Public Participation in African Constitutionalism

• Main Authors: Abbiate, Tania, Böckenförde, Markus, Federico, Veronica
• Format: eBook Book
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Routledge 2018; Taylor and Francis; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• Series: Routledge Global Cooperation Series
• Subjects: Africa; Africa - Regional Development; African; African Constitutionalism; African Politics; authoritarian rule; Car; Central African Republic; Civic Education; Civil Society; Comparative politics; Constitution Building Processes; Constitution making; Constitutional history; Constitutional history > Africa; Constitutional Review Act; constitutionalism; Cultural and media studies; Cultural studies; Democracy; Democracy > Africa; Developing & Emerging Countries; development aid; Development economics and emerging economies; Development studies; Direct Democracy; Economics; Economics, Finance, Business and Management; Egypt; failed state; Global Political Agreement; human development; human rights; Interdisciplinary studies; international community; Kenya; Kenya Review; Kenya Review Act; Kenya Review Commission; legitimacy; Libya; Morocco; National Constituent Assembly; National Constitutional Conference; Participatory Constitution Making; peace building; Peace studies and conflict resolution; Political participation; Political participation > Africa; Political Science; Politics and government; post-conflict; public participation; Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects; Regional / International studies; Senegal; Social groups, communities and identities; Social Science; Society and culture: general; Society and Social Sciences; Somalia; South Sudan; State building; Tanzania; Tunisia; Urban communities; Wako Draft; Warfare and defence; World; Zambia; Zimbabwe; South Africa's Democratic Transition; Constitutional Review Act; African Constitutionalism; Kenya Review Act; Participatory Constitution Making; Wako Draft; Bomas Draft; Constitutional Drafting Process; Civic Education; Civil Society; Global Political Agreement; Direct Democracy; Transitional Federal Government; LGBTI People; Constitution Building Processes; South Sudan; Kenya Review; National Constituent Assembly; National Constitutional Conference; Meaningful Public Participation; Kenya Review Commission; Car; Political Parties; LGBTI Right; LGBTI Organisation
• ISBN: 9781138745872; 1138745871; 0367332930; 9780367332938; 1351719637; 9781315180540; 9781351719636; 1138745901; 9781351719643; 9781138745902; 1315180545; 1351719645; 9781351719650; 1351719653
• DOI: 10.4324/9781315180540

During the last decade of the 20th century, Africa has been marked by a "constitutional wind" which has blown across the continent giving impetus to constitutional reforms designed to introduce constitutionalism and good governance. One of the main features of these processes has been the promotion of public participation, encouraged by both civil society and the international community. This book aims to provide a systematic overview of participation forms and mechanisms across Africa, and a critical understanding of the impact of public participation in constitution-making processes, digging beneath the rhetoric of public participation as being at the heart of any successful transition towards democracy and constitutionalism. Using case studies from Central African Republic, Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Morocco, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the book investigates various aspects of participatory constitution making: from conception, to processes, and specific contents that trigger ambivalent dynamics in such processes. The abstract glorification of public participation is questioned as theoretical and empirical perspectives are used to explain what public participation does in concrete terms and to identify what lessons might be drawn from those experiences. This is a valuable resource for academics, researchers and students with an interest in politics and constitution building in Africa, as well as experts working in national offices, international organizations or in national and international NGOs.