The Nordic Africa Institute
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News from the Nordic Africa Institute : No. 2, May 2002
No full textContents: To Our Readers / Lennart Wohlgemuth -- Commentaries: Contradictions in Constructions of African Masculinity / Kopano Ratele -- Silencing the Guns in Sierra Leone / Jimmy D. Kandeh -- South African Higher Education: Over-Coming Problems, Meeting Challenges / Saleem Badat -- Debate: The New Partnership for Africa’s Development - Some Critical Observations / Henning Melber -- The Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the African Regional System of Human Rights / Alpha Fall -- Development Research Evaluation: Can it be a good evaluation? / Henrik Secher Marcussen -- Interview: Interview with Mary E. Modupe Kolawole / Signe Arnfred -- Research: Contexts of Gender in Africa: Critical Investigations / Signe Arnfred -- Gender Research on Urbanisation, Planning, Housing and Everyday Life, GRUPHEL / Ann Schlyter -- A Research Project is Born / Birgit Brock-Utne -- The Struggle is Over. Report from a research project -- Institution: The Global Coalition for Africa: Promoting Effective Partnership / Ahmedou Ould Abdallah -- Publishing -- Other activities: Conferences and Meetings -- Tribute: Bernard Helander in Memoriam / Lennart Wohlgemuth -- Bade Onimode in Memoriam / Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja -- Review essay: Strong Regimes, Weak States / Endre Stiansen</p
Governing the poor in Harare, Zimbabwe : shifting perceptions and changing responses
No full textThis is a study of the 'terrain of urban governance', using areas of Zimbabwe's biggest city Harare as case studies. It presents and discusses sets of perceptions of poverty and the poor which influence policy development and decision making among urban 'governors'. Kamete shows the effects of positive as well as negative perceptions of the poor. He also problematises more conventional understandings of poverty and includes into his own conceptual understanding dimensions of deficient access to participation and citizenship. He shows that the relationship between power and powerlessness among the poor is much more complex than is sometimes assumed. The urban poor in Harare - since the emergence of significant political opposition in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s - have become both an important and volatile instrument to be wooed and paid by populist politicians. At the same time - in their patterns of voting - they have been a mainstay of support for opposition to the ZANU-PF government at both local and central level.CONTENTS -- Conceptual Framework -- Assessing the Urban Poor: An Overview -- Institutional Practices, Local Governance and Urban Poverty -- Urban Poverty in Zimbabwe -- Examining the Perceptions -- Responses and Counter-responses -- The Consequences: Implications for Urban Governance</p
Measuring democracy and human rights in Southern Africa
No full textAre there ways and means of measuring democracy and “good governance”? The contributions to this Discussion Paper present attempts to do this by means of surveys on democratic attitudes in Mozambique and Namibia respectively as well as by exploring the degree of commitment to and violation of human rights in a comparative perspective in Namibia and South Africa. They illustrate attitudes by offering empirical evidence of the preferences and views of local people, as well as by examining the track record of a human rights culture. In doing so, by going beyond a level of theoretical analysis, they offer concrete evidence of attitudes prevalent among both individuals and state agencies in societies of Southern Africa.CONTENTS -- Political Reforms in Mozambique: Attitudes to Democracy among Ordinary People/João C. G. Pereira and Yul Derek Davids -- In Search of Democrats in Namibia: Attitudes Among the Youth/Christiaan Keulder and Dirk Spilker -- Debasing Democracy: Security Forces and Human Rights Abuses in Post-Liberation Namibia and South Africa/Guy Lam
Political cultures in democratic South Africa
No full textThe democratic transition in South Africa that emerged during the 1990s and became manifest in a democratically elected government, has not yet brought to completion the post-Apartheid social and political transformation of that country. In fact, it has far from consolidated a new socio-political culture. The contributions to this Discussion Paper reflect upon different but related aspects of South African democracy after Apartheid as represented in a variety of social forces, institutions and individuals. They illustrate that societies in transition have to make sustained efforts to overcome the legacies of the past, and that the present reproduces some of the past structural constraints and patterns of power and control in the new framework. This publication has been compiled under the aegis of the research network on “Liberation and Democracy in Southern Africa” (LiDeSa), currently coordinated through the Nordic Africa Institute. The contributions were originally presented to a workshop organised in Cape Town in December 2001.CONTENTS -- Democracy, Rights Discourse, National Healing and State Formation: Theoretical Reflections on the Liberation Transition in Southern Africa/MICHAEL NEOCOSMOS -- Culture(s) of the African National Congress of South Africa: Exile and Prison Experiences/RAYMOND SUTTNER -- Neo-liberalism and Democracy: The Role of Intellectuals in South Africa’s “Democratic Transition”/IAN TAYLO
Singing culture : a study of gospel music in Zimbabwe
