Masquerades form an important part of indigenous African religions, and headpieces of masks are found all over the world as an iconic African art form. Contrary to expectation, however, the... Show moreMasquerades form an important part of indigenous African religions, and headpieces of masks are found all over the world as an iconic African art form. Contrary to expectation, however, the geographical distribution of masking is very restricted, occurring only in three areas of the continent, mainly situated in the forested zones. I explain this peculiar distribution by tracing the ecological and historical parameters of the societies that harbor mask rituals. The main ecological factors are the absence of cattle and the type of horticulture, while a crucial historical element is the long history of slave raiding and trading to which the continent has been subjected. These factors have led to societies in which both gender and local power arrangements show a marked indeterminacy, operating as internal arenas between men and women, and between different groups of men. Crucial in the explanation of masquerades is the fact that masking is completely absent from societies that practice cattle husbandry with the Bos indicus species (zebu). Since sleeping sickness prohibits cattle husbandry, wherever the tsetse fly thrives, masks appear. Show less
The African Studies Centre Leiden celebrated its 75th anniversary at Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden on 8 September 2022. It was a festive day with colleagues, students, alumni, and societal partners.... Show moreThe African Studies Centre Leiden celebrated its 75th anniversary at Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden on 8 September 2022. It was a festive day with colleagues, students, alumni, and societal partners. This ASCL Occasional Publication presents the keynote speeches of the day, giving insight into the Centre’s rich past and present research, education, library and societal activities. In addition, it is illustrated with many pictures of the day and showcases the ASCL Library’s special items from the collection that were exhibited. Show less
Dekker, M.; Kazimierczuk, A.; Garland, R.; Stein Zweers, D.; Levelt, P. 2024
Contrary to popular perceptions of North Korea as a hermit kingdom, its capital city used to be a hotspot for international travel. During the Cold War an eclectic mix of politicians, soldiers,... Show moreContrary to popular perceptions of North Korea as a hermit kingdom, its capital city used to be a hotspot for international travel. During the Cold War an eclectic mix of politicians, soldiers, journalists, and students travelled to Pyongyang for conferences, meetings, and training courses. Of particular importance was the stream of African visitors to North Korea, a largely overlooked but nonetheless important phenomenon in the history of the Global South. The connections that were forged between Africans and North Koreans were part of a larger framework of Afro-Asian cooperation that sought to change the global order. Show less
This book uses text and photographs to highlight a transdisciplinary research project (2018-2022) about artisanal and small-scale gold mining that involved transdisciplinary collaboration between... Show moreThis book uses text and photographs to highlight a transdisciplinary research project (2018-2022) about artisanal and small-scale gold mining that involved transdisciplinary collaboration between academics, artists, and gold miners. With the title Exploring Transformations to Sustainability in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining: Trans-regional and Multi-Actor Perspectives, or Gold Matters for short, the project examined whether and how societal transformations towards sustainable mining futures are possible in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. It brought together a multi-national team to conduct research in Brazil, Suriname, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry, and Uganda. Show less
Now that the goal of universal primary education has been achieved in Ghana, the nation’s aim is to expand higher education as a key to development. We argue that this expansion will necessitate... Show moreNow that the goal of universal primary education has been achieved in Ghana, the nation’s aim is to expand higher education as a key to development. We argue that this expansion will necessitate the gradual addition of Ghanaian languages as a medium of instruction. We innovatively explain why this is so by comparing the achievements of the Ghanaian education system with one of the best education systems in the world. We use the conceptual distinction between ‘discerned’ and ‘designed’ languages to discuss the problem of which languages to choose. We propose five scientific principles that could guide the introduction of Ghanaian languages and suggest concrete steps that could be taken over the coming years to make the transition practically possible. As such, we present a way of looking at using indigenous languages as a medium of instruction that has relevance for other African countries as well. Show less
