African Studies Commons^™

Icts And Regional Economic Integration: An Anticipatory Scenario For The Horn Of Africa, Ali Noor Mohamed

International Journal of African Development

Development experts are telling increasingly fascinating stories about how human development indices (HDI) among the poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have been buoyed by the diffusion of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) over the last two decades. According to data compiled by the World Economic Forum, ICTs have facilitated faster and more reliable communication with regard to almost all important spheres of life including healthcare, education, agriculture, commerce, e-banking, the environment, etc. Perhaps the greatest impact of ICTs has been in their democratizing effect and their role in promoting gender equity, especially with regard to access to information …

False Consciousness As A Major Hindrance To Control Of Corruption In Africa, John O. Ouko

International Journal of African Development

Corruption is rampant in Africa despite the effort to fight it. An effective fight against corruption requires a clear and firm understanding of the factors that cause and conduce it. Using Kenya as an example, I will examine some of the social, economic, political, and legal factors that have been given as causal explanations of corruption. By focusing primarily on political corruption, I will argue that false consciousness among the masses and leaders has to be overcome for the fight against corruption to be effective, and, by extension, for meaningful development to take place in Kenya and many other African …

Challenges Facing Female Leaders Of Color In U.S. Higher Education, Fredah Mainah, Vernita Perkins

International Journal of African Development

Despite a myriad of challenges including the slow pace of rising to the top and the low compositional diversity in most university leadership, women of color are becoming increasingly visible in higher education leadership. This paper investigates the phenomena of the growing numbers of women of color in top positions, with the aim of debunking the myth of the invisibility of black women in leadership positions in higher education. The findings indicate that although women in the U.S. earn the majority of postsecondary degrees and 26.4% of college presidents are women, with 4.5% of them being women of color, women …

Editorial Note, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

No abstract provided.

International Journal Of African Development, Vol. 2, Issue 2

International Journal of African Development

Complete issue of International Journal of African Development, Volume 2, Issue 2 - Spring 2015.

Three Essays On Racial Wage Differentials In South Africa, Ochas Kashinge Pupwe

Dissertations

Wage gaps amongst the different racial groups in South Africa, have remained high post-apartheid. With the enactment and implementation of several empowerment programs aiming at reversing racial marginalization, it is puzzling to see the persistent wage gaps between the white minority and non-white majority. This dissertation seeks to ascertain factors that may account for the persistent wage gap.

The first essay tests for the presence of over-education and its effects on wage determination amongst South Africa’s racial demographic groups. The results indicate that whites were over-educated whilst marginalized populations exhibited significant levels of under-education in 1991 and 2011 and hence …

Innovative Governance And Natural Resource Management In Kenya: Procedural And Substantive Outcomes Of Civil Society Participation, Jane Omudho Okwako

Dissertations

Kenya’s environmental sector is embracing co-management to address major threats to wildlife. In the past two decades, the Municipal-Community-Private Sector Partnership (MCPP) model evolved to address the threats. This dissertation seeks to explain variations in partnership outcomes. It evaluates whether the model as introduced empowers communities to be conservation stewards.

This study hypothesized the impact of five variables. These are decentralization of power, elite support, capacity of community organizations, partnership formalization, and resources expended. The findings confirm that three variables are indispensable and two minimally influence empowerment. More decentralized management structures are enabling and supportive of empowerment. However, empowerment is …

Ways In Which Community Involvement May Influence Girls’ Education In Senegal, Babou Ndiaye

Masters Theses

This study attempts to examine through the lens of social feminist theory the ways in which community involvement may influence girls’ education in Senegal. It highlights the extent to which networking, advocacy, and meaningful interactions between community and school may contribute to improving access, learning conditions, and academic achievements for girls. The paper also provides an analysis of the adverse effects of community involvement on girls’ education in Senegal. It underscores the extent to which patriarchy and class interfere to shape community involvement and undermine girls’ education, in terms of both access and quality. The paper further sketches a combination …

Rural Land Rights And Security In Cultivated Highland Ethiopia: Incremental Reform But Persistent Uncertainty, Tesfaye Teklu

International Journal of African Development

There are important improvements in tenure stability and security of land rights over the years in administratively allocated land. These gains are due to the private efforts of individual landholders, and incremental policy and legal measures. However, there are still unmet demands for certainty in land rights because of inherent instability in tenure associated with rising excess demand pressure for land, temporal decay in value of use rights certificate, deficiency in design and practice of land expropriation and compensation laws, and weakness in land governance and rural of law.

