Center for AFRICAN STUDIES Research Report 2010

Center for African Studies 427 Grinter Hall PO Box 115560 Gainesville, Florida 32611-5560 352-392-2183 352-392-2435 (FAX) www.africa.ufl.edu About the Center

One of the nation’s premier institutions for teaching and research about Africa

Founded in 1965, the Center for African Studies at UF has been continuously designated a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center for Africa for 30 years. It is currently one of only 12 such centers nationally, and the only Africa NRC located in a sub-tropical zone. Title VI funding to CAS supports research, teaching, outreach, and the development of interna- tional linkages in Africa.

The Center has over 100 affiliated teaching and research faculty in all of the core disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in agriculture, business, engineering, education, fine arts, natural resources and environment, journalism and mass communications, law, tourism, and natural sciences. Graduate study on African issues may be pursued in any of these fields. Center faculty maintain ties with universities across the African continent, including institutions in Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The Center’s innovative and influential on-line journal, the African Studies Quarterly, is the first fully peer-reviewed electronic journal devoted to the field. ASQ plays an important and largely unique role in facilitating the publication of research on and from Africa, and offers invaluable professional training for UF graduate students who serve on its editorial board.

Graduate study of Africa at UF

Graduate study with a focus on Africa can be carried out in virtually every graduate or professional program across the university. Prospective students are encouraged to consult the websites of the individual programs for admissions procedures and criteria. Students in any graduate program at UF have the option of pursuing a Graduate Certificate in African Studies. We also encourage them to consult the Center’s website and to contact us when they submit their applications.

Complementing formal coursework, a regular and dynamic series of lectures, conferences and other activities open to all interested graduate students provide rich opportunities for interdisciplin- ary exchange and discussion about Africa. Most significantly, a number of dynamic CAS-sponsored interdisciplinary working groups organize speakers and events that bring together faculty and graduate students with shared interests, providing students with unique opportunities for research and professional development.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 1 Table of Contents

FROM THE DIRECTOR...... 4

FACULTY REPORTS CHARLES BWENGE – Climate Change and the Dynamics of Local Discourse in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania...... 5 DONNA COHEN – Architectural Designs for East Africa...... 6 susan cooksey – New Threads: Textile Diasporas at the Harn Museum of Art...... 7 ELIZABETH Devos – Emergency Medicine Development for Africa...... 8 JAMES ESSEGBEY – Documenting Endangered Languages in Africa...... 9 JOAN FROSCH – Graphing a Movement (R)Evolution: Faustin Linyekula, Germaine Acogny, and Beatrice Kombe...... 10 Abe Goldman – Parks as Agents of Social and Environmental Change in Eastern and Southern Africa...... 11 SEAN HANRETTA – Love, Death, and History in West Africa...... 12 brent henderson – When an Endangered Language Goes Global: Documenting Chimiini...... 13 abdoulaye kane – A Cultural Festival in the Senegal River Valley: Reinventing Local Traditions for Returning Migrants...... 14 Greg kiker – Taming Wicked Problems: Ecosystem Modeling for Adaptive Management of Rivers and Elephants...... 15 Agnes Leslie – Zambia-China Engagement: The Role of Government in Regulating Foreign Investments...... 16 Staffan Lindberg – Voting Behavior, MP Campaign Strategies, and Political Clientelism in Ghana ...... 17 Fiona McLaughlin – Dakar’s Linguistic Landscape...... 18 connie mulligan –Epigenetic Alterations and Stress Among New Mothers and Infants in the DRC...... 19 Esther Obonyo – A Community-Based Approach to Sustainable Development...... 20 BERNARD OKECH – Research Activites in Kenya...... 21 terje ØstebØ – Islam and Islamism in Ethiopia & the Horn of Africa...... 22 ROBIN POYNOR – Yoruba Influences in Florida...... 23 ricHARD rheingans – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Kenya: Where Health and Development Meet...... 24 claudia romero & francis e. putz – Higher Education and Climate Change Research in Southern Africa...... 25 Victoria Rovine – Viewing Africa through Clothing: Research and Collaboration...... 26 zekeria ould ahmed salem – Debating Islam: Ethnicity, Belonging and Muslim Politics in Mauritania...... 27 peter schmidt – History, Trauma, and Revitalization in Haya Villages of Tanzania...... 28 frank seidel – Documenting Nalu: An Atlantic Language on the Coast of Guinea, West Africa...... 29 renata serra – Cotton Sector Reforms in West and Central Africa...... 30 jill sonke – AIM for Africa: Rwanda...... 31 alioune sow – The New Malian Literary Landscape...... 32 anita spring – Sub-Saharan Africa Business Environment Report (SABER)...... 33 andrew tatem – Malaria: Movement, Modeling, and Mapping...... 34 cirecie west-olatunji – Critical Consciousness Theory and Counselor Effectiveness During Disaster Response...... 35

STUDENT REPORTS khadidja Arfi – Remembering Colonial Times: an Algerian Oral History...... 36 RENEE BULLOCK – Marketing Opportunities and Constraints in the East Usambaras, Tanzania...... 37 nicole d’errico – Epigenetic Alterations and Stress Among New Mothers and Infants in the DRC...... 38 jordan fenton – Masquerade and Local Knowledge in Urban Calabar, Nigeria...... 39 john fort – The Role of the Environment in the Forest Livelihood Decisions of Malawian Villagers...... 40

2 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 Timothy fullman – Elephant Community Ecology in Botswana...... 41 john hames – Minority Language Promotion in Senegal and Mauritania...... 42 rachel iannelli – Heritage Tourism: Implications for the Preservation of Haya Architecture in NW Tanzania...... 43 JILLIAN JENSEN – Institutional Reforms to Strengthen Gender Outcomes through Improved Rural Services Delivery...... 44 lucas johnson – Archeology and Stone Tool Technology during Early State Development in Northern Ethiopia...... 45 Cara jones – Rebels, Rulers, and Refugees: Post-Conflict Governments in Action in Burundi...... 46 alison ketter – Fairtrade South Africa (FTSA)...... 47 joseph kraus – The “Business” of State-Building: Corporate Social Responsibility and the State in Equatorial Guinea...... 48 Stephen lichty – Religious Influence on Political Belief and Behavior in Kenya...... 49 Eugenia Martinez – Arabic Script as Active Agent in Senegalese Visual Culture...... 50 germain mavah – Governance and Sustainability of Wildlife in Logging Concessions in Republic of the Congo...... 51 Sarah mckune – Risk, Perception, Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change in Niger and Tanzania...... 52 BOTHEPA MOSETLHI – The Impact of Chobe National Park on Rural Livelihoods and Conservation Behaviors...... 53 naomi moswete – Protected Area Management and Community-Based Ecotourism in Botswana...... 54 shylock muyengwa – Elite Capture of Community Conservation Programs in Nambia and Zimbabwe...... 55 samuel nyamuame – Performing Adzomanyi: Religious-Cultural Expression among the Anlo-Ewe of Ghana ...... 56 marit ØstebØ – Gender Equality in International Aid: The Case of Norweigan-funded Projects in Ethiopia...... 57 christopher richards – Designing Identities in Accra, Ghana...... 58 kathleen rudolph – Acacia-Ant Defenders in Kenya: What Are the Costs and Where Do They Matter?...... 59 mackenzie ryan – Kanga: A Culturally Embedded Swahili Textile...... 60 sam schramski – Community Resilience in the Eastern Cape, South Africa...... 61 amy schwartzott – Weapons and Refuse as Media: The Politics of Recycling in Mozambican Urban Arts ...... 62 noah sims – The Medieval East African Diaspora ...... 63 caroline staub – Soil, Vegetation and Land Use in the Okavango Delta, northwestern Botswana...... 64 veronique theriault – Market Reforms and Local Realities: The Case of the Malian Cotton Sector...... 65 keith weghorst – Voters and the Political Opposition in Africa...... 66 ann witulski – State Bureaucrats or Social Leaders? Conflicts in Morocco’s Islamic Education Curriculum...... 67 christopher witulski – Moroccan Islam(s): Debating Religious Authority through Ritual Performance...... 68

COLLABORATIVE PROJECT REPORTS PURC in Sub-Saharan Africa: Initiatives in Leadership Development, Telecommunications, Utility Policy and Regulation...... 69 Transforming CBNRM Education in Southern Africa...... 70 The Impact of Climate Variability and Climate Change on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Southern Africa...... 71 2010 FIFA World Cup: Resident and Visitor Perspectives...... 72 Partnership to Strengthen Teaching, Research, and Faculty Development in Tourism Management in South Africa...... 73 Zambia Tourism Demand Survey...... 74 Africa Power & Politics Programme...... 75 Bridging Research and Practice: Building a New Study Abroad Model in Southern Africa...... 76 Master’s Program in Sustainable Development Practice (MDP)...... 77 The Trans-Saharan Elections Project (TSEP)...... 78

AFRICAN STUDIES QUARTERLY...... 80

FOREIGN LANGUAGE & AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIPS...... 81

SUPPORT RESEARCH ON AFRICA...... 82

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 3 From the Director

We are very pleased to present the University of Florida’s Center for African Studies (CAS) Research for 2010. The pages that follow detail the extraordinary diversity and the depth of work on Africa being carried out at UF. Our faculty and graduate students are actively engaged in carrying out research on the ground and spanning the continent, from Cape Town to Algiers and from the Horn of Africa to its westernmost point in Dakar. Cumulatively, this work is marked by three characteristics that reflect CAS’s mission and philosophy. It is, first of all, work that is directly engaged with the continent and its peoples, both in terms of the subjects of study but also and most importantly in an understanding of the central need for collaborative engagement with our colleagues in Africa in identifying key questions, and in the search for answers. Secondly, while our faculty and students are most often rooted in disciplines and well-armed with the particular tools that these disciplines have developed, there is a high degree of inter-disciplinarity in the work presented here. A key function of CAS is to bring together scholars from a variety of perspectives to address important issues, and we are thus particularly pleased with the dynamism of our CAS was once again designated Department Grant to support the various interdisciplinary working groups, in such and received funding as a Title VI “Trans-Saharan Elections Project” diverse areas as natural resource management, National Resource Center for African links CAS to partners in six countries governance and development, Islam and Muslim Studies, one of only 12 around the across the Sahel. In 2010 our exciting societies, health and society, cultures and the arts, country. The over $2.6 million this new MDP degree, jointly offered or the dynamics of language change. Finally, grant brings over four years will with the Center for Latin American we believe that the work reported here reflects both help us to continue our work Studies, took in its first class. our understanding of the important connections and fund many of our students We trust you will enjoy reading between research and training. The many linkages through Foreign Language and Area about the varied and important you will find between the faculty and student Studies (FLAS) fellowships. In research being carried out by our reports spring from the belief that, as a unit in addition, various grants from HED faculty and graduate students. For a major research university, our mission must be and other sources make possible more information about CAS, to both produce new knowledge about the world collaborative partnerships across and our various activities and and its challenges, and to train and prepare a new southern Africa; our participation opportunities, please consult our generation of scholars to address those issues. in the African Politics and Power website at www.africa.ufl.edu. We are pleased to acknowledge the support we Programme presents opportunities receive from various sources and the collaborations Leonardo A. Villalón for collaboration with institutions Director, Center for African Studies this support makes possible. Most notably in 2010 in Europe and Africa; and a State

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Climate Change and the Dynamics of Local Discourse in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania CHARLES BWENGE This summer I embarked on a new research project as part of a large NSF-funded project on Local Knowledge and Climate Change Adaptation Project (LKCCAP) led by Dr. Thomas Smucker (Ohio University) and Prof. Pak Munishi (Sokoine University of Agriculture). Concentrating on Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania, the study seeks to explore the dynamics of local knowledge within the climate change adaptation project particularly as it relates to such aspects as interdependence, inequality, and local institutional settings. In this regard, my main responsibility is to explore how such dynamics manifest in the local discourse. I and the other team members spent May and June in the field, during which we were able to conduct household survey in four districts: Same, Mwanga, Rombo, and Moshi Rural from which Mwanga was selected as a site for detailed qualitative work scheduled for 2011 through 2012. Although local knowledge is not exclusively a verbalized phenomenon, a significant portion of it manifests well in the process presumably reflecting the two seems less important as is the topo- the day-to-day discourse. dynamics of local knowledge. cultural setting. While geographers would Of particular interest in the case of Preliminary observations already privilege a three-zoning segmentation (i.e., Tanzania is the interaction between local indicate some interesting phenomena high, middle, and low), locals privilege (ethnic) languages (in which a significant regarding the concept of ‘climate change’ a two-zoning system (i.e., ‘mlimani’ and portion of indigenous knowledge is itself. In order to capture the globally ‘tambarare’ literally translated highland and embedded), a national language, Kiswahili conceptualized climate change, climate lowland respectively). I anticipate that the (the major medium of formal national change experts use the term “mabadiliko ya results of this study will demonstrate the discourse) and the global discourse, which tabianchi” in Swahili-medium discourse in importance of local discourse within a is partially dominated by English medium. order to distinguish it from “mabadiliko ya broader agenda of local knowledge and Since climate and its related changes are hali ya hewa” which translates as “weather climate change adaptation. considered as an environmental universal, change.” But in the village-level discourse, not being aware of “tabianchi,” the Charles Bwenge is an assistant professor of I am interested in observing the flow African sociolinguistics in the Department of of climate change discourse from the wananchi (the masses) still cling to “hali ya Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the global level through the national level to hewa” (literally, the condition of the air) to Center for African Studies where he coordinates the Program in African languages (PAL). the local setting and the linguistic forms refer to both “climate” and “weather”. To that are adopted (linguistic change) in the villagers, the distinction between the

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 5 Architectural Designs for East Africa DONNA COHEN

In Tanzania I consulted Ochsendorf from MIT, we developed the school of architecture is growing in with the American NGO the building design using a low-tech order to increase the number of design “Africa Schoolhouse” which brick vault roof system which can be professionals needed for this rapid is building schools in the constructed by both men and women on expansion. I began collaboration with Sukuma village of Ntulya, site. architect Fasil Ghiorghis on a joint design known in the region as a I also visited the small town of studio project which will involve students healing village. The village has Rugerero, Rwanda, to study the possibility from University of Addis Ababa and UF. requested a Health Post (Kituo cha Afya) for a new Health Clinic building. I was All of the research compiled during and community Resource Center (Kituo introduced to the town, a survivor’s these trips has been incorporated into the cha Elimu). I met with the community village, by members of the UF AIM for seminar I am now teaching, “Topics in and with the construction crew to Africa program led by Jill Sonke. The African Architecture,” which is open to discuss ideas for the two new buildings. government of Rwanda is committed graduate students in all disciplines. Local building materials include earth to staffing and maintaining new health Our work in Ntulya and Moshi brick, which is fired in rice-husk fueled clinics throughout the country. There Tanzania was exhibited at Florida kilns, and thatch for roofs. Thatch has is much work to be done before a new International University in the spring, in become scarce and expensive, and the building could become a reality, but there an exhibit entitled “Resource: Design in Tanzanian government doesn’t approve is great potential due to the availability East Africa, recent work of Armstrong + of thatch roofs for larger public buildings, of local building materials and an Cohen Architecture” . so our building proposals considered enthusiastic labor force. Finally, I visited the University of Donna Cohen is associate professor in the maximum use of brick without thatch. School of Architecture. Her research was With guidance from Peter Rich, a South Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, made possible by funding from a UF Faculty African architect who lectured at UF in and met with professors and students at Enhancement Opportunity Grant. fall 2009, and structural engineer John the Faculty of Architecture. Addis Ababa is a booming urban environment, and

