This essay discusses the continued importance that religion holds in African life, not only in terms of numbers of believers, but also regarding the varieties of religious experience and its links... Show moreThis essay discusses the continued importance that religion holds in African life, not only in terms of numbers of believers, but also regarding the varieties of religious experience and its links with politics and the "public sphere(s)". Coinciding with the wave of democratization and economic liberalization efforts since about 1990, a notable growth of the public presence of religion and its political referents in Africa has been witnessed; alongside "development", religion will remain a hot issue in the future political trajectory of the continent. Its renewed presence in public spheres has also led to new understandings of what religion means and how it figures into both "world-making" and identity politics. This will prolong the challenges associated with the role and status of religion in the "secular state model" found in most African countries. Can these states, while "besieged" by believers, maintain neutrality among diverse worldviews, and if so, how? The paper discusses these issues in a general manner with reference to African examples, some taken from fieldwork by the author, and makes a philosophical argument for the development of a new kind of "secular state" that can respect the religious commitments of African populations. Show less
The documented analysis of the forest offences revealed eight forest offence types with prevalent cases being chainsaw milling, illegal logging and illegal farming. Between 2005 and 2010, the... Show moreThe documented analysis of the forest offences revealed eight forest offence types with prevalent cases being chainsaw milling, illegal logging and illegal farming. Between 2005 and 2010, the district recorded 121 offences with more offences occurring in the on-reserve areas than in the off-reserve areas. The timber species, which was most exploited illegally is Triplochiton scleroxylon (wawa), a scarlet star-rated species, which is under imminent economic threat. Analyses of the official records revealed lapses in record keeping since there are no references to the outcomes of most offences, especially those relating to cases under investigation by the Police and Regional Forest Services Division. A call for capacity development of the frontline staff of the Forest Services Division at the District levels is paramount especially in detecting, collecting, entering and analyzing forest offences cases and outcomes as well as training in forest investigation and incident management. Furthermore, equipping the district offices with the requisite technological equipment like computers and accessories, software and real-time Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers will enhance effective monitoring and data management of forest resources especially when Ghana is committed in ensuring timber legality under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement. Show less
The overall challenge of Dutch bilateral sustainable diplomacy in Africa is to manage a complex portfolio of bilateral country relations that can build on the strength of different stakeholders.... Show moreThe overall challenge of Dutch bilateral sustainable diplomacy in Africa is to manage a complex portfolio of bilateral country relations that can build on the strength of different stakeholders. In addition to this there are also multilateral and regional channels through which the Dutch diplomatic effort is more indirectly channeled, such as the European Union and the World Bank. These organizations represent a different diplomatic challenge and this is not included on this sheet with its three different clusters of basic maps: the corporate relations maps, the civil society relations maps and the governmental perspective maps. The final map "Making it work" includes a number of exemplary partnerships in African countries as the result of three novel PPP facilities that started in 2013 and 2014. 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
By tracking the changing nature of wasta, or personal intermediation, in the Khartoum labour market, this paper examines the impact of Islamist policies on state-society relations in Khartoum,... Show moreBy tracking the changing nature of wasta, or personal intermediation, in the Khartoum labour market, this paper examines the impact of Islamist policies on state-society relations in Khartoum, Sudan. It argues that economic liberalisation and higher education expansion weakened sectarian control over the economy, replacing the former institutionalised system of privilege with a much more decentralised, private and transnational structure. The conclusion asks whether these policies have laid the groundwork for long-term political transformation. While education expansion and liberalisation should theoretically allow a regime to broaden patronage networks, they may also reduce the capacity of both the regime and the private sector to exercise power and establish predictability outwards. Show less
