International and Area Studies Commons^™

"They Will Put You Out Of The Synagogues”: An Exegesis Of John 16:1-4a And Its Application To The Persecuted Christians In Northern Nigeria, Chiemeka Iwuagwu

Obsculta

This paper offers an exegesis of John 16:1-4a, a pivotal passage in Jesus' Farewell Discourse that warns the disciples of impending persecution, including expulsion from synagogues. Situating the text within the historical and literary context of the Johannine community, it explores how this forewarning reframes suffering as an integral aspect of faithful witness rather than divine abandonment. Drawing on key scholarly works, the analysis engages literary structure, historical reconstruction of community experiences, and theological motifs such as dualism and Christology. The paper then applies these insights to the plight of Christians in northern Nigeria, a region marked by violent persecution, …

Reconfiguring Dependency: China's Belt And Road Initiative And Development In Ethiopia And Nigeria, Alexander Freund

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa through the frameworks of dependency theory, postcolonial theory, and neo-colonialism. As China's global economic influence has expanded throughout the twenty-first century, the BRI has emerged as a major source of infrastructure financing and development across the Global South, particularly in Africa. While critics frequently portray the initiative as a form of "debt-trap diplomacy," supporters argue that Chinese investment offers an alternative to the neoliberal conditionality historically associated with Western-led International Financial Institutions (IFIs) such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. This study addresses two central research questions: …

Postcolonial Identity Formation Of Somali Borderland Identity, Sunny Ngethe

Posters - 2026

Colonial borders in Africa divided long-standing communities, disrupting shared systems of culture, mobility, and identity. Somali populations, spread across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, present a unique case of transnational identity persistence. Somalis have maintained strong cultural unity despite state-imposed divisions. This study examines how this communities navigate identity across borders shaped by colonialism and post-independence governance. Using qualitative analysis of historical and political content, this study draws on postcolonial theory and border studies to analyze how identity is constructed and maintained across imposed borders.

Offside Trap: African Football As A Mirror Of Global Structural Inequality, Ellen Busolo Milimu

Journal of Global South Sport Studies

Football in Africa, as a legacy of European colonialism, is undeniable. The export of football through colonization resulted in the popularization of the sport while also creating a system of economic exploitation and impoverishment that is the cause of considerable problems for African society. This economic system positioned African  countries as dependents of former colonizers even after achieving independence. Sports, specifically football, provide a unique perspective to explore the no-win     situation in which Africa exists within the global economic system. Always chasing the elusive ‘development’ goal that is dictated by others and shifts without the interests of African countries. The …

Review Of Responses To Insecurity In Africa: The Challenge Of Peacebuilding, Peter J. Quaranto

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Africa As A Strategic Arena: How Great Power Rivalry Is Reshaping Security Governance, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The rising importance of Africa as a key battleground in great power rivalry is an important shift in global politics that will have significant impacts on security governance in Africa. This article will explore the ways in which increased competition between the U.S., China and Russia will affect African states and regional organizations, and how economic dependency, regional security architecture and diplomatic strategy will influence the overall security environment in Africa. Using recent case studies and academic research, along with current policy analysis, it will analyze whether or not African countries and regional organizations will be able to mitigate potential …

Rethinking Legal Models For Aligning U.S.-African Trade And The Afcfta, Katrin Kuhlmann

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The U.S.-African trade relationship has become increasingly volatile and conditional, with significant implications for supply chains, trade corridors, and regional and global markets. This relationship has historically been based on a unilateral, preferential legal approach through a trade preference programme – the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – under which individual countries petition for eligibility to receive duty-free treatment. AGOA expired in September 2025 in the midst of U.S. tariffs, but in early 2026 the programme was retroactively reauthorised through December 2026, with further application subject to “modernisation” and alignment with the “America First” policy. While many see reauthorisation …

Revisiting Dependency In The Twenty-First Century: A Critical Analysis Of Africa-China Relations, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This research assesses the characteristics of today’s Africa–China relations using dependency theory, world systems theory, neocolonialism, and South-South cooperation, using comparisons between historical African dependence on European colonial powers and recent reliance on China in terms of trade, infrastructure, debt, and technology. This research identifies how contemporary cooperations either continue previous patterns of economic and political subordination or create a transformation of those relationships or provide a challenge to them. Using qualitative comparative historical analysis, along with specific case studies and secondary sources (academic journals, speeches, government publications, etc.), the research demonstrates that while Africa-China relations exhibit fewer structural features …

