Papers by gordon crawford
Journal of the British Academy
Contemporary debates on decolonising knowledge production, inclusive of research on Africa, are c... more Contemporary debates on decolonising knowledge production, inclusive of research on Africa, are crucial and challenge researchers to reflect on the legacies of colonial power relations that continue to permeate the production of knowledge about the continent, its peoples, and societies. Yet these are not new debates. Sixty years ago, Ghana�s first president and pan-Africanist leader, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, highlighted the importance of Africa-centred knowledge. Similarly, in the 1980s, Claude Ake advocated for endogenous knowledge production on Africa. But progress has been slow at best, indicated by the enduring predominance of non-African writers on African issues within leading scholarly journals. Thus, we examine why decolonisation of knowledge production remains so necessary and what can be done within the context of scholarly research in the humanities and social sciences. These questions are addressed at two levels, one more practical and one more reflective . At both levels, issu...
2.1 Armed conflict and conflict resolution 8 2.2 Civil society 8 2.3 Peacebuilding from below 9 2... more 2.1 Armed conflict and conflict resolution 8 2.2 Civil society 8 2.3 Peacebuilding from below 9 2.4 Shrinking civic space 10 3. Background to the Conflict and Civil Society in Cameroon 12 3.1 Colonialism, decolonisation and the post-colonial state in Cameroon 12 3.2 Civil society and the quest for autonomy of English-speaking Cameroon 15 3.3 The state of civic space in Cameroon 17 4. Contributions of CSOs to the Resolution of Cameroon's 'Anglophone' Conflict 20 4.1 Humanitarian action 20 4.2 Peace campaigns 20 4.3 Documentation of human rights violations 24 4.4 Trauma healing 24 4.5 Peace education 25 5. Challenges faced by CSOs 26 5.1 Administrative restrictions and control 26 5.2 CSO-government relations and sector discord 26 5.3 Security threats 27 5.4 Financial challenges 28 6. Strategies to Counter Shrinking Civic Spaces 29 6.1 Awareness raising by CSOs on their role 29 6.2 Documentation and quality of data 29 6.3 Mobilisation, networking and coalition building 30 6.4 Training and sensitisation campaigns 30 6.5 Dialogue and communication 31 7. Conclusion 32 References 35 Contents The study was carried out by researchers from the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (CTPSR)
Foreign Aid and Political Reform, 2001
This chapter is structured in two main parts. First, background information on the introduction o... more This chapter is structured in two main parts. First, background information on the introduction of political aid programmes into development cooperation is provided through an examination of the relevant financial instruments and institutional structures of each donor agency. Second, patterns of total expenditure are explored and compared.
The linkage of development aid to the promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance in... more The linkage of development aid to the promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance in recipient countries stimulated a range of responses from numerous analysts and commentators during the first half of the 1990s. Dubbed the ‘new policy agenda’ (M. Robinson 1994), a variety of issues and questions were raised in the literature. In this chapter, the following themes are identified, with differing perspectives are then explored: the origins of the policy; problems of policy (in)coherence and the lack of conceptual clarity; normative issues concerning policy legitimacy; instrumental questions of policy implementation and likely impact. These are examined, in turn, through a survey of the relevant literature. While there exists a more extensive literature on international aspects of democratisation, this book will confine itself to a review of the narrower set of literature on political conditionality and the promotion of democratisation through development aid.3 One intenti...
Routledge Handbook of Democratization
The European Journal of Development Research, 2005
Journal of Human Rights Practice, 2013
This article assesses the potential of rights-based approaches as a progressive development strat... more This article assesses the potential of rights-based approaches as a progressive development strategy by exploring the extent to which rights can be made real for people living in conditions of material deprivation and social oppression. It does so through a case study of Belim Wusa Development Agency (BEWDA), a small rights-promoting non-governmental organization (NGO) that operates among poor communities in northeast Ghana. It examines the successes of BEWDA, albeit partial and incomplete, in securing human rights, as well as the constraints and challenges faced. Findings highlight elements of a progressive development strategy, notably the focus on the agency and activism of poor and oppressed groups and their articulation of legitimate claims for rights, while also identifying the obstacles posed by the context of dual governance structures-decentralized local government and traditional authority. The research demonstrates a tension between focusing on localized struggles for human rights while the bigger picture of structural constraints and dominant power relations remains largely unchallenged.
Canadian Journal of Development Studies / Revue canadienne d'études du développement, 2014
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
Human Rights Quarterly, 2015
Externe Demokratieförderung durch die Europäische Union European External Democracy Promotion
New Pathways in International Development
Over the past 20 years, there has been a proliferation of ‘transitional justice’ mechanisms (prim... more Over the past 20 years, there has been a proliferation of ‘transitional justice’ mechanisms (primarily, criminal tribunals and truth commissions) that have promised accountability for perpetrators and redress for victims. Most of these mechanisms have focused on the level of the state and on staterelated institutions in countries of the Global South, often supported by intergovernmental organisations. Yet, the performance and impact of such mechanisms has been at best ambiguous and at times disappointing. Furthermore, these interventions have been critiqued for treating the symptoms rather than the causes of conflict.
The global rush to grab resources took an unexpected turn in Ghana recently. With the hike in gol... more The global rush to grab resources took an unexpected turn in Ghana recently. With the hike in gold prices from 2008 onwards, a large influx of foreign miners, especially from China, entered into the artisanal and small-scale mining sector (ASM), despite it being ‘reserved for Ghanaian citizens’ by law. Thus all were working on an illicit basis. An astonishing free-for-all ensued in which Ghanaian and Chinese miners engaged in contestation and conflict over access to gold, as well as collusion and collaboration, a situation described as ‘out of control’ and characterised by ‘a culture of impunity’ at its height in 2012 and 2013. Chinese miners in particular, numbering tens of thousands, introduced mechanisation and new technology, resulting in irrevocable changes to this traditional economic sector in a short space of time. Further, the intensification of mining caused incalculable environmental damage to both land and water bodies. Where was the state in this context? The government...
Built around interviews and personal field notes of authorities and researchers, which really hel... more Built around interviews and personal field notes of authorities and researchers, which really help readers to see what actually happens during field work, this exciting new book gives practical advice on the key aspects of doing ...
Conflict, Security & Development
Over the past decade, Chinese migration to Africa has increased rapidly alongside the expansion o... more Over the past decade, Chinese migration to Africa has increased rapidly alongside the expansion of Chinese economic engagement with the continent. The entrance of new forms of Chinese industry, aid, commerce and resource exploration has been transformative, prompting debates over whether China in Africa is better described as neo-colonialism or a new form of beneficial developmentalism. One of the most dramatic examples of Chinese migration to—and economic engagement with—an African country is the recent gold rush in Ghana, which started in the mid-2000s with the rapid influx of tens of thousands of Chinese small-scale gold miners from a single poor rural county in China, and continues to this day, albeit on a smaller scale. This paper presents a critical examination of how the Chinese miners have been depicted in public, media and academic discourses as a homogenous group, both benefiting from Ghanaian gold extraction and impacting their surroundings in generally uniform ways. Draw...
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Papers by gordon crawford