Democracy and Diversity in Comparative Perspective:
Exchange Programme
between South Asian & West African Scholars
Overview: The Centre for Democracy and Development (Lagos) and the
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, (India) in partnership with the
Ford Foundation invite applications from eligible scholars to participate in an
international exchange programme between South Asian and West African scholars
started in October 2000. The programme is particularly focused on formal and
non-formal political arrangements that help accommodate social diversities
within a democratic framework. The Programme aims at institutionalising mutual
learning between scholars from the two regions through lecture tours, study
visits, seminars and conferences.
Objectives: The programme seeks to promote a horizontal interaction of
knowledge, ideas and scholarship on democracy and diversity among scholars from
the South through a lived experience and research in another Southern country,
in another continent. Specifically, its objectives include:
1. Making the social scientists and intellectuals based in both these regions
more aware of each other's ideas on democracy and diversity;
2. Promoting fresh thinking about institutional mechanisms for political
accommodation of social diversities, aware of the successes and pitfalls of
similar experiments carried out across the continent;
3. Assisting the formation of a group of social scientists based in the South
who are ready to make informed and carefully formulated intervention in the
global discourse on democracy;
4. Strengthening the existing networks within the two regions by giving the
participants more opportunities to interact and learn from other countries
within their region.
Themes: While the focus of this programme is comparative, scholars
participating in it will not be required to carry out research on the other
region or take up directly comparative research as in the sub-discipline of
'comparative politics'. We wish to avoid forced comparisons. We expect that most
of the scholars under this programme will continue to work on themes related to
their own country/region, but that their exposure to theory and practice of
democracy in a different setting through lived in experience and research would
make them ask fresh questions about their own context.
Under the broad rubric of democracy and diversity, the scholar invited to
participate in this programme will be encouraged to carry out research on any
topic related to the formal and non-formal political arrangements that help
accommodate social diversities within a democratic framework. We would like to
be flexible in interpreting what can be covered under this rubric. It could
include the following sub-themes:
Ethnicity and Politics: The role of politics in forging ethnic
identities; plasticity or otherwise of politically salient social cleavages;
institutional logic of crosscutting or reinforcing cleavages. Can social
cleavages be deployed for deepening democracy?
Federalism: Power sharing arrangements for accommodating diversities with
geographic expression. The problems of non-correspondence between the
legal-political and socio-cultural boundaries. Challenges and prospects of
constitutionalism and the dynamics of party system in operation.
Minorities: Political competition and the logic of manufacturing
majority. The process of 'minoritization'. The situation of the religious and
ethnic minorities. Participation of women in democratic processes. Affirmative
action for deprived sections.
Institutional design and its reform: 'Consociational' arrangements in and
outside the constitution. Electoral system (plurality vs. proportional).
The structure of party system and its alignment with social divisions. Specific
institutional innovations versus universal solutions.
Politics of Economic Liberalization: Political consequences of SAP; differential
impact on various social segments. Retreat of politics?
Civil-Military Relations: Army rule as sectarian politics by
non-democratic means; security sector transformation, ethnicization of the army.
Ways to prevent social differences from taking the military intervention route.
What the Fellowship will fund:
Under the conditions of the exchange programme, the study visits are
available for three months. Accommodation will be provided and living
expenses of $1,000 or its equivalent in local currency would be paid for per
month for a period of three months.. Also candidates would be provided with a
return air-ticket.
Eligibility: The competition is open to all scholars who have a proven
ability for independent research and innovative work. Young and women scholars
whose proposals promise to illuminate the dynamics of democracy and diversity
and promote fresh thinking about institutional innovations appropriate for the
management of diversities and difference are particularly encouraged to apply.
Eligible scholars must be based in South Asia and West Africa and may come
from universities or organisational settings, but the programme may also support
independent researchers working outside of institutional contexts within both
regions.
Application: First, applicants should send their Curriculum vitae (CV)
with a
Procedures Statement of Purpose (of not more than five pages) to the relevant
institutions (see addresses and details below). Second, the application would be
reviewed by an independent selection board and final results communicated to all
applicants. If you meet the requirement and you are short-listed, you may be
called for an interview.
All Statements of Purpose must:
· Give an overview of your academic interests, primary discipline.
· Title of the proposed research work
· An overview of the focus of your proposed work in relation to any of the
thematic areas
· A clearly defined outcome of the proposed work;
Addresses for Submission of applications
West Africa
South-South Exchange Fellowship Coordinator,
Programme on Democracy & Diversity in Comparative Perspective
Centre for Democracy & Development,
2, Olabode Close,
Off Association Avenue,
Ilupeju, Lagos,
P.O.Box 15700, Ikeja,
NIGERIA
Tel: +234 1 493 4420; 804 3321
Fax: +234 1 493 4420
Email: info@cddnig.org; cdd@cddnig.org