No full textThis study examines the historical development, social, political and economic significance of gospel music in Zimbabwe. It approaches music with Christian theological ideas and popular appeal as a cultural phenomenon with manifold implications. Applying a history of religions approach to the study of a widespread religious phenomenon, the study seeks to link religious studies with popular culture. It argues that gospel music represents a valuable entry point into a discussion of contemporary African cultural production. Gospel music successfully blends the musical traditions of Zimbabwe, influences from other African countries, and musical styles from other parts of the world. Through the application of multiple methodological lenses, the study sets out to describe, analyse and interpret gospel music in Zimbabwe during the 1990s. It outlines the historical development of popular music in Zimbabwe, alongside locating the emergence of gospel music in the politically and economically challenging 1990s. The report captures the impact of Christianity on music performances, highlights the various groups of cultural workers who have derived opportunities from gospel music and undertakes an analysis of the context in which gospel music was able to thrive. Through an examination of dominant themes in Zimbabwean gospel music and its creative appropriation of various musical styles, the study illustrates the complexity underlying contemporary African artistic products. This study also seeks to bring to the fore the long-standing issue of the relationship between Christianity and African culture. Although many African theologians, nationalists, missiologists, Non-Governmental Organisation activists and other practitioners have proffered valuable insights, in most instances their efforts have been vitiated by a preoccupation with a frozen view of African culture. Many writers have tended to view African culture as a relic from some glorious past. Although this may please avid cultural nationalists, it obfuscates the inherently adaptive nature of African, and indeed of any other, culture. Consequently, in this study the focus is on gospel music as an integral part of contemporary African culture. By examining gospel music texts, performances by artists and audiences at gospel concerts and television presentations, the study contributes to the discourses on religion and public spaces. The report also brings to the fore the neglected theme of music and the construction of religious and other identities.Contents: Introduction -- Methodological framework and interpretative techniques -- Music in Zimbabwe: a historical overview -- Gospel music in Zimbabwe: an examination of the rise of gospel music and an explication of dominant themes -- Bringing those absent: gospel music and disadvantaged groups in Zimbabwe -- Gospel music in Zimbabwe: an interpretation -- Concluding remarks: gospel music, African cultural production and the politics of imaging</p
The Nordic countries and Africa : old and new relations
No full textThe Institute has asked one representative from each Nordic country to give an account of how their respective countries have dealt with Africa over the years (in some cases even over the centuries) but with an emphasis on the last 50 years. They were also asked to indicate what role Africa has played in the politics, trade, etc. of their countries. The diversity of the invited authors’ backgrounds and fields of specialisation is reflected in their contributions, but the authors have one thing in common: a long experience from, and deep engagement in, Africa’s development.Contents: Preface / Karl Eric Ericson -- Denmark and Africa – Past and Present Relations / Steen Christensen -- Africa in Finnish policy – deepening involvement / Juhani Koponen and Hannu Heinonen -- Iceland’s Policy on Africa / Thórdis Sigurardóttir -- Norway’s Africa Policy / Arne Tostensen -- Swedish relations and policies towards Africa / Lennart Wohlgemuth -- Tables</p
Armed struggle and democracy : the case of South Africa
No full textThe impact of the concept(s) of armed struggle for the notion(s) of democracy in South(ern) Africa is the focus of this paper. Originally submitted to a conference on '(Re-) Conceptualising Democracy and Liberation in Southern Africa', held in Windhoek/Namibia during July 2002, it argues from the point of departure of the personal involvement of the author in the issues raised. The author was part of a group which criticised the strategy of armed struggle in the ANC. For the articulation of this dissenting view they were suspended from the movement in 1979 and finally expelled in 1985. With this paper he inspires a debate, which can claim relevance for current issues of democracy in South Africa and the Southern African region more generally. Given the degree of personal involvement of its author, this analysis is contemporary history based on personal insights, and provides arguments for a necessary discussion.CONTENTS -- PART I: A Strategy of Rural Guerrillaism? 1961–75 -- PART II: What Strategy for the Armed Struggle? 1976–8
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) : African perspectives
