There supposedly is a lot of potential in the African economies, though up until now most of these countries have been unable to channel this potential. An example of an industry in which a lot of...Show moreThere supposedly is a lot of potential in the African economies, though up until now most of these countries have been unable to channel this potential. An example of an industry in which a lot of money can be made, is the coffee sector. This sector has been exploited for its bare resources, leaving farmers with very little return for their efforts. Tony Elumelu has devised an economic philosophy; Africapitalism, which presumably mitigates these issues. The effects of this philosophy in combination with Supply Chain Management can be witnessed Good African Coffee ltd. in Uganda. This poses the question of whether this combination can be beneficial to not only this company, but the Ugandan coffee sector in general and if so, maybe even other sectors as well.Show less
After more than 400 years of European imperial powers influencing the region of Mozambique and exploiting its population and a 10 years independence war (1964-1974) Mozambique gained independence...Show moreAfter more than 400 years of European imperial powers influencing the region of Mozambique and exploiting its population and a 10 years independence war (1964-1974) Mozambique gained independence in 1975. But the country that FRELIMO inherited was a country with divisions along cultural, linguistic and rural, urban lines. The country lacked a national identity as well as a developed state with resilient and established institutions. The idea of self determination and national identity, in an increasingly globalised world, has become more prominent. This has led to different strategies to aid the creation of a national identity being employed by governments of newly independent African nations. Thus, with the help of academic articles as well as the two documentaries Kuxa Kanema and Treatment of Traitors, this thesis will look at the different strategies employed in the creation of national identity and the challenges in the case of Mozambique after it’s independence until the democratic era of Mozambique. This paper will take a multi-disciplinary approach analyzing the strategies used in the domain of media, politics, linguistics and culture.Therefore, arguing that the multicultural nature of Mozambique could be used to form a Mozambican identity based on duality.Show less
As large international organisations become increasingly more relevant in a globalising world, many countries in world regions of comparatively lesser influence have sought to form regional...Show moreAs large international organisations become increasingly more relevant in a globalising world, many countries in world regions of comparatively lesser influence have sought to form regional alliances to collectively represent their interests in the international sphere. African states have formed alliances in an effort to find “African solutions to African problems” within the crisis-prone region without overly relying on the international community’s aid. The African Union (AU) has developed the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) with the African Standby Force (ASF) as its key implementing organ to realise the African aspiration of regaining agency on the continent with regard to regional security. This thesis analyses the role of the ASF in establishing the AU as an independent regional security actor by looking at its structural design as well as at its operationalisation.Show less
Questions why Nigeria's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency actions have not been overly successful, particularly in the case of Boko Haram. This is done by comparing their actions against a...Show moreQuestions why Nigeria's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency actions have not been overly successful, particularly in the case of Boko Haram. This is done by comparing their actions against a theoretical framework built on academic literature pertaining to successful counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategies.Show less
This thesis analyses how environmental degradation caused by the oil exploitation by oil companies in the Niger Delta has an effect on the Niger Delta Crisis. It focuses on both political as well...Show moreThis thesis analyses how environmental degradation caused by the oil exploitation by oil companies in the Niger Delta has an effect on the Niger Delta Crisis. It focuses on both political as well as economic aspects of the Crisis, and tries to describe how the exploitation of oil not only worsens the quality of the environment in the region, but consequently also worsens the livelihoods of the inhabitants in various ways.Show less
In 1990, the first ECOMOG operation was launched with the mandate to return peace and stability to Liberia and more generally the West African region. This operation was largely funded and...Show moreIn 1990, the first ECOMOG operation was launched with the mandate to return peace and stability to Liberia and more generally the West African region. This operation was largely funded and initiated by Nigeria, the great power of the region. This thesis seeks to establish whether Nigeria’s intentions were hegemonic, meaning that it was seeking to be recognised as a ruler and assert itself as one. It therefore draws not only from secondary literature regarding the formation of ECOMOG itself, but also from the country’s foreign policy at the time. It finds that the operation not only contains elements showing Nigeria’s assertion of power in the region, but also others which suggest that it was searching for consent from the region as a whole. Consequently, it falls in the middle of a continuum with leadership at one end, empire at another, and hegemony in the middle. The thesis thus concludes that Nigeria did, in fact, have hegemonic ambitions in spearheading the formation of ECOMOG.Show less
The aim of this research is to empirically examine the factors that influence the relationship between development NGOs and the state. This is done through an in-depth case-study of the...Show moreThe aim of this research is to empirically examine the factors that influence the relationship between development NGOs and the state. This is done through an in-depth case-study of the relationship between NGOs and the Dutch state. A special focus is on the relationship between the Dutch state and Cordaid. The results show that the current institutional framework has relatively most impact on the shape of the current relationship. Moreover, the research argues for the incorporation of interpersonal relationships in the theoretical framework of NGO-state relationships. The effect of resource dependence is arguably smaller than is assumed in previous literature.Show less
