Review of African Political Economy Journal @50

Panel 1.

This panel examines the journey that Review of African Political Economy has had over 50 years of radical publishing. It explores the initial hopes and aspirations that the founding editors had. It interrogates the extent to which any of the early optimism that a radical journal might have in helping impact the revolutionary years of the early 1970s. And it highlights how and why ROAPE has moved away from a commercial publishing giant like Taylor and Francis towards a genuine open access free to all readers and contributors. What have been the challenges in this recent transformation, is it important and if so for whom?

Knowledge production on and in Africa?

Panellists to include Peter Lawrence, Leo Zeilig, Yao Graham, Chanda Mfula.

Panel 2.

Imperialism and Africa.

This panel examines the continued significance of imperialism in Africa. It explores the role of financialisation and militarism and the dynamics of the crisis in social reproduction, labour migrancy and continuation of the deleterious impact of the continents uneven incorporation into global capitalism. In doing so it explores the challenges to national sovereignty in Africa and the difficulties of promoting national sovereign projects as alternatives to continued imperial reach.

‘Migrancy and the crisis of social reproduction’
Hannah Cross

‘Imperialism and the challenge to radical transformation’
Ray Bush

‘Financialisation’
Ndongo Samba Sylla