A Critical Review of South Africa’s National Human Resources Development Strategy
Prof. Andre Kraak
Public Administration Leading and Managment Academy (PALAMA), South Africa
This paper provides a critique of South Africa’s two National Human Resources Development Strategies (NHRDS). It does so through the construction and utilisation of a three-fold definition of HRD. South Africa’s HRD strategies fall short when measured against each of these three components. This has to do with the failure to view HRD as a cross-sectoral phenomenon characterised by several inter-dependent relationships spanning the education, training, industry, science, technology and labour market policy domains. The NHRDS have focused primarily on educational objectives whilst neglecting the above mentioned inter-dependencies. Policy failure is also a consequence of poor horizontal coordination and inter-department cooperation within the South African state. And finally, failure has to do with inadequate management information systems and the poor exchange of strategic intelligence between key actors across the demand and supply divide, and between key government departments supposedly involved in the horizontal coordination of HRD.
By ASA India on 25-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
Developing Human and Social Resource: Science Education,Science and Technology in Nigeria/India Strategic Partnership
Prof. Osita C. Eze
Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos
Commercial relations between Nigeria and India could be traced to the colonial times. The early phase which ended in 1970 was characterized by trade. And this continues to grow. The second phase which covered the rest of the 20th century was dominated by the policy of import substitution, which opened up opportunities for entry into the manufacturing sector, even though by hindsight neither the Indian nor European investors promoted substantial indigenous skills and know-how to propel an industrial take-off. The 21st century, marks a clear desire by Nigeria to transcend its industrial backwardness by promoting a more purposeful science education, and technological development whether alone or in partnership with willing partners that will progressively promote Nigeria’s capacity to produce and reproduce in all sectors. India’s experience and accumulated knowledge in these fields provide an opportunity for a viable partnership that will be of mutual benefit to both countries.
By ASA India on 25-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India’s Role In Developing Human and Social Resources in Africa
Dr. Suresh Kumar
Department of African Studies,Delhi University
Africa is emerging as the hub for resources with leading world powers eyeing the continent for its oil and natural resources. Today, academia worries about Neo- Scramble of Africa and fear India’s role as neo-colonial power. India foreign policy approaches as an emerging power towards Africa covering human resource development (HRD) through education, training and focusing on science and technology, media, water, sanitation and e-health & education via Pan-Africa network, needs a systematic observation and an analysis accordingly. The post 1990 global challenges focus on three F’s i.e. Food, Fuel and Finance. India firmly believes that developing countries are not accepting the Concept of Aid in terms of quantity and priority to quality on the one hand and inter-dependence of economic exchange becomes the part of economic development on the other hand. Science and Technology produced new vision in the economic front requisite modifications in foreign affairs in the post 1990s. This engagement needs opening up of market to foreign investment. India external affairs adopted market economy and presented itself as emerging entrepreneur under global ecossnomy. Indian foreign policy talks about self-reliant economic growth in developing countries will lead to self-reliant development. The development cooperation should not base on donor-recipient basis but stand on equal partnership. India is developing human and social resources in Africa as a part of its economic cooperation of foreign policy comes under South-South Cooperation. Indo-Africa political history will improve their economic endeavour with the adequate training to African HRD in the global market. India economic engagement invites private sector investors set an additional strength working with African partner. This invitation gives bargaining power to Africa choosing either existing traditional powers or Indian investors. This partnership will develop India’s power status and genuine responsibilities towards Africa.
By ASA India on 25-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
CODESRIA’s Pan-African Experiences on Capacity Building and Human Resources Development
Dr. Carlos Cardoso
CODESRIA, Senegal
Nowadays, one of the most important challenges facing the African country is related to the production of relevant approaches and accurate body of knowledge that account for the study of livelihood in Africa in all its complexities. By its origins as an initiative of university social science faculties and research centres, CODESRIA was, and still is, the institution which is entrusted with this responsibility.
