Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Deciphering The Phenomenon Of Elite Corruption In Africa, Segun Oshewolo, Babatunde Durowaiye

Segun Oshewolo

Development challenges transverse the countries of Africa. This explains why the continent has progressed with comparative slowness in the global community. Among these challenges, the phenomenon of elite corruption proves to be one of the most potent. The paper offers a flash of intellectual insight that simultaneously distils the conceptual orientation of the phenomenon of elite corruption and also unravels its various dimensions in the African context. To achieve the latter goal, the paper adopts the theory of rent-seeking. The theory does not only expose the conspiracy to perpetuate poverty by elites, it also reveals the mechanisms for achieving that …

Foreign Direct Investment And Uncertainty: Implications For Ethiopia, Adugna Lemi, Sisay Asefa

Adugna Lemi

The paper examines the effect of price and exchange rate uncertainty and political instability on the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to selected African economies. Measures of uncertainty of inflation rate and real exchange rate are incorporated by taking the conditional variance of the residual of the Autoregressive (AR) processes of each series. Pooled data result without accounting for country specific factors is misleading. Fixed effects model provides a better explanation of the variation of FDI flow to African economies. The results show that uncertainty in the rate of inflation and political instability constrain the flow of FDI only …

Do Foreign Direct Investment And Foreign Aid Promote Good Governance In Africa?, Adugna Lemi, Blen Solomon, Sisay Asefa

Adugna Lemi

The literature on the roles that governance/political and economic stability play to attract capital flows into African economies has been burgeoning. Good governance, liberalization, infrastructure, incentive packages have been regarded as cures to break the deadlock to reverse the economic plight, to attract inflow of capital and, in some cases, to reverse outflows of African economies. The flow of capital, however, has undesirable side effects on host economies’ working conditions, environmental standard, inequality, and culture, among others. These economic and social external or negative spillover effects are due to the phenomenon of “race-to-the-bottom” where companies invest in economies with lax …

Discerning For Peace In Africa: The Sudan Civil Wars And Peace Processes 1955-2013, Conrad John Masabo Mr.

Conrad John Masabo Mr.

Separation of the Sudan into the Republic of Sudan (North) and the Republic of Southern Sudan (South) was globally extolled as the long-lasting solution to one of the longest civil wars in post-Colonial Africa. However, recent developments in Sudan: continued clashes between north and south, crises in the contested areas and tribal civil wars have uncovered that: separation without addressing the principal root causes of the conflicts is not the panacea to prone and protracted civil wars. Taking a historical analysis framework, the paper attempts to tackle issues of causes, opportunities and challenges for peace in Sudan.

The Narrative Mediterranean: Beyond France And The Maghreb, Claudia Esposito

Claudia Esposito

The Narrative Mediterranean: Beyond France and the Maghreb examines literary texts by writers from the Maghreb and positions them in direct relation to increasingly querulous debates on the shifting identity of the modern Mediterranean. This book argues that reading works by writers such as Albert Camus and Tahar Ben Jelloun alongside authors such as Fawzi Mellah and Mahi Binebine in a transnational rather than binary interpretive framework transcends a colonial and postcolonial bind in which France is the dominant point of reference. While focusing on works in French, this book also examines Maghrebi authors who write in Italian.

The texts …

Neoliberalism And University Education In Sub-Saharan Africa, James R. Ochwa-Echel

James R. Ochwa-Echel

This article reviews the history of university development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and discusses the impact of neoliberal policies. This will be followed by an examination of the problems facing universities in the region. The following questions will be explored: (a) Are the existing universities in SSA serving the development needs of the region? (b) Are these universities up to the task of moving SSA out of the predicaments it faces such as famine, HIV/AIDS, poverty, diseases, debt, and human rights abuses? Finally, the article argues that for universities to play a role in the development of the region, a …

When Opportunity Beckons: The Impact Of The Public Service Accountability Monitor’S Work On Improving Health Budgets In South Africa, Alta Fölscher, John Kruger, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa struggles with high poverty, poor public infrastructure, and dysfunctional administrative systems. One result is that the Eastern Cape has the worst health outcomes in the country. This case study illustrates how a South African civil society organization has used its budgetary analysis to advocate for improvements in health service delivery.

The full version and short summary of this case study are available in English.

LINK: http://internationalbudget.org/publications/when-opportunity-beckons-the-impact-of-the-public-service-accountability-monitors-work-on-improving-health-budgets-in-south-africa/

Raising The Stakes: The Impact Of Hakie Limu’S Advocacy Work On Education Policy And Budget In Tanzania, Ruth Carlitz, Rosie Mcgee, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

Tanzania has invested heavily in ensuring that all children have access to education. Civil society group HakiElimu stepped in to take the political commitment beyond enrollment and graduation targets to meaningful policy decisions that lead to higher quality schooling. This case study examines the issues, campaign, and impact.

