Beginning this summer, Catherine Bolten will begin a new role as Associate Editor for the African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review (ACPR), an “interdisciplinary forum for creative and rigorous studies of conflict and peace in Africa.” Bolten, associate professor of anthropology and peace studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, has published in and served as a reviewer for the publication since its founding in 2011, but the new role will involve an increased level of responsibility. Bolten will join current editors Abu Bakarr Bah and Niklas Hultin.
As associate editor, Bolten will work closely with authors and article reviewers on the African continent to ensure that articles continue to move through the editing process smoothly. Unlike many traditional academic journals that tout selectivity and exclusivity as a marker of success, ACPR is committed to working with authors working in universities in Africa to build a scholarly web of community and to shepherd articles through the editing process. The journal often reaches out to authors or reviewers who bridge the divide between scholar and practitioner.
“When you have scholars on the continent, they are often publishing on extremely intricate, localized events,” said Bolten. “It’s a chance to create a space to share that research more broadly, and also to create communities of scholars across the global north and south who become more familiar with each other’s work.”
Bolten also hopes that her new role will allow the journal to expand its interdisciplinary peace studies focus to include more articles dealing with issues like climate change and forced migration.
She also has hired Joachim Ozonze to serve as a graduate editorial assistant beginning this fall. Ozone is a 2021 University of Notre Dame graduate who completed a master of theological studies with graduate minors in peace studies and film, television and theater. In this new role, Ozonze will help to solicit more pieces from authors in the humanities, as well as multimedia submissions for review.
Originally published by at kroc.nd.edu on June 14, 2021.