Social cohesion is an indispensable precondition for sustainable development everywhere. At the same time, it is associated with some of the key development challenges our societies are facing, such as inequality, poverty, migration, and conflicts. In Africa, these problems may be exacerbated by the increased demographic pressure and urbanization. It is expected that more than 2 billion people will live on the African continent by 2050; over 50 percent will be under 18; 50 percent of Africans will live in cities. Despite the central role that social cohesion plays in and for development processes, the recent academic debates have not contributed much to the conceptualization and operationalization of this phenomenon in African societies. As a consequence, they have missed the opportunity to provide overarching recommendations for the design and implementation of develop-ment policies.

This workshop aimed at filling this gap, by bringing together experts with different scientific backgrounds, in order to acquire a better understanding of the meaning of social cohesion, with special reference to Africa. Moreover, the workshop intended to discuss in-depth how to compare the different dimensions of social cohesion across African countries and identify the major – national and international - driving factors.

The workshop is part of DIE’s research project “Social Cohesion in Africa” (2018-2020). The project inquires explanations of social cohesion in African societies and seeks to measure social cohesion in order to identify different patterns of social cohesion in African societies.