The full version of this case study are available in English. The short summary case study is available in English, French, and Spanish.

LINK: http://internationalbudget.org/publications/raising-the-stakes-the-impact-of-hakielimus-advocacy-work-on-education-policy-and-budget-in-tanzania/

Turkey’S Religious And Socio-Political Depth In Africa, Mehmet Ozkan

Mehmet OZKAN

No abstract provided.

Decentralization Is Dead, Long Live Decentralization! Capital City Reform And Political Rights In Kampala, Uganda, Christopher Gore

Christopher D Gore

African cities are currently experiencing some of the highest population growth rates in the world. Accompanying this growth is constant and continuing pressure on national and local governments to develop political and institutional structures that respond to the multiple demands this demographic change provokes in relation to service delivery, economic development and social wellbeing. In response to these challenges, national governments are reviewing the political and administrative structures of their capital cities, sometimes recentralizing authority. This article examines the reforms to Kampala, capital city of Uganda. The article explains how the national government gradually created the legal conditions necessary to …

Indigenous Peoples And The Capitalist World System: Researching, Knowing, And Promoting Social Justice, Asafa Jalata

Asafa Jalata

This paper explores the major consequences of the expansion of the European-dominated capitalist world system, colonial terrorism, and continued subjugation for indigenous Americans, Australians, and Afri- cans between the late fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. Western powers as well as most of the descen- dants of European colonialists in Europe, the Americas, Australia, and in Africa and their regional and local collaborators deny or forget or minimize the crimes committed against indigenous peoples and claim that their ancestors spread modernity and civilization around the world.

Emerging Threats To National Security And Development In Africa, Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

A presentation to students of the PhD and Masters Programs in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University.

Contemporary Challenges To Peacekeeping Operations In Africa, Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

A presentation to students of the PhD and Masters Programs in International Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University. Outlines types of United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and discusses structural challenges to same.

The Social Justice Coalition And Access To Basic Sanitation In Informal Settlements In Cape Town, South Africa, Neil Overy, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

Formed in 2008, the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is a coalition of civil society organisations in the informal settlement of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. In response to reports from residents about the inadequate and unsafe conditions of sanitation facilities in the settlement, the SJC therefore launched the Clean and Safe Sanitation Campaign in 2010. The campaign aimed to ensure that the City Council properly maintained existing toilets and also provided additional clean and safe sanitation facilities in informal settlements. SJC’s campaign had several concrete achievements, such as the City’s introduction of a janitorial service for regular maintenance of …

Copyright ©2013, American Sociological Association, Volume Xix, Number 1, Pages 130 - 152, Issn 1076 - 156x The Impacts Of Terrorism And Capitalist Incorporation On Indigenous Americans, Asafa Jalata

Asafa Jalata

This article demonstrates the connections between terrorism, colonial state formation, and the development of the capitalist world system, or globalization, exploring the consequences of colonial terrorism on indigenous American peoples. First, the piece introduces the central argument and conceptualizes and theorizes terrorism. Second, it examines the structural aspects of colonial terrorism by connecting it to specific colonial policies and practices. Third, it explains the ideological justifications that Euro-American colonial settlers and their descendants used in committing crimes against humanity and dispossessing the homelands of indigenous Americans, as well as in amassing wealth/capital by ignoring moral, ethical, and philosophical issues and …

Colonial Terrorism, Global Capitalism And African Underdevelopment: 500 Years Of Crimes Against African Peoples, Asafa Jalata

Asafa Jalata

This article critically explores the essence and characters of European colonial terrorism and its main consequences on various African peoples during racial slavery, colonization, and incorporation into the European-dominated capitalist world system between the late fifteenth and twentieth centuries. It employs multidimensional, comparative methods, and critical approaches to explain the dynamic interplay among social structures, human agency, and terrorism to critically explain the connections among all forms of violence, the emergence of globalization, and African underdevelopment. The piece focuses on four central issues: First, it conceptualizes and theorizes terrorism to clarify its roles in creating and maintaining the global system. …

South African Legal Resources Centre Successfully Advocates For Adequate Education Facilities, Alison Hickey Tshangana, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) is a South African nonprofit human rights organisation that conducts public interest litigation. In response to the South African government’s delays to remove mud schools in the Eastern Cape Province, LRC took the government to court in August 2010. As a result of the mounting legal pressures, in January 2011 the Eastern Cape Department of Education signed an agreement with LRC. According to the agreement, the national government would introduce a new three-year grant to address infrastructure backlogs, of which Eastern Cape would receive 78 percent of the total. In the interim, the provincial education …

Walter Rodney In East Africa: The Dar School And The Kenya/Tanzania, Capitalism/Socialism Dichotomy, Jesse Benjamin

Jesse Benjamin

No abstract provided.