Governance Of Land And Natural Resource For Sustainable Development In Botswana: Possible Lessons For The Agricultural And Tourism Sectors, David Sebudubudu, Patricia M. Makepe, Kgomotso Montsi, Keratilwe Bodilenyane

International Journal of African Development

Realizing sustainable development is a major challenge for most African countries. Economic growth in most African countries is largely centered on the extraction of natural resources, particularly minerals. Rather than facilitate development, the extraction of natural resources in most countries, has been a source of adverse outcomes. That is, natural resources led to ‘the resource curse’, partly because of bad governance and leadership. Through governance and leadership, Botswana emerged differently. The country transformed itself to a middle income status through the prudent utilization and management of mineral (non-renewable) resources; making Botswana one of the few resource rich countries that have …

Good Governance For Achieving Food Security In Ethiopia: Challenges And Issues, Mussie Ybabe, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

Although rice technologies have been introduced in Fogera district over the last two decades, farm household’s food demand was not met as expected. Sustained, intensified and coordinated rice research is the key to curb the problem but impaired due to lack of good governance coupled with weak institutional capacity. This has resulted snowballing effects like little or no discussion among/with farmers on good practices, successes/failures of technology adoption and input delivery; poor linkage of small farmers to market and knowledge gap in Development Agents. Therefore, this study identified and evaluated potential determinants of household food security with basic emphasis to …

The Significance Of Whole Grain Teff For Improving Nutrition: From Injera To Ready To Eat Porridge By Using Extrusion Cooking Technology, Helen T. Zewdie, Mammo Muchie

International Journal of African Development

Teff (EragrostisTef) is a fascinating grain, ancient, minute in size, packed with nutrition and used for centuries as the principal ingredient of the Ethiopian population diet. The micro- and macronutrients level of teff grainis apparently higher than that of barley, wheat and sorghum and the amino acid composition comparable to that of egg protein, except for its lower lysine content. In Ethiopia, it has been using as a staple food by making flat bread called Injera. Teff can be diversified from its current provision of Injera to other forms like instant porridge to improve the nutritional quality and it may …

The Impact Of Agriculture On African Civilization In The 21st Century, Andrew S. Targowski

International Journal of African Development

The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of agriculture on African Civilization in the 21^st century. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary big-picture view of the African Civilizations. The multifaceted layers of civilizations will be analyzed as interdependent with the agricultural development of African societies. Among the findings are: Sub-Saharan Africa falls short of meeting its agricultural needs. Only one of two individual Africans has access to clean and enough water. Energy and supply of electricity are woefully inadequate and unreliable. Agriculture as a foundation for development and modernization for Africa is too limited. Environmental …

Governance And Private Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Idrissa Mohamed Ouedraogo, Pascal T. Kouman

International Journal of African Development

Africa is one of the world regions whose development potentials are particularly important. But despite this situation, Africa is one of the continents where poverty exists on a large scale. More than 44 % of the African population lives below the poverty line. Yet, various forms of development strategies have been designed and implemented in the African countries. In 1992, in its publication Governance and Development, the World Bank refers to the quality of government as the cause of the failure of several of these strategies. Attention is henceforth focused on how governments organize the management of state and …

Editorial Note, Sisay Asefa

International Journal of African Development

No abstract provided.

International Journal Of African Development, Vol. 2, Issue 1

International Journal of African Development

Complete issue of International Journal of African Development, Volume 2, Issue 1.

Governance And Economic Development, Daniel Teferra

International Conference on African Development

This study defines the concept of governance from the stand point of property relationship between state and people. This relationship is crucial in determining the nature of a state and its capacity to conduct the business of economic development. The Author will provide historical experiences of different countries to support the thesis.

The Impact Of Agriculture On African Civilization In The 21st Century, Andrew S. Targowski

International Conference on African Development

The purpose of this investigation is to define the impact of agriculture on African Civilization in the 21^st century. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary big-picture view of the African Civilizations developments and interdependency. Among the findings are: Sub-Saharan Africa’s only every second individual has an access to clean and enough water and electricity therefore agriculture is not productive and cannot reduce poverty and provide living sustainable environment. Practical implication: To develop agriculture as an economic engine for 65 plus nationally employed in this activity, first one must develop Integrated Infrastructure of Agriculture (IIA) at the …

Governance And Private Investment In Africa, Idrissa Ouedraogo, Pascal Kouman

International Conference on African Development

Africa is one of the world regions whose development potentials are particularly important. But despite this situation, Africa is one of the continents where poverty exists on a large scale. More than 44 % of the African population lives below the poverty line. Yet, various forms of development strategies have been designed and implemented in the African countries. In 1992, in its publication Governance and Development, the World Bank refers to the quality of government as the cause of the failure of several of these strategies. Attention is henceforth focused on how governments organize the management of state and govern …

Governance Of Land And Natural Resource For Sustainable Development In Botswana: Possible Lessons For The Agricultural And Tourism Sectors, David Sebudubudu, Patricia Makepe, Keratilwe Bodilenyane, Kgomotso Montsi

International Conference on African Development

Realizing sustainable development is a major challenge for most African states. Economic development in most African countries is largely centered on the exploitation of natural resources, particularly minerals. Rather than facilitate development, the exploitation of natural resources in most countries, has been a source of adverse outcomes. That is, natural resources led to ‘the resource curse’, owing in part to bad leadership and governance. Through good leadership and governance, Botswana emerged differently. The country transformed itself to a middle income status through the prudent exploitation and management of mineral resources; making Botswana one of the few resource rich countries to …

Governance And Private Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa, Idrissa Mohamed Ouedraogo, Pascal Tegawinde Kouaman

