All religion is based on a belief in the existence of invisible forces which influence human destiny. So important is belief of this sort in contemporary thought, the authors argue, that many... Show moreAll religion is based on a belief in the existence of invisible forces which influence human destiny. So important is belief of this sort in contemporary thought, the authors argue, that many Africans appear to believe that the widely attested malaise of their public life may be explained largely by reference to these invisible forces. Among the evidence for this assertion is the rapid growth of movements of religious renewal or revival which are to be found in all parts of Africa today. Some of the ideas articulated by and within these movements may be construed as a critique of the way in which power is organized. This article discusses what power is and how it is represented from various points of view before examining the political implications of the growth of new religious movements in Africa, Bibliogr., notes, ref Show less
This article examines the position of traditional leaders in postapartheid South Africa. It first surveys changing perspectives of chieftaincy within the ANC and its allied movements. During the... Show moreThis article examines the position of traditional leaders in postapartheid South Africa. It first surveys changing perspectives of chieftaincy within the ANC and its allied movements. During the apartheid era, chiefs were maligned as puppets of bantustan rule. In ANC-related circles, it was widely assumed that chieftaincy would not survive in the postapartheid era. However, towards the end of the 1980s, chiefs were reorienting themselves towards the ANC, rightly perceived as the new ruling party-in-waiting. The ANC, for its part, had an interest in wooing chiefs to its side in order to prevent the emergence of a conservative alliance where traditional leaders could join forces with the bantustan elites. Secondly, the article describes the position of traditional authorities during the present transition period (1994-1999), and the main themes of discussion in the constitutional negotiations. It looks in some detail at the situation in the Northern Province, formerly the Northern Transvaal, visited by the authors during the local elections in November 1995. The authors show that numerous chiefs have become adept in combining the resource of tradition with appeals to Western models and the discourse of liberation politics. They conclude that the position of traditional leaders in South Africa remains thoroughly ambivalent. Show less
This chapter looks at a high-profile Fulbe Muslim religious leader from Mali and explores his relations with the people of the Mande. This Muslim religious leader, El-Hadj Cheikh Sidy Modibo Kane... Show moreThis chapter looks at a high-profile Fulbe Muslim religious leader from Mali and explores his relations with the people of the Mande. This Muslim religious leader, El-Hadj Cheikh Sidy Modibo Kane Diallo of Dilly, in the circle of Nara, is perhaps one of the most influential religious leaders in present-day Mali. The author examines the development of Diallo's "career" as a 'shaykh' and a 'wali' (friend of God). He shows how this career has been constructed in large part through ideological oppositions between Fulbe and Mande/Bambara, as well as through the 'shaykh's interactions with actual Bambara people, particularly his efforts to spread Islam among the country's non-Muslim ("pagan") rural Bambara population and to eradicate the widespread practice of spirit possession. As he suggests, it is in such conversion campaigns that one can see most clearly how individuals - both Fulbe and Bambara - deploy such ideological oppositions. Ultimately, however, the results of such campaigns to spread Islam remain rather ambiguous. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in French. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
This study examines the extent of deagrarianization in North Shoa, one of the most impoverished regions of Ethiopia. It describes the role and trend of farm activities and output, the trends in... Show moreThis study examines the extent of deagrarianization in North Shoa, one of the most impoverished regions of Ethiopia. It describes the role and trend of farm activities and output, the trends in income diversification and the historical evolution of non-farm activities, and the relationship between farm and non-farm activities with particular focus on the extent to which income diversification is associated with an increase or decrease in agricultural productivity and income. It identifies the major constraints to non-farm activities and suggests a policy framework for their development. It is based on primary survey data collected in North Shoa between February and April 1995. Show less
