Choral intervention: reimagining international law pedagogy in Africa through music

Abstract

ABSTRACT The idea of establishing a link between music and international law is not a topic that typically excites scholars and practitioners. In its Eurocentric/colonial or critical/decolonial posture, scholarly engagement with international law is often devoted to the so-called “hard” issues such as global security, global warming, poverty, reforms of international institutions, global governance architecture, etc. As such, the notion that music, in its expressive and aesthetic manifestations, can be deployed in the better understanding of and finding solutions to the so-called “hard issues” of international law remains a peripheral subject. At the heart of this article is the question of how music could serve as an effective instrumental tool for rethinking the pedagogical process of international law in Africa. The article argues that socially conscious songs provide a beneficial lens and gateway to the popular understanding of the problematics of international law. Such knowledge further engenders the possibility of repurposing the applicative dimensions of international law on the continent.