Civil society and empowerment have become buzz words in neoliberal
development discourse. Yet many unanswered questions remain on the
actual nature and configuration assumed by civil society in specific
contexts. Typically, while neoliberals perceive civil-society
organisations as vital intermediary channels for the successful
implementation of desired economic and political reforms, they are
inclined to blame the current resurgence of the politics of belonging
for the poor record of these reforms in Africa and elsewhere. This book
rejects such notions and argues that the relationship between civil
society and the politics of belonging is more complex in Africa than
western donors and scholars are willing to admit. Konings argues that
ethno-regional associations and movements are even more significant
constituents of civil society in Africa than the conventional
civil-society organisations that are often uncritically imposed or
endorsed. He convincingly shows how the politics of belonging, so
pervasive in Cameroon, and indeed much of Africa, during the current
neoliberal economic and political reforms, has tended to penetrate the
entire range of associational life. This calls for a critical
re-appraisal of prevalent notions and assumptions about civil society in
the interest of African reality. Hence the importance of this book!
