Rural household travel patterns have been largely ignored in African transport studies. Over the past ten years, however, village-level surveys have been undertaken which reveal the preeminence of... Show moreRural household travel patterns have been largely ignored in African transport studies. Over the past ten years, however, village-level surveys have been undertaken which reveal the preeminence of female porterage in rural transport activities. Donor agencies are now focussing efforts on "appropriate" transport technology interventions to directly enhance rural mobility and to indirectly improve agricultural productivity. Preliminary evidence, however, suggests that men rather than women are the main benficiaries of appropriate transport technology. This paper asks why and suggests a number of methodological refinements to future rural transport studies to generate the necessary information for devising programmes with a higher likelihood of effective assistance to rural women transporters. The paper reviews the findings on rural household transport demand emanating from surveys and literature reviews in East and West Africa. Show less
This article is an editorial introduction to the five contributions to a two-day Dutch-Belgian workshop on ethnicity in Africa (Leiden, The Netherlands, December 1991) selected for publication in... Show moreThis article is an editorial introduction to the five contributions to a two-day Dutch-Belgian workshop on ethnicity in Africa (Leiden, The Netherlands, December 1991) selected for publication in the present issue of 'Afrika Focus'. It highlights various aspects of the study of ethnicity which emerge from the papers in question: the deconstruction of the ethnic group as a group, the characterization of ethnicity as a cultural process primarily determined by an underlying struggle for power, the dynamism of ethnicity as a phenomenon subject to constant change, ethnic social stratification and the role of elites. The papers suggest that current approaches to African ethnicity have tended to overemphasize the formative influence of the colonial State at the expense of continuity with precolonial processes of group formation. They also suggest that there is a case for a reassessment of the limits to the political manipulation of ethnic consciousness, and the exploration of the explanatory value of local cultures considered over considerable time periods. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum Show less
External factors - the change in the international climate following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the publication at almost the same time of the World Bank's report 'From crisis to... Show moreExternal factors - the change in the international climate following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the publication at almost the same time of the World Bank's report 'From crisis to sustainable growth', in which the Bank for the first time linked aid to the question of "governance" - undoubtedly played a role in the decline of the one-party State in Africa. But the deeper causes of the current wave of democratization lie in the buildup of pressure over the past few decades for a new form of political accountability, to replace that of patronage politics. Most African governments have responded to the forces of change by conceding to demands for multiparty rule, simultaneously attempting to control the process. President Moi of Kenya, re-elected president in a multiparty election, is a case in point. In a few cases, heads of State have refused to make any compromises at all, with appalling results (Liberia, Somalia). In those countries where some degree of democratization has taken place, it is hard as yet to discern any improvement in regard to governance. Political parties continue to be formed in terms of clientelism and there is little to choose between rival parties, as a comparison of the contrasting cases of Kenya and Zambia illustrates. Democratization has not recast political constituencies in a new mode (though religion may form the base for new forms of political recruitment in the years to come). Notes, ref Show less
De invoering van Structurele aanpassingsprogramma's (SAP's) in Afrika is vaak gepaard gegaan met een versterking van de autoritaire tendensen van de Afrikaanse regimes. De levensstandaard en... Show moreDe invoering van Structurele aanpassingsprogramma's (SAP's) in Afrika is vaak gepaard gegaan met een versterking van de autoritaire tendensen van de Afrikaanse regimes. De levensstandaard en werkgelegenheid van de stedelijke arbeiders zijn door de SAP's ernstig aangetast. In dit overzicht van de rol van vakbonden in de SAP's en in democratiseringsprocessen wordt het verzet van een aantal vakbonden tegen de invoering van de SAP's ge‹llustreerd aan de hand van het vakbondsverzet in Zambia, Ghana en Nigeria. De vakbonden in Zambia zijn in staat geweest het SAP te saboteren, terwijl het vakbondsverzet in Ghana gering was; een tussenpositie in het vakbondsprotest tegen SAP's wordt ingenomen door Nigeria. Hoewel de interne democratie binnen de vakbonden vaak niet optimaal was, heeft een aantal vakbonden zich toch ingespannen voor het bereiken van een zekere mate van participatie in het ondernemings- en regeringsbeleid. Gedurende de invoering van de SAP's hebben steeds meer vakbonden zich verzet tegen het toenemend autoritarisme van de machthebbers. Met name vakbonden in Zambia hebben een sleutelrol gespeeld in de strijd om grotere democratisering. De mate waarin vakbonden een actieve rol kunnen spelen is afhankelijk van twee factoren. De ene factor is de mate van autonomie die vakbonden hebben behouden ten opzichte van de regering. Vakbonden in Engelstalige Afrikaanse landen zijn daar beter in geslaagd dan vakbonden in Franstalige Afrikaanse landen. Een tweede factor is de aard van het regime (militair of civiel). Show less
The present report is a compilation of summaries detailing the results and recommendations of the more than twenty studies completed to date as part of the Food and Nutrition Studies Programme ... Show moreThe present report is a compilation of summaries detailing the results and recommendations of the more than twenty studies completed to date as part of the Food and Nutrition Studies Programme (FNSP), an international cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Planning and National Development in Kenya and the Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperation initiated in 1983 and implemented by the African Studies Centre, Leiden. The studies range from a review of government agricultural pricing to an analysis of the influence of the home environment on childhood malnutrition. Here they have been grouped according to four subtopics, viz. food production and marketing; food security, food consumption and nutritional status; household resources and income generation; and rural development and food security. The report also contains a review of the Food and Nutrition Studies Programme, including the major conclusions for each of the subtopics in question Show less
