Stacey Links - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Stacey Links

Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2021

Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview... more Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview of the current field of China-Africa studies and identifies common narratives that have enveloped these relations. The chapter highlights one of the field's remaining lacunas, namely the question of African agency, looking at reasons why the issue of agency has been neglected in the literature and how it is treated in the few instances where it is analysed. The chapter also explores Africa's centrality to the BRI against the backdrop of intensifying China-Africa relations. It makes a case for Africa as a fundamental cornerstone of understanding the BRI in both its practical and more ideological facets.

Speculation around China-Africa relations has grown in recent years, particularly since 2006 when... more Speculation around China-Africa relations has grown in recent years, particularly since 2006 when these relations were formalised in the first form of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China. Since then, the scholarly field of China-Africa studies has bourgeoned, becoming a field of inquiry unto itself. In this regard China-Africa studies have been particularly interested in the political, economic and environmental dimensions of these relations. Due to geopolitical shifts and increased interest in developments in the global South, commentary and policy by international actors on Sino-Africa relations has been rife. As a result a large part of the scholarly field has focused on interrogating myths that have surrounded these relations. Shifting international frameworks and relations has additionally popularised the topic of China-Africa engagement in international discourses external to the relationship itself. For this reason the ‘demystification’ of China-Africa relations has increased in scholarship and become a large part of China-Africa studies. Nevertheless, one area that remains highly speculated albeit understudied is the human rights dimension of this relationship. It is here where this research seeks to fill a void, as it sets out to explore this dimension at the intersection of international relations and international human rights. Precisely due to the lack of rigorous scholarly inquiry into the human rights dimension, this aspect of these relations remains mired in assumption and speculation. This research is therefore a fundamental step in exploring this dimension by firstly demarcating, establishing and problematising the existing discourse on the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations (or what it terms the HR|SAr discourse). It is specifically concerned with the western discourse of this topic as it remains a particularly influential, dominant and widely circulated discourse with far-reaching implications for both international relations and human rights. By using a discursive approach, this research bridges the gap between discursive representations of this dimension of the relationship and reality. Furthermore it points to the constructed nature of the discourse, highlighting how its’ constructions are problematic and at times misleading. It specifically problematises the discourse’s representations of human rights, the nature of the relationship and actors through a postcolonial lens, whereby the discourse is analysed in light of its’ processes of ‘othering,’ its’ use of exclusionary frameworks and its’ colonial impulses. As such these representations are problematised insofar as they constitute impediments to uncovering or holistically understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations. A critical discursive approach (CDA) is used which allows the researcher to challenge some of the fundamental assumptions and representations that characterise the discourse. This is deemed a necessary step in establishing a scholarly and informed basis for understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations. Not only is the discourse problematised in so far as it impedes understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations, but it additionally looks at the policy implications of the discourse’s representations. The research concludes that while the discourse reproduces exclusions, hierarchies and processes of ‘othering’ that are problematic in light of principles of equality and inclusion, the HR|SAr discourse equally challenges the fundamental universality of human rights by impeding their resonance worldwide.

Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative, 2021

Chapter 6 provides an in-depth analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and ... more Chapter 6 provides an in-depth analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its interaction with China through the BRI. The chapter explores the agency of African actors, specifically the agency of SADC as a regional power. The chapter's focus on the often-overlooked SADC demonstrates the reach of the BRI as well as the relevance of this project for seemingly 'distant' locales. The chapter takes a deductive approach to agency where agents are placed at the centre of the analysis and themselves demarcate agency. This agent-oriented perspective circumvents the paternalism of imposed definitions, placing definitional power with the actors themselves. The chapter argues this can provide the foundations of an open and empowered conversation on international relations.

Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative, 2021

Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview... more Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview of the current field of China-Africa studies and identifies common narratives that have enveloped these relations. The chapter highlights one of the field's remaining lacunas, namely the question of African agency, looking at reasons why the issue of agency has been neglected in the literature and how it is treated in the few instances where it is analysed. The chapter also explores Africa's centrality to the BRI against the backdrop of intensifying China-Africa relations. It makes a case for Africa as a fundamental cornerstone of understanding the BRI in both its practical and more ideological facets.

