RUSI invites entrants to submit essays on the following question:
“What future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo?”
FIRST PRIZE: £1500
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is struggling to recover from the deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Despite the presence of the largest UN peacekeeping operation (MONUC) in the world today, there is every possibility the Congo will relapse into devastating civil war. Both its colonial and post-colonial history has been brutally scarred by endemic corruption, external interference and ethnic strife. Congo is the third largest country in Africa and possesses vast mineral wealth, but its immense economic potential has never been realised. If Africa is gradually shaking off its image as ‘the hopeless continent’, today the Congo would still epitomise the ‘hopeless country’.
The 2008 Nelson Mandela International Essay Competition on African Security and Development invites entrants to examine the case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, explore why it remains such a dysfunctional, conflict-prone state, and speculate on future options for the country. Will the DRC’s future always be defined by its violent past and will its development always occur within the context of conflict management/resolution? Or can we envisage a future in which sustainable peace paves the way for sustainable development? How can sustainable peace best be achieved? Other issues which could be examined include the question of whether retaining the DRC’s current borders is the best solution to the perennial crisis; or might a ‘Balkans option’ offer the best long-term solution for its population, regional security and political stability? In addressing this question entrants might choose to examine the role of militias and insurgents; neighbouring countries, such as Rwanda, or global powers such as China; MONUC; NGOs; and multinational companies. In the past all of have been accused of exacerbating Congo’s security and governance problems.
This competition was established jointly by RUSI and The Brenthurst Foundation, with the generous support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, to encourage new perspectives on African Security and Development.
- Closing Date for entries to the competition is 31 October 2008.
- The winning entry will receive an award of £1500 and a year’s free full Individual Membership to RUSI, valued at £200. Two-runners up will also each receive a year’s full Individual Membership.
- Entries are preferred on word documents attached to an email but will be accepted on paper by post. Authors need not be members of RUSI. Their work must be presented in English but authors of any nationality are eligible.
- Essays must not be less than 3,000 words and not more than 3,500 words in length. An international panel of judges selected by RUSI will assess the entries.
- The winning entries will be announced on 1 December 2008.
- Essays will also be considered for publication in the RUSI Journal.
Please supply your name, one-paragraph biography and current affiliation(s), address and email on the first page of the essay.
Please send entries via email to publications@rusi.org or by post to Dr Terence McNamee, RUSI, Whitehall, London SW1A 2ET UNITED KINGDOM
(Information taken from www.rusi.org)