Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

App Newsletter 7, Riccardo Pelizzo

riccardo pelizzo

The seventh issue of the APP newsletter, with contributions by Michele Croce, founder and President of Verona Pulita, and Abel Kinyondo, Senior Researcher at REPOA.

Racism In America And Islam: Remembering Bilal, Muqtedar Khan

Muqtedar Khan

This article reflects on Bilal, the African companion of Prophet Muhammad and its relevance to race relations in America.

App Newsletter 5, Riccardo Pelizzo

riccardo pelizzo

Fifth issue of APP Newsletter

Türkiye – Güney Afrika İlişkileri, Haci Mehmet Boyraz Student

HACI MEHMET BOYRAZ Student

No abstract provided.

Newsletter, Riccardo Pelizzo

riccardo pelizzo

first issue of the African Politics and Policy Newsletter

American And British Strategies In The Competition For Energy Resources In Sub-Saharan Africa, Stefan Andreasson

Stefan Andreasson

No abstract provided.

Oil Wealth, Resource Curse And Development: Any Lessons For Ghana?, Felix Kumah-Abiwu, Edward Brenya, James Agbodzakey

Felix Kumah-Abiwu

Ghana’s new status as an oil-producing country has invigorated the scholarly debate on the resource curse theory, which assumes that countries with vast natural resource wealth like oil, diamond and gold are likely to experience slow economic growth and development as compared to countries with scarce natural resources. Although the development literature is well endowed with cases of countries with huge natural resources that have experienced slow economic growth, the literature is also clear on few other countries with enormous natural resources that continue to experience high economic growth due to strong political institutions and democratic practices. Norway and Botswana …

A Functionalist Theory Of Oversight, Riccardo Pelizzo, Abel Kinyondo, Aminu Umar

riccardo pelizzo

The literature on oversight provides various approaches that have been used to measure oversight effectiveness. They include inferring oversight from the quality of governance, equating it with the presence of oversight activities as well as equating it with oversight capacity. However all these approaches are problematic as they wrongly consider oversight to be unidimensional. As a result they tend to produce measures that are too general and vague to provide a meaningful assessment of oversight effectiveness. It is in this context that this paper identifies the structural elements of oversight and goes on to contend that since oversight is a …

Africa In The Age Of Globalization: Perceptions, Misperceptions And Realities, Edward Shizha, Lamine Diallo

Edward Shizha

This is a collection of bold and visionary scholarship that reveals an insightful exposition of re-visioning African development from African perspectives. It provides educators, policy makers, social workers, non-governmental agencies, and development agencies with an interdisciplinary conceptual base that can effectively guide them in planning and implementing programs for socio-economic development in Africa. The book provides up-to-date scholarly research on continental trends on various subjects and concerns of paramount importance to globalisation and development in Africa (politics, democracy, education, gender, technology, global relationships and the role of non-governmental organisations). The authors challenge the familiar paradigms in order to show how …

Pedagogy Of The Dispersed: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The African Diaspora Phenomenon Through The Human And Social Capital Lens, Charles Kivunja, Edward Shizha

Edward Shizha

With its origin in Greek where ‘diaspora’ as a noun means ‘a dispersion’ or as a verb means to ‘scatter about’, the term is used in this paper to refer to the dispersion or scattering of Africans from their original African homeland and now live in countries other than their own. Indeed some Africans have dispersed from their own countries to other countries in Africa. For the purposes of this paper our analysis focuses on Africans who live outside Africa. This paper explores the African diaspora phenomenon starting from the commercial extraction of Africans as resources to serve as inputs …

The African Origins Of International Law: Myth Or Reality?, Jeremy I. Levitt Dr.

Jeremy I. Levitt Dr.

