This thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the role played by droughts in Mozambique to try and assess their impact on the society. More precisely, it reviews the evolution of...Show moreThis thesis adopts a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the role played by droughts in Mozambique to try and assess their impact on the society. More precisely, it reviews the evolution of natural resource management practices in the country from the pre-colonial times to the contemporary period, it analyses actual testimonies coming from inhabitants of Maputo, and it investigates the political and environmental framework set in place by the government. In the end, it is found that there still is a significant gap between the actions which the government plans to implement and the actual social outcome generated by droughts.Show less
In a time of ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rape is frequently mentioned as a weapon of war, a tool strategically employed by armed groups to scatter communities...Show moreIn a time of ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rape is frequently mentioned as a weapon of war, a tool strategically employed by armed groups to scatter communities and access natural resources. Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is often framed as a Congolese crisis, yet the unrest in the DRC has obvious links to the exploitation of conflict minerals serving a global supply-chain. The brutality and high incidence of SGBV in the DRC is horrifying and appears not to lessen. However, in the midst of corruption, exploitation and inhumane violence, the DRC is marked by people standing up against injustice. This study addresses humanitarian peacebuilding efforts and academic discussions regarding the (in)effective response of local, national and international communities. It goes against a popular discourse depicting women as victims and will examine how women are empowered by bottom-up strategies, focusing on one Grassroots Women’s Initiative in Bukavu: The City of Joy. Two levels of analysis, program-level (organizational structure) and image-level (representation), are used to address the research question: How does City of Joy empower women in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?Show less