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New Threads: Textile Diasporas at the Harn Museum of Art SUSAN COOKSEY In preparation for an exhibition on African textiles at the Harn Museum, “Africa Interweave: Textile Diasporas”, which will explore the interplay of aesthetics, technologies, and socio- cultural factors that have affected the movement of textiles, I have engaged UF faculty and students who travelled to Mali, Nigeria and Ghana to collect and study textiles. Their research will be incorporated into the exhibition’s catalogue and other interpretive materials. Art work they procured will be presented in the exhibition and added to the Harn’s collection. Robin Poynor (Art History) will prominent mask-maker. Ekpenyong President Clinton, and a new design with be writing about the prominence of Bassey Nsa. To complement this appliqué adinkra patterns. MacKenzie woven textiles used in performances ensemble with its highly innovative Moon Ryan, whose preliminary doctoral in the context of lavish second burial design and materials, he also collected an fieldwork in Tanzania intensified her ceremonies, or ako, based on his research ensemble of chiefly dress that reflects a interest in the kanga and kitenge cloth in Owo, Nigeria. Poynor has contributed more canonical aesthetic, but also blends histories, will contribute her essay on several textiles he collected in Nigeria to globally inspired elements. the global sources of kanga design and the museum and three will be used in the Courtnay Micots, who recently production. She is also assisting with exhibition. Victoria Rovine (Art History) completed her doctorate in art history, interpretation of examples from the travelled to Timbuctou and commissioned researched Fante Asafo flags, which will Harn’s collection. a sacred woman’s garment, or tilbi, from be featured in the exhibition, collected The collaborative efforts of these master embroiderer Baba Djitteye. She cloth commemorating President faculty and students, with contributions also travelled to Bamako in early 2010 Obama’s visit to Ghana, and also helped from scholars at outside institutions, will on behalf of the Harn, to collect other negotiate a commission of two kente culminate in the exhibition and catalogue samples of textiles and garments. Rovine cloths from master weaver Samuel that will be used to enhance curricula has also conducted research recently in Cophie of Bonwire. Chris Richards (a across many university disciplines. The Mali on a type of garment known as doctoral candidate, Art History) has addition to the Harn’s African collection “Ghana Boy” which have embroidered done preliminary research on textiles and of historically and aesthetically significant images derived from mid-20th century fashion in Ghana in 2009 and 2010. He examples of textiles will be an enduring popular culture. A “Ghana Boy” tunic she documented globalized fashion trends, legacy for the Museum and for the collected will be loaned to the exhibition. including the fusion of historically university community. The exhibition will Jordan Fenton (doctoral candidate, important textile genres with new design open February 8, 2011 and run until May Art History) recently returned from elements, and witnessed the impact of 8, 2011. Calabar, Nigeria, where he conducted the Obama visit on textile production. He his fieldwork on Ekpe. He procured a also interviewed Samuel Cophie about Susan Cooksey is Curator of African Art at the Samuel P. Harn Museum and affiliate faculty with masquerade ensemble, including full the cloths he created for the museum, the Center for African Studies. body costume, and accoutrements, from including a kente designed to honor

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 7 Emergency Medicine Development for Africa ELIZABETH DEVOS from the University of Wisconsin In November 2009, the African and the Black Lion Hospital. Federation for Emergency Medicine For Ghana, my role has been was established and both Ethiopia mostly that of a facilitator. The and Ghana and are important players University of Florida College of in the development of specialized Medicine-Jacksonville is hosting Dr. emergency physicians and other Ahmed Zakariah, director of the emergency healthcare personnel. Ghana National Ambulance Service As the continent faces the rise in a 6-week observational position of road traffic injuries and non- in the Department of Emergency communicable diseases alongside Medicine. In addition to learning the battles with infectious diseases, about the administrative and patient emergency medicine offers a strategy This year I have had the privilege to care roles of specialized emergency for efficient management and participate in the development of physicians, Dr. Zakariah has had the stabilization of acute illness and Emergency Medicine as a medical opportunity to conduct interviews injury in Africa. I look forward to the specialty in two distinct projects in with Emergency Medical Services in continued opportunity to participate Ethiopia and Ghana. After several years of Jacksonville and surrounding areas in in the ongoing development, quality positioning stakeholders in the Ministry of Health, order to learn about the training and assurance and improvement and Addis Ababa Regional Health Bureau, Addis Ababa dispatch procedures for pre-hospital clinical research as the specialty of University, and the Black Lion Hospital, the first personnel. Together, we will utilize Emergency Medicine develops in official specialty training program began in Ethiopia this data to develop a strategy to Ethiopia, Ghana and throughout in November 2010. Similarly in Ghana, Emergency improve the efficiency and efficacy Africa. Medicine is gaining recognition as an important of the ambulance service. component of the healthcare delivery system and Elizabeth DeVos, MD, MPH, FACEP, is the Director of International Emergency Medicine and one important player is the Ghana Ambulance assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in UF’s College of Medicine Service. in Jacksonville. She received funding from the American International Health Alliance. Dr. Zakariah’s visit was made possible through a West African Research Association (WARA) Since 2007, I have been fortunate to participate Research Fellowship. in various continuing education programs and healthcare summits for emergency medicine in Ethiopia. In 2009, I was invited to continue to participate in the educational foundation for the fledgling department of Emergency Medicine at the Black Lion Teaching Hospital (BLH) in Addis Ababa. Alongside the University of Wisconsin, the American International Healthcare Alliance and People to People (an Ethiopian Diaspora healthcare organization) we developed curriculum for faculty specialty training in the US and Ethiopia for 4 attending physicians at BLH, as well as local training for resident and attending physicians, nurses and pre-hospital care workers in Addis. The ongoing curriculum allows for joint research and quality improvement measures within the newly formed Emergency Department. In November 2010, I return to Addis to kick off the Emergency Ultrasound training program along with faculty

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Documenting Endangered Languages in Africa JAMES ESSEGBEY

The world’s languages are Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria In order to address these disappearing at an alarming rate and Senegal, who were selected from and other issues, we organized a and it has been estimated that participants from an earlier school workshop on Africa’s Response between 60 to 90 percent of them held in the summer of 2008. They to Language Endangerment at the may be at risk of extinction within received training in documentation University of Florida in December the next hundred years. Since the 1990’s of specialized vocabulary and cultural 2010. The workshop was sponsored linguists and anthropologists, assisted by various knowledge as well as audio and video by the Center for African Studies funding agencies, have been galvanized into recording. with additional support from the working towards documenting these languages One issue that keeps coming Office of Research, France-Florida before they disappear. I continue to work on the up among Africanists working on Research Institute, Department of documentation of Nyagbo, a language spoken in language documentation is whether Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the South Eastern part of Ghana, which the people the situation in Africa is so different and the Linguistics Department. themselves call Tutrugbu. from other regions as to warrant Invited participants included 12 A crucial ingredient for successful an Africa-specific strategies for specialists from Africa, Europe, documentation on the continent is equipping documenting languages on the Australia, Canada, and the United people with the necessary skills to carry out continent. For instance, do colonial States working on various aspects of documentation. In summer 2010, I was a resource languages play as central a role in language documentation in Africa. person for the Summer School on Documentary language endangerment as they do in places like Australia and the James Essegbey is assistant professor in Linguistics in West Africa, which was held at the the Department of Languages, Literatures & University of Education in Winneba, Ghana. The Americas? Some researchers have Cultures and affililate faculty with the Center argued that in the African context, for African Studies. His documentation of school was organized by Dr. Felix Ameka from Nyagbo project has been funded by the Leiden University, the Netherlands, and funded endangerment is caused by regional National Science Foundation and a CLAS by the Endangered Languages Documentation rather than colonial languages. Humanities Scholarship Enhancement Award. Program (ELDP) at the School of Oriental and Another issue concerns what to African Studies (SOAS) in London. It aimed represent in the writing system. at providing further training and skills in the For instance, should one represent theory and practice of language documentation inflections on words even when to 20 participants in universities in Ghana, Benin speakers no longer do so in speech?

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 9 Graphing a Movement (R)Evolution: An Archival Study of Faustin Linyekula, Germaine Acogny, and Beatrice Kombe JOAN FROSCH

“Perhaps my body is my only true country.” - Faustin Linyekula (“Movement (R)Evolution Africa: A Story of an Art Form in Four Acts”)

Over the last decade a wave of experimental choreographers in and of Africa have re-imaged African pasts and present, and configured a new landscape of contemporary performance. The artists whose works and words have contoured this landscape have not only contributed to the dynamic interplay of the arts and globalization but have cleared a space for performance in advancing human aspirations in the 21st century. Among these artists are experimentalists Faustin Linyekula, Germaine Acogny, and Béatrice Kombé (1974-2007), to whom the work is dedicated. This research will position these choreographers not only as artists, but as philosophers and historians, who have––through the body––theorized love, screenings and television broadcasts materials to create an interdisciplinary historicized absence and loss, interrogated to date. Documentary Education and integrated path of theory, war, problematized memory, and challenged Resources published the film for art, and culture in a forward the wearisome persistence of the ontological international distribution in 2009. Yet movement toward our shared future specters of essentialism. Their practices have also the film’s vast archives of primary - a path quickened and inspired contributed to the splintering of prevalently held materials, housed in the University by the contributions of African views of experimental dance as a mostly “Western” of Florida Belknap Collection for experimental choreographers. In and mostly white domain of artistic production. the Performing Arts, has yet to so doing, the research proposes the Indeed, the study of these artists’ investigational be theorized. The one-of-a-kind first full-length English-language dialogues with contemporary life has the potential archival data include: interviews with study theorizing the burgeoning to situate African experimentalism as a wellspring artists, artists’ public presentations, contemporary African dance of 21st century knowledge and innovation. rehearsals, and public performances movement. In contrast to their growing continental of choreography, among other categories, other artists’ writings and Joan Frosch is professor of dance in the and global presence, African experimental Department of Theatre and Dance, Co- choreographers rarely have been acknowledged resources, including reviews and Director of the Center for World Arts, and dramaturgies. affiliate faculty with the Center for African in the English language literature to date. Studies. The documentary, “Movement (R) However, the movement they have engendered The goal of the research is to Evolution Africa: A Story of an Art Form in Four Acts”, was supported by the National has evoked enthusiastic aesthetic responses from address the significant historical gap in the literature on African Endowment for the Arts, the Department of a growing number of global artists. I am one. State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Center From 2004 to 2007, I directed and produced the experimental dance practices. Using for African Studies, the Harn Museum of the diverse lenses of Linyekula, Art, the University of Florida Center for documentary feature “Movement (R)Evolution Performing Arts, and the UF Fine Arts Africa: A Story of an Art Form in Four Acts.” Acogny, and Kombé’s pedagogy, Scholarship Enhancement Fund. Featured artists of the film have used the film to creative practices, and theoretical educate their audiences and students, and it has discussions, I intend to mine the been screened in over 200 international festival archive’s 123 hours of primary

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Parks as Agents of Social and Environmental Change in Eastern and Southern Africa ABE GOLDMAN the park has been so thoroughly domesticated. Similar conditions are likely also to be true for other mid-altitude forests in East Africa. Among our other recent findings are that the unprotected small forests and wetlands outside KNP are declining rapidly with extraction and agricultural conversion. This is one of several indications that in the absence of at least moderately effective enforcement of park boundaries, Kibale forest would likely disappear. Agricultural land use continues to intensify in our survey locations, but productivity is almost universally declining. In addition to roads and other infrastructure, the presence of the park has led to the establishment of a number of new women’s craft groups throughout the area, which have generated small but important enhancements to women’s incomes. Ugandan and other collaborators. Together with faculty and The broader project includes Tarangire Among our recent findings are graduate students from National Park in northern Tanzania; Chobe in that, despite the park’s “fortress” several departments, I’ve northern Botswana; and Bwabwata and Mudumu in characteristics, and the animal been involved for the northeastern Namibia. Collaborators include Brian hazards faced by many farmers, most last several years in an Child (Geography, UF), numerous UF graduate people in our sample within 5 km interdisciplinary multi- students, and colleagues at the Universities of of KNP feel that they benefit from institutional project, Colorado and North Carolina. Our comparative the park, and a surprisingly small supported by NSF funding, findings are that: (a) the areas around savanna proportion cite negative impacts. that examines the impacts and forest parks have had different dynamics The benefits most noted are forms of parks in Tanzania, and trajectories of change; and (b) differences in of ecosystem services (improved Uganda, Botswana, and both the content and stability of national-level climate, etc.) rather than direct Namibia. The parks and landscapes conservation policies have led to quite different economic benefits (employment, around them span ecologic and outcomes, especially in attitudes to parks and the income). Resource restrictions and demographic gradients from mid- impacts of parks on livelihoods and risks. altitude forests to semiarid savannas expulsion were not widely cited by and very densely to relatively sparsely our respondents, but crop raiding Abe Goldman is associate professor of geography at the is important in some (but not all) University of Florida and affiliate faculty with the Center for populated regions. African Studies. His research and that of the others involved My own research has focused locations. Contrary to expectations, in this project has been supported by the National Science mainly on Kibale National Park the patterns of responses do not vary Foundation, Human and Social Dynamics program. (KNP) in western Uganda, and significantly by wealth, gender or the densely populated landscape ethnicity, but they do vary strongly by around it (300+ per sq km). I’ve distance from the park boundary. We done fieldwork there since 2004, believe that important explanatory together with UF professors Michael factors for these responses include Binford and Jane Southworth, that the large majority of current graduate students Joel Hartter, residents migrated to the area after Amy Panikowski, Karen Kirner, the park (or forest reserve) had been and Katherine Mullan, and several established, and that the area around

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 11 Love, Death, and History in West Africa SEAN HANRETTA My current research focuses on two distinct projects. The first explores the convergence of Muslim reformers and British colonial officials (and later Ghanaian officials) in conceptualizing a close link between modernization and the proper performance of rituals. Covering most of the twentieth century in both northern and southern Gold Coast/ Ghana, the project traces the intersection of efforts by Muslim scholars, ritual and community leaders and younger, insurgent preachers to define the correct practice of weddings and funerals and to elaborate a distinction between what was properly Islamic and what was merely customary. Struggles between chiefs and religious leaders over the control of patronage affected how these rituals were inserted into administrative bureaucracies (such as through marriage certificates or the allocation of public cemeteries), The second project looks at the West African nationals and expatriates) making death and marriage subject to social and political significance of from 1960 to the present in major struggles for local power. Changing social African history teaching and research English- and French-language journals, and economic conditions connected within West Africa itself from the 1960s in landmark edited volumes and in key mostly to urbanization, commoditization to the present. It explores the changing monographic series. This has provided of labor and the migration of workers role of West African university history the framework for a group of collective onto cocoa farms, all put strains on departments in shaping the major biographies of the less well-known existing forms of ritual practice and concerns and empirical discoveries of the members of the research networks. created new opportunities for young field, while also examining the impact of The next phase of the project involves men in particular to challenge accepted those departments on their surroundings. collecting local histories—oral and authorities. Popular support thus Key historians who became political published—from the history departments developed for the new ways of thinking figures (Adu Boahen, Gbagbo, Adame at the targeted universities. about rituals being circulated and enabled Ba Konaré) or major public intellectuals (Ajayi, Diop) are explored alongside Sean Hanretta is assistant professor of history by reformists and administrators. After and an affiliate with the Center for African independence the Ghanaian government the more diffuse influence of teaching Studies. moved away from close involvement and participation in civil society. The in Muslim affairs, preferring instead to research is intended to test hypotheses mobilize clients through community about the links between the changing leaders. This further allowed reformist fates of West African universities and the preachers and new social actors to trajectories of the field as a whole, and reshape rituals even as the expanding of the actual utility of a “usable past.” rhetoric of African underdevelopment Using basic techniques of prosopography, and need for modernization placed very I have traced the trends in publishing specific values on cultural norms. by historians based in West Africa (both

