Youth in Eastern Africa: past and present perspectives


          A conference co-organised by the British Institute in Eastern Africa
and the Institut Français de Recherche en Afrique (Nairobi)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The French Institute for Research in Africa (Nairobi) and the British
Institute in Eastern Africa invite submissions for a forthcoming
conference on youth in Eastern Africa scheduled to be held in Nairobi,
Kenya, in July 2006. The geographical focus will be on Eastern Africa
from Tanzania and the Great Lakes region north to Sudan and the Horn.

It is a frequently observed fact that contemporary Africa is (and has
been for some time past) demographically characterised above all else
by its youthfulness. In Eastern Africa the median age of the population
is now 17.5, with over 65 percent of the population 24 or under.
Despite their numerical predominance, however, youth in Eastern Africa
are poorly represented in regional political and economic structures.
At the same time, academic knowledge of this group is relatively
undeveloped. This conference seeks to address lacunae in the existing
scholarship, and to bring together the growing number of researchers
from diverse disciplines with an interest in the study of youth from
contemporary and historical perspectives.

A number of themes have been highlighted (although these are by no
means exclusive and suggestions for panels on alternative themes are
encouraged). These include:

Defining youth, intergenerational and gender relations: Which groups
constitute youth in the Eastern African context, and how (and why) does
this differ with international interpretations? How is this determined
by and/or reflected in socially organised age structures, and the
distribution of power and authority? How has socio-cultural and
economic change impacted on such definitions, and on inter-generational
relations, over the past century (or more)? To what extent do gender
identities impact upon those of youth?

Demography and health: How have well-established trends of an
increasingly youthful population been influenced by wider social
change? Conversely, how have social phenomena such as gender and
generational relations, ecological balance and urbanisation been shaped
by Eastern Africa’s shifting demography? What is the historical and
contemporary relationship between youth, health and disease?

Socialisation and control: How has traditional authority and/or the
state sought to harness youthful energy? What role has education
(and/or other institutions such as Youth Councils or the Scouts) played
in the formation of colonial subjects and postcolonial citizens? To
what extent has delinquency been (or perceived to have been) a
characteristic of young Africans’ behaviour, and what measures have
been adopted to counteract rebellious youth?

The political economy of youth: What role has youth played in local
politics – either directly through party youth leagues, political gangs
and the like, or indirectly as a result of demographic preponderance?
To what extent has class influenced and/or reinforced the social role
and status of youth (or segments thereof)? How has a growing young
population influenced socio-economic phenomena such as child labour,
unemployment and the informal economy, and with what political
ramifications? What position do youth occupy in rural agricultural
economies/societies and how has this impacted upon demographic patterns
such as rural-urban migration?

Marginalisation and violence: Have elders and the state conspired to
reduce the influence of the region’s demographic young majority? What
have been the conditions for the emergence and persistence of
marginalised youth groups, notably the growing number to be found
living in and off the street? How has war impacted upon the region’s
youth? How, where and why have the human rights of Eastern African
youth been abused?

Culture and mentalities: What have been (and are) the dominant cultural
expressions of youth? To what extent have these represented a challenge
to a gerontocratic social order? What role have youth played in local
religious movements and to what extent has this reflected inter-
generational tensions? To what extent have the interests of youth found
organisational or institutional expression?

We are aiming to bring together a broad range of researchers and
lobbyists with an interest in addressing the position of youth in
Eastern African societies. Alongside academics, we expect this to
include NGO workers, human rights activists, and representatives from
the local and international media.

Those interested in participating should provide a 1-3 page abstract of
the proposed paper including a discussion of the data upon which the
paper will be based. In addition, a brief (1-3 page) curriculum vitae
should also be provided. These should be sent by email to Dr. Hélène
Charton-Bigot at ifra2@iconnect.co.ke, or by post to IFRA, PO Box
58480, 0200 City Square, Nairobi; and/or to Dr. Andrew Burton by email
at andrew.burton@africaonline.co.ke, or by post to The British
Institute in Eastern Africa, Box 30710, 00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya, by
23rd December 2005. A publication of selected papers is expected to
result from the conference.

Conference registration fee: US$ 100. International Students: $50.
African participants: KShs.3,000.