Drug Trafficking And Threats To National And Regional Security In West Africa, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, John Pokoo

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

In less than one and a half decades West Africa has become a major transit and repackaging hub for cocaine and heroin flowing from the Latin American and Asian producing areas to European markets. Drug trafficking is not new to the region; the phenomenon rapidly expanded in the mid-2000s as a result of a strategic shift of Latin American drug syndicates towards the rapidly growing European market, leading UNODC to state in 2008 that "…the crisis of drug trafficking … is gaining attention. Alarm bells are ringing …West Africa has become a hub for cocaine trafficking. This is more than …

Oversight Effectiveness And Political Will: Some Lessons From West Africa, Riccardo Pelizzo

riccardo pelizzo

The effectiveness with which legislatures perform their oversight function depends on terms of reference (mandate), resources (human, technical and financial) and above all political will. Quantitative analyses and in depth case studies confirm this very important lesson.

South African Parliament Enacts Comprehensive Data Protection Law: An Overview Of The Protection Of Personal Information Bill, Mark J. Calaguas

Mark J Calaguas

No abstract provided.

Smart Power For Hard Problems: The Role Of Special Operation Forces Strengthening The Rule Of Law And Human Rights In Africa, Kevin H. Govern

Kevin H. Govern

This article will assess the roles and responsibilities of Special Operations Forces (SOF) within the newly created U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) as an active proponent of a so-called “smart power” national security strategy. In particular, it will outline the economic, political, and military challenges faced in Africa; specifically, how and why SOCAFRICA is the U.S. force of choice for promoting human rights and rule of law in Africa. With the goals of the U.S. military in mind, questions will necessarily arise as to “what success looks like” for both the U.S. and African nations, and the roles of each in …

Access To Knowledge As A New Paradigm For Research On Icts And Intellectual Property Rights, Jeremy De Beer, Sara Bannerman

Jeremy de Beer

No abstract provided.

Building National Infrastructures For Peace In Africa: Understanding The Role Of The National Peace Council In Ghana, Emmanuel Kotia, Festus Aubyn

Emmanuel Wekem Kotia

In this article, we provide an analysis of Ghana’s infrastructures for peace using the National Peace Council (NPC) as a case study. The article focuses on the composition, structures, tasks, achievements and challenges of the NPC. It argues that the NPC has made significant contributions in preventing and managing acts of violence that could have plunge Ghana into conflict. Its unique roles during the 2012 elections in Ghana are a testament to this assertion. Although some forms of violence did occur during the elections, our argument is that the violence would have become far worse if the NPC had not …

The World Bank And The International Monetary Fund In Africa, Paul Clements

Paul Clements

No abstract provided.

Examining The Legal And Policy Frameworks Regulating The Behavior Of Politicians And Political Parties In Sierra Leone, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Fiifi Edu-Afful

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

This article critically examines the legal and policy frameworks that exist to regulate the behavior of politicians (elected or appointed) and political parties. More importantly, this article identifies the existing loopholes within the legislation that can pose major threats to the growth of democracy in Sierra Leone. Consequently, the article begins by briefly outlining the legal and institutional frameworks governing political party formation and as well as party financing. Additionally, we review the existing mechanisms for eliciting compliance from all forms of political behavior and reflect the level of commitment -both institutional and structural- that individual politicians and political parties …

Legal And Policy Frameworks Regulating The Behavior Of Politicians And Political Parties In Ghana: Interrogating Institutional Mechanisms, Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, Fiifi Edu-Afful

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning

This article explores the legal and policy frameworks that exist to regulate the behaviors of politicians (elected or appointed) and political parties and highlight the existing loopholes in the legislation that can pose major threats to the legitimacy of democratic politics and governance in Ghana. The article is organized as follows: Section one reviews the existing established mechanisms for eliciting compliance with respect to political party formation and financing in Ghana. We argue that when it comes to the array of laws purposively crafted to regulate the behavior of political parties and politicians, Ghana has many of such laws. However, …

Afrika: Güney Afrika Örneği, Mehmet Ozkan

Mehmet OZKAN

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Work 'In-The-World': Women's Writing An Anti-Colonial Thought In Africa, Shiera S. Malik

Shiera S el-Malik

No abstract provided.