UMass Boston

Time: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: Clark Athletic Center, lower level, Edward T. Barry Ice Rink (0090)
Organization: Boston Centers for Youth and Families

Graduate Sociology students present their current research projects. 

Time: 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Integrated Sciences Complex, 5th floor, conference room (5300)
Organization: Graduate Sociology Student Association

Democratic regime changes towards authoritarianism, referred to as democratic backsliding, are occurring all over the world. With recent promissory coups occurring in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, some have described the West African region as a haven for democratic reversal and return to arbitrary and repressive political power through the reestablishment of military regimes. Nonetheless, for a region with a sixtyyear history of difficult postcolonial democratic transitions and given the ironic popular support for the incoming non-democratic regimes in backsliding countries, democratization in the region is riddled with contestation, contradictions, as well as unexamined alternative opportunities and democratic routes.
The Africa Scholars Forum (ASF) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s John W McCormack
School of Policy and Global Studies and Boston University’s West African Research Association (WARA) are
pleased to host a one-day conference that examines democratization challenges, limitations and opportunities
in the West African region through a range of questions. Are liberal democratic regimes and institutions
consolidating in West Africa? What is the relationship between democracy and development in the region? What
role does insecurity – human rights and terrorism – play in consolidating or reversing democracy in West Africa?
What role are the resurgence of an anticolonial struggle and the movement to decolonize Africa playing? Finally,
with ECOWAS and the African Union playing resurgent roles in responding to coups and democratization
initiatives in the region, what role are African regionalism and sub regionalism playing in addressing democratic
reversal?

Time: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd floor, Ballroom, sections B & C together (3550BC)
Organization: McCormack School of Policy/Glob Studies

Democratic regime changes towards authoritarianism, referred to as democratic backsliding, are occurring all over the world. With recent promissory coups occurring in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, some have described the West African region as a haven for democratic reversal and return to arbitrary and repressive political power through the reestablishment of military regimes. Nonetheless, for a region with a sixtyyear history of difficult postcolonial democratic transitions and given the ironic popular support for the incoming non-democratic regimes in backsliding countries, democratization in the region is riddled with contestation, contradictions, as well as unexamined alternative opportunities and democratic routes.
The Africa Scholars Forum (ASF) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s John W McCormack
School of Policy and Global Studies and Boston University’s West African Research Association (WARA) are
pleased to host a one-day conference that examines democratization challenges, limitations and opportunities
in the West African region through a range of questions. Are liberal democratic regimes and institutions
consolidating in West Africa? What is the relationship between democracy and development in the region? What
role does insecurity – human rights and terrorism – play in consolidating or reversing democracy in West Africa?
What role are the resurgence of an anticolonial struggle and the movement to decolonize Africa playing? Finally,
with ECOWAS and the African Union playing resurgent roles in responding to coups and democratization
initiatives in the region, what role are African regionalism and sub regionalism playing in addressing democratic
reversal?

Time: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd floor, Ballroom, sections B & C together (3550BC)
Organization: McCormack School of Policy/Glob Studies

Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: McCormack Hall, 1st floor, Classroom 0417, McCormack Hall, 3rd floor, Classroom 0617
Organization: McCormack School of Policy/Glob Studies

Time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Location: Integrated Sciences Complex, 5th floor, Conference room (5310)
Organization: Sociology Department

Graduate Sociology students present their current research projects.

Time: 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Integrated Sciences Complex, 5th floor, Conference room (5310)
Organization: Graduate Sociology Student Association

Democratic regime changes towards authoritarianism, referred to as democratic backsliding, are occurring all over the world. With recent promissory coups occurring in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, some have described the West African region as a haven for democratic reversal and return to arbitrary and repressive political power through the reestablishment of military regimes. Nonetheless, for a region with a sixtyyear history of difficult postcolonial democratic transitions and given the ironic popular support for the incoming non-democratic regimes in backsliding countries, democratization in the region is riddled with contestation, contradictions, as well as unexamined alternative opportunities and democratic routes.
The Africa Scholars Forum (ASF) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s John W McCormack
School of Policy and Global Studies and Boston University’s West African Research Association (WARA) are
pleased to host a one-day conference that examines democratization challenges, limitations and opportunities
in the West African region through a range of questions. Are liberal democratic regimes and institutions
consolidating in West Africa? What is the relationship between democracy and development in the region? What
role does insecurity – human rights and terrorism – play in consolidating or reversing democracy in West Africa?
What role are the resurgence of an anticolonial struggle and the movement to decolonize Africa playing? Finally,
with ECOWAS and the African Union playing resurgent roles in responding to coups and democratization
initiatives in the region, what role are African regionalism and sub regionalism playing in addressing democratic
reversal?

Time: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd floor, Conference Room (3545), Campus Center, 3rd floor, Conference Room (3540)
Organization: McCormack School of Policy/Glob Studies

Democratic regime changes towards authoritarianism, referred to as democratic backsliding, are occurring all over the world. With recent promissory coups occurring in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, some have described the West African region as a haven for democratic reversal and return to arbitrary and repressive political power through the reestablishment of military regimes. Nonetheless, for a region with a sixtyyear history of difficult postcolonial democratic transitions and given the ironic popular support for the incoming non-democratic regimes in backsliding countries, democratization in the region is riddled with contestation, contradictions, as well as unexamined alternative opportunities and democratic routes.
The Africa Scholars Forum (ASF) at the University of Massachusetts-Boston’s John W McCormack
School of Policy and Global Studies and Boston University’s West African Research Association (WARA) are
pleased to host a one-day conference that examines democratization challenges, limitations and opportunities
in the West African region through a range of questions. Are liberal democratic regimes and institutions
consolidating in West Africa? What is the relationship between democracy and development in the region? What
role does insecurity – human rights and terrorism – play in consolidating or reversing democracy in West Africa?
What role are the resurgence of an anticolonial struggle and the movement to decolonize Africa playing? Finally,
with ECOWAS and the African Union playing resurgent roles in responding to coups and democratization
initiatives in the region, what role are African regionalism and sub regionalism playing in addressing democratic
reversal?

Time: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd floor, Conference Room (3545), Campus Center, 3rd floor, Conference Room (3540)
Organization: McCormack School of Policy/Glob Studies

Senior Photos

Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Campus Center, 3rd floor, Meeting room (3115)
Organization: Student Activities and Leadership