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When an Endangered Language Goes Global: Documenting Chimiini BRENT HENDERSON Chimiini was once spoken only in the port city of Brava on the coast of southern Somalia, the northernmost and most isolated of the Swahili ‘dialects.’ Though spoken in Brava for a millenium, the horrors of the ongoing civil war in Somalia have caused nearly all speakers of the language to become refugees now living in large international cities like Atlanta, London, and Mombasa. As a result, the unique language and culture of the Bravanese is quickly disappearing. In a three-year project (now in year two) funded by the NEH through the NSF/NEH program Documenting Endangered Languages program, I am working with Bravanese communities, as well as other scholars, to further document the Chimiini language. This includes writing a reference grammar and dictionary of Chimiini, archiving digital recordings of the language, publishing traditional stories, personal narratives, Brent Henderson is assistant professor in and other ethnolinguistic material, and Arabic, Somali, English, and Swahili. We had to balance many factors so that the Department of Linguistics and affiliate developing web-based materials useful faculty with the Center for African Studies. His to the community and heritage speakers. the writing system could capture the research was made possible by a three-year important contrasts in Chimiini, while at grant from the National Endowment for the It also includes exploring the language Humanities through a joint NSF/NEH program from a scientific perspective and bringing the same time not create confusion with for documenting endangered languages. out insights that might be interesting for these other familiar writing systems. theoretical linguistics. Next year I will spend my summer in Last summer I spent six weeks in London Mombasa, Kenya, where many Bravanese and Manchester in the United Kingdom remain closely connected to their culture. meeting many of the thousands of There I hope to assess whether or not Bravanese who live there and talking with the language is being passed on to the them about their language. Together, we next generation and to collect much more collected many oral stories and hundreds culturally-relevant linguistic data. of specialized vocabulary. Working with native speakers and other scholars, I have also been able to finalize a written orthography for Chimiini that will be used for reading and other literacy materials, as well as the dictionary. Coming up with a practical orthography was not an easy task, particularly because many Bravanese are literate in many languages, including

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 13 A Cultural Festival in the Senegal River Valley: Reinventing Local Traditions for Returning Migrants ABDOULAYE KANE The organization of cultural festivals in the villages of the Senegal River Valley has become a major priority of Haalpulaar hometown associations based in Europe and the United States. This is an apparently surprising turn for associations that have traditionally occupied themselves with development initiatives aimed at bringting concrete improvements of living conditions experienced in the Haalpulaar immigrants’ home villages. Yet conversations I had with leaders of such associations in France and the United States indicate their conviction that cultural festivals can in fact play an integral role in strategies aimed at wives from the other. back to their respective neighborhoods. development of their home villages. In The Thiayde featured peaceful yet “The Thiayde is not practiced 2008, I participated in one such cultural lively confrontations between young anymore by the younger generation,” festival held in the village of Thilogne, women on both sides, each with the ob- lamented Aminata, who is charged where I acquired an interesting perspective jective of getting their own men to marry with organizing the Thiayde during the on the nature of the stakes, players, within their own neighborhoods, while cultural festival. “For our generation and discourses, cultural performances, and luring as many men as possible from other those preceding it, participation in the artisanal exhibitions that bring these events neighborhoods to marry there as well. Thiayde was a rite of passage for young to life as development initiatives. The women of each neighborhood spend women who had yet to be married. We It is striking to observe that the cultural countless hours preparing, crafting praise would spend all year creating songs, and practices being performed during the festi- songs they use to promote themselves and throughout the months leading up to vals tend to be of little relevance to contem- lyrical diatribes used to target women of Taske, carefully consider the types of porary village life. Rather, they constitute a the opposite camp. Thiayde were often -or clothes and jewelry we planned to wear recreation of particular traditions, customs, ganized around the Taske, a Muslim feast for the competition,” she added. Now and performances that their creators perceive celebrating Abraham’s sacrifice. To begin women of the younger generation put will be admired by returning migrants, visit- the Thiayde competition during Taske, on their finest clothes and jewelry to ing urbanites and tourists as an exotic reflec- the groups of women would leave their watch their men compete on the soccer tion of a lost cultural past. One fascinating neighborhoods around 5:00 pm and walk field. For these women Thiayde is a relic example of such reinvention of tradition is slowly toward the center of the village, reserved for the cultural festivals that the cultural practice of Thiayde, a carefully each with a lead vocal carefully selected take place every two years. In their new choreographed event whereby processions of for her excellent voice. While walking, incarnation as part of a reinvented tradi- young women engage in ritual competition they begin singing their praise songs, tion, Thiayde songs have been adapted for husbands. According to one informant, following with the lyrical diatribes upon to the new circumstances, often in the Aminata, age 54, and a resident of Thilogne, their encounter with their rival groups. form of praise songs honoring successful Thiayde competitions were held between The rival groups meet at around 7:00 pm migrants, the hometown associations, and groups of women from neighborhoods be- at the center of the village, surrounded by the village as a whole. tween which there existed friendly rivalries. spectators who listen carefully to the rau- Such friendly inter-neighborhood rivalries Abdoulaye Kane is assistant professor in the cous proceedings. The Thiayde conclude Department of Anthropology and the Center were sustained by the frequency with which with each side inevitably claiming victory, for African Studies. men from each of the neighborhoods took as their members disperse and straggle

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Taming Wicked Problems: Ecosystem Modeling for Adaptive Management of Rivers and Elephants GREG KIKER All of my projects in southern Africa deal with complex environmental challenges that integrate people, their decision processes and the tools needed to help them to explore and address these dilemmas. The first project involves modeling the ecological effects of water withdrawals from the Crocodile River, which forms the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Nathan Wangusi, my Ph.D student, received a Rotary Fellowship to spend one year in South Africa to develop his ecological models in cooperation with the University of KwaZulu- Natal, water management authorities and the Kruger National Park. Nathan is working with my Questions and Decisions (QnD) model system to provide computer game-style tools to integrate ecosystem processes, management, economics and socio-political factors into a user-friendly model framework. We are developing a QnD game explicit, elephant populations. vegetation modeling and land use version to integrate hydrological simulations from Additional research activities change in the tri-basin area. This a South African model (Acru2000) with ecological in southern Africa have established research uses both simple (QnD) classifications to simulate the effects of water research links with the Harry and complex (SAVANNA) models abstractions from the Crocodile River. Oppenheimer Okavango Research to explore ecosystem resilience and The second project is the development of Centre (HOORC) at the University uncertainty. an elephant and vegetation model for ecological of Botswana through the NSF- management of elephant population control IGERT program (Adaptive scenarios within savanna ecosystems. Elephant and Management: Wise Use of Water, vegetation management in southern Africa has been Wetlands & Watersheds). Anna described as a “wicked” problem where solutions Cathey, a Ph.D student whose defy simplistic notions and problem contexts committee I co-chair, is conducting continually shift with evolving expectations and research into water resource adaptive learning. While the southern African modeling and uncertainty analysis in scientific community has assembled a strong, the Okavango River Basin and Delta. multi-disciplinary information base for elephant We were able to leverage this initial biology and management, full integration of these collaboration into a larger grant from diverse sectors for analysis and management has NASA to explore climate change and Greg Kiker is assistant professor in the not yet been realized. An integral part of adaptive its effects on land use in the greater Department of Agricultural & Biological Okavango, Kwandu and Zambezi Engineering and affiliate faculty with the management is the use of computational models Center for African Studies. He specializes to inform and adjust management responses to River basins. This new research grant in the development of ecological headed by Jane Southworth in the and hydrological models for adaptive thresholds of potential concern (TPCs). My environmental decision-making. Funding for QnD:EleSim model utilizes elephant/vegetation Dept. of Geography is providing this research is provided by NASA. algorithms developed by ecologists to simulate research support for two additional landscape-scale tree-grass competition and growth Masters students (Sanjiv Jagtap with agent-based implementation of spatially- and Gloria Perez-Falcon) to study

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 15 Zambia-China Engagement: The Role of Government in Regulating Foreign Investments AGNES LESLIE I spent part of summer 2010 guest lecturing at the University of Zambia in the gender studies department and conducting research on the Zambia-China relationship. My visit to Zambia was two-fold. I organized and led a workshop on Women’s Empowerment: Problems and Challenges and in conjunction with the gender studies department in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and various women’s organizations. The workshop was attended by Member of Parliament, Regina Musokotwane, the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Vincent tered by the Chinese in their interactions to July 2009. The government has closed Chanda, the Director of the Institute of with Zambians were due to the inad- some manufacturing premises due to their Economic and Social Research, Professor equate preparation and education of the unsafe environments. Mubiana Macwan’gi, faculty from various Chinese investors. Some of the investors The findings point to weakness in departments, women’s organizations and lacked proper training in human relations government regulation of investors and graduate students. Presentations at the and were coming from working environ- suggests the need for stronger laws and workshop included experiences of a female ments in China that condoned human policies in order to protect Zambian member of parliament in running for rights violations. workers and improve their work envi- parliamentary election, research reports The complaints against Chinese ronments. There is also need for greater on the challenges female MPs undergo investors included failure to adhere to involvement of parliament in order to when they run for election, and research environmental safety standards and work- promote stronger laws and regulations analyzing the experiences of women’s ers’ protection provisions, casualization of and find ways of holding investors ac- groups from Botswana and South Africa labor to avoid paying benefits, non-ad- countable. In addition, the Ministry of and what lessons these could provide for herence to minimum wage requirements, Labor and Social Security needs to be women’s groups in Zambia. rampant arbitrary dismissals, requiring strengthened to have more staff to ensure I also continued researching the impact Zambian employees to work odd hours that the policies are being implemented. of Chinese investments on the Zambian to avoid paying transport allowances and The Zambian government has not been economy, workers’ conditions, and the requiring employees to work without effective in defining the roles of external environment. Chinese investment in Zambia protective gear in dangerous environ- foreign companies in development and has grown rapidly since the 1990s when the ments. There have been several reports of implementing laws and policies which Zambian government began to privatize its accidents and deaths in Chinese operated would adequately benefit the country state-controlled enterprises. I spent time companies. In 2005, 51 people were killed and safeguard the health, security and touring some of the Chinese-funded indus- in a Chinese-operated mine. In 2009, five economic rights of the Zambian workers. tries, studying their impact and conduct- miners including a Chinese national were Of the people interviewed 31 percent felt ing in-depth interviews with members of killed in a Chinese-owned coal mine, due that the Chinese investment had a posi- parliament, University of Zambia professors to illegal mining operations under unsafe tive impact on the economy. More than and students, businesses, the media, various conditions. An examination of workers’ 65 percent of the members of parliament government ministries and workers. I also complaints recorded at the Ministry of felt that the Chinese investments had conducted interviews with officials at the Labor and Social Services showed an impacted the Zambian society negatively. Chinese embassy. The embassy officials average of 10 complaints against Chinese Agnes Leslie is senior lecturer and director of agreed that some of the problems encoun- companies each month from July 2008 outreach in the Center for African Studies.

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Voting Behavior, MP Campaign Strategies, & Political Clientelism in Ghana STAFFAN I. LINDBERG ments, political clientelism and the role Members of Parliament in Ghana. The project also draws on recently collected survey and interview data (also from Ghana). Together the data includes four rounds of surveys with citizens in 10 strategically selected constituencies (out of the Ghana’s 230 at present), three rounds of surveys with Members of Parliament, two years of participant observation in Parliament of Ghana, and some 200+ in-depth interviews with MPs, clerks of Parliament, journal- ists, ministers, scholars, and citizens in Ghana. The time period covered by the data is from 1996 to 2009. It is too early to tell what the main results will be of the comprehensive analysis but earlier work suggests that political clientelism expands during the early phases of democratization until the costs reach a tipping point for politicians, who then turn to producing collective goods via political policy making in order to economize with scarce resources in their private disposal that can be used for reelection (election campaigning).

Staffan I. Lindberg is associate professor in the Department of Political Science and the Center for African Studies. He is currently the Research Director for World Values Survey Sweden, Research Fellow at Quality of Government Institute and associate professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

This past year, Dr. Lindberg has been writing up results from fieldwork carried out in 2008 and 2009 on voting behavior, MPs’ campaign strategies, and political clientelism in Ghana. Several working papers that have come out of this work have been posted as working papers by the African Power and Politics-program (www.institutions- africa.org), as well as by the Quality of Government Institute (www.qog.pol. gu.se). Two of these working papers are co-authored with Keith R. Weghorst, a doctoral student in the Department of Political Science. Dr. Lindberg is now working on a larger project on political clientelism and democratization. The project pulls together findings from his earlier publications on election campaign funding, voting behavior and voter align-

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 17 Dakar’s Linguistic Landscape FIONA McLAUGHLIN As part of my ongoing research on urban Wolof I spent some time in Dakar, Senegal, this summer documenting what has come to be known as the “linguistic landscape,” namely written language in the public sphere, which includes official signage, graffiti, advertising, and the like. Linguistic landscape is a relatively new yet thriving avenue of research within sociolinguistics, and its interest lies what it can reveal about language hierarchies, language vitality or endangerment, the economic value of particular languages, and the political power or lack thereof associated with any given language. In my own research I am characterized by digraphia, or writing in and posters whereas in the past only particularly interested in the relationship two scripts, namely Roman and Arabic, informal advertising was in Wolof. between the linguistic landscape and the but as Calvet (1994) pointed out in Les Religious graffiti tend to be written in spoken environment in Dakar, and in what voix de la ville, there is no straightforward, Wolof or Arabic, and English appears kinds of literacies make it into the public one-to-one relationship between primarily in graffiti that takes hip-hop language and script. Arabic, for example, as its sphere of reference. Chinese can appear in the Arabic or Roman businesses often have bilingual signs script, as can Wolof, and even French advertising their businesses and goods occasionally appears in the Arabic script. in both Chinese and French. With regard to Arabic, Wolof and What is striking about the Dakar French, my documentation confirms linguistic landscape, and what I suspect Calvet’s early observations, but there might be true for other African are also some new additions to Dakar’s capitals where the vernacular is not linguistic landscape, namely English, the official language, is how different which appears to be written invariably in it is from the spoken environment. So the Roman script, appearing much more far, I think that the most significant sphere and what kinds remain private. frequently than when Calvet’s study aspects of the written environment are I documented Dakar’s linguistic was conducted, and Chinese, written the less formal ones, and that when landscape at the end of my fieldwork by in Chinese characters and the Roman considered along with other contexts, setting out early in the morning so that script. such as text messaging, in which new I could photograph the city before the French is the domain of most literacies are emerging, we can begin streets got too crowded. I worked my way officialdom and much advertising and to piece together an understanding of from one of the residential neighborhoods political graffiti, thus it dominates in the the relationship of written to spoken not far from the Université Cheikh Anta written environment whereas Wolof language in Dakar. Diop, though the Fass, Gueule Tapée dominates in the spoken environment. and Medina neighborhoods towards Wolof has, however, moved more Fiona McLaughlin is associate professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and downtown, then out towards the port of centrally into the advertising sector Cultures and the Department of Linguistics. Dakar. and many products and services are This research was supported by an award from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dakar’s linguistic landscape is advertised bilingually in billboards Humanities Research Fund.

