Mediation

Social Branding in Urban Burkina Faso

Upphovsperson:	Bjarnesen, Jesper
Utgivare:	Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, African International Links
År:	2014
Ämnesord:	Social branding, regeneration, Mediation, urban youth, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire

In the past decade Diaspo youths – second generation immigrants in Côte d’Ivoire who were forced to migrate to their parents’ country of origin, Burkina Faso, during the Ivorian civil war– have become a visible presence in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second largest city. By consciously displaying their Ivorian origins, they have provoked both the admiration and resentment of local youths, whose ambivalence towards the outspoken and colourful newcomers stems from Côte d’Ivoire’s central role as a destination for Burkinabé labour migrants since the colonial period. Regardless of this animosity, Diaspo youth culture has made its mark on the city. This paper explores the response of Diaspo youths to their social stigmatisation and argues that their claims to recognition and access may be understood as a process of social branding. It may be seen as a self-aware performance of otherness, intended to evoke a collective identity that is mediated through a specific set of aesthetics to a well-defined audience.

Out of conflict : from war to peace in Africa

Medarbetare:	Sørbø, Gunnar M. | Vale, Peter C. J.
Utgivare:	Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet; Chr. Michelsen Institute ;
År:	1997
Ämnesord:	Africa, Conflicts, Peace keeping, Mediation, OAU, Organization of African Unity, Political science, Statsvetenskap

Africa has become enveloped in an image of disaster and strife. The history of conflict management, likewise, is largely the history of failure. This book identifies lessons to be learnt from conflict management in Liberia, Rwanda, Somalia, and others. It underlines the importance of a thorough understanding of the causes and dynamics of a conflict in order to find appropriate strategies of intervention.