.Responses to the article: "Struggling to be a “happy self”?: psychotherapy and the medicalization of unhappiness in Uganda" written byJulia Vorhölter.
By far the most contentious issue in the postcolonial relationship between the UK and Uganda was the 1972 expulsion of British Asians by President Amin. Although it is well documented that Idi Amin... Show moreBy far the most contentious issue in the postcolonial relationship between the UK and Uganda was the 1972 expulsion of British Asians by President Amin. Although it is well documented that Idi Amin refused to bow to international pressure to reverse this decision or extend its compliance period, our knowledge of the numerous schemes, especially the covert ones, that were considered and/or operationalized by the British government in order to influence a revision of this decision remains limited. This essay, using newly available evidence mainly from the British National Archives in London, attempts to fill this gap. Such insights enhances the utility value of this episode for our understanding of bilateral and multilateral relations among states. Show less
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda has been hailed for embarking on an intensive decentralization programme. Whereas a lot of literature assumes that decentralization leads to improved service delivery... Show moreIn Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda has been hailed for embarking on an intensive decentralization programme. Whereas a lot of literature assumes that decentralization leads to improved service delivery, it is unclear to what extent this is the case in practice, especially when it comes down to decentralized land governance. This paper, which is based on ethnographic research carried out between 2011 and 2013, argues that decentralization of land governance in post-conflict Northern Uganda fails to realize the expected benefits and instead has increased tenure insecurity. Decentralization of land governance gave rise to institutional multiplicity by creating new institutions that add on to the already existing authorities and regulations. Institutional proliferation in land governance that is fuelled by legal pluralism and decentralization results into confusion in land dispute resolution and the failure of institutions to effectively resolve land disputes in post-conflict settings. This exacerbates the dilemma of people who do not know where to go to seek redress to land disputes. While this multiplicity of both statutory and customary institutions creates choices and opportunities for both people and institutions in relation to land governance and in particular land conflict resolution, they are also used by power holders and authorities in political competition at local level, complicating the process of land dispute resolution. The struggle for authority between representatives of the state and of customary land institutions becomes especially problematic because it merges with local and national politics. Show less
Leeuwen, M. van; Kobusingy, D.; Justin, P.H.; Djomo, R.T. 2016
This paper analyses and compares two transformative moments of technologically mediated change in East Africa, the construction of the Uganda railway between Mombasa and Lake Victoria (1896-1903)... Show moreThis paper analyses and compares two transformative moments of technologically mediated change in East Africa, the construction of the Uganda railway between Mombasa and Lake Victoria (1896-1903) and the introduction of fibre-optic cables that landed into the ports of Dar Es Salaam and Mombasa in 2009. The paper uses discourse analysis to examine how technologically mediated connectivity has been represented by political and economic actors during these transformative moments. In both cases we explore the origins of the expectations of connectivity and the hope and fear associated with them. Building on Massey's notion of power-geometry and Sheppard's concept of positionality, the paper focuses on power relationships in discussions of connectivity and asks how people understand the abilities of transformative technologies to modify positionalities and alter relational distance and proximity. Ultimately, by examining historical and contemporary expectations of connectivity in East Africa, this paper works towards more grounded and historicised understandings of the coming-together of technology and connectivity. Show less
Many African countries have experienced sustained economic growth, but few have achieved the type of structural change, driven by rising productivity, that has transformed mass living standards in... Show moreMany African countries have experienced sustained economic growth, but few have achieved the type of structural change, driven by rising productivity, that has transformed mass living standards in parts of Asia. In the Developmental Regimes in Africa Synthesis Report, editor David Booth examines how DRA research has shed new light on how developmental regimes might emerge and be sustained in Africa in the 21st century. He outlines a concept with defining features at three levels: policy content, especially regarding agriculture; policy process, especially the ability to arrive at appropriate policies through iterative and adaptive problem-solving; and a type of political settlement that frees policy-making from the usual constraints. Among the other authors are the ASC's Ton Dietz and André Leliveld, with a contribution on the Agricultural 'pockets of effectiveness' in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda since 2000. Show less
This volume attempts to dig deeper into what is currently happening in Africa's agricultural and rural sector and to convince policymakers and others that it is important to look at the current... Show moreThis volume attempts to dig deeper into what is currently happening in Africa's agricultural and rural sector and to convince policymakers and others that it is important to look at the current African rural dynamics in ways that connect metropolitan demands for food with value chain improvements and agro-food cluster innovations. It is essential to go beyond a 'development bureaucracy' and a state-based approach to rural transformation, such as the one that often dominates policy debate in African government circles, organizations like the African Union and the UN, and donor agencies. Show less
Het Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), een van origine Oegandees rebellenleger, kan op de nodige belangstelling rekenen, getuige de vele publicaties van academici en hulporganisaties. Een internetvideo... Show moreHet Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), een van origine Oegandees rebellenleger, kan op de nodige belangstelling rekenen, getuige de vele publicaties van academici en hulporganisaties. Een internetvideo over Joseph Kony, de leider van het LRA, genereerde in 2012 zelfs wereldwijd media-aandacht, waardoor het LRA-conflict voor korte tijd voorpaginanieuws was. Er is echter maar weinig bekend over de mensen die tegen het LRA hebben gevochten. Wie waren zij en waarom namen zij de wapens op tegen de beruchte guerrillastrijders van Kony? In dit boek reconstrueert Klaas Castelein met niet eerder gebruikt bronnenmateriaal het verhaal van de Arrow Boys, een militie uit de Oost-Oegandese provincie Teso. Van 2003 tot en met 2005 slaagden de Arrow Boys erin om Kony's LRA-strijders uit Teso te verjagen, maar hun succesvolle optreden is sterk onderbelicht in de literatuur en debatten over het LRA-conflict. Wie waren betrokken bij de mobilisatie van de Arrow Boys en op welke manier en met welke middelen wisten zij een militieleger op de been te brengen? Waarom verliep de strijd tegen het LRA in Teso voortvarender dan in Noord-Oeganda? Hoe kon er een relatief vruchtbare samenwerking ontstaan tussen de Oegandese regering en de bevolking van Teso, terwijl deze van oudsher een problematische verhouding onderhielden? De antwoorden op bovengenoemde vragen zullen ons begrip van hedendaagse conflicten vergroten. Show less
