A Critical Analysis of the Role of Civil Societies in Fostering Regional Integration within the SADC Region-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

A Critical Analysis of the Role of Civil Societies in Fostering Regional Integration within the SADC Region

Published:2023-07-21 Issue:2 Volume:20 Page:
ISSN:2663-6549
Container-title:Commonwealth Youth and Development
language:
Short-container-title:CYD

Author:

Rapanyane Benjamin^ORCID,Shai Kgothatso^ORCID,Vunza Mbay,Legodi Lebogang,Abisoye Olopade,Sankareh Muhammed

Abstract

There is a corpus of knowledge on the challenges of regional integration (RI) in Africa, and Southern Africa in particular. What emerges from this body of knowledge is that the key issues pertaining to RI are not uniformly addressed, and they are largely framed from state-centric thinking, which is mostly rooted within a Westernised worldview. This paper argues that civil society has a significant role to play in the realisation of the full potential of RI in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The authors concede that there are numerous challenges to the envisaged role of civil society. As such, they use the findings of the research for this paper to propose solutions for consideration by policymakers.

Publisher

UNISA Press

Subject

General Medicine

Reference26 articles.

1. Blaauw, L. 2007. “Transcending State-centrism: New Regionalism and the Future of Southern Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU in Southern Africa.” Lilongwe, Malawi: AU SARO.

2. Chingono, M., and S. Nakana. 2009. “The Challenges of Regional Integration in Southern Africa.” African Journal of Political Science and International Relations 3 (10): 396–408.

3. Fioramonti, L. 2014. “The Role of Civil Society in (re)shaping World Regions.” In Civil Society and World Regions. How Citizens are Reshaping Regional Framing around SADC, edited by L. Fioramonti. School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg.

4. Godsäter, A. 2015. “Civil Society and Regional Governance: Knowledge Production and Issue Governance in Times of Crisis.” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Plymouth: Lexington Books. Accessed May 6, 2021. http://www.sadccngo.org/forums.php?showid=75&lang=0&PHPSESSID=5tqop74qpf1q9f1t4sasab8sg5.

5. Hayden, G. 1996. “The Challenges of Analysing and Building Civil Society.” Africa Insight 26 (2): 96–106. International Council in Social Welfare Briefing Paper.