The Contributions of Civil Society Actors in Crisis Response in Africa: A Comparative Case Study of Chad and Kenya

Abstract:     
This study looks at the role played by the civil society and other micro actors in cushioning the negative effects of the various crises and in contributing to reconstruction in Kenya and Chad. The study provides an overview of the crises experienced in the two countries and examines the civil society response mechanisms.

Both Chad and Kenya suffered from negative effects of political and economic crises over the last decade. These crises were of different magnitudes and scale and had negative effects on several sectors of the society. While government interventions were targeted at ensuring a functioning economy, restoring peace, order and social services in the overall, at the micro level, civil societies developed innovative strategies to lessen the negative effects of the shocks amongst the grassroots. It concludes that reducing the negative effects of whichever crises calls for the intervention of all actors both macro and micro.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 22

Keywords: civil society, shocks, crisis/crises, reconstruction

JEL Classification: O5

working papers series