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Epigenetic Alterations and Stress Among New Mothers and Infants in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Biocultural Look at the Intergenerational Effects of War CONNIE MULLIGAN

Our ability to successfully adaptation. Professors Connie Mulligan, The proposed study is the first adapt to a constantly Lance Gravlee, and Alyson Young and to investigate epigenetic alterations in changing environment doctoral student Nikki D’Errico will humans as a means of modifying gene and increasingly complex examine epigenetics and socio-cultural expression in offspring as a result of stressors is one of the ways measures of stress in one of the most trauma to the mother. The idea that in which we are distinctively stressful environments today: the eastern violence and stress exposure can create human. There is growing evidence DRC, where war has raged for 14 years. abrupt changes in gene expression there may be an intermediate mechanism This war and the related political- in offspring has immediate relevance that mediates between the rapidly economic instability have far-reaching to global public health issues. This changing environment and our slowly consequences as a result of widespread research has the potential to dramatically evolving genome, i.e. epigenetic material deprivation, increased exposure transform the ways in which we think alterations. A new project based in the to psychosocial stressors, and direct of adaptation and evolution as well as Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) physical violence, including systematic informing policies to address societal and conducted by UF’s Department of rape warfare. Biological samples will be problems. The proposed biocultural Anthropology will investigate epigenetic collected and oral history interviews will approach integrates sophisticated genetic alterations (chemical modifications to be conducted with a group of Congolese and ethnographic data and emphasizes the genome that do not change the mothers and newborns to test whether the strengths of research conducted in a underlying DNA sequence, but do epigenetic alterations mediate the effects four-field anthropology department. affect gene expression) as a possible of maternal exposure to stressors on fetal development and neonatal health. Connie Mulligan is professor of anthropology and pathway to developmental plasticity and associate director of the UF Genetics Institute.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 19 A Community-Based Approach to Sustainable Development ESTHER OBONYO projects. Message boards were put result in cheaper filters. It will also up in nearby schools as part of the provide employment for the local community engagement strategy. people. The use of the board is linked to The project team also wanted an educational program directed at to assess the feasibility of using teaching the children to respect water Moringa plants as a strategy for and existing projects. The children addressing malnutrition. The Moringa are then encouraged to create posters leaves are rich in minerals, all the summarizing the lessons they have essential amino acids, proteins as well learnt for display on the message as Vitamin A, B and C. The tree can boards which forms part of the also be used for the generation of outreach to a broader audience. biofuels. The project team was not The message boards can also be able to test the nutritional benefits of used by community members for the tree. As soon as the trees planted brainstorming and sharing ideas. at Tshapasha sprung up, livestock in Another initiative was directed the community ate all the leaves. at providing clean water using a slow sand filtering system. Slow sand filters use biological processes to clean the water without using chemicals or electricity. The system I visited South Africa in July 2010 in Tshapasha triggered a community to collect case study material from problem. The quantity of water a sustainable development project being dispensed was not enough. An being undertaken by the Universities assessment of the situation revealed of Venda and Virginia. The project is mainly that a low water pressure was at the directed at addressing problems at the village level root of the quantity issue. To address in the Venda region of the Limpopo Province. this, the project team elevated the I was particularly interested in understanding tank. Another issue that emerged the successes, failures, and ethical dilemmas was that the 1m of sand that was encountered throughout project execution as the supposed to be there was missing. valuable lessons learnt can inform projects being The filters had not formed the undertaken in other developing countries. biological layer that is required for The project team used photovoice and the filtration process. message boards to promote community Further work in the area of Esther Obonyo is assistant professor in UF’s engagement. The photovoice technique combines water supply has started assessing ME Rinker School of Building Construction and affiliate faculty with the Center for photography with social action. In the Limpopo the feasibility of implementing point African Studies. Province, it was used to gather information on of use filtration using ceramic water different levels of access to potable water. The filters. Ceramic filtration is based technique was successfully used in 2008 and on the use of porous ceramic (fired 2009 selected parts of the Limpopo Province clay) to filter microbes or other (Tshapasha and Tshibvumo) to capture views contaminants from drinking water. from different age groups (children, young The work done so far has focused adults and older people). In follow-up activities, on assessing the feasibility of setting additional needs and changes in requirements have up a factory for producing ceramic also been collected for use in the design of new pot-style filters. If successful it would

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Researching Vector-borne Disease Control in Kenya BERNARD OKECH Mosquito transmitted diseases (VBD), such as malaria are a major health problem in Kenya. It is estimated that about 34,000 deaths occur each year in Kenya due to malaria alone, the main casualties being children under five, pregnant women and HIV infected per- sons. The Kenyan government has made serious efforts to fight malaria transmission through the provision of subsidized medicines at local health centers, distribution of free insecticide treated bed nets, and lately, with support from the US govern- ments’ Presidents Malaria Initiative (PMI), indoor residual spraying of insecticides. These three malaria management methods are bearing fruit as seen in the reducing cases of malaria in many areas around the country. However, sustainability is and In Kenya, current estimates of control in the Kenya. Trained person- will remain a major challenge because the Kenya malaria deaths are at 34,000 ac- nel will support scaling up IRS in government relies on donor support to fund these cording to the Division of Malaria different epidemiological settings and malaria interventions (medicines, bed nets and in- Control reports. The primary strategy provide the missing links at the coun- secticides). My research in Kenya advocates malaria to prevent the malaria transmission ty level for M&E of malaria control management practices that do not have a huge is through treatment of cases, scaling in Kenya. Local government agen- price tag, that are sustainable and usable widely and up use of insecticide treated bed nets cies have committed to this training routinely within households once they are adopted (ITN), and indoor residual sprays program and plan to include it in by communities. Over the last 7 years, working (IRS). The latter strategy focuses their national malaria control strategy with Kenyan collaborators, we developed a model mainly on reducing the population so as to increase sustainability in the demonstration field site within a rice agro-ecosys- of malaria mosquitoes to lower the management, implementation, and tem (Mwea Tebere) in central Kenya for parasite risk of transmission. In Kenya, there monitoring and evaluation capacity control studies. In this area, we conducted a knowl- is a limited human resource capac- for malaria control in Kenya. edge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey that col- ity at the sub-national and county lected data from approximately 400 households; we levels to assess the efficacy of such were able to show a significant correlation between intervention in diverse epidemiologi- removal of stagnant water and clearing of bushes cal settings. This inadequacy impacts (also called environmental management) in and negatively monitoring and evalua- around households and the reduction of indoor tion capacity which has downstream resting malaria mosquito densities. This finding is effects on data flow between district, very significant in terms of understanding malaria provincial and national teams and is a reduction in Mwea because the fewer mosquitoes major stumbling block to the success rest inside houses the lower the risk of contracting of malaria control activities. I col- malaria. The power of environmental management laborate with the Ministry of Health at a household level on malaria control needs to be in Kenya in developing a training emphasized; My research is investigating innovative program to meet the need for malaria Bernard Okech is Research Assistant Pro- fessor of Environmental and Global Health ‘grass roots’ methods to scale up environmental control monitoring and evaluation at in the College of Public Health and Health management methods of mosquito control to the the district level. This district-level Professions at the University of Florida. He county and district level in Kenya as a sustainable is affiliated with the Emerging Pathogens training of malaria control personnel Institute and the Center for African Studies. addition to the progressive achievements seen in is critical for the overall success and malaria control in Kenya. sustainability of operational malaria

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 21 Islam and Islamism in Ethiopia & the Horn of Africa TERJE ØSTEBØ saw the participation of 12 scholars from various parts of the world. The focus was on changes with regard to Muslim communities in post-1991 Ethiopia, and the papers dealt with intra- religious dynamics within these Muslim communities, Islam in Ethiopian public and political spheres, and shed light on Islam in Ethiopia in relation to the geo- political discourses in the wider Horn of Africa. Lastly, I have started preparing a larger project called Religion and Ethnicity in Ethiopia. The project takes Islam and Oromo ethno-nationalism in eastern Ethiopia as a point of departure and seeks to forward suggestions on how to conceptualize the relationship between religious and ethnic identities in relation to boundary-making and conflicts. The project is funded by the Norwegian Non-fiction Writers and Translation The year 2010 was spent on my report entitled “Islamism in the Horn Association and will begin in 2011. ongoing research on Islamism of Africa: Assessing Ideologies, Actors, in Ethiopia/Horn of Africa. Being and Objectives” (report no 5/2010) was appointed to the Center for African Stud- published in June 2010. Drawing on my ies & Department of Religion in August own fieldwork experiences/findings and 2010, and therefore being in a transi- reviewing the available literature, the tional phase, my work has had the form report analyzes recent developments, with of several smaller projects, all related regard to Islamist movements in Djibouti, to contemporary Islam in the Horn of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan. Africa. The first was a study of Salafism It surveys the main actors, discusses the in Bale, Ethiopia, expanding my initial trajectories over the last decades, and research for my PhD dissertation. The seeks to present a more nuanced picture study discusses the trajectory of the early of this highly dynamic and heterogeneous Salafi movement in that region, paying phenomenon. attention to the role of agents of change, Thirdly, I co-organized (together in the form of an emerging class of local with Patrick Desplat, University of merchants and graduates returning from Cologne) a workshop on Islam in Islamic universities in Saudi Arabia during contemporary Ethiopia at the University of Bergen, Norway, which was co- the 1960s. This is going to be published Terje Østebø is assistant professor in the as a journal article in Africa in 2011. sponsored by the Center for African Department of Religion and the Center for Studies, University of Florida. The African Studies. His research and teaching are Secondly, I was commissioned devoted to Islam in Africa with a particular focus by the International Law and Policy workshop was called “Transforming on East Africa/Horn of Africa. Institute (Norway) to write a report on Identities and New Representations of Islamism in the Horn of Africa. The Islam in Contemporary Ethiopia,” and

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Yoruba Influences in Florida ROBIN POYNOR the region of Nigeria where I did visual environment of Ola Olu. The earlier research. I have examined publication of the book will be in other shrines to Ogun both in North time for the 500th anniversary of Florida and in South Florida for the arrival of explorers of African comparative purposes. descent in 1513. I am also working on Further research explores the a comparative study of Ogun Altars Orisha Gardens in Central Florida in Florida which may be published in maintained by the Ifa Foundation a journal that plans a special issue on of North and Latin America. Philip “Ritual Arts of the Black Atlantic.” Neimark is of Jewish heritage, but he converted to Yoruba religion by way of Cuban Santeria in Miami. He practiced as a babalawo in Chicago for many years and then practiced in Indiana before relocating to Florida. His wife Vassa is of Greek descent, and she too converted to orisha veneration. The two formed the foundation in order to reach out to people around the world who are seeking spiritual guidance through the Yoruba religion. The Ola Olu My current research traces the retreat in a rural area not far from the impact of African thought and Ocala National Forest, is filled with African example on populations in sculptural forms from Nigeria and Florida. My original research in Nigeria into elsewhere as well as objects created the arts of the Yoruba-speaking peoples focused by Iyanifa Vassa. Initiates from on arts used in leadership context and in religion. around the world come to Ola Olu Those studies are the basis for my explorations to be initiated. Robin Poynor is professor of art history in into the arts and visual environments created in the I have signed a contract with United States (and especially Florida) by those who the School of Art and Art History and has the University Press of Florida for a been affiliated with the Center for African have converted to Yoruba orisha veneration. book tentatively titled Africa in Florida Studies since 1978. Part of my research addresses the visual that will address 500 years of African environments created by Yoruba Americans living presence in Florida, beginning with in Alachua County, particularly Baba Onabamiero Juan Garrido, a conquistador of Ogunleye of Archer. Ogunleye lived in Oyotunji African descent who accompanied in South Carolina for nine years, where he was Ponce de Leon on his initial voyage initiated into the Yoruba religion. Later, after in 1513. The book, co-edited with settling in Archer, he traveled to Oshogbo, Nigeria, Amanda Carlson of the University to be initiated as a babalawo. His mentor in Nigeria of Hartford, will include essays by travels to Archer to preside over initiations. I a range of scholars from the United have investigated not only Ogunleye’s sculpture States, England and Mexico. One of but also the visual environment the creates in my chapters on the art of Ogunleye shrines and altars. Of particular interest to me is co-authored by Ade Ofunniyin, is the development over time of the altar to the a recent UF PhD in Anthropology. orisha Ogun, who was exceptionally important in Another chapter addresses the

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 23 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Kenya: Where Health and Development Meet RICHARD RHEINGANS For the past 4 years my research team has been working on a series of projects related to water, sanitation and hygiene in Kenya, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Mali. Much of our work in Kenya focuses on understanding the impact of school- based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) on health and educational outcomes. Poor WASH conditions can result in exposure to diarrheal pathogens and intestinal parasites, leading to illness, absenteeism and poor educational performance. The driving question is whether and how school-level improvements can reverse these patterns without broader community interventions. The project is based in rural areas of Nyanza Province in western Kenya and is done in collaboration with Great Lakes University of Kisumu and CARE. It is designed to generate knowledge on effective- ness and sustainability and to use the information to influence policy and practice at a national level. The project includes a randomized trial to measure health and educational impacts, along with qualitative and con- textual assessments of a wide range of issues including menstrual management for girls, anal cleansing, and interactions between communities and schools. Preliminary results demonstrate that, as expected, girls are more affected by poor WASH conditions in schools and at home. This effect is predominantly among girls in poorer or marginalized households. Similarly, improvements in school WASH primarily benefit girls and not boys. Data from the trial also show that school-based interventions can be effective in changing water treatment behaviors among households within the community. This diffusion effect is strongest among poor households, suggesting that school-based interventions can partially offset social and economic- induced disparities in drinking water quality. In addition to the schools project, Richard Rheingans is associate professor in the Center for African Studies and the One of the greatest challenges for improving we also work with our partners in west- Department of Environmental and Global school WASH relates to maintain clean latrines, ensur- ern Kenya to explore the mechanisms Health. Funding for the projects in Kenya is ing soap for handwashing, and treating water for drink- for creating disparities in household from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Water Challenge. ing. While government policies require these, schools drinking water quality and sanitation. lack the necessary resources and there is seldom a This work explores specific sources system of accountability to ensure conditions are sus- of contamination and behavioral risk tained. Our current work is exploring different models factors, but also explores the role of for that, which combine community-based accountabil- social norms and neighbors in creating ity with improvements in school capacity for sustaining. disparities.

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Higher Education and Climate Change Research in Southern Africa CLAUDIA ROMERO & FRANCIS E. PUTZ

Since our sojourn in held in January 2010. sity, Matt McConnachie, who demonstrated Grahamstown in 2009 as Claudia presented a version of the advanced econometric modeling skills for his visiting professors in the 10-year strategic plan in the HED meet- research on evaluation of the Working for Department of Environmental ing in Washington, D.C. She also presented Water program. Sciences, we have been busy the plan’s final version at the II APEDIA Overall, Claudia and Jack remain very running workshops related (Academic Partnership for Environment and much involved in collaborative research and to our Higher Education for Development Innovations in Africa) meet- training efforts in South Africa and Namibia Development (HED) proposal ing in Windhoek, Namibia, which centered related to the broad themes of higher educa- on climate change adaptation on building the case for the importance of tion, ecosystem management, payments for and mitigation research, on higher education for development, and thus environmental services, and biodiversity which we collaborate with for climate change adaptation and mitigation. conservation. Grenville Barnes (UF SFRC). This presentation emphasized the interdisci- plinary, case-study centered, and collaborative Claudia Romero is courtesy assistant professor On this theme, the HED team from 3 and Francis E. Putz is professor of biology southern African countries representing the approach implemented by TCD. and affiliate faculty with the Center for African Polytechnic of Namibia, the University of We plan to return next summer to Studies. Namibia, the University of Botswana, and Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape Rhodes University presented a poster at UF’s Province of South Africa with support from conference “Bridging Conservation and the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program. The Development in Latin America and Africa: Fulbright program also supported the visit of Changing Contexts, Changing Strategies,” a doctoral candidate from Rhodes Univer-

