In a tripartite arrangement, Actionaid International Uganda (AAIU), The Uhuru Institute (TUI) and the Centre for Basic Research (CBR) propose to team up with other like minded institutions and researchers inside and out of Uganda to provide a compelling agenda for the revival of cooperatives in sync with Uganda’s present realities.

The trio with their associates seek to set a strong research dimension, coupled with an equally strong mobilization and conscientization agenda in an attempt to invigorate and operationalise the cooperative movement in the country.

This is in line with the demographic reality that Uganda faces where the young generation constitutes the majority of the population.

It is therefore intended that every effort be made to deliberately target women and young people in this process.

This study seeks to deepen understanding of the historical contribution, present status and potential value of cooperatives as organic citizen platforms for independent efforts geared towards socioeconomic transformation in Uganda.

Inspired in part by a resurgent debate about their historical role, value and potential contribution to overcoming structural challenges citizens are enduring especially in the face of an aggressively forceful neoliberal agenda that has reduced citizens to passive actors in a so called private sector led development paradigm and distant recipients of help from above.

The study and project is also done as part of a commitment to take forward outcomes from the Citizens Manifesto in which ordinary Ugandans expressed interest in a revival of the cooperative movements in Uganda.

Against the above background, we invite key think pieces and or papers that explore and analyze recent socio-political and socio-economic trends that may indicate the need for revitalising the cooperative movement in the country.

Interdisciplinary perspectives are particularly encouraged. Suggested areas include, but are not limited to:

1. The historical perspectives of the cooperative movement and its role in socio-economic development of the country.

2. The socio-economic implications of the collapse of cooperatives, marketing or project implementation and management.

3. Emerging realities of commercial agricultural production and marketing in Uganda.

4. An interrogation of issues of diversity – gender, region, age, religion and race in the cooperative movement.

5. General study of the practice of cooperatives in any other country that may be replicated in the Ugandan situation.

6. Why and how the currently active cooperative unions managed to survive the changing social and political economic context in Uganda since independence.

7. The status, forms, area of focus and performance of other existing savings, investments, productivity and social services community collectives operating in the country.

8. Beyond the cooperatives what are the merging forms of socio-economic citizen collectives in other parts of the world in the changing global geopolitical economy. And what is driving them.

Those interested in submitting papers should send abstracts (maximum 300 words) outlining their proposed contribution, along with full contact and affiliation details to Centre for Basic Research on the following email: cbr. uganda@gmail.com andleonard.okello@uhuruinstitute.org Successful abstracts will be commissioned to produce papers in the areas above.

A reasonable honorarium will be paid for each paper produced and accepted.

Date of submission: Not later than February 20, 2013.