This paper addresses the constitutional entrenchment of foreign policy preferences, or “world views”, from the vantage point of International Relations theory. Empirically, norms that sketch out... Show moreThis paper addresses the constitutional entrenchment of foreign policy preferences, or “world views”, from the vantage point of International Relations theory. Empirically, norms that sketch out certain visions of global governance have become a popular feature of constitutional design. The paper expounds both their potential, as well as pitfalls to avoid, with a particular focus on Constructivist scholarship. In terms of their merits, they can serve as evidence of a “normative basis” for foreign policy and as parameters for legitimacy. Furthermore, they represent both evidence of, and fuel for, processes of socialization in foreign policy. However, Constructivists tempted to draw on such constitutional worldviews should heed three main caveats. Firstly, while the constitution is supreme in the legal realm, it is only one of many possible expressions of normative preferences from a political science perspective. Secondly, they should avoid confusion between domestic constitutional standards and universal ones. Thirdly, they should be aware of the problematic of the “dead hand of the past”, i.e., while constitutional entrenchment may lend norms particular gravitas, it also makes them prone to become out-dated. By staying clear of these pitfalls, Constructivist theorists can embrace contemporary constitutions in their quest to elucidate which principles and ideas shape the international order and its maturing legal framework. Show less
This paper analyses emigration from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to main European and North American destinations since the 1960s. It explores the role of states, post-colonial ties and migration... Show moreThis paper analyses emigration from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia to main European and North American destinations since the 1960s. It explores the role of states, post-colonial ties and migration policies in emigration dynamics. By adopting a historical-comparative approach and an origin country perspective, this paper shows that Maghreb emigration was continuously shaped not only by government strategies in Europe but also by those of Maghreb states. Drawing on new bilateral migration flow data compiled in the DEMIG C2C database, the paper reveals three distinct phases in which Maghreb emigration patterns converge and diverge: the post-independence period in which Maghreb emigration boomed; the period from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s when Algerian emigration levelled off while emigration from neighbouring countries’ remained high; and the period from the early 1990s when Moroccan emigration increased exponentially while Tunisian and Algerian only grew moderately. Similarities in Maghreb emigration patterns can be explained by the countries’ comparable geopolitical and socio-economic features and that European states apply the same immigration policies to all Maghreb countries. To understand the divergences however, a closer look at origin country factors is required. The paper finds that Algeria’s departure from regional emigration patterns in the 1970s can be traced back to the emigration stop implemented by the Algerian government in 1973. Conversely, the active promotion of emigration by the Moroccan state facilitated emigration by making access to passport easier and fostering a culture of emigration that together with high unemployment partly explains Morocco’s emigration boom after the 1990s. Finally, recent diversification of Maghreb emigration to divergent South European countries, can be attributed to specific historical linkages, with Moroccans and Algerians mainly migrating to Spain and Tunisians to Italy. Show less
Toshkov, D.; Kortenska, E.G.; Dimitrova, A.L.; Fagan, A. 2014
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
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
Modebe, N.; Okoro, O.; Okoyeuzu, C.; Uche, C. 2014
An increasingly popular but disturbing method of misappropriating government revenue in Nigeria is the practice of granting all manner of indiscriminate waivers of tariffs and duties on imported... Show moreAn increasingly popular but disturbing method of misappropriating government revenue in Nigeria is the practice of granting all manner of indiscriminate waivers of tariffs and duties on imported commodities under the directive of the Presidency. This paper critiques the law, use and abuse of duty waivers in Nigeria. It argues that although the President, on the advice of the Tariff Council, has powers to grant waivers, such powers are neither supposed to be granted indiscriminately nor in secret. The granting of indiscriminate waivers to individual operators in an industry rather than to the entire industry distorts national economic and industrial development which is normally the very essence of granting such waivers. The paper also raises questions about the implications of the granting of indiscriminate duty waivers by the Presidency for fiscal relationships in a federal state. Show less
Toshkov, D.D.; Kortenska, E.G.; Dimitrova, Antoaneta; Fagan, A. 2014
This article explores financial strategies used by smallholder farmers in the face of the challenging conditions following the economic crisis in the early 2000s in Zimbabwe. It considers the... Show moreThis article explores financial strategies used by smallholder farmers in the face of the challenging conditions following the economic crisis in the early 2000s in Zimbabwe. It considers the sources, circulation and importance of cash among farmers in the cash-scarce society that emerged with hyperinflation and subsequent dollarization and that rendered farmers' savings worthless. The article is based on transaction diaries from 20 farmers in two different rural communities in Zimbabwe. These diaries provided details of expenditures in a three-week period in November/December 2010 and intend to provide insight into the day-to-day realities that affects many in Zimbabwe. These diaries show the very limited inflow of cash and that many households did not have any cash at their disposal. Contrary to other sources, our data suggest that the importance of remittances in these villages is far less than expected. Furthermore, in contrast with standard economic thinking, farmers rarely reverted to 'instantaneous barter'. Instead, the shortage of cash resulted in an intensification of gift-giving in kind in which small gifts were exchanged between family members, neighbours and other close relations and that were especially important to meet daily household needs of farmers and their families. Show less