The 2011-2014 controversies between the Ethiopian Government and Muslim communities on the role of Islam in Ethiopia have highlighted the precarious nature of religious relations in Ethiopia.... Show moreThe 2011-2014 controversies between the Ethiopian Government and Muslim communities on the role of Islam in Ethiopia have highlighted the precarious nature of religious relations in Ethiopia. Statements by public figures and religious leaders recently have drawn attention to the nature and scope of the Ethiopian secular state order. This paper describes the recent Muslim protest movement and the response to it by the government in the light of the secular state model. While the challenges to it also extend to the large Christian community in Ethiopia, the problems became prominent mainly in the case of the Muslims, who contest perceived 'government interference' in their community life and self-organization. I present an overview of key recent events and of factors inducing conflict between state and religion. The discussion makes reference to more general debates on the 'secular model' in Ethiopia and to the familiar though somewhat worn-out paradigm of 'identity politics'. State repression of Muslim civic protest in Ethiopia revealed insecurities of the state: rather than an instance of the process of 'othering' a religious community, we see a case of political crisis, and a search for new modes of governance of diversity and communal religiosity in Ethiopia. As a result of the contestations, however, the secular order of the country will not be threatened, but modified. Show less
After almost fifty years of Dutch-Zambian relationships, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Lusaka closed its doors in 2013. Earlier, the development cooperation with this African country was ended.... Show moreAfter almost fifty years of Dutch-Zambian relationships, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Lusaka closed its doors in 2013. Earlier, the development cooperation with this African country was ended. A lively Dutch community of entrepreneurs and (former) development workers stay behind. How do they and also Zambians look back on the Dutch involvement? Did the Dutch presence mean anything substantial from the perspectives of those involved? And what does this legacy hold for future connections? The personal perspective of people working in or with the development process that is used in this publication gives a unique insight in the history of Dutch presence in Zambia. Show less
Somalië zit nog steeds in de frontlijn van 'jihadisme', politieke instabiliteit en humanitaire crisis. In het proces naar politieke stabilisering is Al-Shabaab een enorme stoorzender. Deze... Show moreSomalië zit nog steeds in de frontlijn van 'jihadisme', politieke instabiliteit en humanitaire crisis. In het proces naar politieke stabilisering is Al-Shabaab een enorme stoorzender. Deze beweging, eind 2005 ontstaan, heeft een overwegend criminele agenda, 'gelegitimeerd' door de Islam. Militaire maatregelen om de excessen van Al Shabaab te elimineren zijn een noodzakelijke maar niet voldoende voorwaarde om politieke, economische en educatieve oplossingen voor de Somalische crisis te ontwikkelen. Show less
This book is the first attempt to understand Boko Haram in a comprehensive and consistent way. It examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. It... Show moreThis book is the first attempt to understand Boko Haram in a comprehensive and consistent way. It examines the early history of the sect and its transformation into a radical armed group. It analyses the causes of the uprising against the Nigerian state and evaluates the consequences of the on-going conflict from a religious, social and political point of view. The book gives priority to authors conducting fieldwork in Nigeria and tackles the following issues: the extent to which Boko Haram can be considered the product of deprivation and marginalisation; the relationship of the sect with almajirai, Islamic schools, Sufi brotherhoods, Izala, and Christian churches; the role of security forces and political parties in the radicalisation of the sect; the competing discourses in international and domestic media coverage of the crisis; and the consequences of the militarisation of the conflict for the Nigerian government and the civilian population, Christian and Muslim. Show less
In Cameroon as elsewhere in Africa, the subject of ownership and access to land among different groups has been an issue of major concern. The arrival of the nomadic Fulani alongside with herds of... Show moreIn Cameroon as elsewhere in Africa, the subject of ownership and access to land among different groups has been an issue of major concern. The arrival of the nomadic Fulani alongside with herds of cattle by the 1920s into Wum Central Subdivision did not only bring about profound changes in the political economy of the area but also introduced new ways of cohabiting, land use patterns and different perceptions about land and resources. This was partly so because the Aghem and Bu people who historically had exclusive ownership rights and access to land were compelled to compete and negotiate these rights and access on the same fertile lands that had abundant pastures for cattle with Fulani herders. With the presence of the Fulani, the issue of equal access and control of land and resources has constituted a contentious and perennial problem. Despite their long presence in the area, they are still considered as 'strangers' and/or 'intruders'. The objective of the research was to investigate why the conflicts between women cultivators and Fulani cattle herders are persistent. The outcome of this research reveals that the conflicts are more complicated than they appear and are embedded in gender relations and cultural practices where respect for tradition is optimal and exacerbated by a weak and out dated statutory land law. The law proscribes customary tenure system and does not guarantee women's ownership land rights but helps in the alienation and dispossession of women from their ancestral land. In addition, it is also a lever for rich domestic elites who now acquire huge tracts of land at the detriment of the rural poor. Constrained by this, they turn their frustration towards the Fulani by invoking ethnic sentiments as the legitimate strategy for their land claims. With increasing population and competition over diminishing resources and the sedentarisation of the Fulani, this research advocates for a new and more inclusive land law where all stakeholders would have security over their land and property. Show less
