Preface

Abstract

The compilation of articles in this book originated in papers delivered at a two day workshop that took place in San José, Costa Rica, in March 2007 . This workshop is part of the Africa/Asia/Latin America Scholarly Collaborative Program jointly undertaken by APISA-CLACSO-CODESRIA with the generous support of ASDI. This Program is designed to serve as a research forum for the generation of fresh and original comparative insights on the diverse problems and challenges facing the countries of the South. In doing so, it is also hoped that the activities will contribute to the consolidation of cross-regional networking among Southern scholars, foster a scholarly culture of Southern cross-referencing, and contribute to a type of theory-building that is more closely attuned to the shared historical contexts and experiences of the countries and peoples of the South. Participants from all three continents in equal numbers are invited to each activity. Each scholar is exposed to the socio-historical contexts of other regions of the South as an input that will help to broaden their analytical perspectives and improve the overall quality of their scientific engagements.