The Council’s institutional mandate is organised around the facilitation of research in the social sciences all over the continent. In so doing, it has been saddled with the responsibility to strengthen, not only the institutional basis of knowledge production in Africa by proactively engaging and supporting individual researchers, but also research institutions and their networks of scholars within its programmes of activities. As part of this goal, the CODESRIA also actively encourages cooperation and collaboration among African universities, research organisations and training institutions. This experience clearly demonstrates the potentials of such a regional institution, as far as capacity building is concerned and in terms of the values that it is able to add to existing processes and structures, helping to chart new paths in research fields and along lines for which the university was not fully adapted in terms of its modes of operation.
The paper to be presented will deal with CODESRIA’s pan-African and longstanding experiences in capacity building and human resource development in the field of research. Furthermore, it will highlight the profile of CODESRIA as an organisation that is highly qualified to develop new avenues of partnership with international partners in general and the new emerging partners in particular, namely India. Taking stock of the rich experience of this organisation, the paper will try to show that CODESRIA can serve as a credible and authoritative African window on the world of social research as well as a key interlocutor for the African social research community, an institution that is capable of building the bridge between this community and the Indian community of social science scholars.
The paper will comprise four parts. The first part will deal with the CODESRIA mandate and objectives. The second part will try to give an overview of the state-of-the-art facilities available to the African academy as a starting point of the CODESRIA programmes and activities, while the third part will focus on the programmes and activities that CODESRIA has developed, and will develop in the nearest future, in order to help to build capacity in the African academy. The fourth part of the paper will engage a discussion on the new avenues that might be explored in the field of international cooperation for capacity building, with a special focus on the relation between Africa and India.
Inclusion and Exclusion of Difference:Socio-political Aspects of Selective Capacity Building among People with Disabilities in Northern Uganda
Prof. Herbert Muyinda
Makerere Institute of Social Research, Uganda
This presentation is based on ethnographic work done in war – torn northern Uganda. The area suffered a prolonged civil war between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Uganda government for over two decades. To address the effects of the conflict, government departments, NGOs and local and international agencies offered capacity building interventions to address effects of war among people with disabilities (PWDs). The process of delivering these human resource capacities among PWDs however, included particular categories of PWDs and excluded others. Why were some categories of PWDs not targeted with the necessary interventions? What are the social implications of such preferential treatment? What is the relationship between the different categories of disability and the national, institutional and individual agendas of those who carry out preferential human resource programmes, and how do all these translate into the experience of disability by the PWDs?
In this paper I examine the inclusion and exclusion processes of the capacity building programmes in Northern Uganda. My observation is that the politics of institutional survival of the capacity building agencies was crucial in shaping the inclusion and exclusion criteria the capacity building agencies followed. Yet, there were no plans put in place to address the intended and unintended outcomes of the capacity building activities. Although Uganda is one of the few countries in Africa with a comprehensive policy for inclusion of PWDs in the country’s development process, it failed to practically support its affirmative action policy to include all PWDs in the development programmes. All disabilities regardless of cause should be included in the human resource development agendas and attention should be placed on mitigating the effects of the unintended outcomes of such interventions.
By ASA India on 25-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
Challenges to Management of Linguistic Diversity in the Sudan
Prof. Al-Amin Abu-Manga
Institute of Africa and Asian Studies, University of Khartoum
The Sudan is characterized by linguistic as well as ethnic and religious diversity (around 120 languages, almost equal number of ethnic groups and three religions). Arabic is the lingua franca of the country, known by ca. 80% of the population as first, second and third language. With its demographic and cultural weight and the support of the state, it dominates in all aspects of life, whereas the other indigenous languages are neglected and left without defined roles to play. What distinguishes the Sudan from other countries with similar characteristics is the parallelism that exists between language, on the one hand, and ethnicity, religion and power, on the other hand: Arabic is generally identified with Arab ethnicity, Islamic religion and power, whereas the indigenous languages are generally identified with non-Arab (African) ethnicity, Christian and traditional African religions and lack of power (with a limited space for exceptions). Because of such extra-linguistic reasons, the colonial and post-colonial language policies were based on competition between the two language parties (Arabic/indigenous languages), erroneously believed to be mutually exclusive. I intend in my presentation to:
a- outline the characteristics of the linguistic map of the Sudan,
b- review the previous language policies and identify the reasons of their failure as well as their negative impact on management of linguistic diversity in the Sudan
c- shed light on the challenges that face the newly established ‘Council for the Development of the National Languages’ (of which I am the chairman) in its plans to rectify ‘language’ imbalances in the Sudan.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India and Africa: Partnership for Peace and Security
Ruchita Beri
Institute for Defense and Strategic Analysis, New Delhi
Africa is at a pivotal juncture. Since the end of the Cold War, the continent has experienced rapid democratization and steady integration. Increasingly more and more African countries are forming governments on the basis of national elections. At the same time regional economic communities within Africa are striving to create harmonized trade regimes and peacekeeping structures. These efforts reflect African leaders shared vision to work together for a better future and stability within the continent.
