Money remains at the core of debates about decolonisation, development and emergence in Africa. The convergences of socio-economic and political crises with the collapse of financial institutions, coupled with the intensification of precarization have further activated questions around money and the ethics of being. The development of new technologies and experimentation with alternative currencies raise new questions around cash ecosystems and the future of money. What is money? What do we want money to do for society? What do people do for money and what can money do for people? This meeting critically reflects on, and strategically sets a research agenda for the future of money in Africa, through an engagement with diverse perspectives on money that transcend the hegemonic ideology of the monetization of everything. Contributions – mainly think pieces and position papers – will be put together for a Special Issue of CODESRIA’s flagship journal Africa Development, with a few selected for publication in the CODESRIA Bulletin.

Workshop  Programme

Welcome, Opening and Contextualisation

Session 1: Money, Commons and Society

Session 2: Debt, Reciprocity and Conviviality

Lunch

Session 3: Data and New Technologies

Session 4: Governing Money Conclusions & Closing

 

*check registration page on link below for updated detailed program when it becomes available

This event is open to young scholars, interested policy makers, non-governmental organisations, financial institutions, and industry stakeholders. The workshop is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Registration is required: bit.ly/2tmu6BB.

Workshop organized by the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in collaboration with the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion (IMTFI); and the Centre for African Studies Basel (CASB).