GIDIS - CI
04 BP 293 - Abidjan 04 - Côte d'Ivoire
tel: (225) 05 81 02 17

The Groupement Interdisciplinaire en Sciences Sociales - Côte d'Ivoire (GIDIS-CI), is a scientific association which brings together several researchers from different fields. Its activities are essentially oriented towards research and expert advice. GIDIS-CI brings together a number of researchers based at different institutions, whose primary objective is to build national research and analytical capacity. GIDIS-CI activities centre around four research themes: Population dynamics and agricultural development, Urban research, Health and Structural Adjustment, Enterprises and entrepreneurs. Amongst its activities, GIDIS-CI has organised an International Colloquium in 1994 on the theme: Crises, Recompositions et Structural Adjustment in Côte-d'Ivoire: la remise en question d'un modèle, of which the proceedings were published by ORSTOM and Karthala in 1997. GIDIS-CI programmes concerning land tenure and the management of renewable natural resources fall within the framework of a major new programme entitled "Régulations foncières, politiques publiques et logiques d'acteurs" led by IRD (see section C4-3 and C8). Another programme entitled "Local dynamics and safeguarding biodiversity in Côte d'Ivoire" is coordinated by Jonas Ibo.

Guéhi Jonas Ibo will be the coordinator of the Ivorian team for the CLAIMS project. Dr Ibo is the Executive Secretary of GIDIS-CI, having obtained his Ph. D in social history in 1985. He has worked for over ten years at ORSTOM (now IRD), and transferred to the University of Abobo-Adjamé, as a lecturer-researcher, at the Unité de Formation et de Recherche des Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement (UFR-SGE).
His publications include:
1993, Politique coloniale de la protection de la nature en Côte d'Ivoire (1900-1958). Revue française d'Histoire d'Outre-Mer, Tome LXXX n° 298. 83 - 104
1994, Appropriation et gestion de la rente forestière en Côte d'Ivoire, with Eric Léonard, in Politique Africaine, 53,. 25-36 · 1997, Litiges de forêts dans la région de Sassandra: Quelles implications? in Le modèle ivoirien en questions. Crises, ajustements, recompositions. Karthala-ORSTOM, Paris, 379 -391

Boizo Ori, is a doctor in sociology, in charge of research at GIDIS-CI. He is a researcher at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, seconded to IRD at its Centre de Petit-Bassam in Abidjan. Dr Ori is currently working on land tenure dynamics and local stakeholder strategies in Côte d'Ivoire studying the case of Bédiala in the High Sassandra region. He will be engaged in field activities and policy studies within WPs 1 to 3.
Selected publications on rural issues:
1998, "Pressions humaines et gestion des ressources naturelles et de l'environnement dans la région semi-montagneuse de l'ouest de la Côte d'Ivoire: volet sociologique d'une problématique de recherché" Centre de Recherche Ecologique (CRE), (in coll. with Guéhi Ibo), Université d'Abobo Adjamé (UAA), Abidjan

Mariatou Koné, is a socio-anthropologist, lecturer-researcher at the Institute of Ethno-Sociology (IES) of the University of Cocody. She has also been working in partnership with IRD since 1987 and is a member of the new IRD programme described above and will work on Decentralisation, land management and local powers in Côte d'Ivoire. She will be engaged in field activities and policy studies within WPs 1, 2 and 3.
Recent publications include:
1999a 'Petits reçus', et ' conventions'. Les procédures locales de formalisation des droits fonciers et les attentes de 'papiers'. étude de cas dans le centre-ouest ivoirien (en collaboration avec Basserie, V., Chauveau, J-P.), in Lavigne Delville, P. et Mathieu, P. (éds): Formalisation des contrats et des transactions. Repérage des pratiques populaires d'usage de l'écrit dans les transactions foncières en Afrique rurale. Paris/Louvain, GRET/IED: 52-76 · 1998a, Décentralisation de la gestion foncière et "petits reçus": pluralisme des règles, pratiques locales et régulation politique dans le centre-ouest ivoirien (en collaboration avec Chauveau, J-P), in Blundo, G. et Mongbo, R. (eds): Décentralisation, pouvoirs locaux et réseaux sociaux. Münster, LIT/APAD (16): 41-64