The Role of Civil Society in Africa’s Quest for Democratization

221 Pages·2015·3.9 MB·English

by  Abadir M. Ibrahim (auth.)

Advances in African Economic,
Social and Political Development
Abadir M. Ibrahim
The Role of
Civil Society in
Africa’s Quest for
Democratization
Advances in African Economic,
Social and Political Development
Series Editors
Diery Seck, CREPOL - Center for Research, Dakar, Senegal
Juliet U. Elu, Morehouse College, Atlanta GA, USA
Yaw Nyarko, New York University, NY, USA
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/11885
Africa is emerging as a rapidly growing region, still facing major challenges, but
with a potential for signifi cant progress – a transformation that necessitates vigorous
efforts in research and policy thinking. This book series focuses on three intricately
related key aspects of modern-day Africa: economic, social and political development.
Making use of recent theoretical and empirical advances, the series aims to provide
fresh answers to Africa’s development challenges. All the socio-p olitical dimensions
of today’s Africa are incorporated as they unfold and new policy options are
presented. The series aims to provide a broad and interactive forum of science at
work for policymaking and to bring together African and international researchers
and experts. The series welcomes monographs and contributed volumes for an
academic and professional audience, as well as tightly edited conference proceedings.
Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, economic policy and trade, regional
integration, labor market policies, demographic development, social issues, political
economy and political systems, and environmental and energy issues.
Abadir M. Ibrahim
The Role of Civil Society
in Africa’s Quest
for Democratization
Abadir M. Ibrahim
St. Thomas University School of Law
Miami Gardens , FL , USA
ISSN 2198-7262 ISSN 2198-7270 (electronic)
Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development
ISBN 978-3-319-18382-4 ISBN 978-3-319-18383-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18383-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015939728
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Dedicated to my daughter Noor.

Acknowledgements
This book is based on my doctoral dissertation entitled T he Role of Civil Society in
Africa’s Quest for Democratization submitted to Saint Thomas University School
of Law in August 2013. I am grateful for the support I have received from numer-
ous individuals at the LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights at
Saint Thomas. It is fi tting to mention Prof. John M. Kang who was my dissertation
advisor. I am particularly grateful to Prof. Dr. iur. Roza Pati, whose guidance and
support was unmitigated and unmeasurable. I would also like to acknowledge the
contributions of Prof. Dr. iur. Siegfried Wiessner, Prof. Dr. John Makdisi, Prof.
Dr. Alfred R. Light, Dr. Awol K. Allo, and the ever resourceful Ms. Haydee
Gonzalez.
My journey with this book was attended by many supporters, allies, well- wishers,
distractions, and two fellow travelers. Thank you to my pleasant distractors,
Hammad Shake, Liz Kloster, Andre Jones, and their accomplices. You reminded me
of pleasures beyond the trodden path. I owe gratitude to my supportive family, espe-
cially my parents, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and Dr. Ruslana Barkovskaya, whose
principled support continues to be unwavering, and Eno Mary, my most auspicious
commentator and future content editor. I am exceedingly grateful to Allison Kranz,
my fellow voyager, my partner in crime, my student and master, and my temple and
shrine. Without Allison, this journey would not have been possible. My second fel-
low voyager Chloe refuses to read my work but she nevertheless endured the road
with me, both fi guratively and literally.
Abadir M. Ibrahim
vii

Contents
Part I Introduction and Background
1 Introduction: A Continent in Transition ................................................. 3
1.1 Hypothesis .......................................................................................... 5
1.2 Review of Literature and Methodological Framework ...................... 7
1.3 Scope of the Study ............................................................................. 9
1.4 Empirical and Historical Background ................................................ 9
1.5 Organization of the Study .................................................................. 13
References ................................................................................................... 14
2 Conceptualizing Democracy and Democratization ................................ 17
2.1 Democracy: Towards a Working Defi nition ....................................... 17
Democracy as an Ideal: Its Normative Connotation ........................... 18
An Empirical Defi nition of Democracy ............................................. 21
2.2 The Process and Phases of Democratization ..................................... 24
Measuring Democratization and Its Phases ........................................ 26
2.3 Approaches to Studying Democratization ......................................... 30
Economic Development...................................................................... 30
Composition of Society ...................................................................... 31
External Infl uences and Diffusion ...................................................... 32
The Role of Culture and Political Culture .......................................... 33
A Focus on Agency ............................................................................ 34
2.4 Democratization in Africa and “African Democracy” ....................... 35
Comparative Perspectives on African Democratization ..................... 35
The Rise and Fall of Africanized “Theories” of “Democracy” .......... 38
References ................................................................................................... 40
3 Civil Society and Democratization .......................................................... 45
3.1 The Meaning and Genealogy of Civil Society ................................... 45
3.2 Civil Society and Democratization .................................................... 50
How Does It Work? ............................................................................ 50
Relevance of Qualities of Civil Society Organizations ...................... 52
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