In november 2014 was er opschudding over een bericht dat de Hogeschool van Amsterdam haar studenten niet naar Afrika liet reizen vanwege ebola en toenemende onveiligheid. Door het Afrika... Show moreIn november 2014 was er opschudding over een bericht dat de Hogeschool van Amsterdam haar studenten niet naar Afrika liet reizen vanwege ebola en toenemende onveiligheid. Door het Afrika-Studiecentrum en in sociale media werd daar fel op gereageerd: het stigmatiseert Afrika. Er werd gedaan alsof het alleen in Afrika onveilig zou zijn en heel Afrika werd over één kam geschoren. De HvA nuanceerde haar uitingen; veel hogescholen en universiteiten evalueerden hun eigen reisbeleid. De reisadviezen van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken blijken daarbij leidend: www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/reisadviezen. Eind november was dit de situatie in de wereld: code rood gold voor delen van het Midden-Oosten, Afrika en Azië, naast delen van Oekraïne, de Kaukasus en Colombia, Paraguay en de Filipijnen. Binnen Afrika liep er een 'rode gordel' door de Sahara, verder de Centraal Afrikaanse Republiek en de Hoorn in. Ook Guinee, Liberia en Sierra Leone (door ebola getroffen) en delen van het Grote Merengebied waren rood. Van de 54 Afrikaanse landen waren er 24 geheel of deels rood. Maar tal van landen en gebieden zijn geel en de Seychellen en het grootste deel van Marokko zijn groen. Show less
Boeren, A.; Dietz, A.J.; Simons, C.; Vink, N. de 2014
The Dutch government has been supporting higher education in developing countries through cooperation between Dutch higher education and training institutes and partner organizations in the... Show moreThe Dutch government has been supporting higher education in developing countries through cooperation between Dutch higher education and training institutes and partner organizations in the developing countries since the late 1960s.Various programmes have been implemented but the aim in all of them has been to build and strengthen the education and training capacity of organizations/institutes.The map depicts Dutch cooperation programmes to strenghten post-secondary education and training in Africa (1996-2013). Show less
This article is a historical study of a 'motor road' linking the north of the Gold Coast (present day Ghana) to the South. Historians concerned with routes and trade in nineteenth century Gold... Show moreThis article is a historical study of a 'motor road' linking the north of the Gold Coast (present day Ghana) to the South. Historians concerned with routes and trade in nineteenth century Gold Coast usually end their accounts at the onset of colonial rule. While studies that concentrate on transport development in modern periods make little reference to the motor road linking Kumasi to Tamale and beyond. Difficulty in communication between the north and the south of Gold Coast, led to the construction of the Great North Road. Northern labourers, the majority of them Dargarti, Frafra, Vagla, Kanjarga (Builsa) among others played a critical role in the road construction. Women also played an important part in the construction as they ensured that food was prepared for the labourers without which it would have been impossible for work to go on. In 1920, the road was completed and the first motor vehicle driven by the then Governor Guggisberg arrived in Tamale in April of that year. The Great North road aside facilitating the work of administrators, also played a significant role in moving a variety of trade goods such as cattle, goats, fowls, Shea butter, corn, groundnuts and migrants to the south. The north also received southern goods especially salt and beer and other European products such as soap, sugar, cloths, bicycles among others. The opportunities offered by the road in terms of ease of travel and trade encouraged the development of settlements on the road and the urban expansion of Salaga and Tamale. Show less
Africa's population has grown extremely rapidly over the last fifty years from 289 million inhabitants in 1961 to more than 1 billion today. This is a growth rate of 350% in just half a century... Show moreAfrica's population has grown extremely rapidly over the last fifty years from 289 million inhabitants in 1961 to more than 1 billion today. This is a growth rate of 350% in just half a century and the number of urban residents has increased even more quickly: from 65 million in 1960 to 460 million today, or from 20% to 46% of the population as a whole. Demographers predict that soon more than 50% of all Africans will be living in cities. The average life expectancy, literacy rates and primary-school attendance figures in Africa have also all increased spectacularly. And today there are large numbers of relatively healthy, well-educated young people with a more international view of the world. Changes in the structure of Africa's population are evident in the continent's population pyramid. A 'youth bulge' can be seen in Southern Africa's population statistics, with those aged between 10 and 30 far outnumbering those in the 0-10 age group and those over 30 years of age. In other parts of Africa, and for Africa as a whole, the population statistics still have a pyramid structure and have not yet created the sort of onion shape seen in Southern Africa. The expectation is, however, that a declining birth rate across Africa over the next few decades will lead to a change in the continent's population structure and there will be a relatively high number of 10-30 year olds compared to other parts of the world. The fact that there are so many youth in Africa today and that they are much better educated than their parents ever were is having a big impact on the labour market. The youth are starting to feel disillusioned about the lack of job opportunities and are realizing that their (reasonably good) level of education is not going to allow them direct or easy access to greater prosperity and a better life. Show less
The overall trend in increasing volumes of cross-border financial flows is positive. It is also encouraging that the volume of private financiers, whether from commercial or non-commercial origins... Show moreThe overall trend in increasing volumes of cross-border financial flows is positive. It is also encouraging that the volume of private financiers, whether from commercial or non-commercial origins, is picking up. The trend in Sub-Saharan Africa is not so clear-cut but with some pragmatic adjustments to experience and realistic knowledge on the ground, these so-called 'poor' numbers are perhaps not deceiving us so much and Jerven may be barking up the wrong tree. Show less
