Preface

Summary

The chapters in Narrating War and Peace in Africa emerged from the eighth international Africa Conference held at the University of Texas at Austin, March 28–30, 2008. The conference—convened by Toyin Falola and coordinated by Roy Doron—had the theme “Wars and Conflicts in Africa.” In the conference program, Toyin Falola notes that although human conflict is universal, wars and conflicts in Africa “seem at times to engulf the entire continent.” While the postcolonial state and global politics determine the ways in which wars are fought and conflicts resolved in Africa, Africa's past, geography, and people need to be taken into account as well.

The emphasis in Narrating War and Peace in Africa is specifically on representations of war and peace in Africa, and the volume aims to undo the negative stereotypes that abound in relation to Africa in general and to its wars and conflicts in particular. As the contributors come from various academic and scholarly backgrounds, the volume is multi- and interdisciplinary in scope. The disciplines and fields of study include history, women's studies, linguistics, communication and media studies, journalism, (comparative) literature, African and African diaspora studies, anthropology, human relations, and adult education. The bibliography following the chapters will guide readers to many books, articles, DVDs, and websites relevant to the theme of representing war and peace in Africa.

The editors would like to thank the anonymous readers and Jessica Achberger for reviewing the chapters and for their insightful and invaluable comments as this volume was being prepared.