This study examines the impact of armed conflicts on the fiscal capacity of African governments. It made use of a data set covering 1997–2021 for 50 countries, as well as the system dynamic... Show moreThis study examines the impact of armed conflicts on the fiscal capacity of African governments. It made use of a data set covering 1997–2021 for 50 countries, as well as the system dynamic generalised method of moment estimation technique. The results show that, in the short run, conflicts undermine tax revenue, mount pressure on military expenditure, and force governments to rely more on mineral resource rents for their fiscal needs. As conflicts persist, this fiscal feature changes to a pattern that reflects a decline in mineral resource earnings and an increase in tax revenue. The impact on public health expenditure also changes from an increasing to a decreasing pattern, whereas the positive impact on military expenditure and external borrowing persists over time. The findings suggest that African countries in conflict can address their fiscal challenges by observing these patterns and putting in place policies that protect public resources (e.g., the adoption of digital financial technology protocols to facilitate remote revenue collection and strategic protection of mineral resource-endowed zones from insurgents' control). Overall, enhancing government effectiveness and strengthening the institutions of governance is important to facilitate a quick return to normalcy in the event of conflict and to prevent future conflicts. Show less
full book landing page (including bibliography): https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/component/edocman/sixty-years-after-independence-africa-and-international-law-views-from-a-generation-soixante-ans-apres... Show morefull book landing page (including bibliography): https://www.pulp.up.ac.za/component/edocman/sixty-years-after-independence-africa-and-international-law-views-from-a-generation-soixante-ans-apres-les-independances-l-afrique-et-le-droit-international-regards-d-une-generation Show less
Slam poets in Africa are part of an emerging social movement. In this article, the focus is on women in this upcoming slam movement in francophone Africa. For these women, slam has meant a change... Show moreSlam poets in Africa are part of an emerging social movement. In this article, the focus is on women in this upcoming slam movement in francophone Africa. For these women, slam has meant a change in their lives as they have found words to describe difficult experiences that were previously shrouded in silence. Their words, performances and engaged actions are developing into a body of popular knowledge that questions the status quo and relates to the ‘emerging consciousness’ in many African urban societies of unequal, often gendered, power relations. The women who engage in slam have thus become a voice for the emancipation of women in general. Show less
Trove opens possibilities for collaborative, transnational and comparative research from scholars in the Global South, who often work with limited financial resources. Indeed, Trove has been... Show moreTrove opens possibilities for collaborative, transnational and comparative research from scholars in the Global South, who often work with limited financial resources. Indeed, Trove has been indispensable for the South African-based historians in the International Studies Group, who would otherwise face difficulties accessing Australian primary sources. It also enables Australian perspectives to be incorporated into African histories, fostering the emergence of new historical insights. However, mass digitisation has the potential to create an unevenness in transnational history by privileging certain connections, particularly between British settler colonies. These reflections will offer crucial perspectives from a network of early career historians outside Australia. Show less
How does interethnic marriage influence the occurrence of ethnic violence in sub-Saharan Africa? Previous studies on the relationship between intergroup contact and conflict onset have produced... Show moreHow does interethnic marriage influence the occurrence of ethnic violence in sub-Saharan Africa? Previous studies on the relationship between intergroup contact and conflict onset have produced mixed findings. Some scholars have argued that this might be due to the way interethnic contact is measured. Building on insights of social psychology, this study examines the influence of interethnic marriage as the ultimate form of positive intergroup contact. In doing so, we combine information of the Demographic and Health Surveys with event data on ethnic conflict. Our analysis shows that areas with higher levels of exogamy significantly experience less ethnic conflict. Show less
Lalaye, D.; Bruijn, M.E. de; Jong, T.P.V.M. de 2021
This study determined the contribution of a mobile health (M-health) system to the treatment of Schistosoma haematobiumin a region of Chad where S. haematobium is endemic. M-health involves the use... Show moreThis study determined the contribution of a mobile health (M-health) system to the treatment of Schistosoma haematobiumin a region of Chad where S. haematobium is endemic. M-health involves the use of a mobile phone for health care. The study compared the prevalence of schistosomiasis in an area with an M-health system, newly installed in 2014, with an area without an adequate health infrastructure. Data were gathered after the M-health system had been running for 3 years. We took urine samples from children age 1 to 15 years, for a total of 200 children in a village in the M-health area and 200 in a village in a