During the Cold War security in Africa was severely undermined by the super power rivalry expressed through proxy wars. Today, despite African Union and regional organizations renewed efforts towards stability and conflict resolution Africa continues to face ever increasing security challenges. The twenty first century opened with four major conflicts: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) witnessed the continent’s first multi- state war, often dubbed as ‘Africa’s World War’; a cross border conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the civil war in Sierra Leone and Liberia and civil war in Cote d’ Ivoire. At present conflict continues to simmer in some of these countries as well as others such as Nigeria, Sudan, Chad and Somalia. The causes of enduring conflict Africa are quite complex and may relate battle for the control of resources in some cases and also to what the West calls the ‘ungoverned spaces’. Gradually African Union and regional economic communities are building strategic responses to these.
At this juncture Africa needs support from the international community to enhance its capacities to deal with these security challenges. African security architecture is at a nascent stage and the African leaders are on the lookout for external partners to address this deficit. Here in lies the opportunity for India to strengthen its partnership with African countries. For more that fifty years India has been involved in development of skills and capacities of the African armed forces. It has also actively contributed towards peacekeeping in the region through the United Nations. This paper will attempt to analyse India’s efforts towards peace and security in Africa and suggest the way forward.
By ASA India on 25-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
Decentralisation and the Marginalised: The Mauritian Experiment
Mr. Chit Dukhira
Eminent Scholar,Mauritius
The government has the duty to deliver the necessary quantitative and qualitative services and facilities to citizens in all the country’s rural and urban areas. To provide social justice, it must pay special attention to the needy. Generally, its partner at the grass roots, especially in huge countries, the local/regional government is statutorily allowed to offer welfare items to citizens in their administrative areas, with emphasis on recipients in dire or even relative poverty.
Empowered to ensure good order and the management of given means for the benefit of citizens whom they represent, the members of the regional or local government bodies are accountable to their respective electorates. The relevant powers are conferred upon the relatively autonomous grass roots units in the statute book. The Constitution normally incorporates this decentralised political set-up. The elected decentralised institutions decide and execute to satisfy, as much as possible, the welfare (a vast term) of their clients, who are both the inhabitants and the other citizens of the territory concerned. For this purpose, they should have at their disposal such proper means as human resources, equipment, materials and funds.
Devolution can be an effective instrument in enhancing socio-economic progress, apart from contributing to national unity. The regional and local authorities, as partners of the Central Government for the country’s overall development, should prepare projects for socio-economic development, especially in favour of the poor whose collaboration should be ensured in the planning and even governance processes. Having to be sensitive to the needs of marginalised groups within society, they should be responsive and accessible to people in dire needs, amongst others.
In this paper, local democracy in Mauritius is dealt with as it exists since the inception, with reference to the facilities and services provided at the grass roots. After a brief survey of the socio-economic achievements made since recently in Africa, to which continent Mauritius belongs, are highlighted the central authorities and their agencies’ efforts to assist the vulnerable or marginalised Mauritians.
Challenges of capacity-building in the 21st Century: A Role for the Private Sector in India Africa Cooperation?
