1,721,493 research outputs found
Are Non-state Actors Better Innovators? The Ambiguous Role of Non-state Actors in the Transition Process: The Case of Benin and Madagascar
Full text linkThe focusing on new rules and institutional innovations by the international donor community corresponds to current academic analyses on “weak” or “failing states” in Africa and elsewhere. However, the concentration on externally induced institutional innovations and on the formal sector of the society tackles only half of the problem. Frequently it even undermines indigenous development capacities. Innovators in the informal sector and the agency of the civil society, embedded in the local socio-cultural setting, but closely linked to transnational social spaces, do often outperform the state's development efforts and international aid. African culture is not inherently good or bad, but under certain conditions its propensity to change and to influence perceptions of power and values can induce important improvements in well-being. Even seemingly static cultural factors as custom, tradition or ethnicity, often said to be barriers to economic growth in Africa, have been invented or adapted to changing requirements of societies. Rather than blaming the failure of development efforts in Africa over the past decades on cultural barriers or traditional minded actors, we should investigate the propensity of African societies to create indigenous innovations, notably within the realm of the informal sector.Transition; development; informal sector; indigenous innovation; culture; glocalisation; Africa; Bénin; Madagascar;
The impact of Brexit on Africa in times of the Corona Crisis
Full text linkDespite the Corona crisis, London is pushing ahead with the implementation of Brexit. This will have a profound impact not only on the EU but also on Africa. The British government's vision of a reinvigorated 'Global Britain' relies heavily on a reinforced cooperation with Commonwealth Sub-Saharan Africa. Already the temporary closure of manufacturing supply chains between China and the rest of the world because of the pandemic seriously affected economic activity in GB and the EU. However, African commodity exporters such as Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya will likely bear the brunt of both the direct and indirect effects of this weaker demand. This will add up to the economic effects of the spread of Corona in Africa. Most likely the vulnerable and the poor in Africa's informal sector will have to suffer the most by both health hazards and the economic decline.Malgré la crise de Corona, Londres poursuit la mise en œuvre du Brexit. Cela aura un impact profond non seulement sur l'UE mais aussi sur l'Afrique. La vision du gouvernement britannique d'une "Grande-Bretagne mondiale" revigorée repose largement sur une coopération renforcée avec l'Afrique subsaharienne du Commonwealth. Déjà, la fermeture temporaire des chaînes d'approvisionnement manufacturières entre la Chine et le reste du monde en raison de la pandémie a sérieusement affecté l'activité économique en GB et dans l'UE. Cependant, les exportateurs africains de matières premières tels que le Nigeria, l'Afrique du Sud et le Kenya supporteront probablement le poids des effets directs et indirects de cette demande plus faible. Cela s'ajoutera aux effets économiques de la propagation de Corona en Afrique. Les personnes vulnérables et pauvres du secteur informel africain devront très probablement souffrir le plus des risques sanitaires et du déclin économique
A critique of the socio-cultural approach to development planning
Full text linkRecent reflections on development policy have tried to eliminate the weak points in the economically oriented development theories which have dominated development planning up to now, and the traditional modernisation theories complementary to them. The propagation of strategies geared towards overcoming technological and cultural dependence is one result of such rethinking. The following article takes Black Africa as its case example for a critical appraisal of this “socio-cultural” approachAuthor’s revised version of: Kohnert, Dirk (1982): A critique of the socio-cultural approach to development planning, Intereconomics, Vol. 17 (6), Verlag Weltarchiv, Hamburg, pp. 296-301. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02930175Neuere entwicklungspolitische Überlegungen haben versucht, die Schwachstellen der ökonomisch orientierten Entwicklungstheorien, die die Entwicklungsplanung bisher dominierten, und der sie ergänzenden traditionellen Modernisierungstheorien zu beheben. Die Verbreitung von Strategien zur Überwindung technologischer und kultureller Abhängigkeiten ist ein Ergebnis dieses Umdenkens. Der folgende Artikel widmet sich am Beispiel des Sub-Sahara Afrikas einer kritischen Würdigung dieses „soziokulturellen“ Ansatzes
On the divide between constitutional legislation and constitutional reality in the democratization process in Benin Republic