This Article reconsiders the prevalent ahistorical assumption that international law began with the Treaty of Westphalia. It gathers together considerable historical evidence to conclude that the ancient world, particularly the New Kingdom period in Egypt or Kemet from 1570-1070 BCE, deployed all three of what today we would call sources of international law. African states predating the modern European nation state by nearly 6000 years engaged in treaty relations (the Treaty of Kadesh), and applied rules of custom (the MA'AT) and general principles of law (as enumerated in the Egyptian Bill of Rights). While Egyptologists and a few international lawyers …

The African Origins Of International Law: Myth Or Reality?, Jeremy I. Levitt Dr.

Jeremy I. Levitt Dr.

No abstract provided.

5th Annual Afro-Latino Lecture Series - Lubaraun, Aajay Murphy

Aajay Murphy

A poster for the screening of the film "Lubaraun" in conjunction with the 5th Annual Afro-Latino Lecture Series.

5th Annual Afro-Latino Lecture Series - C. A. Griffith, Aajay Murphy

Aajay Murphy

A poster for the screening of the film "América's Home" by C. A. Griffith in conjunction with the 5th Annual Afro-Latino Lecture Series.

The Security Challenges Of Drug Trafficking In West Africa: Why Agenda-Setting Matters, Felix Kumah-Abiwu

Felix Kumah-Abiwu

Reproduced with permission of the editor. Available at http://www.africa-upeace.org/images/pdfs/Publications/PEACEBUILDING.pdf

Structured Transformation And Natural Resources Management In Africa, William G. Moseley

William G Moseley

This chapter examines recent trends in African resource-based economies, explores the risks of an economy overly focused on primary production, reviews the theoretical literature on the reasons countries get stuck as peripheral producers, and interrogates past approaches that have been undertaken to pursue economic diversification (failed and successful). In sum, the chapter seeks to answer a few fundamental questions. Given the recent commodity boom, and soaring economic growth rates in many African countries, why should there be cause for concern? How fragile is economic growth based on primary production? Do natural resources intrinsically impede economic diversification? Under what conditions can …

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 …

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.

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/

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.

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. …

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.

Liberation Of, Through, Or From Work? Postcolonial Africa And The Problem With “Job Creation” In The Global Crisis, Franco Barchiesi

Franco Barchiesi

The precarity of employment in an age of globally financialized capital cannot be reduced to the sociological problems of erosion of stable jobs with benefits and proliferation of insecure occupations. It is rather a political issue that interrogates the ability of state and capital to turn multitudes into governable and productive subjects. As such it is underscored by attempts by financial capital to “capture” living labor beyond the confines of production and across the social spectrum. It is also characterized by the widening gaps between official norms that center social inclusion around work ethic and economic activity and material realities …

A Critical Examination Of The Relationship Between The Use Of Gatekeepers, Trust, And Organisation Knowledge-Sharing, Deogratias Harorimana Dr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

This thesis critically examines the relationship between gatekeepers, trust, and an organisation’s knowledge sharing. The research applied mixed methods with the case study approach. In this research the concept ‘gatekeeper’ is widely used to represent a class of those who are part of a knowledge management strategy; they collect information and knowledge and contextualise this before they can share it with the rest of the members of the organisation’s knowledge networks - within the formal and informal organisation. In this study, it was found that there was a strong relationship between the openness of a given firm, as regards its …

Freeing Funds To Meet Priorities And Needs: Sikika’S Campaign To Curb Unnecessary Expenditure In Tanzania, Peter Bofin, International Budget Partnership

International Budget Partnership

In 2008 the Tanzanian Prime Minister, Mizengo Pinda, ordered government ministries to reduce unnecessary expenditure on workshops, allowances, seminars, and luxury vehicles. While populist commitments by leaders are not unusual in Tanzania, this particular one seemed to be a direct response to Sikika’s media and advocacy campaign. This case study shows that a focus on media outreach and raising public awareness may not be enough to bring about changes in contexts where budget allocation processes are closed and there are strong internal pressures to maintain the widespread patronage and rents that can be drawn from recurrent expenditures in the budget. …