Call for Chapters in Edited Book
Democracy Deficit: Challenges and Prospects of Democracy in South Asia
There exists no concrete or sole South Asian understanding of ‘Democracy’. Within its own diversity, commonalities and contradictions, South Asian nations’ abstraction of democracy is influenced by their history, customs and values. Over the years, democratic political systems in the region have produced many forms of government. Today, all the nations in the region have embraced democracy in their own way and all forms have been accepted within the framework of democracy. The South Asian nations in recent history have witnessed both democratic upsurge and down surge. However, there is a disturbing paradox surfacing in the region in recent times: the more vigorously democratic a country is, the more dysfunctional it has become. The current deconsolidation of democracy in the region is manifested through the rise of strongmen populist leaders, extreme nationalism, weak governance structures, feeble democratic institutions and increasing militarization and extremism. While all the countries of South Asia have democratic governments, their governance is not truly democratic.
Amidst this backdrop, it is pertinent that we make necessary observations regarding where the countries in the regions stand and are headed in terms of Democracy. The book in this light will attempt to present and collate a document on the state of democracy in the South Asian region. It will strive to understand the significant drop in the popularity of ‘support’ for democratic values. Which nations in the region are backsliding? and which are avoiding a democratic decline?
The chapters in the book will feature differing takes and reflections from different South Asian Nations from diverse researchers, post-graduate, academicians and practitioners.
Recommended sub-themes for the book but not limited to:
- Future of Democracy (in context to South Asia or each South Asian Countries)
- Elections and Voting rights
- The COVID-19 and Democracy
- Role of non-state actors and civil society
- Minorities (ethnic, gender) and Governance
- Gender issues
- Decentralization and delegation of Power
- Democratic protections under the Constitution
- Proportional representation and reservations
Please note: The topics mentioned here are not exhaustive and contributors may also contribute to other topics related to the theme.
The book will be jointly edited by Dr. Pramod Jaiswal (Research Director, Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement), Sumnnima Karki (Research Associate, Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement) and Sunaina Karki (Research Associate, Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement).
The book will be published by reputed international publisher.
Important Dates
Abstract submission deadline 5 March 2022
Submission of Full Paper 25 March 2022
For those interested, please:
Send your abstract (250-300 words), and brief bio of the author (of 100 words) before 5 March 2022 and full paper (4000-6500 words) by 25 March 2022 to niice.kathmandu@gmail.com
Please note the following:
- The title of the proposed paper must not be longer than 90 characters (including spaces).
- The length of the final proposed paper should be less than 6500 words (including abstract, references plus 2-3 tables or graphs, if needed).
- Please use Harvard citations format for referencing;
For any queries and clarification, please free to contact us by email (mentioned above) or WhatsApp: +977-9840383300.