Full text linkThe process of democratization in Benin has been praised as a model for the whole of francophone Africa. Initiated by an independent National-Conference the process of democratic renewal started with a bloodless coup of representatives of different groups of the civil society. Declared aims of this conference were, to guarantee basic human rights, to substitute the "Marxist" Kérékou-Regime by a democratic elected government, and to draft a new liberal-democratic constitution. Officially, each of these aims had been reached within one year. The new constitution was adopted through a referendum by a large majority of the population in December 1990. In the following four years the formal constitutional political structures, meant to guarantee the balance of power were implanted. However, the political elite which dominated the democratization process pursued a hidden agenda. Moreover, the liberalization of society and economy, propagated by the international donor community, had ambiguous effects. The growth of the market economy had it repercussions not just within the realm of the economy, e.g. privatisation, separation of factors of production, land, labour, and capital; creation of business- and professional organizations. The transformation from subsistence into a market-economy was equally important concerning restructuring the political landscape. The adoption of democratic concepts by the population, based on neo-liberal concepts of exchange of equivalents via the market, the notion of equal legal status of all citizens, equal competition of politicians and political parties, and achievement-orientation, led to high flying expectations, but at the same time to a commercialization of social and political relations, including venality. Besides, democratization in Benin - the cradle of "vodun" - was neatly interwoven with the realm of occult belief systems. Both within the economy and politics, the established ‘traditional’ rules of the informal sector dominated the political agenda of the ‘neo-patrimonial’ state. Gender- and class specific interests of decision makers exerted a decisive influence on the democratisation process.democratization; transition; constitutional development; human rights; justice; Bénin
Country Concepts and the Rational Actor Trap - Limitations to Strategic Management of International NGOs
Full text linkGrowing criticism of inefficient development aid demanded new planning instruments of donors, including international NGOs (INGOs). A reorientation from isolated project-planning towards holistic country concepts and the increasing rationality of a result-orientated planning process were seen as answer. However, whether these country concepts – newly introduced by major INGOs too - have increased the efficiency of development cooperation is open to question. Firstly, there have been counteracting external factors, like the globalization of the aid business, that demanded structural changes in the composition of INGO portfolios towards growing short-term humanitarian aid; this was hardly compatible with the requirements of medium-term country planning. Secondly, the underlying vision of rationality as a remedy for the major ills of development aid was in itself a fallacy. A major change in the methodology of planning, closely connected with a shift of emphasis in the approach to development cooperation, away from project planning and service delivery, towards supporting the socio-cultural and political environment of the recipient communities, demands a reorientation of aid management: The most urgent change needed is by donors, away from the blinkers of result-orientated planning towards participative organizational cultures of learning.foreign aid; aid effectiveness; INGOs; planning policy; development management; participation; Africa; globalization;
L'articulation entre entrepreneurs chinois et africains migrants, façonnée par l'agence africaine - Exposé sommaire
No full textMuch has been written on the relationship of China and Africa in the past decade. However, the subject of Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Africa and their articulation with African counterparts was little explored up to the early 2010s. Apparently, this research gap has been closed, as shown by four publications in recent years: three edited volumes and one monography, focusing on this subject. In view of early prejudices on the passive or even disapproving reception of Chinese migrants by Africans, the state of the art underlines the importance and scope of African agency vis à vis Chinese migrant entrepreneurs in Africa. This has been underlined unison in the four books under review.French version of: Kohnert, Dirk (2022): Chinese and African migrant entrepreneur's articulation shaped by African agencyOn a beaucoup écrit sur la relation entre la Chine et l'Afrique dans la dernière décennie. Cependant, le sujet des entrepreneurs migrants chinois en Afrique et leur articulation avec leurs homologues africains a été peu exploré jusqu'au début des années 2010. Apparemment, cet écart de recherche a été fermé, comme indiqué par quatre publications au cours des dernières années: trois volumes édités et une monographie, en se concentrant sur ce sujet. Compte tenu des premiers préjugés sur la réception passive ou même désapprobateur des migrants chinois par les Africains, l'état de l'art souligne l'importance et la portée de l'agence africaine vis-à-vis des entrepreneurs migrants chinois en Afrique. Article de critique de livre
Kulturelles Erbe und Entwicklung: fragwürdiger Ansatz zur Operationalisierung des BMZ-Rahmenkonzeptes für die entwicklungspolitische Planung
