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Transforming elections into opportunities for political choice
No full textThis monograph presents a well-informed overview and analysis of political transitions, democratic struggles and elections in West Africa. It explores the ways in which various authoritarian regimes across the sub-region have tried to subvert democracy and how the citizens of various countries have struggled against dictatorship and impunity, to achieve the return to democratic rule. Drawing on insights from the Ghanaian model of free and fair elections, Niger's difficult, but successful transtion to democracy, elections in post-conflict Sierra Leone and Liberia, and the struggles for democracy in Nigeria, Jibrin Ibrahim proposes concrete strategies that will empower the people of West Africa to make political choices which will advance and secure their individual and collective socio-economic and democratic rights
Reconciling winners and losers in post-conflict elections in West Africa : political and policy imperatives
No full textIn post-conflict societies, elections play several roles. They provide citizens with the opportunity to freely chose their leaders and representatives, and provide countries emerging from civil wars with new opportunities to come to terms with a traumatic past and rebuild their lives and societies in a secure and stable environment. For the international community, post-conflict elections lend credibility to peace agreements and provide an exit strategy. However, when elections are poorly timed or administered, and outstanding issues of justice, participation, national ownership and sustainability of the peace process are not well addressed, there is always a chance that the entire process may unravel. This report based on the debates and discussions of a panel debate on Winners and Losers in Post-Conflict Elections in West Africa, draws on insights from post-conflict elections in the sub-region and provides some crucial policy recommendations as well as areas for further research
How to be a 'proper' woman in the time of AIDS
No full textHow to Be a ‘Proper’ Women in the Time of AIDS is written as a piece of music for multiple voices. The voices of Katja Jassey and Stella Nyanzi – both professional women, both mothers, both anthropologists, one European, one African – are intertwined with the voices of other women (and men) telling about their lives coping with AIDS and/or struggling against the epidemic. Personal storylines and interviews are interspersed with analytical reflections and a string of amazing photographs of African HIV/AIDS billboard posters, captured by Suzy Bernstein. Unconventional questions are posed: What kind of sexuality is portrayed in the anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns? Why is there such an absence of messages that would include or make sense to those living with HIV? What does it mean to be a ‘proper’ woman in the time of AIDS? The authors decided that instead of producing yet another publication citing the number of people infected, they would reflect on their own stories and professional experience, how they had come to think and react to HIV, and how their different positions influenced their understandings. By doing so they manage to create new insights and open new perspectives. They don’t say what is right and wrong. They say stop! Stop awhile and think about yourselves. Stop and think for yourselves.CONTENTS -- The beginning -- Sexuality, development and colonial history -- The morality of medicines -- Respectability and unions for love, marriage or sex in the face of AIDS -- New beginnings? -- Epilogue – Striking a balance</p
Begging and almsgiving in Ghana : Muslim positions towards poverty and distress
No full textThe vast majority of Muslims in Africa generally do not 'objectify' concepts such as poverty and religion in discussion. Poverty is a situation for 'ordinary' poor people in rural or urban poor areas where people seek to make marginal gains in income to avoid ever-threatening destitution and social disintegration. Most of these 'ordinary' poor people, especially poor and illiterate women, do not really believe that things can change. There exists, however, in all Muslim societies and communities in Africa a minority that criticize social and political conditions in society with the stated aim of striving for an Islamic solution to poverty and injustice. The common denominator for this group is that they are urban educated Muslims, having both a traditional educational background and, usually but not always, a modern, secular one, too. For them, the concept of poverty more readily forms part of a religious discourse involving feasible strategies for change. Their basic idea is to highlight the possibilities of generating new forms of financial resources by combining Islamic ethics and norms with a modern development-oriented outlook. Their vision is the usability of obligatory almsgiving in a modern context, namely that, instead of the traditional individual-centred 'person-to-person' charities, zakāt or obligatory almsgiving should be directed to become the source of communal and collective societal improvement. This study focuses on the conditions of poverty and the debate among Muslims in Ghana, a West African country with a substantial but largely economically and politically marginalized Muslim population.CONTENTS -- I.Introduction -- Almsgiving within the ‘Muslim sphere’ -- Social capital and wealth -- Muslim positions towards poverty alleviation -- Investigating the ‘Muslim sphere’ in Ghana: sources and previous research -- II. Islam and Muslims in Contemporary Ghana -- Accommodation or rejection? -- Muslim political activity from the colonial to the present period -- Contested loyalties: Muslims, the civil society and the secular