Ms. Neuma Grobbelaar
South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Johannesberg
In the lead up to the twenty-first century keen analysts of global affairs were bold in their declaration of the new century as the Asian century – and indeed the ramifications of this development for the rest of world are being felt in every part of the globe today. Africa has not remained untouched by this phenomenon. Undeniably the rise of emerging powers and their growing influence on the global and African business arena is partly the reason for a quieter but no less remarkable shift away from the status quo of severe under-development in the region over the last 15 years. Prompted by the rapid and far-reaching political reform agendas introduced in many African countries post-1990 with the introduction of multiparty democracy and attendant economic reform and liberalisation there has been a slow, but important change across the continent. Africa achieved an average growth rate of 3.7% during 1995–2003, compared with a paltry 2.1% during the previous 10 years. However, since 2003 Africa’s growth performance has been remarkably buoyant. In this year, it achieved an overall average growth rate of 4.1%, rising to and exceeding 6% in 2007. The World Economic Outlook noted in 2008 that real GDP growth in sub-Saharan Africa had achieved an average of 4.5% in the new millennium – the strongest consistent performance of the African economy since the beginning of the 1970s. Nonetheless these aggregate figures hide serious underlying challenges. Africa is still home to 33 least developed countries (LDCs) making it the most under-developed region in the world. How can Africa overcome these obstacles on its road to development and in particular how can India-Africa cooperation assist in equipping the continent to deal with its development backlog ― keeping in mind that India itself faces enormous development challenges? This paper’s point of departure is that aid alone will not solve Africa’s critical challenges, rather the appropriate use of aid in combination with sustainable business practices located in an enabling investment environment, is the most effective way to move Africa towards a sustainable growth path. It recognises that while businesses are not development agents or substitutes for governments, they are important drivers and facilitators of development. In the rapidly evolving and dynamic relationship between India and Africa it is important not to neglect the role that the private sector can and should play in the development of a true partnership between these two actors. This paper will explore whether the private sector can be harnessed effectively in India-Africa cooperation to produce more sustainable outcomes for Africa and to strengthen the relationship between the two actors.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India’s Growing Trade and Investment in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges
Prof. Aparajita Biswas
Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai
At the India-Africa Forum Summit, New Delhi, hosted by India in April 2008 and attended by the heads of state of 14 countries and representatives from the African Union (AU), two agreements were adopted. These were the Delhi Declaration and the Africa-India Framework for Cooperation. Both agreements offer a direction to Indo-African relations in the coming years, and provide a platform on which to assess long term synergies and successes of the partnership between India and African countries. The Summit is a reflection of India’s recent efforts to strengthen ties with African countries.
An important development that has characterized India’s trade and investment relations with developing countries of the world has been India’s growing trade and investment relations with Africa region. The symbolic commercial relations that have developed between countries from the African region and India can be assessed from the enhanced two-way trade and investment flows. India’s active promotion of economic interaction with Africa is reflected in the significant increase in trade with African countries. The bilateral trade has grown exponentially. Between 2003 and 2008, total trade between India and Africa rose from $6.5 billion to $35 billion. India’s imports have been driven largely by petroleum products and gold, which together accounted for three-fourth share in India’s total imports of US $ 11.4 billion from Africa during 2006-7. Most of the increase in trade comes through oil exports from countries like Sudan and Nigeria, where Indian firms have an active presence. Presently, Nigeria is India’s largest trading partner in Africa and the leading market for India’s exports to the West African Region, accounting for 42% of total exports. Imports from India to Africa also have increased. As regards investment, India has been expanding its contribution to sustainable development through joint ventures. India’s emergence as an important investor in Africa is reflected in its rise in cumulative investments in the region. Indian investment in Africa has almost doubled in a single year from US $ 3.7 billion in 2006-07 to $ 6.8 billion in 2007-08. This article would like to throw light on Africa’s immense potential for investment and India’s increasing commitment to expanding its trade and investment ties with the African region.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India Africa Agricultural Cooperation: Potentials and Opportunities
Prof. S.N. Malakar
Centre for African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
The most urgent task of today’s world is to focus on the agrarian issues which address the cause of 80% people dependent on agricultural production and its distribution. Agriculture, the existence and survival being the major part of economy determines the existence and survival of human beings. Problems of the decline in the agricultural production in Africa and India has caused the starvation, malnutrition, poverty, migration and ultimately the mounting social conflict in both the regions.