International Conference on African Development

Africa is one of the world regions whose development potentials are particularly important. But despite this situation, Africa is one of the continents where poverty exists on a large scale. More than 44 % of the African population lives below the poverty line. Yet, various forms of development strategies have been designed and implemented in the African countries. In 1992, in its publication Governance and Development, the World Bank refers to the quality of government as the cause of the failure of several of these strategies. Attention is henceforth focused on how governments organize the management of state and …

Labor And Vulnerability Among Pastoralists In Northern Kenya, Bilinda Straight

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

The research preliminarily examines the embodied implications of a vulnerable relationship –Samburu grandparents and their young caregivers in the context of contemporary intercommunity violence, globalization, and resource scarcity. While children are recognized caregivers of adults in numerous contexts cross-culturally, including in developed nations like the U.S. and Britain, research on this issue is scant within anthropology and recent in other fields such as geography, medicine, and public health, where it has developed primarily since the 1990s.

Doing Sensitive Research Cross-Cultural Contexts: Reflections From Fieldwork, Federica De Sisto

Distinguished Lectures on Africa

Dr. De Sisto holds a Ph.D. in peace studies from Trinity University. She is a former visiting fellow at the Arthur Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice at the University of Manitoba, Canada and at the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Dr. De Sisto is currently involved in a European Union reconciliation project between Muslim and Christian communities in Northern Nigeria. Her research and teaching interests include conflict transformation and peace building, governance, minorities' rights, gender and development, migration and refugee studies.

Refugee Reflections: A Focus On The Lived Experiences Of African Refugees Resettling In Michigan, Diane Roushangar

Masters Theses

Refugee resettlement is often observed by focusing on external indicators of integration such as employment and English proficiency. What is often ignored is the multi-faceted process refugees experience in regard to the emotions that occur during these transitions of resettlement. Emotional stressors include financial concerns, work-related issues, a lack of adequate counseling services and ESL support that can all lead to increased anxiety. This paper examines the process of resettlement that northeast African and sub-Saharan African refugees have experienced including issues of unsafe working conditions, changing gender roles, and a lack of adequate time for adjusting to the culture.

The Need For Interdisciplinary Research And Education For Sustainable Human Development To Deal With Global Challenges, Solomon Bililign

International Journal of African Development

Major issues in society - developing alternate sources of energy and a sustainable environment, improving health, and minimizing the effects of climate change require a collective effort by different disciplines working in interdisciplinary groups. Indeed, the boundaries between the different disciplines are becoming increasingly blurred. Society’s responses to major social challenges must be informed by an improved understanding of human perceptions, responses, and of the economic and social impacts of the physical, and biological processes to promote social wellbeing. A comprehensive understanding of the main social challenges requires the collaboration of physical scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars and engineers, and …

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

International Journal of African Development

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 …

Sustainability Of Expansion In An African Airline: A Case Study, Sisay Asefa, Allen Batteau, Lisa Whittaker, Hung-Sying Jing

International Journal of African Development

Ethiopian Air Lines (Ethiopian) has committed to the purchase of 41 new aircraft, nearly doubling their fleet and introducing three new, state-of-the-art types (the A350-900 and the 787-8, and the DA40NG) into a fleet currently consisting of seven models. In a logistically complex industry, this represents a substantial increase in resource commitments and management responsibility in many areas including maintenance, pilot training, facilities, and route planning. The purpose of this paper is to examine this growth strategy, its underlying assumptions, and its sustainability given long-range industry trends in both the developed and the developing world. Using corporate and industry data, …

The Lost Opportunity For Ethiopia: The Failure To Move Toward Democratic Governance, Theodor Vestal

International Journal of African Development

During the critical five year period leading up to the velvet revolution and the overthrow of Haile Selassie’s regime, there were missed opportunities to bring about peaceful change in Ethiopia’s governance. This paper analyzes the events of this period that led to the rise of the Derg and the revolutionary changes that followed and speculates on when strategic steps could have been taken to avoid the catastrophic events that ensued in 1974.

The Political Economy Of Poverty Reduction, Abu Girma Moges

International Journal of African Development

Poverty reduction strategies and policies have gained considerable popularity in recent policy discourse and international economic relations. These policies and strategies are framed in the context of the Millennium Development Goals that set specific quantitative targets to be achieved within a specified time framework. The goals specify the targets and require countries to design national poverty reduction strategies and achieve them with a generous financial assistance from the international community. However, the domestic political economic forces remain to shape the extent and effectiveness of such strategies in addressing and reducing the extent and depth of poverty in the reforming countries. …

Ethiopia’S Dilemma: Missed Chances From The 1960s To The Present, Donald Levine

International Journal of African Development

This was the keynote address at the Fourth International Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, August 3, 2007.

The title "An Ethiopian Dilemma" stands to evoke an association to the book by Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal, An American Dilemma, which played a signal role in helping Americans resolve their longstanding conflict of values regarding racial discrimination. The author hopes to suggest ways in which a social scientist might help Ethiopians get a better grip on their country's problems.

Not since the 16th Century has Ethiopia experienced changes so convulsive as in the past fifty years. …