Een politieke kaart van het huidige Afrika dekt vaak niet de politieke werkelijkheid. Krachtige regeringen oefenen in een informeel machtspatroon feitelijke invloed uit in gebieden in buurlanden.... Show moreEen politieke kaart van het huidige Afrika dekt vaak niet de politieke werkelijkheid. Krachtige regeringen oefenen in een informeel machtspatroon feitelijke invloed uit in gebieden in buurlanden. Informele economieën en politieke structuren zijn vaak belangrijker dan de flauwe afschaduwingen van de soevereine instituties die slechts op papier bestaan. In de vele situaties waar de autoriteit van een soevereine staat niet het gehele nationale territorium bestrijkt, kan de facto invloed belichaamd worden in ingewikkelde combinaties van informele machthebbers en particuliere bedrijven, in het bijzonder multinationale mijnbouw- en oliebedrijven, en hulpverlenende instellingen die aanzienlijke belangen kunnen hebben in gebieden waarvan het gezag wordt betwist. Bedrijven die in Afrika werkzaam zijn, zullen moeten beseffen dat dergelijke situaties zich waarschijnlijk steeds vaker zullen voordoen. Grote bedrijven die willen opereren in gebieden waar het staatsgezag wordt betwist, dienen nauwlettender dan in het verleden rekening te houden met de aard van hun betrekkingen met de plaatselijke bevolking. Het volstaat niet overeenkomsten af te sluiten met zwakke regeringen en vervolgens deze façade van legitimiteit als argument te hanteren dat men zich correct gedraagt. Hetzelfde geldt voor hulpverleningsorganisaties. Show less
In dit artikel geeft de auteur een antropologische reflectie op verzoening, gebaseerd op zijn onderzoekservaring in Afrika. Hij begint met de voorwaarden voor en kenmerken van verzoening en de... Show moreIn dit artikel geeft de auteur een antropologische reflectie op verzoening, gebaseerd op zijn onderzoekservaring in Afrika. Hij begint met de voorwaarden voor en kenmerken van verzoening en de betekenis van de tijdsdimensie daarin. Daarna beschrijft hij de problematiek van verzoening en conflict in segmentaire, hoofdloze samenlevingen en van verzoening en recht in meer gecentraliseerde samenlevingen. Tenslotte vestigt hij de aandacht op de rol van ritueel en therapie. Hij betoogt, dat Afrikaanse samenlevingen buitengewoon effectieve middelen hebben ontwikkeld, in de juridische, therapeutische en rituele sfeer, om verzoening voor te bereiden en tot stand te brengen. Grenzen aan verzoening worden gevormd door hekserij, het tegendeel van verzoening, en het feit dat verzoening wel adequaat is voor het beheersen van conflicten op het niveau van de dorpssamenleving, maar niet op regionaal, nationaal en internationaal niveau. Show less
In Afrika bezuiden de Sahara heeft de islam een bijzonder complexe en rijke geschiedenis. De auteur schetst deze geschiedenis vanaf 615, wanneer de Profeet een groot deel van zijn volgelingen naar... Show moreIn Afrika bezuiden de Sahara heeft de islam een bijzonder complexe en rijke geschiedenis. De auteur schetst deze geschiedenis vanaf 615, wanneer de Profeet een groot deel van zijn volgelingen naar Ethiopi‰ stuurt, tot de hedendaagse periode van mondialisering, waarin de islam zich manifesteert als bron van religieuze en politieke identiteit tegenover 'het Westen' en de culturele, morele en technologische invloeden die daarmee worden geassocieerd. Hij zet een aantal kenmerken van de islam in Afrika uiteen en schenkt daarbij aandacht aan de spanning tussen het eigen culturele erfgoed en de aanspraken van de islamitische leer. [Samenvatting ASC Leiden] Show less
After a general description of pastoralism in Africa, focusing mainly on the Wodaabe and Macina Fulbe in West Africa, the author discusses livestock development policies. He notes that, in the... Show moreAfter a general description of pastoralism in Africa, focusing mainly on the Wodaabe and Macina Fulbe in West Africa, the author discusses livestock development policies. He notes that, in the 1960s and 1970s, much effort was put into programmes to improve cattle breeds and to ameliorate the fodder situation in order to boost meat production, and that in the 1980s, the emphasis on expanding production was relaxed in favour of comprehensive resource management by pastoral groups. This shift coincided with new insights into dry-range ecosystems and their vegetation biodynamics and increased scientific recognition of the efficiency of pastoral economies. In terms of P. Blaikie's analysis (1995, 1996), this new knowledge can be understood as part of a paradigm shift from classic and neoliberal thinking to postmodernist neopopulism. Bibliogr Show less
