The thesis aims to illustrate how Food Aid, Free Trade Agreements, and Agricultural Dumping are closely related. By drawing the relation between these three seemingly separate issues, a divergent...Show moreThe thesis aims to illustrate how Food Aid, Free Trade Agreements, and Agricultural Dumping are closely related. By drawing the relation between these three seemingly separate issues, a divergent perspective upon the global trading system is exposed. The thesis reaches its outcome by using both macro and micro analyses. Where macro analyses allows the debate to have a more theoretical nature, the micro analyses of the case study on Agricultural Dumping in Mozambique shows a more practical side of the debate. By the use of these two analytical tools, the thesis illustrates how Agricultural Dumping is a negative effect of Food Aid, enabled through Free Trade Agreements. As open market policies and low domestic protection are part of these agreements, local agricultural markets in sub- Saharan Africa become unable to compete with subsidised imported agricultural goods. Hence, the three issues all contribute to an unequal market system that, in certain situations, provides advantages for the donor country and leaves the receiving country at a disadvantage.Show less
The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities adopted by the UN in 2006 represents the first ever internationally agreed upon instrument in the field of universal human rights of people...Show moreThe Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities adopted by the UN in 2006 represents the first ever internationally agreed upon instrument in the field of universal human rights of people with disabilities. Since the Convention came into force, the number of funding directed towards disabled peoples organization grew significantly. With increase in number of NGOs, including disabled people’s organisation, more and more researchers began to be interested in studying the nature of relationship between the donor and the local NGO. In Tanzania, most of the local NGOs with an aim to improve lives of people with disabilities, receive majority of their funding from Western donors, where the recent trend is to implement the so called “human-rights based approach”. As this paper will discuss, the NGO-donor relationship is in itself unequal due to NGO’s financial dependency on the donor organization. The power relations are expressed through the process of developing an agenda of a development project, more specifically in project’s objectives and how these are in accordance with the NGO’s mission and to what extent can these be achieved with regards to the local context. Apart from achievability, this paper will discuss relevance of the targets and who benefits from these efforts. The analysis evolves around studying the relationship between CHAVITA, a local NGO advocating for the lives and better living conditions of deaf people in Tanzania, and DCW, a British charity organization, which is currently funding their Sign Language Development Project.Show less
Diamonds have played a crucial part in Namibia’s development to become a growing and stable country (Cleveland 6). This thesis will examine the positive impact of the Namibian diamond industry on...Show moreDiamonds have played a crucial part in Namibia’s development to become a growing and stable country (Cleveland 6). This thesis will examine the positive impact of the Namibian diamond industry on the economical and political development of the country since independence. Unlike many other African states rich in natural resources, Namibia was able to enjoy a stable development since its independence. It is thus considered to be one of the few success stories regarding economic growth in Africa (Cleveland 2,6). This thesis hypothesizes that resource rich states benefit from political stability as it leads to economic growth and prosperity. In support of this hypothesis, the paper gives first an overview of the topic, before providing a detailed analysis of possible reasons, including on the basis of historic, political, and economic parameters.Show less
Sub Saharan Africa has recently enjoyed high economic growth rates. Many economists and developmentalists now consider that Africa is rising. Trade is seen as the prominent reason for this growth...Show moreSub Saharan Africa has recently enjoyed high economic growth rates. Many economists and developmentalists now consider that Africa is rising. Trade is seen as the prominent reason for this growth in gross domestic product and aid has slowly been phased out. Trade within the foreign aid debate has acquired many supporters. However behind these economic growth figures human development and inequality are still large issues. In this thesis it will be examined to what extent trade as the opposite of aid leads to increased human development and equality. The text explores the problems associated with aid, the focus on foreign investment and economic growth without an increase in human development or equality. It will be established that solely trade does not increase human development or equality. It is hoped this study will provide insight into how economic growth and declining human development and equality rates can exist side by side.Show less
In the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of...Show moreIn the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of surviving and coping with harsh realities. Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, recently launched an online campaign calling for voters registration – #UhuruDabChallenge – which was met with fierce protestations online, formalised under the #DabOfShame. This thesis will analyse the framing of this clash of priorities on Twitter by looking at the spread and use of one hashtag in particular – #DabOfShame – and one of the subtheme the #KOT community highlighted, that is the country’s hunger and drought crises. Indeed, analysing the #DabOfShame highlights the gap between the state discourse and the subsequent online responses, which has a huge impact on the way pertaining daily issues and their realities are depicted online. In particular, looking at Kenya’s most salient and recurrent difficulties – the hunger and drought crises – pinpoints how the users shed light on the problems, thus “framing” an opposition of concerns, and pushing the political elite to address them. Interestingly, the users and content analysis of this specific hashtag give insights into the political socialisation processes that Twitter enables and the platform it provides for the Kenyan connected generation to express its grievances in the everyday context. Eventually, this can inform discussions on the possibility of social media to influence the government’s agenda and produce a united common front in a context of political polarisation. This, however, also reveals concerning trends in the way Twitter is used by the political elite in Kenya, in particular by its president, which suggests that social media are possibly developing into new podiums on which political legitimacy is fought and gained.Show less
