Political Activist Leaders' Narratives

Abstract: Abstract

The fight for social and economic justice has been ongoing in sub-Saharan Africa (Dwyer & Zeilig, 2012; Joseph, 1998). Even after the national liberation movements from the 1950s to the 1970s, when many countries broke free from colonialism, they have been plagued by authoritarian neo-patrimonial rulers who continue to erode democratic principles (Diamond & Plattner, 1999; Fonchingong, 2004; Nur, 2015). Cameroon achieved independence on January 1, 1960. However, the country continues to be an illiberal democracy with flawed elections, corruption, reduced civil liberties, marginalization of ethnic groups, and inequalities in the distribution of resources (Nsangou, 2022). President Biya has personified the regime since 1982, subverting the democratic process by changing presidential term limits and by changing the constitution through legally dubious amendments (Fonkwa, 2020). 
Political activism in Sub-Saharan Africa has seen many phases. Pro-democracy protests in the 1990s evolved into modern street mobilization or street democracy, referred to as “rucratie” (Sadovskaya et al., 2021, p. xx). This new wave of protest, also called the third wave (Nwosu, 2012; Nur, 2016), is known for using non-traditional protest methods highlighting the persistence of activists in protesting in the streets and city squares. More recently, the use of nontraditional tactics including strikes, nonviolent resistance, etc., combined with the intensive use of social media, has given birth to hybrid social movements with new strategies to curtail the effects of repressive regimes (De Waal & Ibreck, 2013). 
Activism for social and political change has the power to create movements and momentum to effect substantial policy changes and even overturn authoritarian regimes (Chenoweth, 2021; Martin, 2007; Taylor & Whittier; 1995). Given the social importance of political activism, it is critical to understand what motivates these leaders to engage in it, how they become engaged in it, and their experiences as political activists, fighting for social justice and democratization. Past research has predominantly focused on the structural aspects of the movements (Mateos & Erro, 2021) rather than on leaders, or on individual and collective frustrations as factors that motivate political actions (Bettache et. al., 2019). However, the lived experiences of leaders engaged in political activism has been largely neglected in the literature.
There is little known about activists in sub-Saharan Africa, and almost none about such leaders from Cameroon. Further, there are no studies, to my knowledge, that have looked at how experiences of political activism can be different when they are embedded within an authoritarian regime, and when they are engaged as part of the diaspora from a different country (Moss, 2019, 2020). Therefore, there is a significant lacuna in academic literature, which this study seeks to address. 
The purpose of this study is to understand, through narrative inquiry, the lived experiences of nonviolent political activists from Cameroon, by bringing forward their stories of becoming, being, belonging, and leading. This study aims to throw the spotlight on their narratives of identity, struggles, passion, and strengths, and their emergence as change leaders. 
For this narrative inquiry (Clandinin, 2013; 2016; Clandinin & Caine, 2011; Riessman, 2008) study, I will conduct in-depth interviews with nine nonviolent political activists who took part in change movements in Cameroon. Participants will be recruited using critical case sampling (Patton, 2002; Staller, 2021), which is appropriate when the research aims to cast light upon a poorly understood phenomenon of interest (Castillo & Jones, 2020; Patton, 2002). 
  Interviews will be digitally recorded and transcribed. After reading each transcript, member checks will be conducted (Creswell, 2018; Miles, Huberman & Saldana, 2014; Saldana & Omasta, 2022). Data analysis will involve identifying emerging themes and patterns, and the application of a systematic categorization and coding process to analyze the verbatim transcripts (Berg & Lune, 2017; Braun & Clarke, 2006; Lindlof and Taylor, 2011; Owen,1984). 
The study will provide insights on how activism triggers change, both for the leader and for those that are impacted by their activism. The findings of this study will inform political activists facing similar challenges in many African and Latin American countries. This study will also provide the opportunity for the voices of political activists to be heard outside the walls of the repressive regime that they are often silenced within. Further, it will shed light on human resource processes and practices in social movements, which is often overlooked in HRD (Human Resource and Development) research since social movements do not fit the description of a typical organization (Callahan, 2013), contributing to the HRD literature on social movements. 
Keywords: democratization, political activists, narrative inquiry