On June 28, 1996, a conference was held at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, on controversies originating from Martin Bernal's study 'Black Athena: the Afro-Asiatic roots of classical... Show moreOn June 28, 1996, a conference was held at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, on controversies originating from Martin Bernal's study 'Black Athena: the Afro-Asiatic roots of classical civilization' (1987, 1991). Papers were presented by Wim van Binsbergen, Martin Bernal, Jan Best, Arno Egberts, and Josine H. Blok. The present publication contains edited versions of these papers, as well as responses by Martin Bernal. Show less
In deze bijdrage wordt in enkele algemene lijnen geponeerd dat de noodzaak tot staatsomvorming in Afrika voor het komende decennium prioriteit nummer één is. De rol van buitenlandse mogendheden en... Show moreIn deze bijdrage wordt in enkele algemene lijnen geponeerd dat de noodzaak tot staatsomvorming in Afrika voor het komende decennium prioriteit nummer één is. De rol van buitenlandse mogendheden en organisaties kan daarbij belangrijk zijn, maar moet niet worden overschat. Tendensen in de relatief autonome wereldeconomie, waarvan de nadelige effecten door de nationale staten te weinig worden beheerst, zijn van groter belang. De schuld van Afrika's probemen leggen bij het mondiale kapitalisme is een oude tactiek, die gedeeltelijk gerechtvaardigd is: sinds het einde van de 18e eeuw is Afrika van alle continenten het meest gemarginaliseerd in de wereldeconomie. Maar een kritische evaluatie van de falende elite-regimes in Afrika blijft hierbij nodig, evenals van een internationale politiek die hen om pragmatische redenen blijft steunen. Bij uitblijven van democratisering en hervorming van autocratische regimes in situaties van economische stagnatie zal de wal het schip blijven keren en zal geweld de optie blijven die benadeelde groepen zullen kiezen om staatsomvorming te bewerkstelligen. Show less
Access to land is increasingly becoming a problem in Africa as a result both of population growth and tenure reforms. The standard argument for tenure reform centres on the role of uncertainty in... Show moreAccess to land is increasingly becoming a problem in Africa as a result both of population growth and tenure reforms. The standard argument for tenure reform centres on the role of uncertainty in discouraging investment on land held without long-term security. The rationale for this 'replacement' paradigm, however, can be questioned on economic, ecological and social grounds. The history of land tenure reform in Kenya, especially that of group titles in the semiarid areas, is a case in point. The Maasai pastoralists, in particular, have lost huge amounts of land, first to the Boers and other white settlers under colonialism, and now they face an influx of agricultural groups and large-scale capitalist farmers following the individualization of land held under statutory group title in the wake of the failure of the group ranches introduced in the late 1960s. The commoditization of land and the creation of a land market have led to a rapidly growing stratification in the Maasai area. A number of lessons can be drawn from the Kenyan experience, in particular of group tenure, for land reform policy in postapartheid South Africa, viz. interventions should build on local land tenure practices; group titles can be instrumental in assisting large groups of less well-off people; and movement toward individual tenure reform should be initiated only when technical and socioeconomic conditions warrant it. Show less
This paper examines the strategies applied by elite women in Brazzaville, Congo, to achieve lifelong financial security and independence for themselves and their children. Amongst these strategies... Show moreThis paper examines the strategies applied by elite women in Brazzaville, Congo, to achieve lifelong financial security and independence for themselves and their children. Amongst these strategies are a woman's position in the household and women's ways of identifying themselves socially. Women's empowerment has led to specific changes, such as the emergence of the 'deuxième bureau' (unmarried women having an intimate relationship with a married man) among the well educated. New lifestyle patterns emphasize the privatization of the family and promote considerable changes in gender relations, with significant implications for relationships between elite women and the extended family. The women in the study are between 30 and 40 years old and are all civil servants in Brazzavillian government departments. Data were collected during fieldwork in 1989-1990. Show less