The way people dress in Africa is often overlooked and interpreted as traditional or fixed. Nevertheless, interaction between the African ways of dressing and western styles of fashion has occurred...Show moreThe way people dress in Africa is often overlooked and interpreted as traditional or fixed. Nevertheless, interaction between the African ways of dressing and western styles of fashion has occurred over time increasingly. Especially during colonialism, the influence of the western styles of dressing had on the Africans has increased. As a result of this, the African ways of dressing have changed among many different areas on the continent. In all the various regions of the continent the ways of dressing have developed in different directions and with the colonial influences the changes have been developing via several roads as well. Therefore, each case has its own answers and reasons for why people dress the way they do and its own reasons to reject or embrace the western styles of dressing. Within the following pages the political and cultural reasons for people to embrace or reject the western ways of dressing will be examined.Show less
Diving into the history of the character and spread of Kiswahili, I examine how power structures in society have influenced the character and spread of Kiswahili in Tanzania. I focus on the early...Show moreDiving into the history of the character and spread of Kiswahili, I examine how power structures in society have influenced the character and spread of Kiswahili in Tanzania. I focus on the early independence period because Kiswahili was nationalised during this period and because the manner in which this was done and legitimised remains underresearched. Using the Gramscian concept hegemony as the success of the ruling class to construct a worldview that is accepted throughout society which naturalizes power relationships between different social groups, I argue that the ideology through which Kiswahili was nationalised in Tanzania shaped the discourse on Kiswahili in a way that naturalizes the power structures in society, thereby implicitly justifying the choice of Kiswahili as the national language. Upon independence, TANU formed the state and shaped the nation. They were the new ruling class and as such tried to establish hegemony. Analysing Ujamaa ideology and the discourse on Kiswahili, I explain how this discourse subverted the issue of ethnic languages and power relations in Tanzania. The mythical elements of these discourses are deconstructed by juxtaposing them with historical realities. By debunking the ideological assumptions on which knowledge about Kiswahili was produced, I simultaneously call into question the epistemological value of research published in the journal Kiswahili.Show less
This thesis is in fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the International Studies Bachelor Program. First, the aim of this thesis is to ascertain the perceived effectiveness of the...Show moreThis thesis is in fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the International Studies Bachelor Program. First, the aim of this thesis is to ascertain the perceived effectiveness of the 2015 Tanzanian Witchdoctor Ban as a countermeasure to the violence being perpetrated against people with albinism from the standpoint of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Tanzanian Government, and various NGOs actively engaged in the welfare of people with albinism in the region. The second chapter illustrates the state of the art of the literature concerning the Tanzanian societal witchcraft paradigm, status of PWA in traditional culture, occult-legislation, and indicators of legislative efficacy. The third chapter explains the multi-indicator document analysis conducted to determine each actor’s perception of the ban’s efficacy. The fourth chapter relays the results of the analysis, where it was determined that the United Nations Human Rights Council held a neutral perception of the effectiveness of the Witchdoctor Ban, the Tanzanian Government held a positive perception, and the various NGOs held a negative perception. This thesis henceforth concludes with a critical examination of the results and methodology, and a conclusory statement that further research into efficacy indicators and occult-legislation as an institutional countermeasure towards the violence against people with albinism can be facilitated by the foundation built through this research and its accompanied findings.Show less
Crowdfunding is increasing rapidly as an alternative source of financing business and other projects. Some see in crowdfunding a lot of potential for Sub Saharan Africa. Crowdfunding in this...Show moreCrowdfunding is increasing rapidly as an alternative source of financing business and other projects. Some see in crowdfunding a lot of potential for Sub Saharan Africa. Crowdfunding in this context, however, has never been studied. This research is an explorative empirical study into crowdfunding in Ghana. The main finding is that crowdfunding is still very limited with only two crowdfunding platforms showing serious activity. By linking crowdfunding to entrepreneurship theory it is argued that contemporary crowdfunding in Ghana has no significant contribution to economic growth and innovation.Show less
This paper aims at analysing how these two periods of Somalia’s recent history influenced and laid the foundations for rivalries between different factions within the country, which eventually...Show moreThis paper aims at analysing how these two periods of Somalia’s recent history influenced and laid the foundations for rivalries between different factions within the country, which eventually exploded in an excruciating conflict. Firstly, the aim of this paper is to assess how and why the Italian administration of Somalia was overall a failure, and to which extent it was harmful for the future of the country as a whole. Indeed, the targets that the United Nations demanded Italy to achieve within a decade were out of reach for a newborn country that was still struggling with mending the wounds of the Second World War. Hence, there will be in-depth focus on the structural flaws that characterised the establishment of the Italian administration and it mistakes on a social and political level once operational in the country. Secondly, this thesis will analyse the societal structure of Somalia, which is for the vast majority based on clan divisions (Paolo Tripodi 361). The objective of this section to examine how such divisions played a crucial role in combination with the policies implemented by the colonial and post-colonial administrations, which proved to lack any specific knowledge of the “very complex system of clan families” (Richard Dowden 97). Thirdly, this paper will aim at analysing the influence of Siad Barre’s regime, and how the policies he attempted to implement acted as gunpowder for a perfectly mixed explosive machineryShow less
In 2005, the WTO Aid for Trade initiative was launched, with the aim of intensifying the involvement of developing countries in global trade to stimulate development. Various aspects of the program...Show moreIn 2005, the WTO Aid for Trade initiative was launched, with the aim of intensifying the involvement of developing countries in global trade to stimulate development. Various aspects of the program have been praised and criticized. However, the activities of multinational companies in the context of Aid for Trade seem to have been neglected. Western companies have been supported by Western governments to conduct business in Africa, as a result of Aid for Trade. As such, Corporate Social Responsibility becomes increasingly important as these companies are expected to be contributors to development. This paper examines to what extend Corporate Social Responsibility can contribute to development in Africa. Research is conducted through case studies of Western, responsible companies that are active in Africa. Analysis of these cases shows that, despite extensive CSR-programs, companies tend to favor their own interest over the African interest, resulting in very limited, or no actual contributions to development in African countries.Show less
