Fragile futures: Rural lives in times of conflict

project summary

The West African region receives increased international attention due to its fragile security situation. Conflicts in neighbouring countries now also threaten the peace and stability in Burkina Faso. Recently, security issues have emerged in the northern part of the country where the Al Quida organisation AQMI operates, the political unrest in the Ivory Coast has forced migrant workers to return jobless to Burkina Faso and conflicts between farmers and cattle herders over water resources are becoming more frequent. The overall aim of this project is to identify key potentials for the strengthening of the relationship between the civil society and the state in order to prevent future conflicts. The hypothesis of the project is that a perception of the state as a set of institutions providing services for the population and a sense of belonging to the state, are particularly important in poor countries with vulnerable populations in order to avoid conflicts to emerge. This project looks at the relationship between the civil society and the state from the village perspective. Anthropological and sociological fieldwork in two contrasting villages will investigate local imaginaries of the state and how the villagers use and relate to the local representations of the state (health system, water provision and conflict management). Core elements for a future conflict prevention strategy will be identified through this project.

Facts

PERIOD: 1 August 2012 to 31 March 2018
PROJECT CODE: 11-014KU
COUNTRIES: Burkina Faso
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Helle Samuelsen
TOTAL GRANT: 6,446,789 DKK