A Talk by Adeline Masquelier, Professor, Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Denmark, Department of Anthropology, Tulane University

In Niger, the fadas or tea-circles where young unemployed young men meet for tea, conversation, and friendship is also where they become initiated into the world of politics. Fadas are spaces of political debates that played an important role in the advent of democracy in the 1990s. Given Niger’s large youth population, fadas have become obligatory campaign stops for political candidates hoping to marshal youth support in elections. Campaigning politicians visit fadas and distribute gifts to secure young men’s political allegiance. Yet young men now see politics primarily as a business, the success of which hinges on securing wealthy patrons and accessing resources. This talk will explore how young men engage in “zigzag politics” in an age of chronic uncertainty. Rather than remaining faithful to a political party, young men shift allegiances whenever opportunities arise, mindful that the political landscape is shifty and unpredictable.