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 25 Viewing Africa through Clothing: Research and Collaboration VICTORIA L. ROVINE (a celebration of the 50th anniversary of independence) and the other at a community center in one of the city’s chicest districts. Both were extremely well attended—the enthusiasm for Africa’s leading designers extends well beyond their countries of origin. This research was largely funded by the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where I am guest-curating an exhibition on Africa’s roles in global fashion trends. The exhibition will address clothing creativity in Africa through the work of contemporary African designers, innovations in “traditional” dress styles, and the influence of African forms on the Western designers. Through these three elements, the exhibition will use dress to analyze the construction of ideas about African identities both by and for As I write this brief description gratifying and frustrating, as audience African audiences, and about Africa for of my past year’s research, I am members expressed appreciation for the European audiences. In addition, two in Oxford (UK) to participate work of the designers, and amazement articles from this research were published in a conference called Fashion: at this vibrant artistic production that in the past year, along with a chapter in an Exploring Critical Issues. The takes place without recognition from edited volume on contemporary African conference attendees represent countries the mainstream international fashion fashion. throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas, press and scholars of fashion. Such and elsewhere. This is an unusual conferences convince me that this work conference for me, because I am makes an important contribution to accustomed to being the only person at several fields, including African Studies, such gatherings who studies Africa; an art history, and fashion studies. interesting if sometimes lonely position! In the past year, I have continued to This time, a second paper on Africa conduct research and publish on several appeared among the seventy-five at the aspects of Africa’s presence in global conference, presented by a professor of fashion markets. I traveled to Senegal and textile design from Nigeria. Our two Mali in summer 2010, where I interviewed papers stand out because they are focused numerous designers and continued my on clothing histories and innovations exploration of the markets for fashion outside the orbit of Western fashion. My in West Africa. During the same trip, I presented a paper at a symposium on Victoria L. Rovine is associate professor in the Center presentation on the role of historical and for African Studies and the School of Art and Art contemporary dress in the expression of the changing images of Africa in India History. She received funding support from the African identities opened a completely and France, from the colonial era to Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto), the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the School of Art and new field for most of the participants; the present. That event was held at the Art History/College of Fine Arts, and the Center for most experts in fashion studies know Université de Cergy-Pontoise, outside African Studies. nothing of Africa’s vibrant fashion scenes. Paris. While in Paris, I also attended The response to my paper was both two Africa-focused fashion shows, one at the Embassy of the Côte d’Ivoire

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Debating Islam: Ethnicity, Belonging and Muslim Politics in Mauritania ZEKERIA OULD AHMED SALEM In my book manuscript in progress, “Islam, Politics and Social Transformations in Contemporary Mauritania,” I am exploring some of the various ways in which religion, personhood and social hierarchies play a role in political mobilization among the Haratin, a demographically important, black, and Arabic-speaking national group. Arab-Berber Moors make up the majority of the population in Mauritania, and refer to themselves as bidhân (Whites) even though more than half of them are, in fact, Haratin, that is black Moors of servile or slave origin. More specifically, I look at the ways in which individuals claiming a servile origin strive to carve out a place for themselves and their community in the multiethnic nation of Mauritania by various means, including—but not Muslim family law, ethnicity and politics simultaneous highly controversial political limited to—Islamic revival and radical- in the light of some cases that have re- and religious issues. ism. Many individuals and activist groups cently come before the judicial system in The final and third aspect of this of the Haratin community tend to label Mauritania, and involving cases in which work is a case study of the large numbers their individual or collective actions as a some “prestigious” families have brought of Haratin who have recently become “fight against slavery,” a stigma as well as cases against young married couples from imams of mosques in the country. In par- a vestige of a historical institution that different social and racial backgrounds. In ticular, I present the life stories of two of is still entrenched in Mauritanian social doing so, these families have tried to force these imams, which I recently recorded, hierarchies. This is further complicated the couples to divorce by invoking sharia and which serve to illustrate the entangle- by the fact that such hierarchies are at law provisions regarding the ambiguous ment of debates about Islamic leadership times sanctioned by local interpretations and controversial notion of kefâa (equal- at a grassroots level and the question of of Islamic law. ity), that in their view should prevent in legitimacy as a religious leader, as well as I am studying three aspects of this particular the marriage between a “noble” overlapping issues of citizenship, human complex topic: First, I am reconstructing woman and a man whose origin is “tar- rights and belonging in modern-day Mus- the endless debate on Islam and slavery nished” by a servile status. I explore how lim Africa. in the Mauritanian public sphere as it the judicial system in Mauritania, which is supposed to be based on sharia law, deals Zekeria Ould Ahmed Salem is professor of political appears in the discourse of political and science at the University of Nouakchott, Mauritania, social movements, and especially when with this type of claim. I reconstruct and a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at CAS for 2010-2011. this debate features an Islamic argumenta- the ways in which conflicting arguments tion. Paradoxically, this debate is becom- grounded in the same sharia provisions ing even more tense in recent times, as are elaborated by the various persons the Haratin community has been progres- and institutions involved in these trials. I sively emancipated. examine also the final outcomes of these Secondly, I am examining aspects of officially judicial processes, but which are

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 27 History, Trauma, and Revitalization in Haya Villages of Tanzania PETER SCHMIDT After an absence of several decades from my original research site in NW Tanzania, I returned in 2008 to visit several of the Haya villages where I once studied oral traditions and the history of iron technology. The first place I revisited was Katuruka, where local oral traditions said King Rugomora Mahe (1650-75) had built a large iron tower to the heavens. Marked by an ancient shrine tree called Kaiija (the place of the forge), this sacred place dates back to 500 BC—the earliest date for iron working in East, Central, or southern Africa. To my surprise, the ancient memorial was a stump. I also came to learn that whole families and lineages had perished in the HIV/AIDS epidemic that first swept through this part of eastern Africa. What struck me was that fewer elders above age 65 were living when compared to four decades earlier. Several remaining elders asked that I return to the village to assist them in documenting what remained of their oral histories and oral traditions. in Katuruka village. Thus, a dispro- iron smelting and forging. They also wanted help with restoring their ancient portionate number of males in their Additional research shows a shrines and other places documented by archae- forties and fifties died during the precipitous decline in fertility of ology, hoping to make them a cultural heritage height of the epidemic. This demo- village farms resulting from the sale destination for employment of youth who now graphic shift has severely interrupted of cattle for quick money upon the leave the village to seek opportunity elsewhere. the transmission of oral traditions. untimely deaths of parents and other Collaborative research initiated by the community Where there was once encyclopedic family. This has removed manure as a provided an extraordinary opportunity to under- knowledge held by some skilled keep- key element in once prosperous Haya stand what changes had gripped Haya villages over ers of history forty years ago, there farming. Perhaps the most poignant the last 40 years. is now only skeletal knowledge held index to change is the revitalization I returned in October 2009 with support from by elders. of spirit mediumship—the traditional a Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad fellow- A second collaboration focused Bacwezi cult—in the face of what ship to launch oral tradition research. Village elders on development of a village museum is viewed as the failure of Christian conducted the interviews, with digital recording and an interpretative tour conducted churches to provide help during times transcribed by villagers, and the transcriptions (and by youth trained in the oral tradi- of stress and affliction. For the first video recordings) contributing to a permanent vil- tions. The community constructed time since World War II, practitioners lage archive. a buchwankwanzi house (photo), the are emerging in both villages and Censuses conducted in two villages shed more spirit house in King Rugomora’s suburban settings, with some light on the impact of HIV/AIDS, showing that burial estate built in the style of providing reinvented “traditional” the proportion of males to females over age 65 an omushonge house. Buchwankwanzi solutions to the stresses that infuse has declined significantly over the last thirty years. opened in June as a site museum, re- daily life. The 1978 Tanzania census shows .97 male to each plete with archaeological exhibits of Peter Schmidt is professor of anthropol- female, while at the height of the HIV/AIDS epi- the excavations conducted on-site in ogy and affiliate faculty with the Center for 1970 as well as displays of iron work- African Studies. He received funding for demic in 1988 this ratio had dropped to .54 to 1, an this project from a Fulbright-Hays Faculty enormous change; today a ratio of .54 to 1 prevails ing equipment and a photo exhibit of Research Abroad fellowship.

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Documenting Nalu: An Atlantic Language on the Coast of Guinea, West Africa FRANK SEIDEL aggravates the language shift situation mentioned above is the inexistent administrative support. Neither in Guinea Bissau nor in Guinea Conakry is Nalu considered to be a national language and thus it is, to my knowledge, neither part of any government or NGO initiative for alphabetization, nor is it part of any school curricula, nor is it used in the media. Because of the language shift situation it is hard to gauge exactly how many people actually speak the language still. Numbers vary between 6000-25000. Be that as it may, any numbers given are hard to interpret speakerwise, because the criteria for entering someone as Nalu into the count are generally not given. Thus, if one takes into account that, except on the Tristão islands, most of the In the coming two years I will maybe that one can reasonably assume that younger generation of ‘ethnic’ Nalu document the language and the Nalu is spoken in the vicinity of Balanta, are first language speakers of Soso culture to retain a record of Nalu, Biafada, and Landuma speakers. In Guinea and have, at best, passive competence an extremely under-documented Conakry, Nalu is spoken as one of many in Nalu, the actual number of Atlantic language of Guinea. Nalu languages in the prefecture of Boké, and speakers is most likely a lot lower is spoken on the littorals of Guinea and Nalu speakers there live together with than estimated. Nevertheless, on the Guinea-Bissau. In Guinea, Nalu speakers speakers of Landuma, Balanta, Baga and Tristão archipelago which still is an primarily live north of the river Nuñez other languages. Even in the one area infrastructurally and economically on the Tristão islands, which are part of that is dominated by Nalu speakers, i.e. somewhat marginalized area, the the prefecture of Boké. Across the border the sub-prefecture of Kanfarandé, they language is still used as an intraethnic in Guinea-Bissau speakers of Nalu are are in contact with Balanta, Landuma and means of communication and also located around the Cacine estuary in the Fulfulde. Encompassing this situation is transmitted to some extent to the Tombali region. It is claimed that ancestors Soso, the dominant lingua franca of the younger generation. Thus, although the to the contemporary language community region, with speakers both also in Guinea- number of speakers may be quite small entered the current living area around Bissau and Sierra Leone. and dwindling, a meaningful study of the 14th and 15th centuries. I plan to Nowadays, Nalu speakers are shifting this language is at present still possible. towards Soso. To be more precise the produce a detailed dictionary, annotated Frank Seidel is a postdoctoral research fellow audio and audiovisual data of texts from shifting process to the target language in the Center for African Studies. The project different genres, cultural activities etc., an Soso is asserted for the Nalu speakers of is funded by the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) at the orthography, and a grammatical sketch. Guinea and can reasonably be assumed School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) In both countries Nalu speakers live for the speakers living in Guinea Bissau. in London and material will be archived with the Endangered Languages Archives (ELAR) in a heterogeneous ethnic and linguistic At least, most sources that mention the at SOAS. environment. Not much is known about topic claim that Nalu in Guinea Bissau is the exact situation in Guinea Bissau, except fast disappearing. A point that severely

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 29 Cotton Sector Reforms in West and Central Africa RENATA SERRA It has been a productive and eventful year for all researchers involved in the project on Cotton Sector Reforms in West and Central Africa, which is part of the wider Africa Power and Politics Programme (APP), of which the Center for African Studies is an institutional partner. As coordinator of four country teams as well as lead researcher of the Mali team, I have certainly been very busy. In March, we expanded our research to Cameroon and welcome our new collaborators from the national Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Développement (IRAD). They join our teams based at research institutes in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. and the Management Board of the APP their base, and the ability of farmer In May, I convened our annual Program. Meanwhile, fieldwork in our cooperatives to solve collection action meeting in Niamey, Niger with the four countries is ongoing, with the goal problems. invaluable help of our host institution, to capture the key phases of the current Our objective is to analyze in a also an APP partner, LASDEL agricultural year. systematic and rigorous way the role of (Laboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches sur Our four countries, which are among these factors in order to shed better light les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement the largest African cotton exporters, on the actual forces behind different Local). Besides exchanging preliminary have been involved to a different degree degrees of market performance and findings and planning the work ahead, in reforming their cotton sectors, arrive at a finer explanation of what is we had the unique opportunity to historically characterized by a state happening on the ground. Our ambition participate in four days of training in monopoly. Their distinct responses to is to engage ongoing policy debates, in a qualitative and collaborative research donors’ pressures for reforms and to West Africa and beyond, with policy methodology called ECRIS, which has internal governance challenges represent recommendations that take better account helped reinforce the teams’ capacities. In a very interesting setting for conducting a of local dynamics and their potential for July, I went to Mali to start the second comparative analysis of how key elements affecting outcomes in key productive phase of fieldwork, where I interviewed in a country’s political economy affect sectors. main stakeholders in the capital, Bamako, policy processes and outcomes in vital economic sectors. Our findings show Renata Serra is a lecturer in the Center for and visited two villages in the Kita African Studies. Funding for this research project, cotton region, meeting with farmer that political and social realities, as well as which is part of the Africa Power and Politics past experiences in dealing with specific Programme (www.institutions-africa.org), is cooperatives and discussing changes provided by the UK Department for International since last year and the emergence of economic challenges, affect cotton sector Development and the Advisory Board of Irish new solutions. At the end of September, performance more than the formal Aid. I attended a meeting at the Overseas market structure in itself (monopoly or Development Institute in London with liberalized market). Potential explanatory other researchers working on cotton factors include: nature of the democratic sector reforms; and then proceeded on to state, patterns of rent distribution, the Paris, to present our preliminary findings political weight of farmer unions, the to both the Consortium Advisory Group relationship between union leaders and

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AIM forAfrica: Rwanda JILL SONKE regional health clinics, expanded in the Rubavu district in starting work into a small village adjacent small businesses and put their to Rugerero that is home to a children through school. Thus far, community of 91 people of Twa 15 families have been part of the decent, created a bicycle taxi co-op program, starting businesses selling project with an emphasis on health vegetables and goats. Additionally, education in the town of Gisenyi, members of the CAHRE team presented regional Home-Based are creating a public art exhibit Life Saving Skills training programs, including photography, handicrafts, and conducted needs assessments in and artwork created by the children the Twa village and in Goma, DRC. of the Rugerero and Twa village CAHRE nurses conducted health expressing their views on peace and assessments, trainings, and provided unity. The exhibit will be presented healthcare to address immediate in the fall of 2010. The UF Center for the Arts in needs, while artists installed health The AIM for Africa Rwanda Healthcare’s AIM for Africa initiatives education murals at local clinics, & DRC project will continue create cultural bridges between the presented health education theatre through 2011 as CAHRE hosts arts and healthcare in the U.S. and performances in area schools, and the East-Central Africa Arts & African nations. In May and June of 2010, a provided vocational arts training in Health Forum in Kigali, undertakes team of 19 CAHRE faculty and students, along local co-ops, villages, and clinics. The extended residencies in Rugerero with several health and arts professionals from health and health education projects and the Twa village as well as in the Florida and beyond traveled to Rwanda and the focused primarily on nutrition, DRC, and launches a longitudinal Democratic Republic of the Congo to continue hygiene, HIV prevention, family study assessing the impact of its work begun in 2009. CAHRE is a part of a planning, and malaria prevention. programs on healthcare utilization consortium of NGO’s working together in Rwanda Upon return to Florida, in the Rugerero region. For more to improve quality of life in genocide survivor team members created Rwanda information, see www.arts.ufl.edu/ villages. The consortium includes the Rwanda Sustainable Families, an economic CAHRE/aimrwanda.asp Red Cross, the Barefoot Artists, Engineers without assistance program, to aid villagers Borders, Jefferson Health, and the Rwandan Village Concept Project. The primary goals of the 2011 initiative were: 1) to provide relevant education to healthcare professionals and lay healthcare providers in the Rugerero Survivor Village and surrounding region; 2) to use theatre and the visual arts to enhance health literacy and community engagement in the Rugerero region; 3) to use the arts to enhance familiarity with and utilization of health services in the Rugerero region; 4) to use the arts as a needs assessment tool to explore relevant social issues; and 5) to create sustainable economic opportunities for individuals and communities through vocational arts training. The CAHRE team, under the leadership of Jill Sonke and Cindy Nelly, continued work in Jill Sonke is Director of the Center for the Arts in Healthcare Research and Education the Rugerero genocide survivor village and two (CAHRE) and Assistant Director of the Shands Arts in Medicine program.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 31 The New Malian Literary Landscape ALIOUNE SOW during moments of commemoration and how they relate to official practices of memory, I pursued my interviews with other political prisoners such as Bakary Koniba and Seydou Badian Kouyaté. I also spent time in the national archives looking at the relationship between Malian politics and literary practices and met with other actors involved with the literary scene such as editors and publishers. This research is part of a larger project which examines the developments that have been brought to the Malian literary domain since the fall of the Moussa Traoré military regime in 1991. Some of these developments include: the complex modes of local rehabilitation of literary figures such as Fily Dabo Sissoko, Yambo Ouologuem and Ahmed Thiam; the rediscovery and sensitive This year I made two visits to In Bamako, I also pursued my dissemination of the militant poetry Mali to pursue my research on research on life narratives and memoirs from the northern regions at a moment Malian letters since the onset and more precisely prison narratives of great political anxiety within this of political democratization in written by former political prisoners particular zone; and the unexpected orientations of the Malian novel. All of 1991. During my first trip, I worked in of the Moussa Traoré military regime. these literary initiatives, discoveries and Bamako, the capital city, and then traveled These texts are part of a larger group changes are unmistakable signs of a desire to the Kayes region in the western part of narratives published at an impressive to reconstruct and solidify a national of the country to conduct interviews rate since the onset of democratization, literary history devastated by 23 years of with activists from the Agence Malienne and which include memoirs written by military regime. des Expulsés about migrant issues. In former military officers as well as by particular, I was able to investigate a new ordinary citizens willing to testify about Alioune Sow is assistant professor in the theatrical repertoire, which is created and the military regime. During this first Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures trip I interviewed Amadou Traoré, one and the Center for African Studies. This research performed by former illegal migrants was made possible by funding from the Center for willing to communicate, and indeed of the most important political figures African Studies. problematize, their own experience. in postcolonial Mali, who is a former This popular dramaturgy points to political prisoner and now publisher. new theatrical practices, and translates, I also worked with Ibrahima Touré, a in unexpected forms and language, Malian director, who has just finished the obsessions and fears but also the an adaptation of Ibrahima Ly’s prison success related to the Malian experience narrative Toiles d’araignée. of migration. They raise unexamined I continued with this research questions of genre and performance, during my second trip to Bamako, which place and settings, testifying to the coincided with the country’s celebration innovativeness and dynamics of local of 50 years independence. While looking cultural practices. at the role of life narratives and memoirs

