Third ISA Forum of Sociology (July 10-14, 2016)

This session will examine the dynamics of struggles for control, persistency of resistance, and the nature of agitation for resource capture in natural resource producing countries. Since the early 1990s, the acceleration of struggles and contestation around resource (diamond, oil and gas) capture has escalated dramatically and shaped intervention policies from the international community regarding human rights issues, conflicts and development.

By the late 1990s, the situation in most of the natural resource rich developing countries has transformed into aggressive agitations and violent protest of unprecedented dimensions including militia armed conflicts that shook the very foundations of some of those nations. For example the agitations and resource conflicts in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, and recently in South Sudan and Libya are not just religious wars but struggles for social and economic justice to have access to fair share and control of the resources in those countries.

Papers presentation in this session may address a variety of issues related to patterns of contestation and resource capture; movements for human rights and socio-economic justice; revolts including militia armed conflicts and contestation around resource capture in Africa. Presenters can also interrogate the involvement and conspiracy amongst transnational companies, national elites and local actors. Presentations can include country case studies and also examine the resultant political, socioeconomic, environmental and human rights impacts of contestation and resource capture globally and how these challenge the prospects for a better world.