African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD)

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD)

2025 African Studies Association: “Decolonizing the Politics of Knowledge Production in African Peacebuilding”

On November 20, 2025, the Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC’s) African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Program hosted a panel at the 68th annual meeting of the African Studies Association (ASA), held from November 20-22, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. The ASA conference, themed “Crossing Boundaries and Recovering Intellectual Traditions,” invited participants to reflect on the politics of knowledge and structural inequalities in African studies. Entitled “Decolonizing the Politics of Knowledge Production in African Peacebuilding: Concepts, Theories, and Practices,” the Program-sponsored panel questioned dominant structures of power, historicized them, and presented avenues for resurgent African agency as a pathway towards sustainable …

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Event

2025 International Peace Researchers Association (IPRA) Biennial Conference

The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APPD) program’s sponsored panel, “Negotiating Peace and Social Justice Through Non-Violent Pathways: Understanding African Values and Practices,” at the 2025 Biennial International Peace Researchers Association (IPRA) conference, featured alumni of the APPD (formerly the APN and Next Gen). During the plenary panel on Friday, November 7, panelists highlighted diverse traditional Indigenous spiritual, relational, and cultural knowledge from across the continent, emphasizing their importance in peacebuilding. Dr. Thembani Dube (APN IRF 2024), a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Stellenbosch, presented the paper, “‘Revisiting Gukurahundi’: Ethnic marginalization, state-led reconciliation, and

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) African Peacebuilding Network (APN) Event

African University Seminar Series Nigeria (AUSS-NG) Event Summary

The African University Seminar Series Nigeria (AUSS-NG) held its inaugural seminar at the University of Abuja in Abuja, Nigeria, from September 27 to 28, 2025. Funded by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC)’s African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation (Next Gen) Social Sciences in Africa Program and hosted by the Department of History & Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja, the seminar assembled 26 APN and Next Gen fellows and alumni for a one-and-a-half-day convening on contemplating and “Reimagining Peace in Nigeria: Resilience, Reconciliation, Social Justice and Everyday Politics.” An initiative by the APN and Next Gen Program to fund

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) African Peacebuilding Network (APN) Event News

Event Report: ASAA 2025 — Developing African Frameworks for Navigating Peace Vulnerabilities in an Emerging Post-COVID World Order

The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) sponsored a panel at the African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) 2025 Conference, held on September 25, 2025, at the University of Cape Verde. Under the theme “Developing African Frameworks for Navigating Peace Vulnerabilities in an Emerging Post-COVID World Order,” the panel brought together fellows to examine how African actors are re-imagining resilience and peacebuilding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Titilope F. Ajayi (Institute for Security Studies / Next Gen 2017 & 2019, APN IRF 2018) who moderated the session welcomed participants and introduced the APN and Next Gen’s mission

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) News

Introducing the African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Program

We are excited to announce that the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is officially launching the African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Program—the newly rebranded initiative that brings together the strengths and legacies of the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) programs.

This rebrand marks an exciting new chapter in our collective work. APDD builds on over a decade of advancing African-led research on peacebuilding, governance, and development, while expanding the program’s reach and visibility.

Menu