No full textAt the end of February 2002 the GermannHanns Seidel Foundation held its annual consultative meeting with African counterparts from projects in nine different countries on the continent. The subject oriented workshop discussed "The New Partnership for African Development" (NEPAD) and its implications from the point of view of the participants. This Discussion Paper publishes some of the presentations to the workshop in an effort to document the current debate just initiated from different positions. It thereby aims to contribute to a process of taking the latest programmatic document from the African heads of state serious in its possible implications for the future development of the continent.CONTENTS -- Henning Melber: The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)– Scope and Perspectives -- From the African Renaissance to NEPAD -- Essentials of NEPAD -- Scope of NEPAD -- Impact of the African Union -- Critical Issues for NEPAD -- Jephthah Gathaka/Smokin Wanjala: Kenya and NEPAD -- Perspectives of development -- Kenyan Development Experience -- The New Partnership for Africa’s Development and What It Means to Kenya -- Kenya: The Way Forward -- Conclusion -- Richard Cornwell: The New Partnership for Africa’s Development: Last Chance for Africa? -- Henning Melber: -- What’s new in “The New Partnership for Africa’s Development”
News from the Nordic Africa Institute : No. 3, October 2002
No full textContents: To Our Readers / Lennart Wohlgemuth -- Commentaries: The Road to Reconciliation / Alex Boraine -- Cameroon: Over Twelve Years of Cosmetic Democracy / Francis B. Nyamnjoh -- The Makerere University Lessons in Privatisation: Affirmative Action for Science / Muhammad K. Mayanja -- Football in Africa: Are the ‘Democratic’ Lions about to Take Over? / Andreas Mehler -- Debate: Confusion and Ambiguity: A Response to Henrik Secher Marcussen / Gunnar M. Sørbø -- Interview: “I have two lives”. Interview with Fatema Mernissi / Carin Norberg -- Research: Guest Researchers Spring 2002 -- African institution: Centres for Gender Studies in Africa / Pia Hidenius and Signe Arnfred -- Publishing: Now Published -- Conference reports: Conferences and Meetings -- Stockholm International Forum / Nina Frödin and Henning Melber -- Research on Higher Education in Africa / Per O. Aamodt -- Other events: Harare Blues: Zimbabwe International Book Fair Suffers from Political Turmoil / Holger Ehling -- Book Exhibition in Cape Town -- Publications Received -- Poem: There Walks a Woman / Noah K. Ndosi</p
Sweden and national liberation in Southern Africa : Vol. 2, Solidarity and assistance 1970-1994
No full textSweden’s and the other Nordic countries’ support for the national liberation process and struggle against apartheid was unique in the international context both in regard to the size of the financial support and the extensive popular involvement. This book attempts to document the involvement of Sweden in the Southern African struggles against colonialism, occupation and white minority rule. While Volume I set out to identify the actors and factors behind the involvement, the aim of the present volume is to illustrate the Swedish participation. The focus of this study is on official assistance to the national liberation movements but the important role played by the organized Swedish solidarity movement and other non-governmental organizations also forms part of the narration. The study also attempts to contribute to a broader understanding of the international aspects of the Thirty Years’ War in the region, a significant chapter in the quest for national self-determination, democracy and human rights towards the end of the troubled 20th century. Primarily written for the general reader interested in relations between Sweden and the Southern African liberation movements, the presentation should also provide material and theoretical enquiries with regard to, for example, Swedish foreign policy in the cold war era; regional developments in a bipolar world; and the diplomatic initiatives, political alliances and material conditions of the different movements. This book is a part of the Nordic Africa Institute’s Research Project National Liberation in Southern Africa. The Role of the Nordic Countries. The result of the project is a unique documentation, mainly drawing on hitherto restricted official primary sources. This book, together with the other studies published within the project, forms a valuable reference source for everyone interested in the 20th century history of Southern Africa in particular or North/South and international relations in general.Contents: Chronological overview 1950–1994 -- Acknowledgements -- Prologue -- PAIGC of Guinea-Bissau : Breaking the Ground -- FRELIMO of Mozambique : Clearing a Way -- MPLA of Angola : A Rockier Road -- ZANU and ZAPU of Zimbabwe : On Separate Trails -- Patriotic Front : ZANU and ZAPU towards Independence -- SWAPO of Namibia : Tentative Steps towards Firm Relations -- Transport, Home Front, Churches and Trade Unions -- The Shipanga Affair and Beyond : Humanitarian Assistance and Human Rights – Cold War, Total Strategy and Expanded Assistance -- With SWAPO to Victory -- ANC of South Africa : No Easy Walk -- Isolation versus Involvement : Companies, Churches and Labour in the 1970s -- SACTU, Unions and Sanctions – ‘Looking for Alternatives’ : Pan Africanist Congress -- Gatsha Buthelezi and Inkatha -- Black Consciousness, IUEF and ‘Operation Daisy’ -- From Beds in Exile to Organizers at Home -- Attacks and Assistance in the Forward Areas : Swaziland and Mozambique -- Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe and a Note on Security -- Closer and Broader Cooperation : Projects in Exile, Mineworkers, UDF and Civics in South Africa -- Culture and Popular Initiatives : From Frontline Rock to the People’s Parliament -- Banning of Trade and Planning for Post-Apartheid -- Free at Last</p