Genetically Modified Crops In Africa: Evidence On Adoption, Economic Benefits, Environmental Effects, And Constraints, Aloyce Hepelwa, Innocensia John

Tanzanian Economic Review

Africa faces deep food insecurity with over 300 million undernourished people driven by, low agricultural productivity, and climate shocks. To enhance food production and sustainable development, there is potential seen in genetically modified (GM) crops. To explore the potential of GM crops, this paper examines their production, adoption, economic and environmental impacts, adoption barriers, and policy implications in Africa and globally. This is done using a structured narrative review of peer-reviewed literature, reports, and policy documents (2014–2024) sourced from different databases complemented by stakeholder consultations. The findings show that GM has expanded considerably worldwide driven by high productivity, reduced pesticide …

Beyond The Aid Paradigm: Neocolonialism, Recolonisation And The Future For Africa’S Development, John Ringson, Manamela Johannes David Matshabaphala

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

The persistence of poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment in Africa, despite decades of foreign aid and assistance, has raised fundamental questions about the efficacy and sustainability of the aid paradigm. This qualitative desktop research study, employing discourse analysis, critically examines the complex relationships between aid, neocolonialism, and recolonisation in Africa, exploring the implications for the continent's future development. Drawing on a critical discourse analysis of existing literature, policy documents, and online archives, this study reveals how the aid paradigm has perpetuated neocolonialism and recolonisation in Africa, undermining the continent's sovereignty, agency, and self-determination. The study illuminates the power dynamics and relationships …

Contested Development: China’S Influence, Authoritarian Agency, And Ngo Resistance In Uganda, Saara E. Leppanen

Global Governance Theses and Dissertations

In 2021, the Ugandan government suspended the operations of 54 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), citing a range of administrative and legal justifications. This crackdown reflects a broader pattern emerging across the African continent, where over the past twenty years, more than twenty-four states have introduced restrictions on NGOs, particularly those engaged in human rights advocacy and governance. At the same time, the continent has witnessed a marked increase in Chinese investment, most notably through Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013 as a global infrastructure and development project. While scholarship on the BRI has increased, limited attention has been …

Special Status Of African Regional States In The International Seabed Authority, Felicia Ratnasari Soedjianto, Marten Hanura, Muhammad Arief Zuliyan

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

Through the mandate of UNCLOS 1982 and the 1994 Agreement, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) exists as a regulatory regime for activities in the international seabed area. Interestingly, African countries are privileged over other countries by occupying the most seats on the ISA Council. In addition, the ISA's commitment to supporting the blue economy through the Africa Deep Seabed Resources project also accentuates the privileges of African countries. African countries' technological, financial, and knowledge capacity is minimal in seabed mining. Apart from this problem, this research aims to analyse the fundamental reasons for the ISA's actions that give privileges to …

Earthjustice: The Role Of The African Regional Human Rights System In Containing Climate Change, Bright Nkrumah, Ebenezer Durojaye, Maria Usang Assim

Journal of African Policy Studies

At the turn of the millennium, the landscape of Africa has been punctuated by intense weather conditions. With a disproportionate percentage of the continent’s population bearing the brunt of climate-induced heatwaves, deluges, and drought, it is expected that this phenomenon will spur regional climate litigation. The essay argues that although there is an evolution of climate cases submitted at the national level, this development has not evolved to the African regional human rights system. The lack of cases at the regional level beckons one to explore why (potential)victims are unable or unwilling to explore these mechanisms given their role in …

Traditional Institutions As Change Agents: Understanding Cultural Norms And Practices Promoting Gender-Based Violence In Nigerian Communities, Titilayo Ogunbambi

Dissertations

Traditional institutions in Nigerian communities hold a strong cultural foundation and significantly influence cultural norms and practices. Due to the increasing need for effective community-based approaches in addressing social and health problems on a global scale, we explore the attitudes and behaviors of traditional institutions as custodians of cultural customs and norms related to gender-based violence (GBV) and examine their potential role in ensuring community safety. By addressing harmful gendered norms and practices, traditional institutions could become key agents of change, promoting meaningful social transformations. This study explores the dynamics cultural norms and practices play in community safety, emphasizing the …

Culturally Responsive Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) Service Needs Among African Immigrant Women: Examining The Impact Of Cultural Norms And Psychosocial Barriers On Safety Perceptions And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Titilayo Ogunbambi

Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a pervasive public health and social justice issue globally, with African immigrant women in the United States facing compounded challenges as they navigate cultural, structural, and systemic barriers, including migration-related vulnerabilities and attachment to cultural values that shape their decisions and experiences. Although formal IPV services exist, they often fail to address the lived realities and culturally specific needs of this population, leading to underutilization and barriers in seeking help. This qualitative study examines how cultural norms, psychosocial barriers, and systemic inequities influence safety perceptions and help-seeking behaviors among African immigrant women survivors of IPV. …

Methodological Analysis Of The Guinea Bissau Nationalist Movement 1963-1974: Amilcar Cabral-Marxist Or Pragmatist Revolutionary?, Aliou Ly

Journal of African Policy Studies

On 24 September 1973, the former Portuguese colony of West Africa, Guinea Bissau, under the leadership of Amilcar Cabral and the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and the Cape Verde Islands), declared its independence after fighting a national liberation war against their Portuguese colonialists. This was the first and the only war for independence in West Africa, with the complete defeat of a European colonial army. During and after the Guinea Bissau Liberation war; 1963-1974, many social scientists, particularly those using the Marxist framework analyzed this African nationalist struggle as a successful Marxist revolution in West Africa. …

Investments Or Restrictions? China’S Influence On Freedom Of Expression In African Countries, Christina A. Oswalt

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Between 2001 and 2018, China’s outward foreign direct investment increased by 66.3 times, with a particular focus on resource-rich countries in Africa. While the economic impact of these investments has been widely studied, their potential impacts on democratic freedoms have been neglected. This thesis investigates how Chinese foreign direct investment affects African countries’ free speech, free press, and internet freedom. Based on case studies of Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana, this thesis finds a causal relationship between increased foreign direct investment from China and decreased freedom of expression and internet freedom in host countries. This relationship is moderated by the proportion …

Building Neocolonial Foundations: The British Government And The Decolonization Of The Gold Coast, 1948-1957, Simon H. Michener

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, I examine the ways that the government of Great Britain attempted to create a pro-Western state in Ghana during the decolonization process, which spanned from the Accra Riots in 1948 to the finalization of independence in 1957, with Kwame Nkrumah’s election as president. Since Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain its independence, it provides the initial example illustrating how the British government during the decolonization process in sub-Saharan Africa tried to cultivate states that would align with their interests following independence. To achieve this goal, I will rely on primary sources from the British …

Ethnic Politics And Fiscal Dominance: Implications For Currency Union Formation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Benjamin D. Keen, Christine O. Strong

Economics Faculty Publications

Numerous currency unions have been proposed in Africa over the past 50 years, but none have succeeded. This paper asserts ethnic favouritism is a crucial yet often overlooked feature that strongly influences an African government’s willingness to join a currency union. We use a Barro and Gordon (1983) style model that incorporates fiscal dominance, political business cycles and ethnic favouritism to assess the benefits and costs to African households and governments of joining a currency union. Our results show that ethnic alignment between the head of state and central bank governor amplifies fiscal dominance, which reduces an African government’s desire …

Aligning Artificial Intelligence With Climate Change Adaptation In Egypt, Lara Mohamed Abdelrazik Ms.

Future Journal of Social Science

Abstract:

One of the frequently witnessed barriers to accelerating action on climate change is related to the construction of data bases, variables, and models as well as data extraction. According to the Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment, several subfields of Artificial Intelligence identify patterns to support the completion of specific tasks towards combating climate change such as; gathering, completing, and interpreting large, and complete datasets by making it possible to enhance data-driven decision-making for climate action. However, the negative side of AI was also recognized.

Learning algorithms to understand how AI’s climate impact goes beyond its …

Strategic Governance To “Silence The Guns” In Africa: Urban Sub-Saharan African Perceptions On War's Root Causes., Peter Tresor Miyalou, Chun Yan Hu

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Despite the African Union’s campaign to silence the guns in Africa by 2020 (STGIA 2020), many African countries are suffering from wars and political instability, the primary causes of underdevelopment in Africa. This paper examines the roots causes of wars in Africa and provide a strategic governance to silence the guns beyond 2020. To accomplish this, we gathered data from 169 questionnaire responses administered across 25 African countries, to capture African people’s perceptions on the root causes of wars and whether employing strategic governance would help silence the guns in these countries. The results showed that political power struggle (47.9%), …

Responsible Great Power Or Threat? Chinese Involvement In 21st Century United Nations Peacekeeping Operations And Peacebuilding In Africa, Victoria Savage

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines why China pursues its peacebuilding agenda and participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in the African continent in the twenty-first century and evaluate whether China poses a threat or is a responsible great power in Africa in this context. Through the lenses of theories of international relations, historical analysis, and human rights, this study finds that China is unsuccessful in being a responsible great power and poses a threat to the stability and agency of African states with which it engages.