This book offers a unique look behind the scenes of anthropological fieldwork amongst the Mende in Sierra Leone in the mid-1930s. The Dutch anthropologist and sociologist Sjoerd Hofstra (1898-1983... Show moreThis book offers a unique look behind the scenes of anthropological fieldwork amongst the Mende in Sierra Leone in the mid-1930s. The Dutch anthropologist and sociologist Sjoerd Hofstra (1898-1983), Rockefeller research fellow of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures and one of Bronislaw Malinowski's three 'Mandarins' (as were also Meyer Fortes and S. Frederick Nadel), reports in long, bi-weekly letters to his adoptive mother about his experiences with the Mende. During his first stay in Sierra Leone (January 1934 - March 1935), Hofstra got blackwater fever, a complication of malaria tropica. His second stay (May - September 1936) came to an untimely end because he again developed symptoms of blackwater fever and was advised to return to Europe. Because of this his fieldwork remained unfinished, and Hofstra never got round to publishing the planned book on the Mende. However, Hofstra published four articles on the Mende in English, photocopies of which are included in this book. Next to these articles Hofstra's letters to his adoptive mother contain valuable first-hand information about his fieldwork. His daughter, cultural and social historian Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra, has edited and translated these letters, while also including contextual information. Show less
Eind 2013 sloot de bibliotheek van het Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen in Amsterdam haar deuren. De meer dan tien kilometer collecties waren toen al verdwenen uit het KIT-gebouw aan de... Show moreEind 2013 sloot de bibliotheek van het Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen in Amsterdam haar deuren. De meer dan tien kilometer collecties waren toen al verdwenen uit het KIT-gebouw aan de Mauritskade, en de vijftig personeelsleden van de bibliotheek ontslagen. Oud-bibliotheekdirecteur Hans van Hartevelt doet in zijn onlangs verschenen roman 'De verkwanseling van een kroonjuweel' een boekje open over de sluiting. Jos Damen vroeg hem naar de achtergronden van het verhaal over de neergang. Show less
Pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in eastern Africa and elsewhere on the continent have long been regarded as peripheries, especially in economic terms, but also in terms of social and cultural... Show morePastoral and agro-pastoral areas in eastern Africa and elsewhere on the continent have long been regarded as peripheries, especially in economic terms, but also in terms of social and cultural accomplishments. Although biased perceptions of the 'unproductive' uses of pastoralism have become outdated, government policies still do little to formally recognise or integrate pastoral lands as critical parts of rural livelihood systems and economic development models. Instead, many states give preference to large-scale agricultural investments in pastoral areas, resulting in the loss or fragmentation of rangelands, induced sedentarisation of pastoralists, and a radical reduction in livestock numbers. The Lands of the Future Research Network supports the view that alienation of pastoralists from productive lands often is unwarranted, unproductive, and unadvisable. In such cases it would be better for the overall economy and society to leave things as they are, or, if 'development' comes in, to discuss the development potential of pastoralism. In other cases of integrated economies, combining old and new forms ('mixed agriculture' on a societal scale) might offer advantages to all groups of participants as well as the national economy. Drawing on research from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Tanzania our paper looks at the significance of pastoralism as a productive economy and the positive bearing it has on the environment, wildlife conservation, and on the health and well-being of pastoral communities. The paper also reflects on what is at stake when one form of land use is replaced by another and when customary rules and practices regarding land access, land use, and traditional law are not fully recognised by policy makers. Using historical examples (e.g. from Afar) and current development trends (e.g. Ethiopia's river basin development in the Omo Valley), the paper shows how the impacts of such development need not be negative (e.g. forced displacement, resettlement, conflict). The authors urge development planners and governments to integrate the expertise of agro-pastoralists into development models and to establish strong relationships between investors, NGOs, GOs, policy makers, researchers, local communities, and other stakeholders in order to find equitable and long-term solutions for changing land uses. Show less