Africa is a generally patriarchal society, so it is interesting that when one enters the open market, it is a society where women dominate. These women are known as market women. There is...Show moreAfrica is a generally patriarchal society, so it is interesting that when one enters the open market, it is a society where women dominate. These women are known as market women. There is significant debate over their role and their effect on the fruit and vegetable economy in Ghana. Some scholars view them as detrimental to the economy due to their strategies that include unionisation, cross-border trade among others. They also operate in an informal system that often leads to tax avoidance. On the other hand, there is the view that these women are simply making a living in a developing society and manage to aid the economy by having micro-financing schemes, putting their children through school and creating their own society where the rules are clear and there is co-dependence. The thesis aims to explore both these schools of thought and clearly define what role these women play through both socio-economic and cultural lenses with a final conclusion determining to what extent the Ghanaian economy is affected by their activitiesShow less
“With growing numbers of public health emergencies in recent years, effective emergency response has become of central importance for national and international actors. Public health emergencies...Show more“With growing numbers of public health emergencies in recent years, effective emergency response has become of central importance for national and international actors. Public health emergencies such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Western Africa have demonstrated flaws in existing emergency response mechanisms of organizations such as the World Health Organization. One of the factors that hindered the timely containment of the outbreak was communities’ social resistance towards health authorities and health workers. In this context, this thesis examines to what extent the World Health Organization and health authorities have incorporated the voices of affected communities in Sierra Leone and Liberia from 2014 to 2016. Through the comparison of these two case studies, it thus aims to contribute to the field of public health emergency response by enhancing the understanding of communities’ critical role in epidemic emergencies such as the Ebola outbreak.”Show less
The psychological relationships that people have with celebrities or idols can influence communal cohesion. Almost everyone in modern society relates to non-present or distant others. Our idols can...Show moreThe psychological relationships that people have with celebrities or idols can influence communal cohesion. Almost everyone in modern society relates to non-present or distant others. Our idols can affect the way we perceive ourselves and others. Generally, people associate more with national than with foreign idols. This creates a more communal national appreciation and contributes to the national ‘imagined communities.’ People from the same nation associate with each other through their shared idols. Therefore, idols can be used as a nation-building mechanism. For many African countries, nation-building has been crucial due to the formation of states by colonial powers. This has resulted in the separation of relatives and the grouping of distinct societies. One of the African countries with a rich colonial history and a diverse ethnic landscape is Namibia. In this context, the thesis examines the contribution of idolisation of local heroes to national identities, specifically in the case of Namibia’s freedom fighter Hendrik Witbooi. Through a literature review and interviews with Namibians, different idolisation mediums have been identified, including newspapers, television broadcasts, visual representations, stories, and songs. The contribution that these idolisation mediums have made to national identity is the promotion of a communal shared history, one of the key elements of a ‘nation.’ In the case of Namibia, this consists of a shared history of traumatic events, specifically the German and South African colonisation and the ‘Namibian genocide,’ however, it includes heroes that rose up against the perpetrators of these injustices. Consideration is given to the influence of the SWAPO-government and comparable cases of idolisation in other countries.Show less
National parks in the global South are increasingly marked by a trend of militarised conservation, whereby park rangers receive military training and firearms for anti-poaching operations....Show moreNational parks in the global South are increasingly marked by a trend of militarised conservation, whereby park rangers receive military training and firearms for anti-poaching operations. Especially in conflict situations where violence poses a security threat to conservation efforts, these policies are justified as an effective solution. This can be attributed to the Western discourse that fuels the politics of conservation and is based on a strict dichotomy between nature and society. Within this discourse, poachers and charcoal producers are characterised as villains and the context and motivations behind their actions is ignored. To exemplify the negative repercussions of this process, this thesis analyses militarised conservation in Virunga National Park in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and argues that this form of nature protection infringes on livelihood strategies of the local people in North Kivu. Militarisation in Virunga is intended to demobilise militias who exploit the park’s natural resources, but has a much stronger impact on the local population, who depend on Virunga’s forests for their livelihoods. These people therefore increasingly collaborate with rebel groups, blurring the lines between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ that the Western conservation discourse is built on. This collaboration leads to further resource exploitation and an escalation of violence. Therefore, this thesis claims that, due to the complexity of the situation in Virunga, militarised conservation is counterproductive and leads to a vicious circle of violence.Show less