Full text linkThe authors from the Ethnological Seminar at the University of Zurich try to develop a model for measuring the level of socio-cultural development that is as objective as possible, as a contribution to operationalising the BMZ framework concept for development policy planning. The attempt to serve up the "socio-cultural dimension" of the development of African countries, for example, to development planners in a digestible form from the desk is not very convincing. Development planners cannot avoid dealing intensively with the specific socio-cultural characteristics of a country on the ground.Author's version of Kohnert, Dirk (1991): Rezension von: H. P. Müller & C. Kock & A.v. Ditfurth (1990): Kulturelles Erbe und Entwicklung: "Indikatoren zur Bewertung des sozio-kulturellen Entwicklungsstandes". Weltforum-Verlag, München, Köln, London, 1990, 225 S. In: Afrika Spectrum, vol. 26 (1991) 2, pp. 288-290. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40174452Die Autoren vom Ethnologischen Seminar der Universität Zürich versuchen, ein möglichst objektives Modell zur Messung des soziokulturellen Entwicklungsstandes zu entwickeln, als Beitrag zur Operationalisierung des BMZ-Rahmenkonzeptes für die entwicklungspolitische Planung. Der Versuch, Entwicklungsplanern die „soziokulturelle Dimension“ der Entwicklung afrikanischer Länder beispielsweise in verdaulicher Form vom Schreibtisch aus zu servieren, ist wenig überzeugend. Entwicklungsplaner kommen nicht umhin, sich vor Ort intensiv mit den spezifischen soziokulturellen Besonderheiten eines Landes auseinanderzusetzen
The long-term effects of development aid - Empirical studies in rural West Africa.
Full text linkThis article is based on field studies in rural West Africa. It concentrates on the socio-structural effects of development aid in the long run, in contrast to numerous available evaluation reports on the short-run effects of development projects. The study reveals that superficial generalisations or condemnations of development projects, like the big farmers benefit at the expense of the smaller ones, or the men benefit at the expense of the women, do not hold up to verification. Quite to the contrary one observes a wide range of specific adapted forms by which the target groups react to the demands and offers of development projects, and thereby transform their own social structure. In short, one observes a great diversity of social self-organisation. The bureaucratic structures of the development administration do, however, unfortunately - more often than not - ignore the social dynamic of their target groups which they nevertheless sustain unconsciously. Development aid has become an important political and economic factor in most African countries. Its financial impact often exceeds that of the national budget. It contributes, therefore, significantly to the development of a bureaucratic class and of its clients: the project development degenerates into a project nationalization / bureaucratization. This contrasts vividly with the strategies of the peasants. Men and women at village level do not accept any longer the paternalistic development approach. They just select what they need out of the packages of solutions that are offered to them, while they develop their own solutions, like a variety of seeds adapted to their specific resource endowments, diversified sources of income, different strategies of accumulation and risk prevention. All this allows for a gradual evolution by variation and selection. The dynamic of the rural society is to a large extent due to a competition of different (strategic) groups, opposed to one another, about the partitioning of the cake of development aid. Normally this struggle between different vested interests is covered up by the rhetoric of development planning. Planned development has up to now proven to be to rigid, to be able to take account of the complex and subtle fabric of self organisation. Aid sometimes appears to be a second best substitute for a vision of a democratic society. This is due to the fact that the structures we are aiming for in the long run - which are to allow for open markets, an orientation of the producers at the resources and needs of the nation, and last not least, the growth of indigenous structures of self-help - would require a responsible and democratic government, as well as the guarantee of civil rights, accountability, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, etc.; up to now, however, all these elements are still oppressed by the commando state itself, well nourished by the various forms of technical and financial aid.development cooperation; ODA; evaluation; Africa; social structure;
On the impact of the occult on state legitimacy and democratization aid in Africa
