/The Securitisation of Development in the Sahel: Arsonists and Firefighters? (SAD)

The Securitisation of Development in the Sahel: Arsonists and Firefighters? (SAD)

We are happy to inform you that the Polish Centre for African Studies, as a partner in a research consortium, submitted an aplication under GRIEG call. Results of the evaluation of our joint project proposal should be avaialbe by the end of March 2020.

About our proposal

What happens to a weak and fragile state when, almost overnight, it is lifted from relative obscurity to becoming a top priority on the international security agenda? Such is the case regarding the Sahel’s most fragile states, which – despite having endured a vicious cycle of poverty, weak state capacity and violent conflict for decades – are now receiving unprecedented international attention. This is no coincidence. In recent years, security concerns related to mass migration and terrorism have led to a seismic shift in how external actors engage in fragile states considered a potential source of such threats. This was further exacerbated by the so-called European migration crisis of 2014–16, which led to external security-driven policies being designed and implemented in great haste. As a consequence, the countries of the Sahel have found themselves embroiled in a quagmire of international assistance programmes and military interventions, with neither donors nor recipients having the experience or know-how to navigate this new development–security agenda. The growing plethora of international assistance programmes and interventions therefore risk becoming both arsonists and the firefighters in the world’s most fragile states.

About GRIEG call

The overall objectives of the Norway Grants and the EEA Grants are to contribute to the reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe and to strengthen bilateral relations between Poland and the Donor States (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

The main objective of the Basic Research Programme implemented by the National Science Centre is enhanced research-based knowledge development through research cooperation between Poland and the Donor States. Supporting the collaborative research projects will foster long-term strategic partnerships and provide an important step for future collaborative projects on the European level, with increasing participation in Horizon Europe.

GRIEG is one of the three calls funded from the Norway and EEA Grants 2014–2021 under the Basic Research Programme operated by the National Science Centre. The objective of the programme is enhanced research-based knowledge development, to strengthen the Polish-Norwegian research cooperation, improve the quality of publications (especially in humanities), support the development of young researchers and build a positive perception of scientific research among the public at large.