The notion of citizenship, both as formal-legal concept and as discourse, is central to democratic politics as well as to ideas about equitable and inclusive development. In liberal democracies the right to vote is granted to formal citizens, and the concept of citizenship is widely used in discourses about inclusive development. Moreover, citizenship as a form of belonging is proposed as a key issue in every discussion on local and world politics and development perspectives. The politicization of citizenship values and rights, therefore, is both a central element in debates about state, nation, development and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa in a historical perspective, and a significant viewpoint from which to interrogate how global ideas and practices on democratic politics and progressive development emerge in this continent. This introductory discussion considers, first, how issues of local attachment and identity have been raised by the western debate on citizenship with regard to the ‘post-colonial problem’. Next, it takes into consideration the emergence of the local factor and the autochthony discourses in the politics of sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, and how issues of belonging are perpetuated by both popular strategies and national good governance policies in the context of democratisation. In this regard, an argument is be presented about Mozambique and a comparison is be made with the situation in the Ivory Coast. Then, it is be argued that ‘global’ values and ideas about politics, development and democracy have been channeled and negotiated into local politics in sub-Saharan Africa in past historical conjunctures also. This final section also shows how the above themes are addressed by the chapters included in this book
Transmitting and Negotiating Paradigms on Citizenship, State and Development in sub-Saharan Africa: Introducing a Discussion on Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Dynamics
TORNIMBENI, CORRADO
2013
Abstract
The notion of citizenship, both as formal-legal concept and as discourse, is central to democratic politics as well as to ideas about equitable and inclusive development. In liberal democracies the right to vote is granted to formal citizens, and the concept of citizenship is widely used in discourses about inclusive development. Moreover, citizenship as a form of belonging is proposed as a key issue in every discussion on local and world politics and development perspectives. The politicization of citizenship values and rights, therefore, is both a central element in debates about state, nation, development and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa in a historical perspective, and a significant viewpoint from which to interrogate how global ideas and practices on democratic politics and progressive development emerge in this continent. This introductory discussion considers, first, how issues of local attachment and identity have been raised by the western debate on citizenship with regard to the ‘post-colonial problem’. Next, it takes into consideration the emergence of the local factor and the autochthony discourses in the politics of sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, and how issues of belonging are perpetuated by both popular strategies and national good governance policies in the context of democratisation. In this regard, an argument is be presented about Mozambique and a comparison is be made with the situation in the Ivory Coast. Then, it is be argued that ‘global’ values and ideas about politics, development and democracy have been channeled and negotiated into local politics in sub-Saharan Africa in past historical conjunctures also. This final section also shows how the above themes are addressed by the chapters included in this bookI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
