Reconceptualizing Africa's Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development: A Summary Analysis of PhD Dissertation

This is essay summarizes the PhD dissertation for Prof. Thomas Kaydor, Jr. from the Faculty of Government and European Studies, New University, Slovenia. The topic for the PhD research is ‘reconceptualizing Africa’s regional integration for peace and sustainable development’. Chapter five of the UN charter focuses on peace, and security; and Chapter VIII on regionalism. The dissertation investigates how AU utilizes its authority to mitigate conflicts on the continent. The research evaluates how regional integration leads to economic growth and development in Africa. The research has established that unless the continent engages in economic integration, regionalism will not lead to regional development. It recommends how Africa might alleviate extreme poverty and attain sustainable development in the 21st Century and beyond. Its’ four specific objectives are to: a) identify the benefits and challenges of Regionalism in Africa. b) ascertain why extreme poverty is widespread in Africa and propose what should be done through regional integration to alleviate the extreme poverty in Africa. c) find out the impact of ODA on Africa’s regional development and propose ways to strengthen the impact of aid on poverty alleviation and economic development in Africa, and d) propose what Africa should do to Achieve Sustainable Development. This research is Qualitative. Researchers use this method to explore meanings; investigate and study social phenomenon; or unpack meanings ascribed to activities, situations, events, or artifacts; and build a depth of understanding about some dimension of social life with detailed information from a small sample. Qualitative research is appropriate when one’s primary purpose is to explore, describe, and explain. For a peaceful and sustainable continent, the AU needs to implement the 1991 Abuja Treaty; fully arm, equip and support the African Standby Force to make and keep peace; Africa needs a United States of Africa under one army, border, government, foreign policy and one currency; the AU needs to ensure that 80% ODA in African states goes towards infrastructural development; constitute an AU sovereign fund for all Africans to contribute a dollar for infrastructural development on the continent; and appropriately manage the environment. AU should focus on agricultural productivity, value addition and provision of safe drinking water to address the extreme hunger, malnutrition, water issues, hunger, and poverty on the continent. Finally, the AUC needs to become a Permanent Member of the UNSC.