64 research outputs found
The Future of Africa
This open access textbook offers a critical introduction to human and economic development prospects in Africa revolving around three questions: where is Africa today, what explains the current state, and, given historical trends and what we know about the world, where do we think the continent will be in 2040? And, a final question: what can we do to create a better tomorrow? It models ambitious progress in health, demographics, agriculture, education, industrialization, technological leapfrogging, increased trade, greater stability, better governance and external support. The book reviews the future of work/jobs, poverty and the impact of climate change. A combined Closing the Gap scenario presents a forecast of what could be possible by 2040. Each chapter suggests which policies might accelerate prospects for each sector. Written in an accessible style, and supported by a range of pedagogical features, this textbook introduces undergraduate and graduate students to the contemporary human and economic development prospects in Africa
New Interfaces between security and development
"Post-conflict reconstruction is understood as a complex system that provides for simultaneous short-, medium- and long-term programmes to prevent disputes from escalating, avoid a relapse into violent conflict and to build and consolidate sustainable peace. Post-conflict reconstruction is ultimately aimed at addressing the root causes of a conflict and to lay the foundations for social justice and sustainable peace. Post-conflict reconstruction systems proceed through three broad phases, namely the emergency phase, the transition phase and the development phase; however, they should not be understood as absolute, fixed, time-bound or having clear boundaries. Post-conflict reconstruction systems have five dimensions: (1) security; (2) political transition, governance and participation; (3) socio-economic development; (4) human rights, justice and reconciliation; and (5) coordination, management and resource mobilisation. These five dimensions need to be programmed simultaneously, collectively and cumulatively to develop momentum to sustainable peace. While there are processes, phases and issues that can be said to be common to most countries emerging from conflict, one should recognise the uniqueness of each conflict system, in terms of its own particular socioeconomic and political history, the root causes and immediate consequences of the conflict an the specific configuration of the actors that populate the system. Further, as most intra-state conflicts in Africa are interlinked within regional conflict systems, country specific post-conflict reconstruction systems need to seek synergy with neighbouring systems to ensure coherence across regional conflict systems. The nexus between development, peace and security have become a central focus of post-conflict reconstruction thinking and practice over the last decade. The key policy tension in the post-conflict setting appears to be between economic efficiency and political stability. While the need and benefits of improved coherence is widely accepted, there seems to be no consensus on who should coordinate, what should be coordinated and how coordination should be undertaken." (author's abstract
Violent Islamist extremism and terror in Africa
This paper presents an overview of large-scale violence by Islamist extremists in
key African countries. The paper builds on previous publications of the Institute for
Security Studies on the nexus between development and conflict trends, and it seeks
to provide an overview of the evolution of the associated terrorism through
quantitative and contextual analysis using various large datasets. The focus is on the
development and links among countries experiencing the worst of this phenomenon,
especially Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Nigeria and Somalia, as well as the
impact of events in the Middle East on these African countries.Hanns Seidel Foundationhttp://www.issafrica.org/publications/papershb201
South African futures 2035 - can Bafana Bafana still score?
Using updated population forecasts, this paper presents alternative growth scenarios
for South Africa up to 2035, and their implications for employment, politics and
poverty. ‘Bafana Bafana Redux’ is the expected current trajectory. This scenario takes
into account the impact of policy incoherence and the electricity supply crisis on
South Africa’s long-term prospects. With concerted effort and much greater focus,
an improved future, dubbed ‘Mandela Magic Lite’, is possible – but neither scenario
has a significant impact on structural unemployment. South Africa will only achieve
long-term stability and prosperity with a leadership committed to inclusive political and
economic practices.The Hanns Seidel
Foundationhttp://www.issafrica.orgam201
South African futures 2030 - how Bafana Bafana made Mandela magic
No abstract available.http://www.issafrica.orghb201
Future (im)perfect? Mapping conflict, violence and extremism in Africa
The central challenge for sub-Saharan Africa is to build accountable, capable
governments that can deliver security and inclusive growth. Research into the drivers,
trends and characteristics of violence in Africa may help achieve these goals. This
paper firstly presents global and African trends in armed conflict since 1960, while
looking at armed conflict within the broader context of political violence using recent
event data. The fatality burden between key affected countries is also discussed.
The paper then turns to an examination of the high levels of non-state conflict in the
Middle East and Africa compared to the rest of the world and the systemic imbalances
that drive instability. Finally, challenges in measuring the relative contribution of violent
Islamist extremism to political violence are presented.The Hanns Seidel
Foundationhttp://www.issafrica.orgam201
The future of intrastate conflict in Africa - more violence or greater peace?
Many African countries experienced violent transitions
after independence, which included civil wars and mass
killings. This is not surprising considering the divisiveness
of the original boundary-making processes, the coercive
nature of colonial rule and the messy process of
independence. Created in haste, postcolonial states often
exhibited the same characteristics as their colonial
antecedents. In some instances, these problems were
compounded by non-inclusive political settlements,
governance failures and natural catastrophe.http://www.issafrica.orgam2016Political Science
Parched prospects - the emerging water crisis in South Africa
South Africa is over-exploiting its freshwater resources and water could
be a large constraint on the implementation of the National Development
Plan. Using the International Futures forecasting system, this paper models
and forecasts water demand and supply until 2035, the period covered by
the National Water Resource Strategy 2013. The authors’ research finds
that the gap between demand and supply increases and that the solutions
proposed by the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation will not close
the gap without additional, aggressive measures. The authors propose such
measures for each sector of demand and each source of water supply.http://www.issafrica.org/futuresam201
Reasonable goals for reducing poverty in Africa
The eradication of extreme poverty is a key component in the post-2015 Millennium
Development Goals process and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. This paper
uses the International Futures forecasting system to explore this goal and finds that
many African states are unlikely to make this target by 2030, even when modelling
a package of aggressive poverty reduction interventions. In addition to country-level
targets the authors also argue in favour of a goal that would see Africa as a whole
reducing extreme poverty to below 15% by 2030, and below 4% by 2045.The Hanns Seidel
Foundationhttp://www.issafrica.org/futuresam201
Reducing poverty in Africa - realistic targets for the post-2015 MDGs and agenda 2063
The eradication of extreme poverty is a key component of the post-2015
MDG process and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. This paper uses the
International Futures forecasting system to explore this goal and finds that
many African states are unlikely to make this target by 2030. In addition to
the use of country-level targets, this paper argues in favour of a goal that
would see Africa as a whole reducing extreme poverty to below 20% by 2030
(15% using 2011 purchasing power parity), and to below 3% by 2063.http:// www.issafrica.orgam201
- …