African Alternatives

This collection of articles aims to stimulate the exploration of African initiative and creativity and to go beyond immediate socio-economic and political circumstances by analyzing those initiatives that offer alternatives to the prevailing paradigms. It moves away from African ‘victimhood’ by stressing African ‘agency’ and by demonstrating that societies in Africa have always showed the ability to negotiate whatever constraining ecological, economic and political circumstances they faced. This is further detailed in the context of the literary contest between local and global; of issues of land rights and property; of livelihoods and poverty; of the popular culture; of demystifying African migrations; the changing parameters of territoriality; and the dynamics of the tourist encounter.

Patrick Chabal, who trained in political science at Harvard, Columbia and Cambridge universities, is Professor at the University of London (King's College London). His latest book, co-authored with Jean-Pascal Daloz, is: Culture Troubles: politics and the interpretation of meaning (2006). Ulf Engel, Dr. phil. (1993) and habilitation (1999) in political science, University of Hamburg, is Professor of Politics in Africa at the University of Leipzig. He has published on African politics, the continent's international relations and conflict prevention / peace-building.
Leo de Haan is geographer by training and published widely on African livelihoods. He directed research at universities if Amsterdam and Nijmegen and is currently director of the African Studies Centre Leiden and professor in African development.