This paper focuses on problems and dilemmas of changing alcohol use among the Surma, a group of lowland agropastoralists in Maji, southern Ethiopia. The area under discussion is inhabited by... Show moreThis paper focuses on problems and dilemmas of changing alcohol use among the Surma, a group of lowland agropastoralists in Maji, southern Ethiopia. The area under discussion is inhabited by indigenous agriculturalists, descendants of northern immigrants of mixed origin, and Surma and Me'en agropastoralists. The paper reveals the existence of a pattern of 'alcoholic hegemonism' in the area. The culturally dominant villagers want to have the best of both worlds. Their types of alcoholic drinks are 'the best' and they think they know how to use and not abuse them. The local people (the Surma, Dizi and Me'en) are 'still caught' in their traditional drinking habits involving the consumption of their local 'bord‚' beer. They are also subjected to the harsh reign of 'katikala', a strong and dangeous beverage, which they cannot handle and which thus tends to create trouble. That they themselves (the villagers and State-connected people) have introduced 'katikala' does not make them feel in any way responsible for such trouble. Bibliogr., notes, ref Show less
In pastoral Fulbe society in central Mali women had, and to some degree still have, an important social and economic role, concentrated on a 'milk economy' organized through a female-headed, women... Show moreIn pastoral Fulbe society in central Mali women had, and to some degree still have, an important social and economic role, concentrated on a 'milk economy' organized through a female-headed, women-centred unit, called 'fayannde' or 'hearthhold'. In a society of seminomadic pastoralists who live most of the year in small social units, social relations and networks are crucial to the success of their main survival strategy: transhumant cattle keeping. This article, which is based on field research carried out from March 1990 to March 1992 among the Jallube, one of the four main Fulbe lineages in central Mali, explores Fulbe social organization from a female perspective. It reveals the importance of the hearthhold in the social and material security of its members and of Fulbe society as a whole. An analysis of marriage gifts shows how important the 'fayannde' is not only to the social organization of the Jallube, but also to their economic viability. The article also demonstrates that the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s have had an enormous impact on the Jallube and on the way they perceive their social organization. The existence of the 'fayannde' is endangered by the decline in milk production and by the collapse of social care relations as a result of impoverishment. The erosion of the 'fayannde' may lead to a transformation of gender relations, marriage ceremonies, and the social security of women. Show less
Bruijn, M.E. de; Halsema, I. van; Hombergh, H. van den 1997
The relation of pastoral societies with the 'outside world' has proved to be one of structural deterioration. This poses questions as to the political space remaining for these societies within... Show moreThe relation of pastoral societies with the 'outside world' has proved to be one of structural deterioration. This poses questions as to the political space remaining for these societies within the State arenas to which they nominally belong and the nature of their ethnoreligious identities. The pastoral societies of East Africa, while varied in nature and social organization, still show some common characteristics with regard to religion and political system. The author argues that the principles of clan segmentation, age-group structure, the ritual-cyclical ordering of community life, and decentralized, regionally exercised power will remain more important organizing elements for pastoral societies than purely ideological-religious factors. This is a result of certain macroconditions such as their necessary confinement to marginal areas, their geographical mobility, and their lack of integration into the wider State society in terms of literacy, economic surplus extraction, social mobility, or political representation. The author looks at the 'strategies' of various agropastoral groups in terms of religious response and political action within these macroconditions. He uses the examples of the Boran in Ethiopia and Kenya, the Nuer in Sudan and Ethiopia, and the Surma of southern Ethiopia. Show less