In this context the cooperation in the fields of agriculture is the urgent task to address this issue. India and Africa both have experienced the policy of colonial legacies which has affected the basic structure of agricultural cooperation. Despite the agricultural production ownership pattern of land structure and its impact on agrarian production also addresses the commonality between India and Africa. In this context, the important aspect between two countries has introduced different policy initiatives. India has initiated the modern, technological and scientific method to accelerate the agricultural production. In many regions of India Green revolution and diverse agricultural production activities have occurred in post colonial period. Along with it India has also developed the research and development institutions. It has also developed the food processing industry, cold storage and many forms of utilisation of the bio-diversity to the respective requirement. India has also cultivated the indigenous techniques of agricultural production. Animal husbandry has been focused for the meat and dairy production through the guidance of village level organisations.
Africa in some regions has introduced the Green revolution but still it has not given the significant result in the area of agricultural production. The impact of colonial legacy is still strong while it has concentrated only on cash crop production and has not proceeded for grain production. In the world market the demand of cash crops from Africa has gone down because of the high cost of production in the cash crop. The cash crop production happens to be one of the major source of African economy from the export point of view. The decline in the export has created the miserable economic scenario in Africa, the need for grain production and the diversity of Agrarian production is the task which is to be properly addressed. One of the important aspect of African agriculture is that African people have the indigenous knowledge of agriculture which ought to be focused for the revitalisation of African agriculture.
India and Africa both can learn with each other’s indigenous technique. More so the scientific and technological oriented agricultural production can be utilised from Indian experience. The understanding for the mutual exchange of the peasants and agricultural workers and the scientific methodology of agrarian productions be seen in terms of cooperation. The agricultural cooperation between two regions, India and Africa can be also addressed in the field of food processing industry, animal husbandry, fish production and many more areas. We always emphasize that there should be a people’s to people’s relation between Africa and India. Agriculture being the concern of 80% people of both the regions will be one of the most important factor for bringing the people of both the regions together. At the same time the South-South cooperation will have a real footage when we emphasize this aspect of cooperation. The paper will focus on the historicity of agrarian questions of pre and post colonial period, changing nature of production pattern, strength of agricultural capacity building, the potentials and opportunities involved in the process of cooperation.
By ASA India on 27-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India-North Africa strategic partnership in Agriculture: Agenda for Capacity Building & Sustainable Development
Prof. C.S.Sundaresan
School of Management, KIIT University, Orissa
Agriculture in the India and the North-African member countries have been facing the pressure of a growing population with increasing demand for food (food security) while there has been declining support from the national climate, land use patterns, water resources, soil conditions coinciding with advancing urbanization, deteriorating knowledge systems and the marginalizing poor. The marginalization of the poor is the core concern given their predominant dependence on the farms for livelihood and employment. There have been initiatives for global cooperation in agriculture research and development to gain a substantial growth in the farm sector and to create effective demand driven institutional and innovation systems to meet the complex needs of sustainable agriculture development through the promotion of agri-businesses.
Strengthening inter-regional partnerships is one of the key components of sustaining the agriculture and establishing demand driven agri-business systems towards establishing a sustainable market driven development in the two regions. The proposed paper therefore attempts to identify the strategic partnerships between India and countries of North Africa in the fields of high value agriculture for value addition, which can enhance the rural incomes and thereby the standard of living of farmers. The major objective of the paper is to identify the scope and options for strategic agri-business partnerships between India and the North African countries through established backward and forward linkages by using the expertise and experience India gained in the agri-business sectors. The specific objectives of the papers therefore are;
To map the probable models of collaborative agri businesses towards sustainable development an stake holder relationsü To identify the high value agriculture and Agri-business sectors for joint action –Stakeholders, markets and Value Chains.
To establish the scope of agriculture and agri-business collaboration between India and North Africa.The methodology for this study has been the secondary literature and data analysis and arriving at a preliminary road map for the strategic collaboration in the high end agri business sectors. Suitable statistical and mathematical tools will be deployed at various stages to establish the relations.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
India & North Africa: Trade and Economic Relations
Ms. Mausumi Galvankar
Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai
This paper analyses India’s trade and economic relations with the North African countries. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India announced the Focus Africa programme with a view to enhance India's trade with Africa. In 2003, the scope of was further extended to the six countries of North Africa - Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco and Algeria. High level bilateral meetings and visits by trade and industry delegations have been organized with a view to strengthen the trade partnerships with these countries.