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Sub-Saharan Africa Business Environment Report (SABER) ANITA SPRING In the past decade, I the economic and political environment of have been interested in the region and particular countries. understanding and analyzing SABER will include data on and the African business evaluation of indicators and their environment, starting implications for economic growth; with the 1995 African foreign direct investment and trade; Entrepreneurship Conference political stability; business regulation; and the subsequent book labor and employment; gender issues in African Entrepreneurship: business; ease of doing business; trade Theory and Reality (with organizations and policies; Millennium Barbara McDade) and Development Goals; telecommunications followed by a 2009 special and infrastructure; and health initiatives issue of the Journal of African and epidemics as they impact economic Business, as well as other indicators. straightforward. It will analyze business publications. I have continued to An added feature will be the linkages indicators and conditions in Sub-Saharan do research on related topics including to African universities and business Africa by region and specific countries. It a ten-country study that considered schools. An advisory group of African aims to produce a concise package about African business people, both women scholars from business colleges in Africa African business conditions to assist and men, at various levels of economic will comprise a Council of African Scholars several client groups ranging from business and business activities. I interviewed to review the reports. And each year, people and business consultants, to policy business owners, managers, and one of the scholars will be in short-term and decision makers, to the academic workers of small to medium to large- residence at UF to provide guidance and community of faculty and students who scale formal-sector companies, and give seminars and lectures. are located in the United States, Africa, and described and modeled the factors that elsewhere. It focuses on major economic, Anita Spring is professor emeritus, Department of helped and hindered business success, social and political events and indicators of Anthropology and Center for African Studies. Funding sustainability, and upward mobility. for this project is by Department of Education’s Title VI the sub-continent, initially considering the grants through the Center for International Business I also researched informal-sector, twenty largest economies in Sub-Saharan Education and Research (CIBER) and the Center for small-scale economic activities (e.g., African Studies (CAS),. Other project funding is from Africa. As an annual report, it will consider agriculture, local manufacturing, retail the CIBER at the Moore School of Business, University factors in the past year that have shaped of South Carolina.. sales and vendoring) that are engaged in by large numbers of people in every African county. As a result, I delineated the entrepreneurship landscape from bottom to top based on interviews, case materials, and surveys. The Sub-Saharan Africa Business Environment Report (SABER) project grows out of this interest, and commences in fall 2010 for a four-year period. As project director, along with Dr. Robert Rolfe, Professor of Marketing at the University of South Carolina, this research project is different from my previous work, and focuses on producing an annual report that is comprehensive and

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 33 Malaria: Movement, Modeling, and Mapping ANDREW TATEM tistics, we constructed the first global movement patterns and estimate evidence-based map of Plasmodium rates of malaria importation to the falciparum malaria transmission islands. The report is now serving as intensity in 50 years, and used it to a model for other countries consider- derive detailed estimates of popula- ing malaria elimination, and we are tions at risk, clinical case numbers now working with the World Health and commodity needs that are now Organization to update their guide- widely used in the policy domain. An lines. unexpected obstacle in calculating Finally, through successful estimates of populations at risk from Africa-related grant applications, I our malaria maps, was the poor qual- have begun working on a multi-insti- ity of existing population distribution mapping for the majority of African countries. This prompted me to initiate and the launch the AfriPop population mapping project (www. afripop.org) this year, which is based at UF. The project aims to produce detailed and freely-available popula- tion distribution maps for the whole of Africa, and the early versions of East African datasets have been downloaded hundreds of times, find- ing usage by multiple organizations, tution collaborative project focused including the World Bank, United on intensive studies of malaria epi- Nations agencies, USAID, the CDC, demiology in Uganda, the historical The recent increases in funding for the Red Cross, Medecins sans Fron- epidemiology of cholera globally, and malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa tieres and many other humanitarian the role of air travel in the spread of have resulted in the majority of organizations. insect-borne diseases to and from countries scaling up control efforts Funding from the Bill and Africa. substantially, and some countries even Melinda Gates Foundation has also considering eliminating the disease. enabled UF colleague David Smith Andrew Tatem is assistant professor in To the Emerging Pathogens Institute and monitor the effects that this increased investment (Biology and EPI) and I to utilize the Department of Geography. He is also and control is having, and to help countries decide MAP malaria maps, in combination a research associate of the Centre for Geographic Medicine, Nairobi, Kenya. His on whether to target elimination in the short term, with mathematical models, to develop research was made possible by grants from a strong quantitative evidence base is required. This quantitative methods for malaria the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Frederich Weiner-Anspach Foundation, the year, my research has been focused on continuing elimination planning. In collaboration Transport Research Board of the National to help to build this evidence base and provide with the Government of Zanzibar Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of quantitative, policy-relevant guidance on the and the Clinton Foundation, this year Allergy and Infectious Diseases, International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research feasibility of malaria elimination and the effects of we helped to conduct the first malaria Program, the UF Research Opportunity Seed control. elimination feasibility assessment of Fund, the RAPIDD program of the Science & Technology Directorate, Department Through my continued work with the Malaria its kind, focused on the islands of of Homeland Security, and the Fogarty Atlas Project (MAP, www.map.ox.ac.uk), we have Zanzibar. With 21 million records on International Center, National Institutes of built up a global database of nearly 30,000 com- cell phone usage across Zanzibar and Health. munity prevalence surveys, the majority of which mainland Tanzania, we were able to were undertaken in Africa. Using Bayesian geosta- use novel methods to quantify human

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Use of Critical Consciousness Theory to Explore Counselor Effectiveness During Disaster Response CIRECIE WEST-OLATUNJI Building upon the foundation of global collaboration and scholarship that was laid two years ago, I was able to revisit schools and agencies in South Africa and Botswana. My research project focused on culture-centered disaster counseling and explored the impact of an international immersion experience on counselor competence. The four week clinical outreach began with an international conference at the University of Botswana (UB) in Gabarone, where mental health stakeholders shared their perspectives on “Providing Culturally Competent Counseling Services in Trauma-affected Communities.” Approximately, 75 graduate counseling students, faculty, and counseling practitioners were in attendance. Throughout the conference, the UB students shared their struggles in counselor development, giving meaning teachers met at the conference. The Preliminary analysis of the data to the words “cultural discontinuity.” immersion began at the Lesedi Village suggests that the participants’ articulate Most narratives focused on how difficult where the team experienced the history increased cultural competence, critical it is for counselors to connect with their of South Africa through music, dance, thinking around sociopolitical context, clients who often didn’t return. However, and storytelling. and enhanced self-awareness related to in general, their training was very similar The bulk of the experience personal bias. Early outcomes of the to that in the U.S. Of significance, focused on connecting to individuals study have been disseminated at confer- one of our team members remarked, and community agencies though client- ences and invited lectures in Romania, “There should be a Botswana theory of centered, community-based counseling, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, counseling instead of only importing responding adaptively where and when and China. One paper is currently under Western theories that don’t fit the needs arose. One agency was ready with review with a international peer-reviewed culture.” a case presentation and manuscript they journal, other manuscripts are in progress. A nationally representative team of had written and requested consultation A FEO application has been submitted to ten professional counselors and counselor and supervision. Another agency the university to dedicate time to writ- educators were invited to participate that was visited, Sithandi Zingane, ing a textbook that articulates an emer- the outreach experience. To more fully (translated as “We love the children”) gent model of culture-centered disaster understand the southern African cultural provides care and support for orphaned counseling that is built upon my outreach contexts and the nature of HIV-AIDS children. While the clinical team efforts in southern Africa and elsewhere. related trauma, the clinical outreach brought considerable breadth and depth of counseling experience to the sites Cirecie West-Olatunji is associate professor in the team immersed themselves in the local School of Human Development and Organi- milieu through both planned excursions visited in South Africa and Botswana, an zational Studies in Education in the College of equally important emphasis was placed Education. She received support from the Center to Robben Island, Soweto, and other for African Studies for this research. landmarks, and by invited outings, like on their own growth, both personal and visiting the village of Molepolole with professional.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 35 STUDENT Reports

Remembering Colonial Times: an Algerian Oral History KHADIDJA ARFI Last year, I wrote a paper on Algerian remembrance and thoughts of the word harki, a loaded word that has strong associations with collaborators and the war of independence. I decided to go beyond that theme and for my dissertation investigate the Algerian colonial past through the postcolonial memory focusing on the people of Dellys. Such an approach allows me to get beyond the specific time of the war of resistance by using people’s testimonies, through storytelling, myths, songs, prayers and many other venues by using oral traditions and oral histories in analyzing social phenomena during colonialism. This summer I spent more than three months engaged in my dissertation fieldwork in the port town of Dellys, Algeria, and its surrounding villages. Located 100 km northwest of Algiers, Dellys is famous for its strategic position, being inhabited for several millennia by various participate in local social life without interaction. civilizations –Berber, Roman, Vandal, Arab, and jeopardizing my data collection. The narratives tell the personal French. Despite its historical legacy, cultural Every moment I spent is part of experiences of the interviewees, diversity, economy and environment, in the my fieldwork. I am grateful to the weaving a complex picture of the last fifteen years Dellys has been neglected and Dellysians for embracing me, trusting area in past and present. Thanks to classified as a hub of terrorism, which makes it an me with stories that, for some, have my exceptional narrators, soon the excellent case study for postcolonial memory of been in their chests for a long time, stories from Dellys will flow in the colonialism. and for thanking me for my interest river of human history to settle on No matter how I prepared intellectually in their words and lives. its banks as an everlasting shaahid or by reading books on memory and colonialism, The data I collected is very trace. postcolonial theory and oral history, when I sat significant. It responds to the listening to many of the great people of Dellys, we limitations of many writings that were able to construct unique narratives of a rich neglect the context and voices of and complex life in colonial Algeria.Thanks to an the indigenous population. In my exceptional net of connections, I had close to 100 experience, space, remembrance, and formal and informal interviews. Eighty personal human connections are intertwined interviews were conducted with elderly men and with gender, religion, class, tradition, women in the town of Dellys and surrounding and modernity in ways that are villages. Though such dialogues, the participants inseparable but independently told narratives by digging into their memories and significant. They represent memories using their landscape to construct these historical of a life embedded within the Khadidja Arfi is a doctoral candidate in the narratives. casbah, gardens, or villages in relation Department of Anthropology. She received Being of Dellysian parents, I knew that to kinship and community. They support for her research from a CAS pre- dissertation research grant and the John M. during my fieldwork I would be obliged to fulfill construct emotional moments in Goggin Award. my social obligations, embracing both advantages memory in recalling colon, harki or and disadvantages. Such events allowed me to mujahid as symbols of their colonial

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Marketing Opportunities and Constraints in the East Usambaras, Tanzania RENEE BULLOCK Creating effective strategies to alleviate poverty and conserve biodiversity in tropical countries has become a critical issue in economic development efforts. It is difficult to establish protected areas to manage resources at landscape level and greater attention has focused on how to conserve remaining biodiversity while supporting rural development needs. The East Usambaras, located in northeast Tanzania, are similar to many tropical regions that contain unique ecosystems. The mountains are characterized by a mosaic of land use patterns, including agriculture and montane rainforests that support some of the highest species biodiversity in the world. Within this setting, smallholder subsistence farmers grow many common food crops, including maize and cassava. Additionally, in the uplands, significant cash crops include spices that are grown years. At this point, yields decline and Identifying market inefficiencies is useful in agroforestry systems. Native trees so do farmers’ incomes. Farmers then to develop strategies to improve market create shade for growing the “queen convert their agroforestry systems to grow based approaches that generate incentives of spices”-cardamom. Cardamom is crops that enjoy full sunlight, such a food to conserve agroforestry systems. For intensely aromatic and used in curries; crops. But in so doing, the biodiversity example, organic certification emphasizes in European countries the spice is used value of their farm is lost: native trees are quality standards and encourages to flavor sweet pastries. For farmers in removed. In 2009 I developed profitability sustainable agricultural practices. the East Usambaras cardamom thus models for farmers’ land use practices. Conducting research in this corner holds potential as a high value export In short, conversion is lucrative and of the world has taken me off the beaten crop. In fact, the government promoted farmers incur high opportunity costs track to an area I may not have otherwise cardamom as a market strategy to if they do not convert. I returned this visited. My field experiences have been alleviate poverty by producing for high summer to examine markets for the crops adventurous and taught me many lessons, value niche markets. My research has in these systems. My research assistant especially the value of communication. investigated cardamom cultivation and and I travelled by motorbike and camped My ability to communicate in Swahili other land issues that are paramount in villages to interview farmers and because of the FLAS fellowship has to understanding how to address intermediaries in rural and urban areas. helped tremendously in facilitating conservation priorities in the area: We used a value chain analysis approach, professional relationships, and more farmer’s land use practices and markets. which describes the full range of activities importantly, getting to know the farmers Cardamom production has from production to final consumers. Our with whom I work. research revealed that there are significant been criticized as a leading cause of Renee Bullock is a PhD student in geography deforestation. Although it is grown under constraints to farmers getting their crops and a former FLAS fellow in Swahili (2008-2010). native trees in agroforestry systems, into high value export markets, including production is estimated to last only 13 weak institutions and low capital.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 37 Epigenetic Alterations and Stress Among New Mothers and Infants in the Democratic Republic of Congo NICOLE C. D’ERRICO patterns of epigenetic changes, stress and inflammation in mother-infant dyads. During the course of the study, our partner doctors on the ground in Goma were capacitated to do basic DNA extraction and placental biopsies. We will continue to work with them during the analysis and further data collection for this study. The Mulligan lab donated several pieces of genetic equipment for the small molecular genetics laboratory that we set up at HEAL Africa for this study. We have plans to present the first round of findings to the community as soon as analysis is complete. Finally, this study will be expanded upon for my dissertation research, beginning in 2012. It is our hope that we produce conclusions which will not only expand our understanding of how adversity in The new field of Fetal semi-structured interviews, perinatal the intrauterine environment affects birth Origins suggests that the trauma surveys and biological samples outcomes and child health, but which will quality of the intrauterine from 25 women giving birth at the be relevant for policy makers and public environment in which a fetus HEAL Africa hospital in Goma, eastern health stakeholders in the DRC. is programmed has great DRC, during July and August. Maternal Nicole D’Errico is a graduate student in medical implications for the health of blood, umbilical cord blood (a proxy anthropology and epidemiology. She is a FLAS the child. Researchers are beginning for infant blood) and placental samples fellow for Swahili (2009-11). to document the health effects of the were taken from all participants. From passage of stress hormones from mother these samples we will measure stress to fetus. Still, many important questions about the biological mechanisms for such transmission remain largely unknown. This summer, with support from the Center for African Studies and in collaboration with Dr. Connie Mulligan, I began the first epigenetic study to take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study is the first of its kind to analyze how the stress of 14 years of war in the eastern provinces of the DRC might produce epigenetic hormones, biological markers of alterations among mothers and babies. inflammation and epigenetic alterations. This is particularly relevant in the context The interview and survey data and will of eastern DRC, where systematic rape provide the contextual details necessary warfare is being used as a tool of war by to begin to understand how mundane soldiers operating in the region. stressors and other traumatic exposures For this biocultural study, I took of war such as sexual violence, map onto

