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Think Piece: Trust as a condition for “radical entanglement”
Full text linkWhen I was teaching first year students the introduction to international relations in July 2023, the coup in Niger took place. Seven coups have happened since August 2020 in west and central Africa. I tell the first years that it is not farfetched to imagine that one day they might come out of class to broadcasts by figures in the South African National Defence Force that they have taken over the country.
I deliberately call the course the “personal is the international” to make clear that, for better or worse, the students’ dreams and gifts are defined by “the international”. Making this point is easier standing in front of a group of students whose lives have been radically redefined by a global pandemic that began in another continent.
As I write this think piece about trust, 6000 bombs have been dropped in the homes, schools, hospitals and universities in Gaza. As of 13 November 2023, about 1063 academics, including the Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, have signed an open letter to Universities South Africa (USAF) and the Academy of Science of South Africa that calls on USAF to “issue a statement that unambiguously expresses solidarity with the universities in Gaza and the occupied territories and mourns the deaths of academics and students who have been killed during the Israeli onslaught”. Among other important demands made by these academics, includes the call for an academic and cultural boycott and the severing of ties with Israeli institutions.
What does it mean to think about higher education and trust at a moment of deepening political, social, economic and psychological crisis in South Africa and the world
The test
Full text linkThe Test is a sculptural meditation on comparison, surveillance, and the extraction of value from Black identity. Its title reflects the ongoing examination Black bodies face from colonial instruments of measurement to modern policing of natural hair, beauty, and comportment
Refugee Protection and Food Security in Kampala, Uganda
Full text linkThis study reviews the governance of Kampala’s food system and refugee protection approach in order to propose strategies to recognize and protect the food security needs of Kampala’s refugee population more effectively. Uganda is Africa’s largest refugee host, with a policy approach that has been widely lauded for its flexible settlement provisions and commitment to durable solutions. However, growing refugee populations and underfunding have led to serious pressures, severely exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. One unique aspect of Uganda’s refugee governance approach is the allowance of refugee populations to self-settle outside of designated camps in the capital city, Kampala. This research uses a governance lens to explore what is being done to support the food security of this group, by whom, and how this could be improved. The researcher conducted interviews with asylum seekers and refugees living in two of Kampala’s large informal settlements (Kisenyi II and Namuwongo) and with a range of policy stakeholders during May 2023. Multiple levels of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) offer overlapping formal and informal services and programs accessible to different populations living in settlements. This paper points to gaps and limitations linked to resources, as well as difficulties identifying vulnerable populations, locating political responsibility, coordination, and weak policy implementation, and suggests governance strategies to respond better to refugee and asylum seekers’ food security needs. Key recommended responses are to overhaul the refugee registration system, recognize and protect urban food security, and improve policy actor coordination through collaborative strategies that move beyond awareness of the crisis to setting specific targets and timelines to address it
Changing Diets, Varying Food Consumption Patterns, and Food Security among Recent Zimbabwean Migrants in Windhoek, Namibia
Full text linkIn Zimbabwe, decades of economic and political challenges have generated significant out-migration to neighboring countries including Namibia, perceived by many Zimbabweans as being more politically and economically stable than their home country. While numerous studies have documented these movements, few have interrogated the food security of migrants in host countries, where they are likely to face food security challenges. This study thus sought to investigate the changing dietary and food consumption patterns of recent Zimbabwean migrants in Namibia and the impact on household food security. The researcher collected data from 35Zimbabwean migrant households in Windhoek through in-depth interviews. Study results show that deteriorating economic conditions and food insecurity were the major drivers of migration from Zimbabwe. The pre-migration diet of most migrantswas mixed, consisting of both traditional and Westernized foods. The major food security challenges were: non-availability of foods that migrants consumed while still in Zimbabwe; poor quality of some substitute foods; increased food expenses through importing foods from the home country; and shortage of time to prepare some foods. While most migrant households reported improved household food security compared to the pre-migration period, numerous food challenges remained. Many worried that the changing diet and the consequent increase in the consumption of over-processed foods could have negative health outcomes, hence impacting on their food security as well
Migration Governance in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
Full text linkThis article postulates that, despite its magnitude and positive impact in Africa, the attention accorded to migration, especially migration governance, which is fundamental to the management of migration, is not commensurate with its relative importance. To this end, the study uses qualitative methods to gather and analyze data from published research, policy documents, and evaluations conducted on the subject matter. Based on a literature review on the state of migration governance in Africa and its implications on African countries’ capacity to manage migration, the analysis observes that migration governance is relatively weak. The study attributes this mainly to inadequate resource allocation toward migration management. It unravels the reasons for this modest investment within the framework of public budgeting theories to explain how governments determine resource allocation across different needs. Furthermore, the article documents the substantial contribution of migration toward development in Africa against the relatively meager investments toward migration management. It also documents the substantial donor investments in the migration sector and decries this state of affairs with regard to the continent’s ability to set its migration agenda. The study concludes that the manifestations of weak migration governance are the reduced capacity of Africa to nurture and capitalize on the positive impact of migration, as well as the limitations on its ability to negotiate migration compacts. It recommends that Africa increases its investment in the migration sector as a prerequisite for taking charge of its migration agenda
Africa Diary: News from the continent
Full text linkDateline Africa
News from the continent
December 2024 to 28 February 2025
A selection of events about, and from across, the continent that are significant or interesting, or both. Compiled by the New Agenda Editorial Collective at the Institute for African Alternatives, we welcome contributions for ideas on what to include
Where hearts and minds meet: In pursuit of global ‘citizen diplomacy’: Living Rights Festival
No full textIn initiating the inaugural Living Rights Festival, the Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) has introduced a new term --‘living rights’. The term, initially coined by IFAA’s Acting Director Ari Sitas, developed through iterative discussion and was eventually penned by festival organiser Nazeema Mohamed. Once the concept of ‘living rights’ was clear, organisers deliberated on the what, who, how, when and where? The big questions to Sitas from the team were: Why a festival? Was it appropriate in a world in mayhem? What were we celebrating? And should we even be celebrating at all in the face of global crisis
Homage to a gentle giant: Concepts, creativity, and collaboration in our flowing with Elmarie Costandius
Full text linkThis paper revisits our collaborative process of concept development through the use of the Flow process, introduced to us by Elmarie Costandius. We track and trace her influence on our lives as we re-member and honour how she shaped our intellectual and personal journeys in higher education. Using post-humanist pedagogy and new materialist frameworks, we explored how the Flow process encouraged non-linear thinking, sensory engagement, and experimentation in collaborative learning environments. Our methodology incorporates Jackson and Mazzei\u27s zig-zag concept and Derrida and Barad\u27s notion of hauntology to analyse how past influences continue to shape present and future pedagogical practices. Through collective re-membering and diffractive analysis of notes and artefacts, we documented how this approach promoted awareness and created new possibilities for knowledge creation. Results demonstrate that the Flow process successfully facilitated anti-disciplinary thinking and the assemblage of multiplicities, leading to innovative teaching practices across different disciplines. Ultimately, this paper pays homage to Elmarie and affirms how the collaborative, creative process of concept development can both honour intellectual legacies and open new avenues for innovation and critical engagement in higher education teaching and learning.