non-M-health area. Urine was checked for urinary schistosomiasis by using dipsticks for microhematuria and, in cases of positive dipstick results, microscopy was used to detect eggs. Comparison between the areas allowed us to assess the effectiveness of the installed M-health system after 3 years of operation. Based on dipstick outcomes, the non-M-health area had an infection rate of 51.5% compared with 29% in the M-health area. Microscopy results in non-M-health and M-health were 27.5% and 21%, respectively. The dipstick result difference between M-health and non-M-health areas was statistically significant. Dipsticks were more reliable than microscopy for the detection of schistosomiasis, especially in areas without qualified personnel. Based on these results, M-health proved its ability to reduce the infection rate of urogenital schistosomiasis, and the implementation of M-health shows great promise in areas where this disease is endemic and where no mass drug administration is provided. Show less
Isfordink, C.J.; Laar, T.J.W. van de; Rebers, S.P.H.; Wessels, E.; Molenkamp, R.; Knoester, M.; ... ; Schinkel, J. 2021
Background. The majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are found in low- and middle-income countries, which harbor many region-specific HCV subtypes. Nevertheless, direct-acting antiviral ... Show moreBackground. The majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are found in low- and middle-income countries, which harbor many region-specific HCV subtypes. Nevertheless, direct-acting antiviral (DAA) trials have almost exclusively been conducted in high-income countries, where mainly epidemically spread HCV subtypes are present. Recently, several studies have demonstrated suboptimal DAA efficacy for certain nonepidemic subtypes, which could hamper global HCV elimination. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate DAA efficacy in patients treated for a nonepidemic HCV genotype infection in the Netherlands.Methods. We performed a nationwide retrospective study including patients treated with interferon-free DAAs for an HCV genotype other than 1a/1b/2a/2b/3a/4a/4d. The genotype was determined by NS5B region phylogenetic analysis. The primary end point was SVR-12. If stored samples were available, NS5A and NS5B sequences were obtained for resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) evaluation.Results. We included 160 patients, mainly infected with nonepidemic genotype 2 (41%) and 4 (31%) subtypes. Most patients were from Africa (45%) or South America (24%); 51 (32%) were cirrhotic. SVR-12 was achieved in 92% (140/152) of patients with available SVR-12 data. Only 73% (8/11) genotype 3-infected patients achieved SVR-12, the majority being genotype 3b patients with 63% (5/8) SVR. Regardless of SVR, all genotype 3b patients had 30K and 31M RAS.Conclusions. (T)he DAA efficacy we observed in most nonepidemic genotypes in the Netherlands seems reassuring. However, the low SVR-12 rate in subtype 3b infections is alarming, especially as it is common in several HCV-endemic countries. Alongside earlier results, our results indicate that a remaining challenge for global HCV elimination is confirming and monitoring DAA efficacy in nonepidemic genotypes. Show less
With a fast-growing population, massive ongoing urbanisation and constant innovations across the continent, Africa looks poised to leapfrog other emerging markets over the next few decades in terms... Show moreWith a fast-growing population, massive ongoing urbanisation and constant innovations across the continent, Africa looks poised to leapfrog other emerging markets over the next few decades in terms of economic development. This hopefully will lead to constructive flows from the private sector that support overall financial dynamics and help governments to fulfil their obligations, encourage corporations to act responsibly and in a spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals, and inspire all economic players to promote “inclusive development for all” (UN, 2015). The impact of Covid-19 will be considerable, though, with potentially material consequences for health and economic growth. In the long run, the pandemic could strengthen the role of the state in Africa. Professor Ton Dietz was invited to write this paper for NN Investment Partners. Show less
Kate, L. ten; Braam, A.W.; Dijk, R.A. van; Ravesteyn, J. van; Bergmans, F. 2020
The current study focuses on care for West African Victims of human trafficking (VHTs) in The Netherlands and addresses the question of how (1) social and legal professionals and (2) religious... Show moreThe current study focuses on care for West African Victims of human trafficking (VHTs) in The Netherlands and addresses the question of how (1) social and legal professionals and (2) religious leaders of African-led migrant (Pentecostal) churches perceive their relationship with these VHTs. Thematic analyses of qualitative interviews (N = 21) revealed that both groups share the perception that VHTs are vulnerable, especially in view of so-called voodoo spells. Social and legal professionals noticed that West African VHTs prototypically appear as ‘demanding’ in a rather pro-active manner. Religious leaders on the other hand indicated that the VHTs feel at ease in the church in a more adaptive sense and may find ways of changing their lives after experiencing the Pentecostal “deliverance” ritual. Show less