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Masquerade and Local Knowledge in Urban Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria JORDAN A. FENTON From 2009-2010, I completed 12 months of fieldwork in Nigeria for my dissertation. This experience built upon two previous trips during the summer months of 2008 and 2009. During my time in Calabar, I studied six masquerade societies and a local writing system known as nsibidi—a secret pictographic and performed and gestured indigenous language primarily used today by the Ekpe/Mgbe secret society, popularly known as leopard societies. My research explores notions of secrecy, power, knowledge, and agency through the local use of masquerade performance, rituals, and nsibidi to begin to understand what role secret societies play in postcolonial Calabar. There are six major masquerade societies comprised of numerous factions throughout Calabar, each major type has its own distinctive masquerades, musical rhythms, and age range. Three have deep rooted histories for the indigenous uses were re-contextualized. establish power in Ekpe rituals and populations of Calabar, while the remaining Another part of my project ceremonies, the language becomes three are more recent. Part of my research was to was to learn nsibidi and understand more unified, but still quite irregular examine how the more recent masquerade societies its artistry, contemporary function, as member constantly invent different developed and were influenced by the more historic and larger meaning in contemporary gestures of existing signs in order examples. This was done by comparing ritual, Calabar. Having been initiated into to confuse their challengers to Ekpe during my first trip in 2008, demonstrate their agency. as I returned to Calabar during The broader aspects of my subsequent trips, I continued my research resonate with the concerns initiation through the different related to the social workings of levels of the society, which included ‘traditional’ culture in urban settings, the learning of esoteric lore and the processes of change and nsibidi. As my research progressed, adaptability of visual culture, and I began to learn that meanings and the multiplicity of meanings of local interpretations are not fixed, but knowledge. personal and different from elder to elder or member to member. I Jordan A. Fenton is a doctoral candidate in the School of Art and Art History. His was careful to learn from known research in 2009-2010 was made possible masters of nsibidi since knowledge by a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship. Previously, he depends on levels of initiation. Still performance, and initiation structures as well as received two summer Foreign Language to my surprise, explanations were Area Studies (FLAS) grants to study the conducting a systematic evaluation of symbolic individualized and in some cases Ejagham language in Calabar, Nigeria elements and iconography. The analysis reveals that during 2008 and 2009. completely different from one master these recent masquerade societies were shaped by to the next. However, once this local and regional forces and influence, while the script becomes performed by way of ritual structure and iconography were influenced by gesture during nsibidi challenges to the previous societies, however the meanings and

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 39 The Role of the Environment in the Forest Livelihood Decisions of Malawian Villagers JOHN DUDLEY FORT I am conducting research criteria related to the environment. to discover to what extent At the end of our data collection the environment enters period my research team will share our into the livelihood decisions results with our research communities of Malawians living along in order to allow them to see their forest the border of the Mulanje use in a larger context. These results Mountain Forest Reserve. My will also be shared with local NGOs research builds upon a 2008 dataset and environmental policymakers. It is entitled, “The coproduction of land hoped that by generating insight into use and livelihoods in Malawi.” That the ways in which forest users think Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia whytei) and project used quarterly surveys to measure about the environment this research will several miombo hardwoods (Brachystegia household incomes from a suite of inform policies and programs which sp.). The mountain and its forest provide livelihood activities, including those seek to conserve the forest and improve valuable environmental services to which involve the forest. My project adds the standard of living among those the surrounding communities; it is the a qualitative dimension to the dataset people who rely on the forest for their source of 15 rivers and it is one of the by seeking the reasons behind forest livelihoods. few remaining sites at which to harvest livelihood decisions. Whereas the 2008 firewood. The forest also serves as an work quantified how much households important source for building materials earned from particular forest livelihoods, and is a renowned location for harvesting my work seeks to understand why those traditional medicine. households decide to pursue or not As with many forests in Africa and around the world, the Mulanje Forest faces increased usage from rising populations along its boundaries. My research is designed to shed light on this usage by investigating local people’s decisions to use the forest from the perspectives of the users themselves. Specifically, I am curious to know how and to what extent concepts of “the environment” enter into the forest usage decisions of the people living around John Fort is a masters student in the School of the mountain. The method I am using Natural Resources. This research is funded by a Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) to understand these decisions is called Field Research Grant. Ethnographic Decision Tree Modeling. Based on the data collected from in-depth interviews, my research assistants and I will construct tree models for the decision pursue those same activities. to pursue or not pursue four different My project is focused on three forest livelihood activities. These models villages along the base of the Mulanje will then be tested and revised using Mountain. Mulanje is a 3,000 meter questionnaires administered to a larger massif which rises impressively from sample of respondents from the same the plains below. The mountain has a three villages. Once validated, these 600 km2 forest reserve which contains models will be analyzed for decision ecologically important species such as the

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Elephant Community Ecology in Botswana TIMOTHY FULLMAN My research looks at the impact of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) on other large herbivores in Botswana. Southern Africa is home to the world’s largest population of African elephants. While this natural treasure serves as the basis for a booming tourism industry, generating jobs and revenue for local communities, the 200,000+ population of elephants are also a source of human-wildlife conflict and preliminary research suggests elephants are affecting other large mammals, threatening the area’s ecological integrity. There is a dire need to understand the impact of increasing densities of elephants on species diversity. My project investigates the applicability of the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis to elephants and other large mammals by quantifying patterns of species diversity across a range of elephant densities and analyzing species interactions to investigate biotic mechanisms in both Chobe National Park and predicted changes in the environment underlying diversity trends. A better understanding Moremi Game Reserve testing and around Chobe National Park may of the influence of elephants on other species will refining methods for analyzing influence the wildlife species that enable more effective management decisions in an species interactions and habitat use live there, informing management under varying densities of elephants. decisions by the Department of Large herbivore groups were Wildlife and National Parks. spatially located during two types of game drives. Long drives were Timothy Fullman is a doctoral student in the Department of Geography. He has received conducted over large spatial extents support for his research from Cleveland to provide analysis of habitat use Metroparks Zoo Conservation Fund, QSE3 IGERT Travel Grant, NASA Climate Change at a large spatial scale but at a short Research Grant, UF College of Liberal Arts temporal scale at any single location. and Sciences (CLAS) Travel Grant, and a Short drives were conducted over a Department of Geography Travel Grant. smaller spatial extent that was driven repeatedly every hour to provide a picture of how habitat occupancy changes over time, allowing me to consider a longer time scale but a area where biodiversity conservation is essential for small spatial scale. economic growth and local livelihoods. The information collected will I first visited Botswana in 2008 while be combined with GIS and remote conducting my master’s research on elephant sensing land cover data from other utilization of trees in Chobe National Park. This graduate students in our research summer, I returned to Botswana for two months group to create predictive habitat to begin my dissertation research. This built upon maps for large mammals in the dry work I started in 2008 to consider habitat use season. Pairing this with our group’s by large herbivores. This field season I worked climate modeling will show how

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 41 Minority Language Promotion in Senegal and Mauritania: The Case of Pulaar JOHN HAMES A network of activists who reside in or have migrated from the Fuuta Tooro region of Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania has adopted literacy classes, forms of entertainment and journalism in order to address perceived threats to the Pulaar language emanating from its minority status in those countries. Some of these activists become recognized in the Pulaar community as ngenndiyankoobe, a Pulaar word that translates as “patriots” or “nationalists.” Their activism is part of a brand of transnational social activism that might provide scholars with a new Pulaar classes taught by members of the language in a way that does not betray understanding of attempts by ethnic community, and has trained a cadre of influences of other languages, and minorities in Africa to address the skilled theater performers whose acts wearing particular styles of clothes, others grievances associated with cultural and often deal with important social issues. scoffed at such attitudes and saw them as linguistic marginalization. I am now completing an in-depth ways of unfairly claiming a monopoly on The Jeanne and Hunt Davis Pre- fieldwork report that addresses several representation of the Pulaar cause. Dissertation Grant enabled me to spend themes discerned from what I observed In addition, I found that assumptions the summer in Senegal and Mauritania and what I was told during my trip. One about what makes a creditable Pulaar in order to learn more about this of the most important of these themes activist or ngenndiyanke, can underlie the phenomenon. Thanks to the hospitality is understanding how current Pulaar grievances expressed in power struggles of great hosts and friends, I had the activists situate their roles within what where positions of influence that involve opportunity to make contacts with over some of them view as a tradition of use of the language are at stake, as seen a dozen associations involved in the Pulaar-related activism, which is often in the case of one former TV personality promotion of Pulaar and had over 30 portrayed as beginning with a group of whose removal from her position was interviews and informal discussions Pulaar-speaking intellectuals back in the believed by some to be justified by a with Pulaar activists. My activities 1950s and 1960s who saw promotion supposed lack of depth in her Pulaar, included frequent visits to the office of of education in African languages as as well as her closeness to members Lewlewal Group, a Pulaar-language media essential to the project of liberation from of other ethnic groups. I expect that company that is working on beginning European domination. The report also exploration of these and other themes in radio broadcasts in Senegal and operates grapples with the considerable degree my fieldwork report will, sometime in the an online news site. Other efforts of contestation I found within the next few months, begin developing into a included everything from conversations Pulaar activist community in Senegal and bona fide master’s thesis. with mainstream journalists about the Mauritania over who has rightfully earned a place among the ngenndiyankoobe, and John Hames is a master’s student in the pressures of Pulaar activists’ demands on Department of Anthropology. He received their work, to meetings with Pelle Pinal e the criteria by which that is determined. funding for his research from a 2010 Hunt and Bamtaare (Associations for Culture and While some with whom I spoke this Jeanne Davis pre-dissertation research grant as well as summer FLAS from CAS to study Development) such as that established summer were very passionate about advanced Pulaar. His research interests in the by the residents of the village of Sori the need for those promoting Pulaar to Pulaar community began to develop when he was in the Gambia, where he served as a Peace Male, Mauritania, which conducts regular assume such behaviors as speaking the Corps Volunteer from 2005 to 2007.

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Heritage Tourism: Implications for the Preservation of Traditional Haya Architecture in NW Tanzania RACHEL IANNELLI Located in Katuruka village are a suite of sacred sites of great antiquity that are currently being restored and revitalized. These restorative activities are crucial in order to present properly to visitors the shrines and other landscape features that are of great historical significance. This summer I set out to investigate how the construction and use of traditional omushonge houses of large circular design constructed of wood, elephant grass, woven bark fiber and thatch can appeal to a growing heritage tourism sector in Kagera Region, Tanzania, while simultaneously avoiding negative questions of authenticity. During my first visit to Katuruka village the previous year, I assisted in the documentation of the construction of an omushonge spirit house honoring the Bacwezi ancestor Mugasha. This attraction has been recently enhanced further by the reconstruction of another omushonge style spirit house in the old royal palace compound. Both of these structures have been reconstructed from the accounts of elder informants who had personally witnessed the original structures in the past. Thus, while they are reconstructions, the authenticity of form is beyond reproach. Using the Katuruka omushonge shrines as my investigatory setting, I surveyed visiting tourists to gauge their reaction to this traditional architectural style. I internal and external dimensions which are thought generally to be found that omushonge architecture is an element of all architectural elements and more accessible in omushonge of local culture that has great appeal to visitors. documented each photographically. structures. Thus tourist preferences articulated at the Katuruka Residents provided valuable Indeed tourism has a role to site could form a foundation for recommendations information regarding the symbolic play in historic preservation and pertaining to further development of traditional meanings of many structural revitalization at a local level. In order architecture at heritage sites. elements of omushonge, although to promote economic decisions that A second component of my research was to the significance of these elements simultaneously enhance the cultural document ethnographically the cultural meanings varies widely. When informants were well-being of local communities, it is associated with traditional omushonge domestic asked how omushonge style houses my aim to provide empirical evidence structures. In order to do this I conducted differ from that of ekibanda style that will encourage the authentic interviews with thirteen individuals who maintain houses opinions were unanimously in representation of traditional Haya traditional omushonge houses and six residents favor of the traditional omushonge architecture. of ekibanda, rectangular, style homes for purposes style residence. The reasons include Rachel Iannelli is a doctoral student in the of comparison. The interviews covered issues the ability to maintain a comfortable Department of Anthropology. Her research interior temperature, a floor plan was funded by a summer 2010 UF Center including the biographical history of each house for Business and Economic Research and an explanation of interior space use. I used more suited to family cohesion, as (CIBER) grant and a contribution from well as veneration for the ancestors the Foundation for African Prehistory and a compass and laser range finder to measure Archaeology.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 43 Institutional Reforms to Strengthen Gender Outcomes through Improved Rural Services Delivery JILLIAN JENSEN For the past year, I have had the opportunity to carry out research with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the gender outcomes of investments in agricultural development projects under the U.S. government’s assistance framework, the President’s Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA). Since its launch in 2002, IEHA has been USAID’s primary delivery mechanism for support to the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), which targets six percent annual growth in the agricultural Mozambique, and Uganda – where a mix Swaziland. Here, I am problematizing sector of signatory countries. The of institutional reform approaches was the integration of local institutions, expected outcomes of this targeted required to address binding constraints up specifically a traditional authority goal are improved rural incomes and and down the value chain. system, into the governance of a large reductions in poverty and hunger. As My experience working with USAID has irrigation scheme designed to facilitate USAID prepared to launch its new had a tremendous influence on how I the increased participation of smallhold global food security initiative, Feed the approach and communicate my research farmers in commercialized agriculture. Future (FTF), it sought to gather lessons to increase its value and uptake by I am investigating the effects of this on the gender outcomes achieved under international development organizations. integration on the overall performance IEHA. These lessons would be used Bridging the distance between theory and sustainability of the service delivery to guide the design of FTF agricultural and praxis is a challenge that I believe all chain through the prism of accountability programs and projects to improve young scholars must face, in particular, relations. In so doing I am building upon gender integration and strengthen those who aspire to careers outside continuing work by the World Bank on gender outcomes. academia. I find this to be especially true approaches to strengthening rural services My involvement included participating when trying to operationalize what is delivery to improve rural development in building the conceptual framework essentially a conceptual device like gender outcomes. From a theoretical perspective, and methodology for a multi-country in common development tools such as I am also contributing to the debate program assessment. This leveraged my logical frameworks and monitoring and over whether traditional authorities, as a disciplinary background from UF in evaluation plans. The theoretical critique potential source of clientelistic behaviors, agricultural economics, farming systems, represented by gender quickly drifts in strengthen or weak development and political science. Combining gender practice to targeting resource distribution outcomes. analysis with the agricultural value chain to women. Changing the ‘rules of the analytical framework proved to be the game’ faced by women remains a much Jillian Jensen is a doctoral student in the most sensitive and effective tool for School of Natural Resources and Environment, more difficult task. Interdisciplinary Ecology Program. She is a identifying and weighing up the various I have taken this experience into my on- research fellow in the NSF-IGERT program on constraints limiting gender equity. This Adaptive Management of Water, Wetlands, going dissertation work on the governance was evident when comparing the results and Watersheds, housed in the Center for of public sector irrigation services in Environmental Policy. Her major discipline is from three country field studies – Mali, political science.

