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Contact Us

John and Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies

Ashfield Building (room T0.1)
University of Bradford
Richmond Rd.,
Bradford BD7 1DP, West Yorkshire, UK

For general enquiries, send an email to JEFCAS@brad.ac.uk

African Community Network in the North

This Network is set up by John & Elnora Ferguson Centre for African Studies (JEFCAS) and coordinated in partnership with The NILE African Development Organisation. It began with the recognition that there are many small organisations and initiatives working in partnership with African organisations for peace and development.  Very often these are operating with small teams of passionate and committed volunteers but are limited by staff capacity and resources.  There are also many community institutions (schools, churches and mosques) with links to African partners. 

Migration, technology and accessible air travel have made the world highly inter-connected.  The ability to create links is more possible than ever before. Remittances from migrant workers back to their homes are now thought to outstrip official flows of development aid. Similarly the multiple partnerships and linkages between diaspora and small development organisations are increasing and significant and yet are unmapped.

It is likely that in working more closely together, in sharing knowledge and resources, we can make a more sustained and strategic impact.

Therefore the network has 4 main aims:

  1. To provide a support system for organisations and individuals with links to or working with Africa and African organisations.  Support might include information-sharing, invited speakers, and partnership working.
  2. To provide an informed contribution to debates and discussion on Africa in the Region and in the media.
  3. To develop understanding of how diaspora and small development organisations contribute to peace-building and development in Africa.
  4. To assist students/visitors from Africa to connect to organisations in the UK and to help them prepare for the process of returning home.

The Network will also serve as a background programme for the forthcoming conferences, projects, research and studies and collaborative work.