A comprehensive introduction to the study of International affairs. Addopting a student-centred a... more A comprehensive introduction to the study of International affairs. Addopting a student-centred approach and using strong examples.221

Cross-cultural Human Rights Review, 2020

This chapter explores the nexus of the Right to Development (RTD) as an inalienable human right w... more This chapter explores the nexus of the Right to Development (RTD) as an inalienable human right within a rapidly changing global order. Originally, the RTD has been at the forefront of the developing world’s agenda, particularly for its emancipatory potential. The RTD has struggled with diverse understandings regarding what the right entails and how to secure it. Its international dimensions, in terms of its collective and individual emancipatory potential for the developing world, are frequently overlooked. This paper explores this dimension by interrogating the conceptual dynamism of the RTD and aligning it within a reconfigured world order. It argues that current reconfiguration(s) provide an opportunity to harness to fulfil all dimensions, particularly the international dimensions, of this right, taking the example of Sino-African relations as an increasingly prominent configuration.

Belt and Road Initiative, 2018

The year 2013 saw the launch of the largest, most influential investment initiative in recent mem... more The year 2013 saw the launch of the largest, most influential investment initiative in recent memory: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This globe-spanning strategy has reshaped local economies and regional networks, and it has become a contested subject for scholars and practitioners alike. How should we make sense of the complex interactions that the BRI has enabled? Understanding these processes requires truly global perspectives alongside careful attention to the role that local actors play in giving shape to individual BRI projects. The contributions in Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative: Asserting Agency through Regional Connectivity provide both 'big picture' assessments of China's role in regional and global interactions and detailed case studies that home in on the role agency plays in BRI dynamics. Written by leading area studies scholars with diverse disciplinary expertise, this book reveals how Chinese efforts to recalibrate...

Human Rights Quarterly, 2014

The receptor approach relies on ethnographic research to identify social institutions and cultura... more The receptor approach relies on ethnographic research to identify social institutions and cultural values that match international human rights obligations. Where these institutions and values fall short, home-grown remedies are used to amplify them. The receptor approach provides a practical tool to activists and states. In addition, it welcomes culture as a potential source of human rights rather than dismissing it as an impediment to their protection. Yvonne Donders and Vincent Vleugel's position that it is "old wine in new bags" is therefore unfounded. The same is true for their argument that it pits "the West against the rest." Research shows that regional values are still notably different. States are entitled to take these cultural differences into account when implementing their human rights obligations. Denying them their right to do so will force Southern states to disengage.

Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2021

Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview... more Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview of the current field of China-Africa studies and identifies common narratives that have enveloped these relations. The chapter highlights one of the field's remaining lacunas, namely the question of African agency, looking at reasons why the issue of agency has been neglected in the literature and how it is treated in the few instances where it is analysed. The chapter also explores Africa's centrality to the BRI against the backdrop of intensifying China-Africa relations. It makes a case for Africa as a fundamental cornerstone of understanding the BRI in both its practical and more ideological facets.

Speculation around China-Africa relations has grown in recent years, particularly since 2006 when... more Speculation around China-Africa relations has grown in recent years, particularly since 2006 when these relations were formalised in the first form of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing, China. Since then, the scholarly field of China-Africa studies has bourgeoned, becoming a field of inquiry unto itself. In this regard China-Africa studies have been particularly interested in the political, economic and environmental dimensions of these relations. Due to geopolitical shifts and increased interest in developments in the global South, commentary and policy by international actors on Sino-Africa relations has been rife. As a result a large part of the scholarly field has focused on interrogating myths that have surrounded these relations. Shifting international frameworks and relations has additionally popularised the topic of China-Africa engagement in international discourses external to the relationship itself. For this reason the ‘demystification’ of China-Africa relations has increased in scholarship and become a large part of China-Africa studies. Nevertheless, one area that remains highly speculated albeit understudied is the human rights dimension of this relationship. It is here where this research seeks to fill a void, as it sets out to explore this dimension at the intersection of international relations and international human rights. Precisely due to the lack of rigorous scholarly inquiry into the human rights dimension, this aspect of these relations remains mired in assumption and speculation. This research is therefore a fundamental step in exploring this dimension by firstly demarcating, establishing and problematising the existing discourse on the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations (or what it terms the HR|SAr discourse). It is specifically concerned with the western discourse of this topic as it remains a particularly influential, dominant and widely circulated discourse with far-reaching implications for both international relations and human rights. By using a discursive approach, this research bridges the gap between discursive representations of this dimension of the relationship and reality. Furthermore it points to the constructed nature of the discourse, highlighting how its’ constructions are problematic and at times misleading. It specifically problematises the discourse’s representations of human rights, the nature of the relationship and actors through a postcolonial lens, whereby the discourse is analysed in light of its’ processes of ‘othering,’ its’ use of exclusionary frameworks and its’ colonial impulses. As such these representations are problematised insofar as they constitute impediments to uncovering or holistically understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations. A critical discursive approach (CDA) is used which allows the researcher to challenge some of the fundamental assumptions and representations that characterise the discourse. This is deemed a necessary step in establishing a scholarly and informed basis for understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations. Not only is the discourse problematised in so far as it impedes understanding the human rights dimension of Sino-African relations, but it additionally looks at the policy implications of the discourse’s representations. The research concludes that while the discourse reproduces exclusions, hierarchies and processes of ‘othering’ that are problematic in light of principles of equality and inclusion, the HR|SAr discourse equally challenges the fundamental universality of human rights by impeding their resonance worldwide.

Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative, 2021

Chapter 6 provides an in-depth analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and ... more Chapter 6 provides an in-depth analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its interaction with China through the BRI. The chapter explores the agency of African actors, specifically the agency of SADC as a regional power. The chapter's focus on the often-overlooked SADC demonstrates the reach of the BRI as well as the relevance of this project for seemingly 'distant' locales. The chapter takes a deductive approach to agency where agents are placed at the centre of the analysis and themselves demarcate agency. This agent-oriented perspective circumvents the paternalism of imposed definitions, placing definitional power with the actors themselves. The chapter argues this can provide the foundations of an open and empowered conversation on international relations.

Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative, 2021

Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview... more Chapter 5 introduces the African region in relation to China and the BRI. It provides an overview of the current field of China-Africa studies and identifies common narratives that have enveloped these relations. The chapter highlights one of the field's remaining lacunas, namely the question of African agency, looking at reasons why the issue of agency has been neglected in the literature and how it is treated in the few instances where it is analysed. The chapter also explores Africa's centrality to the BRI against the backdrop of intensifying China-Africa relations. It makes a case for Africa as a fundamental cornerstone of understanding the BRI in both its practical and more ideological facets.

A comprehensive introduction to the study of International affairs. Addopting a student-centred a... more A comprehensive introduction to the study of International affairs. Addopting a student-centred approach and using strong examples.221

Cross-cultural Human Rights Review, 2020

This chapter explores the nexus of the Right to Development (RTD) as an inalienable human right w... more This chapter explores the nexus of the Right to Development (RTD) as an inalienable human right within a rapidly changing global order. Originally, the RTD has been at the forefront of the developing world’s agenda, particularly for its emancipatory potential. The RTD has struggled with diverse understandings regarding what the right entails and how to secure it. Its international dimensions, in terms of its collective and individual emancipatory potential for the developing world, are frequently overlooked. This paper explores this dimension by interrogating the conceptual dynamism of the RTD and aligning it within a reconfigured world order. It argues that current reconfiguration(s) provide an opportunity to harness to fulfil all dimensions, particularly the international dimensions, of this right, taking the example of Sino-African relations as an increasingly prominent configuration.

Belt and Road Initiative, 2018

The year 2013 saw the launch of the largest, most influential investment initiative in recent mem... more The year 2013 saw the launch of the largest, most influential investment initiative in recent memory: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This globe-spanning strategy has reshaped local economies and regional networks, and it has become a contested subject for scholars and practitioners alike. How should we make sense of the complex interactions that the BRI has enabled? Understanding these processes requires truly global perspectives alongside careful attention to the role that local actors play in giving shape to individual BRI projects. The contributions in Global Perspectives on China's Belt and Road Initiative: Asserting Agency through Regional Connectivity provide both 'big picture' assessments of China's role in regional and global interactions and detailed case studies that home in on the role agency plays in BRI dynamics. Written by leading area studies scholars with diverse disciplinary expertise, this book reveals how Chinese efforts to recalibrate...

Human Rights Quarterly, 2014

The receptor approach relies on ethnographic research to identify social institutions and cultura... more The receptor approach relies on ethnographic research to identify social institutions and cultural values that match international human rights obligations. Where these institutions and values fall short, home-grown remedies are used to amplify them. The receptor approach provides a practical tool to activists and states. In addition, it welcomes culture as a potential source of human rights rather than dismissing it as an impediment to their protection. Yvonne Donders and Vincent Vleugel's position that it is "old wine in new bags" is therefore unfounded. The same is true for their argument that it pits "the West against the rest." Research shows that regional values are still notably different. States are entitled to take these cultural differences into account when implementing their human rights obligations. Denying them their right to do so will force Southern states to disengage.