state -- Undercounting the Muslims? The census debate of 2002 -- Increased manifestation of Muslim presence in Ghana -- III. Poverty, violence and the Muslim community -- Poverty in Northern Ghana -- Beggars and Poor People in Tamale -- IV. Economic and societal marginalization of Muslims – imagined and real -- 'Muslim beggars’ and ’poor Northerners’: the view from the South -- Declaring begging to be illegal -- ‘Ordinary peoples’ perceptions: Lazy people making money out of begging -- The beggar’s voice -- Muslim voices: break the circle of poverty through modern education -- V. The expansion and activities of Muslim NGOs in Ghana -- VI. To reinterpret zakât or not? -- Zakât and Poverty Alleviation: Voluntary or Organized? -- Zakât institutionalized: A local, regional or national Zakat fund? -- Assistance to the poor, hospitality towards strangers -- Almsgiving in a global age -- VII. Concluding reflection
News from the Nordic Africa Institute : No. 1, January 2006
No full textContents: To Our Readers / Carin Norberg -- Trading down / Peter Gibbon -- Rethinking social policy in Africa / ‘Jìmí O. Adésínà -- Presidential transitions and political accountability /Roger Southall -- Organisations: Why fight corruption? Example Transparency International / Carin Norberg -- Evelyn Ankumah on Africa Legal Aid -- Debate on Uganda: Uganda: From regression to success and globalisation challenges / Godfrey B. Asiimwe -- Reconcile with the Living, not just the Dead: An open letter to President Museveni / Mahmood Mamdani -- Research: Elderly people in Zimbabwe / Lovemore Chipungu -- Conference reports: Conferences and meetings -- Publishing: Recent publications -- Poetry: Spaces of writing / Gabeba Baderoon -- Devil’s food / Gabeba Baderoon</p
Africa, regional cooperation and the world market : socio-economic strategies in times of global trade regimes
No full textUnder the regime of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), local and regional policies are increasingly determined by global factors. One example is the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). It stresses an earlier notion of African Renaissance, which includes the emphasis on collective self-reliance, but at the same time seeks closer cooperation with the global trade system and its international agencies. Bi- and multilateral trade relations between external actors and individual African states or regional blocs are becoming ever more decisive. This is also true of the more recently negotiated Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in the post-Lomé era of EU-African relations. In light of such trends the question of coherence between trade as aid and other areas of development strategy and cooperation remains to be answered. The contributions to this Discussion Paper reflect upon related matters of socio-economically viable strategies seeking to reconcile the global and the regional in an African perspective. They were originally presented to the Panel 'Regional Cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Between Collective Self-Reliance and Global Trade Regimes'\u94 organised by the Nordic Africa Institute within the 11th General Conference of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) in September 2005 in Bonn.CONTENT -- Preface -- “Partnership” through Accommodation? African Development Initiatives and universal Policy Descriptions. Ian Taylor -- The EU and Regional Integration in AfricaA critical appraisal of the Economic Partnership Agreements. Henning Melber -- Rethinking Protection for Agricultural Markets in Sub-Sahara Africa. Michael Brüntru
Diasporas within and without Africa : dynamism, heterogeneity, variation
No full textThe book deals with two types of “African diasporas”, the first of which originated in the migration histories of the Indian Ocean and brought new groups into Africa. This is illustrated by case studies of Hadrami communities in Sudan and Zanzibar, and the Malay community in Cape Town, that produced trade links as well as processes of Islamization. The second type originated with the failing African states and cases discussed are an Eritrean diaspora in Germany, alongside Sudanese diasporas in Norway and the USA, and a Somali diaspora in Norway. The papers deal with processes of homemaking, political mobilization in the diaspora through local organisations, religious networks and cyberspace nationalism. The central conceptual argument is that “diaspora” is not only a post-modern reaction to the xenophobia of Western nation states but must be seen as part of a broader history of human migration and intercultural experience. This calls for a perspective which takes into consideration historically produced variation and dynamism.CONTENTS -- Diasporas within and without Africa – Dynamism, heterogeneity, variation/Leif Manger and Munzoul Abdalla M. Assal -- Diasporic Consciousness as a Strategic Resource – A case study from a Cape Muslim community/Sindre Bangstad -- A Hadrami Diaspora in the Sudan – Individual life courses in regional and global contexts/Leif Manger -- My Generation. Umar b. Ahmad b. Sumayt (1886-1973) – Intergenerational network transmission in a trans-oceanic Hadrami Alawi family, ca. 1925-1973/Anne Bang -- “We Are the Warsay of Eritrea in Diaspora” – Contested identities and social divisions in cyberspace and in real life/Bettina Conrad -- Southern Sudanese – A community in exile/Roqaia Abusharaf -- Somalis and Sudanese in Norway – Religion, ethnicity/clan and politics in the diaspora/Munzoul A.M. Assa
Extended handshake or wrestling match? : youth and urban culture celebrating politics in Kenya