Community Conservation In Madagascar: Aligning Local Livelihoods And Biodiversity Protection, Jane Slentz-Kesler

Geography Honors Projects

The management of natural resources in developing countries is of utmost importance as both high levels of biodiversity and local livelihoods often hang in the balance. The debate in conservation spheres often centers on 'fortress' versus 'community-based' conservation approaches, one emphasizing nature preservation and the other emphasizing the needs and empowerment of local communities in resource management. This study evaluates the management approach of a rainforest in northeast Madagascar, asking: how effectively does the COMATSA Sud protected area management system both preserve critical forest cover and provide for the local community? This research employs a mixed-methods approach, using interviews and …

What Figures Lurk On Madame Elysé’S Path? Reflections On Philippe Sands’ The Last Colony, Diane Marie Amann

Scholarly Works

One person’s life forms the core around which Philippe Sands’ The Last Colony explores the events leading up to the advisory opinion on the Legal Consequences of Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. That person is Liseby Bertrand Elysé, who was born in 1953 in Chagos, then forcibly removed to Mauritius in 1973. Her efforts to return home eventually brought her to a 2018 hearing at The Hague, where she spoke to the International Court of Justice bench by means of a subtitled video. This essay, which appears in a symposium issue on Sands’ book, investigates the ethics, the effectiveness, …

The Future Of Françafrique: Neocolonialism In Africa And The War On Terror, Jovan Avila, Brennan G. Quinn

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

Françafrique refers to the complex system of political, economic, and military relationships between France and its former colonies in Africa, characterized by neocolonialism, paternalism, and corruption. This paper aims to analyze the history and future of French geopolitical activity in Africa, including its motivations, strategies, and impacts. We first establish the background of France’s complex relationship with Africa, beginning with French colonialism in the region and decolonization. Next, we look at the period of close ties France maintained with most of its former colonies in Africa throughout the late 1900s. Additionally, we discuss the effects on French and American geopolitical …

Ecological Solidarity And Sustainable Development In Africa, Ambrose Esigbemi Umetietie

The Journal of Social Encounters

Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life support system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own ... This will happen if we see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life (Maathai, 2010). According to John Paul II, the “threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed and selfishness - both individual and collective - are contrary to the order of creation, an order …

Interview With Esperance Kabakunda, Keasha Buchana

Interviews

Transcript of interview and audio recording conducted with Esperance Kabakunda. Per the "Methodology" section, the transcript has been lightly edited for clarity. The interview begins at 00:00:12 in the audio recording.

This interview was recorded over Zoom and manually transcribed.

Power, Patronage, And The Local State In Ghana, Barry Driscoll

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

How have the waves of democracy and decentralization that swept the developing world in recent decades affected states—among the most important drivers of poverty and prosperity—at national and local levels in Ghana and beyond?

State actors beneath the national level—what Barry Driscoll calls the local state—have considerable responsibility for carrying out state functions, but they are also forced to compete for these local state offices. How does a local state actually work in poor twentieth-century countries?

This book offers a descriptive account, as well as a causal explanation, of how political competition affects the local state in Ghana. Driscoll shows …

A Pandemics Treaty: A Boon For Africa, Kafumu Kalyalya

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

This article illustrates the weaknesses of the current global health framework. It highlights two pillars a new treaty regime ought to be built upon. The analysis seeks to establish how these pillars could have helped Africa during the pandemic and can indeed help Africa in future pandemics. The analysis suggests the need for a unified global health regime or pandemics’ treaty that promotes a level legal and political playing field regarding future pandemics. The treaty could focus on coordination of research and development; build a stronger global framework that reinforces legal obligations and norms; provide for universal access to medicines, …

Book Discussion - Elections, Violence And Transitional Justice In Africa, Elias Opongo, Tim Murithi

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.