Conference Participation

Lightning Round I: Studies in Inequality from Social, Health, Spatial & Financial Perspectives

Paper:  Diop’s Federal Vision and Contemporary African Political Economy: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract: African economies have been among the fastest-growing in recent decades. However, it has not produced the expected results in terms of poverty reduction and improved welfare.  In the midst of this situation and increasingly uncertain global geopolitics due to climate change and armed conflicts, calls for a new economic model have resurfaced as a means to address the continent's current and future challenges. We investigate these challenges through the lens of the concept of "African Renaissance" put forward by Cheikh Anta Diop in two books: Towards the African Renaissance and Black Africa, and The Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federated State. We first describe the main features of "African Renaissance" and compare it to other paradigms. We then discuss the political economy of its implementation in terms of the creation of a Pan-African federated state.

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