India has for long shared excellent bilateral relations with Africa with the total trade volume valued at $35 billion in 2008-09 and trade with the North African countries has been growing at a rapid pace. The total trade between India and these countries exceeded $8 billion in 2008. With the discovery of oil and gas in Egypt and Sudan, these countries have become vital to India’s energy security needs and have extended new areas for exchanges and cooperation. Indian companies have secured concessions in Sudan, Egypt and Libya. Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are of enormous importance to India’s food security as providers of rock phosphate, phosphoric acid and potash, all of which are fertilizer inputs. Commodity trade turnover with countries of North Africa was US $ 5207.68 million during 2006-07 as compared to US $ 2389.01million during 2005-06, indicating growth of 117.98 %.
While Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in North Africa accounting for 40% of India’s trade in the region, India-Sudan bilateral trade has grown by 100%. India’s trade with Libya got a tremendous boost in the hydrocarbon and energy sector after 2005. Algeria a member of OPEC has become an important economic partner in the recent years. Morocco is also keen to learn from the Indian experience in reforms and development of human capital. Tunisia has also expressed its desire to share the Indian experience especially in agriculture and scientific research.
Thus, India’s reform path portrays as a role model for the North African countries. Moreover it is important to note that India also faces the challenges in this region with China as one of the biggest Asian rivals especially since 2007.
This article would like to highlight the problems and prospects of India’s trade and economic partnership with North African countries.
Indian Diaspora and Development: The Indo-African Context
Prof. Chandrashekhar Bhat
Department of Sociology, Tezpur University
This presentation proposes to examine the role of Indian and African diasporas in augmenting mutual ties in the besides promoting socio-cultural advancement in the contemporary context.
Diaspora and development often go together as most of the diasporas are involved especially in building economies of the countries of their domicile. The European expansion through colonization has lead to large-scale displacement of labor - slave and slave-like indentured labor – to different parts of European empires, resulting in the formation of diasporas. People of Africa and India were similarly displaced and extensively exploited in building economies of the British, French, Spanish and Portuguese kingdoms.
Indian indentured labor and workers were taken to almost all parts of Africa and today they constitute nearly over two millions and are numerically significant in Mauritius (60.35%), Reunion (31%), South Africa (8%) , Botswana (0.66%) and Kenya (0.36%). Though Indian presence in Africa, as a whole, constitutes a minority forming around 8% , they are a visible minority, many of whom have succeeded in reaching the top echelons of the social, economic, political and science & technological fabric of their countries. In comparison, the African presence in India, is of much smaller magnitude many of whom have assimilated with the local populations, retaining a few African physical and cultural features. For instance, the Siddis of Hyderabad, North Karnataka and coastal Gujarat have the physical features of curly dark hair and religiously preserve the ‘African’ drum. Most of them have lost their linkages with the places of origin except for a few who trace their linkages to the present state of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and its neighborhood.
The diaspora has always an advantage of being the live connections between two or more countries, necessarily including the counties of their present residence and that of their origin. How can these countries employ them in the developmental context is a matter left to each country’s policy orientation and politics. Obviously, the relations between India and Africa are on increase especially after the liberation of South Africa in the nineteen nineties and poised for further reinforcement after the Africa- India Forum Summit in New Delhi in 2008.
Education sector is a key towards human resource development and India has initiated several measures in building linkages between India and Africa in general and the Indian diaspora in particular. The paper elaborates on the measures in initiating study in India programs through the UGC ‘Promotion of Indian Higher Education Abroad (PIHEAD)’ by holding education fairs in different countries of Africa and initiating a PIO university besides several other measures undertaken by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs since its inception towards enhancing diasporic networks and capacity building.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
From Fort Jameson to Chipata: The Contribution of Indians to the Social and Economic Development of the Eastern Province, 1899-2010
Prof. B.J. Phiri
Department of History, University of Zambia
Fort Jameson was established in 1899 as an important administrative town for the British South Africa Company (BSAC). In that year Robert Codrington, who was then the Deputy Administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia transferred his headquarters from Blantyre in Nyasaland. The town was founded near Mpezeni’s palace following the latter’s defeat the previous year by BSA Company forces. Almost immediately Fort Jameson became a small but successful centre for trade and other socio-economic services concomitant with an emerging town.
