Firoze Manji (PhD), Publisher, Daraja Press; Adjunct Professor, Institute of African Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

"This volume addresses two primary research concerns: first, considering extraversion (or extroversion) as a term for characterizing a region that is “mobilizing resources from their (possibly unequal) relationship with the external environment”, a dynamic that constitutes a possible African potential; and, second, a survey of competing systems and strategies with a focus on relationships between formal and informal institutions in terms of their collaborations and conflicts. In addition, this volume contains three chapters examining very recent African responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic from a variety of perspectives. The final part of this volume contains an important contribution to the conceptualization of ‘African Potentials’. This has proven to be a significant conceptual innovation, that allows intellectual access to alternative ways of thinking about latent ideas of universality.

This volume brings together perspectives on 'African Potentials' – formal and informal capabilities – for organic responses to military interventions, arms transfer, social conflict, wars and peace, collapsing states, public health – particularly the recent COVID-19 pandemic – and the potential universalism embodied in popular culture. Each rich essay hints, in different ways, at alternative conceptions of the universal that emerge in collective struggles, enriching understanding of the creative capacity of African communities to make their own history. This important collection should be widely read and discussed."