Actor file Dossier : Etat des lieux des acteurs qui travaillent pour la paix et la transformation des conflits en Europe

, Grenoble, June 2014

John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies, Peace Studies Department, University of Bradford (JEFCAS)

The African Centre was the first ever specialist and area studies Peace and Conflict Research institute established in Europe and North America.

The John & Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies (JEFCAS) was established in August 2002 as the African Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (Africa Centre), based in the world-renowned Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford.

The African Centre was the first ever specialist and area studies Peace and Conflict Research institute established in Europe and North America. It was established as part of the strategic expansion of the Department of Peace Studies and as an integral part of the Department’s specialised research and capacity building centres.

In February 2005, the Africa Centre was awarded the Allan & Nesta Ferguson Trust Project Grant of £1.75 million to strategically support the expansion of the Africa Centre and its core activities. After the death of the benefactress, Mrs Elnora Ferguson, and in recognition of the academic/research work that Professor John Ferguson had done in Africa, the Ferguson Grant Project Management Committee decided to change the name of the Africa Centre to the John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies (JEFCAS) in January 2009.

City

Bradford
Country / Region

Great Britain
Working language

English
Website

www.brad.ac.uk/ssis/peace-studies/
Objective(s)

  • To promote policy-relevant and action-oriented research for shaping international and domestic discourse on African peace, security and development issues;

  • To promote knowledge of the pivotal role of African organizations, indigenous institutions, agencies and civil society organizations in conflict prevention, management, peacebuilding and resolution;

  • To build partnership for the advancement of durable peace through the development and integration of context specific Peace and Conflict Studies programmes and course modules into the curricula of partner universities and specialized institutions (including military and police academies) in Africa;

  • To function as a national and international Centre of Excellence.
Means of action

  • Through partnerships that are based on equal and mutually beneficial collaboration based on local ownership.

  • Through commitment to influencing and shaping the debates on international policy, development and crisis intervention in Africa.

  • By offering sound and rigorous analysis of contemporary African affairs as a basis for understanding and formulating informed international policies.

  • JEFCAS emphasizes the primacy of African institutions, agencies and civil society actors in the ownership of conflict prevention, management, resolution and peace building processes in their countries.
Place(s) of action

Africa.
Approach of peace

Peace and conflict Studies, Africa, research.

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