous scramble for scarce resources, has led to an increase in individual and household insecurity in most African urban areas. The search for domestic security is reflected in the increased fortification of wealthy houses by electric fences, walled and gated communities as well as neighborhood watches, community vigilante groups and armed guards. Where households can not afford to pay for sophisticated security, at the very least, burglar bars are installed on windows and voluntary neighborhood watches are established. All these activities, fed by real and imagined fears of familial and bodily harm, and the loss of domestic goods, are a response to increased insecurity.

There is evidence to suggest that IMF and World Bank Structural Adjustment programmes have created loopholes which have allowed many African governments to abdicate the role of caring for, and protecting citizens, leaving “free market forces” and private companies to fill the gap. Whether this privatization of security has led to a reduction in the size of police forces is unclear, but it has opened up areas in security provision that used to be the purview of the police. Most of these private security companies are run by former and retired police officers who have the technical know how.

Various armed struggles and civil strife have left large caches of arms in many African countries. A lucrative market in the selling and buying of arms has resulted, which provides both a threat and an opportunity for those in the business of providing security. Whether it is matter of a demand for security calling for the supply of arms, or rather a demand for security deliberately created to absorb a supply of arms, remains to be seen. In addition, the end of armed struggle or civil unrest in post – conflict states, also means that there are a large number of people with military skills in need of employment; who can easily be absorbed by security companies.

The relative demise of old forms of militarism in the forms of coups and military governance has not been replaced by the long awaited peace dividend. Instead, there has been a new military politics characterized by privatized violence, global security companies and armed conflict.

Under the Bush administration, the United States has used the guise of global democracy to enforce its National Security policy and strategy across the globe, and particularly in Africa and the Middle East. 9/11 resulted in such measures as facial and ethnic “profiling”, intrusive and intensified searches at airports and ever expanding lists of banned substances on flights, in the search for “terrorists”. Most of these security measures meant very little for the African continent but were imposed nevertheless. America’s globalised insecurities created an atmosphere of insecurity in Africa.

There is a lot of money involved in the business of providing security. Not only does good security not come cheap, but individuals pay double for the service, first in the form of taxes to purchase security services that are never provided by governments, then secondly by paying directly to the security companies. The fundamental questions that need to be addressed by this Institute are; - who gains from Africa’s increasing insecurity? (Globally locally); what is gained?

Who gains from the activities of security companies? (Globally, locally); who controls them?

But to get to these seemingly obvious questions, one needs to address a few other basic questions:

1. Is the private provisioning of security services an asset or a liability for governance and democracy in Africa?

2. What are the different types of security companies operating in different African countries? Who owns these companies? Who funds their activities? Who are the clientele? Security companies are not homogenous and may include a whole range of companies from the basic uniformed guard with only a baton stick to an armored car with heavy weapons. There are different types of security, including domestic security, industrial security, state security; and the protection of civilians.

3. A look at the evolution and growth of security companies-are security companies increasingly gaining hold in the provision of security in various African countries?

4. What factors may explain the growing insecurity in African urban areas?

5. What is the relationship between private security companies and state security organs such as the police, national armies and paramilitary and other government institutions?

6. In what ways do various governments use security companies to further strengthen and entrench their power and control over ordinary people?

7. Exploring the links between security companies and democratic governance in Africa. In particular, do the internal structures, personnel, and operations of security companies encourage or inhibit democracy?

8. Globalization and security companies in Africa.

9. What is the relationship between private security and good or bad political and financial governance and accountability in Africa?

10. How do security companies protect their individual, corporate or national clients from armed state or non- state actors?

The focus on security companies offers chances to explore the shift from blatant militarization to more subtle methodologies of exercise of state power and control. In some cases, however, there may be an adversarial or competitive relationship between security organizations and governments, and/or regional organizations, and it is useful to be aware of these tensions. It also brings into focus the dangers of accepting global rhetoric like democracy, human rights, international security without understanding the dominant hegemonic forces that drive these seemingly innocent concepts. Domestic/household security and the threat of bodily harm can be used by African governments to exploit the basic fears of their own people. If governments can not provide something as basic as security for their own people, it becomes questionable what role they actually play.

The Director

For every session of its various institutes, CODESRIA appoints an external scholar with a proven track-record of quality work to provide intellectual leadership. Directors are senior scholars known for their expertise on the topic of the Institute and originality of their thinking on it. They are recruited on the basis of a proposal which they submit and which contains a detailed course outline covering methodological issues and approaches ; key concepts integral to an understanding of the objectives of a particular Institute, and the specific theme that will be focused upon; a thorough review of the literature; a discussion of various subthemes, case studies and comparative examples relevant to the theme of the particular Institute they are applying to lead; and possible policy questions that are worth keeping in mind during the entire research process. Candidates for the position of Director should also note that if their application is successful, they will be asked to:

- identify resource persons to help lead discussions and debates;

- participate in the selection of laureates;

- design the course for the session, including the specific sub-themes

- deliver a set of lectures and provide a critique of the papers presented by the resource persons or laureates;

- Submit a written scientific report on the session.

The Director is also expected to (co)-edit the revised versions of the papers presented by the resource persons with a view of submitting them for publication in one of CODESRIA’s collections. The Director also assists CODESRIA in assessing the papers presented by laureates for publication by the Council.

Resource Persons

Lectures to be delivered at the Institute are intended to offer laureates an opportunity to advance their reflections on the theme of the programme and on their research topics. Resource persons are therefore senior scholars in their mid careers who have published extensively on the topic, and who have a significant contribution to make to the debates on it. They will be expected to produce lecture materials which serve as link pieces that stimulate laureates to engage in discussion and debate around the lectures and the general body of literature available on the theme.

Once selected, resource persons will be expected to:

- submit a copy of their lectures for reproduction and distribution to participants not later than on week before the lecture begins;

- deliver their lectures, participate in debates and comment on the research proposals of laureates;

- Review and submit the revised version of their research papers for consideration for publication by CODESRIA not later than two months following their presentations.

Laureates

Applicants should be African researchers who have completed their university and /or professional training, with proven capacity to carry out research on the theme of the Institute. Intellectuals active in the policy process and/or social movements /civic organizations are also encouraged to apply. The number of places offered by CODESRIA at each session of its institutes is limited to fifteen (15) fellowships. Non-African scholars who are able to raise funds for their participation may also apply for a limited number of places.

Applications

Applicants for the position of Director should submit the following:

1. an application letter

2. a proposal, not more than 15 pages in length indicating the course outline and showing in what ways the course would be original and responsive to the needs of the prospective laureates, specifically focusing on the issues to be covered from the point of view of concepts and methodology, a critical review of the literature and the range of issues arising from the theme of the Institute;

3. a detailed and up to date curriculum vitae

4. Three writing samples.

Applications for the position of Resource Persons should include:

1. an application letter;

2. two writing samples;

3. a curriculum vitae;

4. a proposal of not more that five (5) pages in length, out lining the issues to be covered in their proposed lecture.

Applications for Laureates should include;

1. an application letter;

2. a letter indicating institutions or organizational affiliation;

3. a curriculum vitae;

4. a research proposal (two copies and not more than 10 pages) including a descriptive analysis of the work the applicant intends to undertake, an outline of the theoretical interest of the topic chosen by the applicant, the relationship of the topic to the problematic and concerns of the theme of the 2009 Institute and

5. two reference letters from scholars and/or researchers known for their competence and expertise in the candidate’s research area (geographic and disciplinary), including their names, addresses and telephone, email and fax numbers.

An independent committee composed of outstanding African social science researchers will select the candidates to be admitted to the Institute.

The deadline for the submission of applications is set for 31st May, 2009. The Institute will be held in Dakar, Senegal from the 03- 28 August, 2009.

All applications or requests for further information should be addressed to:

CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute

Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop x Canal IV

BP 3304, CP 18524,

Dakar, Senegal.

Tel: (221) 33 825 98 21/22/23

Fax : (221) 33 824 12 89.

Email: [email][email protected]

Website: http://www.codesria.org