Dr. Adama Ousmanou, our visiting associate professor, will visit Kyoto University and give a public lecture there. The seminar is jointly organized by the Center for African Area Studies (CAAS), Kyoto University and African Studies Center - TUFS, and this will be the 16th one. Please also visit here for more details.

◆Speaker: Dr. Adama Ousmanou (Associate Professor, Maroua University / Visiting Associate Professor, African Studies Center - TUFS)

◆Title: Humanitarianism, Refugees, IDPs Narratives: Comparative Study of Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria

◆Abstract: Being the humanitarian catastrophe that considered to be one of the world's most neglected crises, the Chad basin refugee and IDPs situation has been egregiously overlooked while affecting security, economic, environmental and institutional integrity of, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. Military and political objectives in the fight against Boko Haram trumped humanitarian concerns in the region. The forms of the Humanitarian interventions its perennial impasses and systematic failures that it suffered, urgently call for reforms over social constructions and uses of the refugee category in institutional domains. The Chad basin mass displacement crises - an almost humanitarian laboratory-like - tragically followed the universal politicized business as usual approach. Without being altruistic, the humanitarian intervention seems to have failed to address the root causes of the conflict that drove people out of their homes at the first place - despite the flow of money. The number of death, the psychological needs, the persistent fear, uncertainty of a bright tomorrow in addition to the rate of accurate malnutrition in Nigeria, the food insecurity in Cameroon and Chad remained existential struggle in the cross border camps. The purpose of this study is to examine how conceptualizations of refugee category in the region by international organizations are coping with the elaboration of normative expectations and definitions of them in the shadow of national and international law while conditioning long-term solutions. The present research argues that in order to break the assistance circle, the refugee category as object of concern and knowledge for the international community must change for greater humanitarianism. Through a comparative approach the present study examines humanitarian intervention, the social construction on refugee category as permanent assisted humanity within international order of things. Thus, taking into consideration the humanitarianism alternatives to undemocratic, mercenary logic and better ways of conceptualizing, designing and challenging international interventions vital concepts and practices for the insurgency conflict resolution and everlasting peace in the region.

◆Date & Time: Tuesday, November 22, 2022 3:00 - 5:00 pm (JST)

◆Venue: Onsite (Room #318 <CAAS Seminar Room>, 3F Inamori Foundation Memorial Hall, Kyoto University) & Online (Zoom)

◆Language: English

◆Admission: Free

◆Pre-registration is required. Please visit here for registration. If you have trouble accessing the link, send an email indicating your name and affiliation to caasjambo.africa.kyoto-u.ac.jp.

◆Jointly organized by the Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University, African Studies Center - TUFS, and 'Innovative Africa: Educational Networking Programs for Human Resource Development in Africa's SDGs', Inter-University Exchange Project by MEXT