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Archaeology and Stone Tool Technology during Early State Development in Northern Ethiopia LUCAS R. MARTINDALE JOHNSON the analysis is only in its second year. It is anticipated that artifact typologies for this area will continue to be revised and modified to fit what local variation existed among the ancient inhabitants of Mezber. During the month I was in northern Ethiopia much of my time was spent analyzing artifacts in a dimly lit hotel room with calipers, scales, and data sheets. This is the less sexy, although critical, side of archaeological fieldwork. We did, however, visit the site of Mezber, which is plowed and cultivated during the growing season. The site is protected during this period from surface disturbances. In going to this site and surrounding areas via 4x4 and on foot, you establish a sense for how the landscape isolates as well as expands your vision. These valleys have steep extreme slopes, which limit mobility, Although excavations are just scratching Recent archaeological but also have been populated for tens the surface of cultural deposits, the investigation in Eastern Tigrai, of thousands of years, which expose the project has recovered a wealth of data Ethiopia, addresses issues of wealth of local and foreign knowledge, that show a wide variety of social indigenous influence on early resource management, and power. behaviors were present during this ancient state development during Fieldwork in this area of Africa has time in Ethiopia and the pre-history of the pre-Aksumite period (ca. shown me that rugged landscapes are not the Horn of Africa. 800 BC- 440 BC). This multi- inhospitable places to live and grow. The My goal during the summer of 2010 scalar and multi-method research team people of Eastern Tigrai, Ethiopia, today was to continue the analysis of lithic or headed by Cathy D’Andrea from Simon are truly a humble and welcoming people stone tool technology recovered from Fraser University directs attention to as I am sure they were in the ancient past. a local archaeological community at the architecture at Mezber. Past research the site of Mezber. A broad research of lithic material focused on surface and goal is to excavate and document the poorly contextualized cultural deposits, so range of ancient behaviors (e.g. food the opportunity to conduct a contextual production, animal management, stone analysis of the lithic materials was very tool technology, etc.) of the local exciting. Working with Dr. Steven Brandt inhabitants during a time of incipient from the Department of Anthropology social complexity so as to assess what at UF, my research addressed which social/environmental mechanism(s) may stone tool types were present in the have contributed to state formation in assemblage and which tool types were this area. underrepresented. After cataloguing many of the artifacts, we have begun Lucas R. Martindale Johnson is a doctoral Since 2006 the Eastern Tigrai student in anthropology and received funding Archaeological Project (ETAP) has to understand that assemblages from for this research from a CAS summer pre- surveyed large portions of the Eastern Mezber show a wealth of raw material dissertation research grant. Tigrai area in Ethiopia, but has only variation as well as some tool type begun to systematically excavate one site. standardization. Currently, over 5,000 stone artifacts have been recovered and

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 45 Rebels, Rulers, and Refugees: Post-Conflict Governments in Action in Burundi CARA E. JONES I have worked in the Great Lakes region for the past four years and have spent the past three summers in the Central African nation of Burundi. The country is frequently listed as the world’s poorest, and recently ended its decades- old civil war (1993-2009). The time spent here has allowed me to witness Burundi’s transition to democracy firsthand. Burundi embarked on its second set of democratic elections following negotiations between numerous rebel factions and the military in 2005. Contacts I made on a trip in 2008, funded by the Center for African Studies, allowed me to participate in these elections personally. I acted as an international observer for COSOME (la coalition de la société civile pour le observation et le monitoring des elections) as a side project while conducting research for my dissertation. While this work was tremendously during peace talks in the early 2000s. It Congo, or Kenya. This skill has been illuminating regarding the election and was fascinating to be able to gather data especially useful in” breaking the ice” the political tension surrounding it-- on this murky topic and to trace the with notoriously wary Burundians and has there were serious questions as to how political infancy and adolescence of the contributed to a more fruitful research many participants would ultimately play movement. During this summer trip, I experience. I look forward to enhancing a part in the five-election cycle-- my conducted 47 interviews, with plans to these skills on many return fieldwork project focuses on the party in power conduct approximately 300 more over trips to Burundi and the Great Lakes and on a grander scale. My thesis focuses on this academic year while in Burundi on a hope that the skills I developed through the changes from rebel movement to Fulbright-Hays fellowship. working with the Center for African state government following civil wars, My ability to conduct interviews Studies can add to the larger body of and specifically, the ruling CNDD-FDD is due in part to my study under the knowledge on the region. (Council Nationale pour la defense de University of Florida’s Center for African Studies Title VI language programs. I Cara E. Jones is a doctoral candidate in the la democratie-Force du defense de la Department of Political Science. She has democratie). studied four years of Kiswahili, the lingua received research funding from the Dept. of franca of East Africa and one of the Political Science and is a 2010 recipient of a Research in the social sciences has Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research just begun to delve deeper into the inner official languages of the East African Abroad award. She was also a FLAS fellow for workings, organizations, and structures Community (of which Burundi has been Swahili (2006-2008). of rebel movements, or to put it simply, a member since 2007). Because of the what makes them “tick.” I gathered influence of Swahili traders along Lake preliminary evidence on the formation Tanganyika and porous borders with and development of the movement, Tanzania and East Congo, a fair number interviewing participants from those of Burundians speak Kiswahili, especially who joined the rebellion early and as former rebels, who often spent large foot-soldiers, to politicians who joined periods of time as refugees in Tanzania,

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Fairtrade South Africa (FTSA) ALISON KETTER

I am currently conducting My study focuses on FTSA’s and new opportunities for alliance and dissertation fieldwork in the implementation of South-South interdependence between South Africa Western Cape, Northern alternative trade, the process whereby and other leading southern states. Cape, and Limpopo Provinces agricultural goods that are produced in In order to conduct this research, of South Africa. My research South Africa are also marketed and sold I am meeting with a range of actors focuses on how policy transformations there, rather than being exported to the including farm workers, land beneficiary within Fairtrade South Africa (FTSA) global north. FTSA hopes to expand farmers, established commercial farmers, affect farm owner and worker livelihoods, the label domestically in order to: 1) FTSA personnel, government agents, impact land and agrarian policy in South unseat the accepted Fairtrade practice global Fairtrade personnel, etc. I am Africa, and reshape the global Fairtrade of marketing certified goods only in studying how these policy transformations consortium. the global north, thus allowing the develop and their tangible and intangible Fairtrade is an international global south greater autonomy over the consequences primarily through the lens economic initiative that aims to empower construction of their own socioeconomic of four vineyards, but also through that marginalized producers across the global models; 2) increase the sales of Fairtrade of numerous other relevant stakeholders. south through the promotion of equitable goods so that more smallholders and farm laborers will reap the benefits; Alison Ketter is a doctoral candidate in the production, distribution and consumption Department of Anthropology. Her research is practices. Based on a “trade-not-aid” and 3) lessen the carbon footprint of funded by Fulbright IIE and the National Science Fairtrade certified goods. Still, this new Foundation. She was a 2007-08 and 2008-09 approach to sustainable development, FLAS fellow in Swahili. She was also a 2010 Fairtrade was officially launched on a policy brings to the fore numerous Summer FLAS Fellow in Afrikaans, for which worldwide scale in 1997. It is now a questions about market access for she attended the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI). widespread template for agrarian reform, emerging black farmers, Fairtrade’s ability encompassing over 50 producer states in to reconfigure the inherited terms of Africa, Asia and Latin America. economic privilege in rural communities,

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 47 The “Business” of State-Building: The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on State Development in Equatorial Guinea JOSEPH KRAUS My research lies at the intersection of several fields of study: political science, African studies, political economy, and international business. Using the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects of multinational oil companies as a jumping off point, I have explored the complex nature of Equatoguinean politics and analyzed the impacts that CSR projects can have in a highly authoritarian oil-rich developing country. Oil companies operating in Equatorial Guinea have initiated two particularly interesting public-private partnerships with the government to improve the country’s education and health systems. These projects – which focus on malaria eradication and revamping the educational system – are scalable to the national level, increasing their potential to impact the lives of ordinary Equatoguineans. Given the temporary nature of the companies’ involvement in the country, they have made state capacity strengthening a key in their efforts to improve social I was detained by security forces for objective of their efforts in order to increase the services. The malaria project, for five hours while attempting to speak chances of project sustainability. instance, succeeded in reducing the with locals about my research. I was Equatorial Guinea is a dynamic, fascinating, prevalence of malaria infections released and hope to defend my and contradictory country. Ranked as one of in children age two to five from dissertation in the fall of 2010. the richest countries in the world per capita, the 42% in 2004 to 18% in 2008, and contributed to a 64% reduction in Joseph Kraus is a doctoral candidate in majority of the country’s 650,000 citizens continue the Department of Political Science. His to languish in poverty. Meanwhile, a relatively small deaths in children under the age research was funded in part by the Center of five. The education project has for International Business Education & minority of politically connected elite monopolize Research (CIBER) at the University of the spoils of the country’s annual oil revenues, outfitted 54 model schools with a Florida, the UF Center for African Studies, which totaled $6 billion in 2008). Over the past two new curriculum, pedagogy, and newly the UF Department of Political Science, and the Jeanne & Hunt Davis Fund. decades, this small country (the size of Maryland) trained teachers. In April 2010, the enjoyed one of the fastest average annual economic project graduated its first class of 982 growth rates in the world (20%+). While the teachers from its new teacher-training government has slowly begun to invest in education institute. and health, it continues to focus disproportionately Conducting research in on infrastructure, not people, and corruption and Equatorial Guinea comes with its political patronage remain persistent problems. rewards and challenges. Despite All of this makes Equatorial Guinea a the difficult political and economic challenging and salient place for companies to realities they must endure, invest in social projects, and for PhD students Equatoguineans celebrate life. Yet to conduct research. The CSR projects are beset the very real pressures under which by challenges related to corruption, lack of Equatoguineans live are ever present. human capacity, weak state institutions, and a I experienced first-hand a small piece rigid hierarchical political structure. Despite these of the daily intimidation and fear obstacles, the projects have made notable progress that confront Equatoguineans when

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Religious Influence on Political Belief and Behavior in Kenya STEPHEN LICHTY in Kenya’s history occurred in poverty, and unhygienic living August 2010. In a nation-wide conditions. Church members in referendum, Kenya adopted a new these settings expressed frustration constitution (passing 67% to 33%). and cynicism with the current The referendum was a divisive issue political situation, but unfortunately among the churches and provided they often lack the empowerment an excellent case for studying the necessary to challenge the status quo. influence between pulpit and pew. My dissertation committee chair With the help of eight short-term commented once that conducting research assistants, I managed to dissertation field research would observe what 40 churches were saying be one of the most rewarding before and after the referendum. experiences in my scholarly career. We also conducted short interviews Four months into this adventure, I with 200 members in these churches. can only concur and look forward to With 75% of Kenya being Christian the remaining six months I have in (according to recently released census the field. figures), a good portion voted against the wishes of several prominent Steven Lichty is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science. As a doctoral candidate in political religious leaders. His research in Kenya is funded with a science at the University of Florida, In diving into the political Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation I am a Fulbright-Hays Fellow Research Abroad award. He was a FLAS behavior of Kenya, I also discovered fellow in Kiswahili and Arabic (2006-08). conducting dissertation research that there really isn’t the concept that examines religious influence on of “political belief ” here. Kenyans political belief and behavior in Kenya. struggle to articulate a well-defined In the last two years, the Center for African political ideology or view, forcing my Studies provided funding for two trips to Kenya, research assistant and I to go back to which facilitated pre-dissertation research and the drawing board to develop a better testing of my research design. These experiences approach at getting at their political provided crucial insight in developing an effective views. We have even had to hash out methodological strategy to explore how the highly the definition of “political” and in religious Kenyan society engages with the political the process I’ve learned much about process. the inner psyche of Kenyans. The scholarly literature addresses the more While most of my research public role of the church in Kenya’s ongoing has been focused in the capital city democratization struggle, but an understanding is of Nairobi, I made two visits into lacking of the internal and more personal influence Nyanza and Central Provinces to get that religious institutions play in the development a sense of the political atmosphere of church members’ political attitudes and actions. in rural churches. On numerous Using nine churches and several para-church occasions I have also visited churches organizations as my primary case studies, my in the low-income urban areas dissertation centers on a qualitative investigation surrounding Nairobi. Small churches of the inner characteristics of church life, pastoral from various denominational theological training, political messages embedded in backgrounds dot these vast urban sermons, and the syncretism of traditional African landscapes, providing hope and spiritualities. encouragement to a population One of the most important political events characterized by unemployment,

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 49 Arabic Script as Active Agent in Senegalese Visual Culture EUGENIA (GENIA) S. MARTINEZ presence of Arabic writing is also and projected through their works beyond ironically the most invisible, and comes the literal words depicted on surfaces. in the form of gris-gris, or protective In other words, the question is not only amulets that most people wear around “What do the words say?” but also, “What their waists, necks, and/or upper arms does how the words look say?” underneath their clothes. Another way that Arabic serves a talismanic function in Senegalese culture is within the spectacle of traditional wrestling, or lamb ji. Here, rather than being invisible, wrestlers’ accumulations of many types of gris-gris, As a Ph.D. candidate in art including amulets, huge jugs of safara history, my specific area (writing water), and white tunics inscribed of interest is Islamic visual with Arabic writing and khawatim (magic expression in Senegal and the squares) are all central to the spectacle centrality of Arabic script in within the arena and the intimidation this expression of faith. During tactics among the athletes. summer 2010, I spent two months in Finally, many of the same spiritually Dakar where I met with a number of protective functions of Arabic script, artist-calligraphers. These artists are particularly Qur’an and religious poetry addressing the importance of developing passages, are retained in the calligraphic local traditions of Arabic calligraphy to fine art work of many of the artists replace the often low-quality of products I have begun to work with in Dakar, that are widely available from China, including Yelimane Fall, Abdoul Aziz Dubai, and elsewhere in the eastern Fall (called Dabakh), Hady Kane, Samba Islamic world. Ly, Moustapha Seck, and Pape Ibrahima Throughout my coursework and Ndoye. This short visit, partially funded two visits to Dakar, I have found that by the Center for African Studies, the role of Arabic writing in everyday allowed me to conduct initial interviews life is prominent, despite – or perhaps with artists and document some of because of – the fact that it is not the their works. To further prepare for field Eugenia (Genia) S. Martinez is a doctoral. spoken language of the region. Dakar research in Senegal, I have studied both candidate in art history. Her coursework has been is a culturally and linguistically complex supported by FLAS fellowships in both Arabic Arabic and Wolof, supported by FLAS and Wolof since summer 2008. metropolis in which the Arabic script fellowships in summer 2008 and academic that diffused throughout the region via years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010- trans-Saharan trade is taking on a life of 2011. Furthermore, I took additional its own within the visual landscape, at Arabic courses at the Arabic Language once modern and steeped in history and Institute of Fez, in Fez, Morocco in time-honored demonstrations of faith. summer 2009. The next stage of my Though Dakar was never a part of the project will be to conduct long-term historic trans-Saharan trade networks, research in Senegal, focusing on Dakar, to today it serves as a modern cultural and document the variety of artists working commercial hub, drawing populations with Arabic calligraphy in Senegal, from throughout Muslim West Africa, the reception of their works in the public Maghrib, and beyond. sphere, and aspects of personal and In Senegal, the most ubiquitous collective religious expression contained

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Governance and Sustainability of Wildlife in Logging Concessions in northern Republic of the Congo (ROC) GERMAIN A. MAVAH I spent last summer 2010 in Ngombé forest management unit adjacent to Odzala- