Strengthening Popular Participation in the African Union

Strengthening Popular Participation in the African Union

Author: Oxfam

Publisher: African Books Collective

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 1920355243

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The African Union (AU) has committed to a vision of Africa that is "integrated, prosperous and peaceful ... driven by its own citizens, a dynamic force in the global arena" (Vision and Mission of the African Union, May 2004). Strengthening Popular Participation in the African Union aims to take up the challenge of achieving this vision. It is a tool to assist activists to engage with AU policies and programmes. It describes the AU decision-making process and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the AU institutions. This guide aims to help those organizations that wish to engage the AU but do not currently know where to start by providing an outline of the key institutions and processes and suggesting ways to influence them. The guide is divided into three sections: *Part 1: A description of AU organs and institutions. *Part 2: Suggestions on how to influence AU decisions and policy processes. *Part 3: A summary of the debate to restructure the AU into a "Union Government."


Know the Beginning Well

Know the Beginning Well

Author: K. Y. Amoako

Publisher:

Published: 2019-11

Total Pages: 506

ISBN-13: 9781569026311

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With this book, the author offers a personal look at some of the landmark policies, people, and institutions that have shaped Africa's post-independence history - and will continue to shape its future. It is a true inside account - told from a very personal perspective - of the evolution of African development over the last five decades.


African Solutions

African Solutions

Author: Tšoeu Petlane

Publisher: Jacana Media

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13: 1920196323

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"African Solutions is a result of research into the policies, programmes and experiences identified as best practices in the Country Review Reports (CRRs) of twelve countries published under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. The research was commissioned and coordinated by the Governance and APRM Programme of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). To justify this inquiry, they argued, among others, that with the APRM conceived a voluntary mechanism, and in the absence of 'hard pressure' for compliance, incentives - rather than sanctions - could be the way to strengthen the APRM. Thus the importance of best practices: as templates and models for reform, and as a counterbalance to the temptation to concentrate on what is not working in Africa. In this book, therefore, best practices identified in the twelve CRRs are examined critically and methodically with a view to understanding: how they are conceptualised within the APRM (including their definition and how they are intended to be used to achieve the desired results); how the items reported as best practices qualify to be regarded as such in the sense of being demonstrably better than the rest, replicable and addressing APRM goals; and how they can be strengthened for use as material from peer learning within the APRM and around the continent"--Back cover.


The African Union

The African Union

Author: Samuel M. Makinda

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-07-07

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1317420284

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Fully revised and updated, the second edition of The African Union continues to offer the most comprehensive overview of the work of the African Union (AU), with special emphasis on its capacity to meet the challenges of building and sustaining governance institutions and security mechanisms. This new edition: Re-examines the African Union at the historic moment of the golden jubilee of the OAU, its predecessor. It examines the AU’s efforts in its first decade, points out some of the organization’s weaknesses, and posits options for addressing more effectively the challenges of peace, security, and governance in coming years. Critically reviews several arrangements and initiatives, including the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Analyses performance of key institutions and programs of the AU, including the Commission, the Executive Council, the Assembly, and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) as well as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Discusses how far instability and insecurity on the continent are consequences of bad governance and the lack of strategic leadership. Considers how the absence of a clearly articulated ideology may undermine the implementation of the AU Agenda. In addition to offering revised and updated chapters throughout, this edition includes one new chapter, which critically discusses the AU’s new international partnerships. With an emphasis on the current work of the AU and a view to the future of the organization, this book is essential reading for students and scholars researching African Politics and international organizations.


Selected Themes in African Political Studies

Selected Themes in African Political Studies

Author: Lucky Asuelime

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-08-04

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 3319060015

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Against the background of a long and continuing record of political instability in Africa, this edited collection presents a multi-disciplinary approach to selected issues in African political studies. The contributions explore a range of political and conflict situations, discuss efforts to develop indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms and consider some of the key political and economic issues facing the continent. The specific country studies illuminate the diversity of the African continent and indicate the ways in which the political and socio-economic contexts of African states bear directly upon the ability of states to solve political and economic challenges. The volume seeks to present and promote novel analytical frameworks, conceptual approaches and empirical accounts of relevance to scholars working on Africa and to practitioners and policy makers in politics, governance and peace initiatives in Africa.


Contesting Sovereignty

Contesting Sovereignty

Author: Joel Ng

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-07-22

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 1108490611

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Examines and compares diplomatic practices and normative change in the African Union and ASEAN.


The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism

The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism

Author: Tanja A. Börzel

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 705

ISBN-13: 0199682305

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The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Regionalism - the first of its kind - offers a systematic and wide-ranging survey of the scholarship on regionalism, regionalization, and regional governance. Unpacking the major debates, leading authors of the field synthesize the state of the art, provide a guide to the comparative study of regionalism, and identify future avenues of research. Twenty-seven chapters review the theoretical and empirical scholarship with regard to the emergence of regionalism, the institutional design of regional organizations and issue-specific governance, as well as the effects of regionalism and its relationship with processes of regionalization. The authors explore theories of cooperation, integration, and diffusion explaining the rise and the different forms of regionalism. The handbook also discusses the state of the art on the world regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Eurasia, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Various chapters survey the literature on regional governance in major issue areas such as security and peace, trade and finance, environment, migration, social and gender policies, as well as democracy and human rights. Finally, the handbook engages in cross-regional comparisons with regard to institutional design, dispute settlement, identities and communities, legitimacy and democracy, as well as inter- and transregionalism.


The African Union and Its Institutions

The African Union and Its Institutions

Author: John Akokpari

Publisher: Jacana Media

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13:

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Written by eminent scholars on Africa and practitioners who have worked in or with the African Union (AU), this report brings together the analysis and research of 17 largely Pan-African scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society representatives. A particularly timely and welcome addition to the pioneering literature about this young and potentially powerful institution, this analysis presents a positive but realistic picture of the AU while diagnosing several key challenges, including Africa’s security and governance problems.


The African Peer Review Mechanism

The African Peer Review Mechanism

Author: Ross Herbert

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13:

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"The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is an innovative approach to improving African governance. It offers important opportunities for public dialogue but has proved politically and logistically challenging. The first in-depth study of the APRM, this ground-breaking book analyses the evolving peer review process in the first five countries. The product of a five-year research and training programme, it combines in-depth analysis of the APRM rules with an insightful evaluation of the political and social dynamics. Drawing on extensive interviews across the continent, it offers sounds recommendations to strengthen the process and deepen public participation. An invaluable resource for civil society and governments, this volume includes an interactive APRM Toolkit CD-ROM with the official APRM guidelines, final country reports, survey instruments, academic papers, video testimonials and a comprehensive collection of the governance codes and standards embraced by the APRM."--Back cover.