Within ten years of its establishment, Fort Jameson had attracted a considerable number of Asian traders, (mostly from India). These Asian traders found themselves in an environment already under European occupation and had to curve a livelihood which placed them in a precarious situation at times. The study examines the introduction of Asian/Indian merchant capital in Eastern Province and the impact it had on the economies and consumption patterns of the local peoples.
The study also examines, among other things, the political establishment of Fort Jameson (Chipata) and the impact the colonial town had on the economic development of the town itself and the surrounding areas. The study further examines the response of the local African population to the establishment of a settlement that was very different from the village type of settlement that Africans were used to in the pre-colonial times or on the eve of colonization.
Urbanization as a subject of historical enquiry by historians has largely been tilted towards the mineral rich Copperbelt and the line of rail. The so-called rural areas and their emergent towns have not attracted much attention except as places where labour was extracted from for the urban centres—which in the context of Zambia generally refer to the Copperbelt and the line of rail. This study seeks to re-examine this approach and analyse the way in which Fort Jameson as an emergent administrative centre contributed to power relations between the old and the young and how perceptions of wealth transformed the way in which society was to be transformed.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
Diaspora as a Strategic Resource between India and Africa
Dr. Nivedita Ray
Ford Foundation Fellow, Centre for African Studies, JNU
The diaspora are one of the contemporary global forces shaping the direction and trends of international development in the 21st century. This reality makes it imperative for governments to engage with them in development efforts in their respective homelands. Both India and Africa see their diaspora as a strategic resource available to contribute to their country’s development. They are proactively engaging their diaspora for increasing their sphere of influence and building effective partnerships for their socio-economic development.
The Indian diaspora in Africa has a substantial presence and diverse spread in Africa. Individually and collectively Indians in Africa have grown in stature today. They are occupying important positions and are contributing substantially to the development and prosperity of their country. For India its diaspora in Africa could be strong allies in articulating India’s strategic interest. In fact this huge Indian Diaspora in Africa can be asset for both countries, as they occupy a vital strategic position that links India and Africa in a meaningful way. If they are galvanized they can play a role as valuable strategic actors in strengthening India- Africa Partnership. Both India and Africa should try to reap maximum benefits from the strategic bridge building potential of the Diaspora. But in this context the key question is how should India navigate its policies to harness the potential of its diaspora, so as to maximize country’s strategic and development goals. How can India and Africa partner not only to effectively use the Indian diaspora as strategic resource for strengthening their relationship, but also to build capacity of their government to transform their Diasporas into an effective resource to have a consummate engagement with its diaspora. These are the key questions that the paper will try to address in its attempt to understand Diaspora as a strategic resource between India and Africa.
By ASA India on 26-Jan-2010
ABSTRACT
Diaspora as a Resource: African Union Policy to Pro-actively Engage its Diaspora
Ms. Seraphina Kamei
Research Scholar, Centre for African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
The African Union has taken up a well planned initiative to engage its diaspora in the development of Africa. The Diaspora which has been contributing to their countries in terms of remittances since the decolonization is being acknowledged by the African Union as a power house of resources. To engage the Diaspora, the African union has launched comprehensive programmes and its strategy is to include the resources of Diaspora and the host countries in the development of Africa. Some of the member states of African Union such as South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana have already taken initiatives to link their diaspora bilaterally in areas of knowledge and investment with their respective countries. Diaspora is also used in these countries to strengthen their bilateral relations with their host countries. Therefore, the African Union initiative to engaged Diasporic resources can also be compared with the policies taken up by countries like India in recent decades to harness its Diaspora as a resource for socio-economic developmeent, for strengthening its bilateral ties with host countries and for utilizig its diaspora at global level as a strategic resource.
