Special Issue on African Public Diplomacy

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Angela Lewis, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Gary D. Rawnsley, University of Nottingham Ningbo China

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For too long, scholarship about African public diplomacy (especially by Africans themselves) has resided on the periphery, and has reflected the theoretical, conceptual, and practical perspectives of research in the Global North. The marginalisation of African voices has contributed to a discursive power imbalance that has enabled past imperial and emerging powers to defend and normalise their political and economic presence in Africa, often at the continent’s expense. However, the failure of the Washington Consensus to solve development needs, continued alternation between democracy and authoritarianism throughout the continent, and controversy over China’s geopolitical ambitions have encouraged greater recognition of how African agency may be improved through building capacity in public diplomacy. The impact of Covid-19 and climate change on Africa have also intensified the necessity of more inclusive diplomatic debates on threats that do not recognise continental borders. This special issue will give voice to a shift in emphasis towards Afrocentric notions of public diplomacy, highlighting diverse African perspectives, contexts, and practices.

This CFPs invites contributions that address (single or comparative) case studies that may be country specific or thematic and provide insights into the following possible areas:

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· Decolonising and de-westernising public diplomacy in an African context
· African agency: narratives, communication policies and practices
· Single and comparative case-studies involving state and / or nonstate actors
· Public Diplomacy instruments and strategies

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Submissions

Please send extended abstracts (500 words), accompanied by a short bio sketch via e-mail to both guest editors (see below) with JPD in the subject line.
Please note that all articles will go through a peer-review process. Acceptance of an abstract does not guarantee publication in the special issue.

 

Timeframe

Abstract submission deadline: August 31, 2022
Notification on submitted abstracts: September 15, 2022
Article submission deadline: April 1, 2023
First decision on acceptance/rejection/revision: June 10, 2023
Deadline for the final submission of revised manuscripts: November 15, 2023
Expected publication date: December, 2023

 

Guest editors

Angela Lewis, School of International Communications, Angela.Lewis@nottingham.edu.cn
Gary D. Rawnsley, Professor of Public Diplomacy and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Gary.Rawnsley@nottingham.edu.cn

For author guidelines, visit the Journal of Public Diplomacy website's Authors' Guidelines