Japan’s TICAD: Alternative Global Framework for Africa’s Development?

Since 1993, Japan has sought to aid Africa’s development through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). TICAD is a multilateral, donor-recipient framework within which Japan interacts with Africa on a range of development issues. It represents the Post Washington Consensus approach as an alternative donor strategy and development model, with the hope of replicating the East Asian development miracle in Africa. TICAD makes Japan an important source of development assistance to Africa and for facilitation of South-South cooperation. This article discusses TICAD’s principles, objectives and programmes. It focuses on TICAD’s achievements in terms of its impact on African development and the extent to which it can be viewed as an alternative development mechanism

AFRO-CENTRISM: THE CHALLENGE OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

African nations seek to escape from poverty, disease, ignorance, inequality and lack ofopportunity. Despite massive investments in socio-economic development, the masses in manyAfrican countries still remain ill-fed, ill-housed, under-educated and vulnerable to preventablediseases such as HIV/AIDS, and malaria. The continent is characterised by increasingeconomic deprivation, generalised misery, a high incidence of poverty, environmentaldestruction and diminishing food security. This is underscored by the fact that the number ofpeople living in extreme poverty (on U$1 or less a day) rose from 217 million in 1990 to 290million in 2000 (Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), 2005). Governments and otherstakeholders are constantly searching for better and more effective ways to tackle theseproblems in order to improve the welfare of their peopl

HIV/AIDS TESTING IN BOTSWANA: A CASE STUDY OF SELEBI PHIKWE

INTRODUCTIONHIV/AIDS is one of the most critical current global socio-economic problems. Apparently,there is no country that has not suffered the epidemic. It is a disease that has crippled manygovernments’ budgets and disrupted medical research, since no cure has been found. Thus ithas caused a lot of strain, especially, in the Third World, where poverty is a major problem.This is mainly because of lack of resources and facilities, poor general health and long periodsof social unrest and economic disruption (Monkge,, 1999)

ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS TOWARDS MANUAL WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN BOTSWANA

The importance of generating opportunities for citizens to participate in the development of self and country cannot be exaggerated. Employment is usually the main way in which people contribute to the economic growth of a country. Work is an essential part of human life that helps in determining, among other things, one‟s social status. Therefore, it is important that at a certain stage in life one should acquire a job. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2008) notes that at some point in their lives youths will enter the world of work as a path toward social integration and as a means to earn an income. Youth unemployment has progressively emerged as a major problem in many developing countries and the world at large. For many youths entry into the labour market comes directly after completing school, depending on the schools‟ exit points of the particular country. Botswana‟s Secondary School education, which is completed in five years, has two exit points. The Junior Certificate (JC) runs for three years, and those who do not pass exit after Form 3. The Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) takes two years and the exit point is Form 5 for those who do not qualify to proceed to the tertiary level

CONDOM USE AND HIV/AIDS: PRECAUTIONARY BEHAVIOUR AMONG BOTSWANA YOUTH

The article is based on a research study of a random sample of 250 young people aged between 12 and 18 years attending private secondary schools in Gaborone. The main focus was to assess young peoples’ attitudes towards and knowledge of HIV/AIDS precautionary behaviour, and the link between certain behaviours such as inconsistent use of condoms and HIV infection. It is evident that young people are very knowledgeable about precautions against HIV/AIDS, and the relationships between certain behaviours and HIV infection. However, this awareness does not necessarily translate into change in sexual behaviou

Pitfalls of parliamentary democracy in Botswana

'Botswanas Mehrparteiendemokratie wurde von Experten (im In- und Ausland) oftmals als glänzendes Beispiel für eine funktionierende Demokratie in Afrika dargestellt, und doch zeigen sich eine Reihe Fallstricke, wenn man diese afrikanische Modelldemokratie genauer untersucht. Auch wenn die Autoren würdigen, was in Botswana bisher erreicht wurde, weichen sie von dem allgemeinen Trend ab, Botswanas Demokratie zu romantisieren. Sie bemühen sich, die entscheidenden Fallstricke des politischen Systems zu identifizieren, und legen dar, dass noch einiges getan werden muss, um die Qualität der Regierungsführung in Botswana zu verbessern. Angesichts der Bedeutung von guter Regierungsführung und im Lichte der neu entstehenden parlamentarischen Demokratien in Afrika und anderswo müsse Botswanas Demokratie neu eingeschätzt werden. Ein demokratisches System braucht tief verankerte, funktionierende Kontrollmechanismen, doch im Fall Botswana sind genau diese ineffizient.' (Autorenreferat)'Botswana's multiparty democracy has been portrayed by various scholars (within and beyond) as a shining example of a living democracy in Africa, yet it has a number of pitfalls that make one to interrogate this African model of a democracy. Although this article appreciates what Botswana has achieved so far, it seeks to deviate from the general trend that romanticizes Botswana's democracy. It attempts to identify some of the major pitfalls Botswana's democracy is faced with. It argues that a lot remains to be done to improve the quality of Botswana's governance. Its democracy needs to be reassessed in the light of the need for good governance and emerging parliamentary democracies in Africa and beyond. This is because democracy has more meaning when there are checks and balances in place, but in Botswana these are ineffective.' (author's abstract)