No full textOne of the factors affecting the social, political and economic situation in Africa today is the youth. Among today's African populations, there are various groups of younger people who find themselves disillusioned with the inevitable lack of political space available to them for meeting their needs. Kenya is uniquely positioned within Africa, since it has experienced relative peace and avoided major political turmoil. However, there is no question that since the early 1980s the youth have increasingly begun to agitate for political accountability from their leaders. This agitation has taken various forms, key among which were artistic expressions through music. In this way, youth carved out for themselves a niche of 'social inclusion' from which they questioned corrupt practices. These practices, by state agents, leaders and the common 'mwananchi', were intimately linked to moral decay in the society. This discussion paper addresses the varied notions of culture, politics and youth music in the Kenyan context during former President Moi's presidency. Moving away from the notion that youth activities can be equated with terror and acts of idleness, the author examines the historical centrality of music and politics in Kenya. Using imagery derived from proverbs as a basis of thinking, the author discusses the changing views of culture and identity among the youth of Kenya. To enhance the discussion, politics and the urban context serve as the basis for interrogating youth involvement through music in the political space in Kenya. Finally, the discussion presents the youth musician Eric Wainaina and discusses his use of music as an intervention into the issue of political decay and corruption. The underlying thrust of this discussion is to reflect upon and dispel the assumption that, through their music, youth in Kenya are engaged in violent activities against the state.CONTENT -- Introduction -- The Main Objectives of the Research -- The Research Questions -- Chapter One: -- Setting of Democratic Spaces Perception of Reality, Memory and Age Youth Identity and Contemporary Political Uncertainties -- Music Constituting Identity -- Urban Culture and Youth Identity: Politics or the Ordinary? -- Chapter Two: -- Singing In or Out for Politics -- The Emergence of Youth Music in Democratic Spaces? -- The Personal becoming Political -- Chapter Three: -- Kenya, my Home, which Songs do you Deserve? -- Talking the Political and Singing the Social -- ConclusionsReference
News from the Nordic Africa Institute : No. 3, October 2006
No full textTheme: Social policy.Contents: To Our Readers: Carin Norberg -- Commentaries: Incorporating social policy into the development agenda in Africa / Thandika Mkandawire -- Gender and social policy in a global context / Shahra Razavi and Shireen Hassim -- African cities: Competing claims on urban land / Paul Jenkins -- Interview: Interview with Paul Tiyambe Zeleza -- Research: The Sexuality, Gender and Society in Africa programme at NAI is closing down / Signe Arnfred -- Persons and Property in Kilimanjaro: Claims Development, and Legal Anthropology / Knut Christian Myhre -- Race, othering and gender and sexual identities of foreign women in Ghana / Akosua Adomako Ampofo -- Communication – a cornerstone in post-conflict transition at Idi Araba, Lagos / Ogu Sunday Enemaku -- Key political and economic institutions examined in East Africa / Emil Uddhammar -- Interview: Gavin Simpson on the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission -- Conferences: Recent NAI conferences -- Publishing: Recent publications -- Obituary: Prof. Chachage Seithy Loth Chachage</p
The Western Sahara conflict : the role of natural resources in decolonization
No full textThis book gives a comprehensive background to the long running conflict on the status of Western Sahara and particularly highlights the question of the territory's natural resources, such as fish, oil and phosphates. The book analyses why this territory, mainly covered by desert and only sparsely populated has since 1976 when the former colonial power Spain left the territory, engaged governments and people, both regionally and internationally, and the implications of its natural resources. The book includes: - a summary of the Western Saharan conflict, by Pedro Pinte Leite, specialist in international law in the Netherlands; - an up-to-date picture of the situation in Western Sahara with regard to natural resources, and the way in which exploitation is taking place, by Toby Shelley, a British journalist; - the UN\u92s legal opinion from 2002 on exploitation of the natural resources of a Non-Self-Governing Territory written by Hans Corell, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Counsel. Two political views of the conflict are also included. Magnus Schöldtz and Pål Wrange from the Swedish Foreign Ministry elucidate the Swedish Foreign Policy on the Western Sahara Conflict. A statement by Karin Scheele, MEP and President of the Intergroup on Western Sahara in the European Parliament focuses on the economic interests of the parties involved in the conflict. These contributions together with an extended chronology, by Claes Olsson, over the different phases of the conflict form a useful information source for policy-makers, researchers, students and activists interested in or dealing with issues related to the Maghreb framework and in particular the Western Saharan conflict.CONTENT -- Introduction. Lennart Wohlgemuth -- The Western Sahara conflict – Chronology -- International legality versus realpolitik – The cases of Western Sahara and East Timor. Pedro Pinto Leite -- Natural resources and the Western Sahara. Toby Shelley -- Swedish foreign policy and the Western Sahara conflict. Magnus Schöldtz and Pål Wrange -- Appendices: -- Letter dated 29 January 2002 from the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, the Legal Consel, addressed to the President of the Security Council. Hans Corell -- The role of natural resources in the Western Sahara conflict. Karin Scheele</p