No full textThe impact of occult belief on legitimacy of the state and on aid for democratization in Africa: Among politicians and development experts in Africa alike there is a growing awareness of the never decreasing importance of the belief in magic and witchcraft on political decision making since pre-colonial times. Demonstration of the control of occult forces as a means of enhancing legitimacy of traditional or charismatic rule had been considered for over a century to be the prerogative of traditional chiefs and their marabouts; now it proved to be effective for the modern political elite and the state as well. An increasing number of African states officially recognized the existence of magic and witchcraft, and they adapted the imposed colonial law accordingly. In addition magic-religious belief systems, as represented by the vodun or African independent churches (e.g. the Kimbanguists), boasting to control witchcraft, are promoted by African political leaders to enhance legitimacy both of the political class and of state governance. At the same time, development experts tried to take into account the socio cultural dimension of development; they called for an "endogenization" of development aid. This call was justified, because endogenization should be considered as a pre-requisite of sustainable aid; however, under certain conditions it may be ambiguous and dangerous as well. Concerning the consideration of occult belief it may lead to the promotion of illegitimate rule and violation of basic human rights.Überarbeitete Englische Fassung von Kohnert, Dirk: (1997): Zum Einfluß des Okkulten auf staatliche Legitimität und Demokratisierungshilfe in Afrika, Sociologus, 47.1997.1, S. 24-50.Unter Entwicklungsexperten und Politikern in Afrika beginnt sich die Erkenntnis durchzusetzen, daß der Einfluß des Magie- und Hexenglaubens auf den politischen Entscheidungsprozeß seit der Kolonialzeit eher zu- als abgenommen hat. Früher schienen nur traditonelle Herrscher die Demonstration ihrer Macht auch auf dem Gebiet des Okkulten für notwendig zu erachten. Heute bedient sich die modere Elite vieler afrikanischer Länder ebenfalls dieses Mittels, um dem Staat, der Regierung und der herrschenden politischen Klasse in den Augen der Wähler zu mehr Legitimität zu verhelfen. Gleichzeitig sehen sich Entwicklungsexperten und Regierungsberater gehalten, okkulten Glaubenssystemen als integralem Faktor der sozio-kulturellen Dimension der Entwicklung Afrikas zunehmend Beachtung zu schenken. Durch eine "Endogenisierung" der Entwicklungshilfe soll deren Nachhaltigkeit gewährleistet werden. Diese Forderung ist ambivalent und gefährlich: einerseits trägt sie dem berechtigten Interesse der Zielgruppen nach Respektierung ihrer Kultur Rechnung, andererseits kann beispielsweise die offizielle Verankerung des Okkulten im Rechtssystem und in der Politik afrikanischer Staaten zu gravierenden Verletzungen grundlegender Menschenrechte führen
Witchcraft and transnational social spaces: witchcraft violence, reconciliation and development in South Africa's transition process
No full textABSTRACT & RÉSUMÉ: The strange collusion between occult belief systems and different trans-national social networks, embedded in specific transformations of local and global modes of production, results in unique but reinforcing modifications of witchcraft belief, its underlying structures and its impact on the process of democratisation. The amazing range of possible results has been indicated by the analysis of two outstanding examples of witchcraft violence in South Africa in times of transition: in the former homelands of Venda and Lebowa, seemingly 'traditional' elements of witchcraft accusations, mediated by a misguided struggle for liberation, stimulated the sympathetic attention of stakeholders beyond the local setting. On the other hand, the occult base of violence in the Transkei became so blurred by involvement of 'modern' elements of globalised markets of violence that it was hardly visible any more, although under cover its repressive effects were still very much alive. These different roots of witchcraft violence had serious repercussions on conflict resolution and genuine reconciliation, the base for any sustainable democratisation and development. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RÉSUMÉ : [ La Sorcellerie et les espaces sociales transnationales - la sorcellerie, la réconciliation et le développement dans le processus de transition de l'Afrique du Sud ] - La collusion étrange entre les systèmes de croyances occultes et les différents réseaux sociaux transnationaux, intégré dans les transformations spécifiques des modes de production locaux et mondiaux, à contribuer au renforcement de croyance de la sorcellerie, ainsi que à la modifications de ses structures sous-jacentes et de son impact sur le processus de démocratisation. L'incroyable éventail de résultats possibles a été indiqué par l'analyse de deux exemples remarquables de la sorcellerie en Afrique du Sud en période de transition : dans les anciens homelands du Venda et Lebowa, des éléments « traditionnels » de l’accusation de sorcellerie, médiée par une lutte malavisée pour la libération, ont stimulé l'attention sympathique des parties prenantes au-delà du cadre local. D'autre part, la base occulte de la violence dans le Transkei est devenue tellement floue, à cause de la participation des éléments «modernes» de la mondialisation des marchés de violence, qu'il était à peine plus visible, bien que ses effets répressifs couvert étaient encore très vivante. Ces différentes racines de violence de la sorcellerie ont eu des répercussions graves sur la résolution des conflits et la réconciliation véritable, qui constituent la base de toute démocratisation et du développement durable.Author's version of: Kohnert, Dirk (2003): Witchcraft and transnational social spaces: witchcraft violence, reconciliation and development in South Africa's transition process. Journal of Modern African Studies, vol. 41, Nr. 2, pp. 217-24
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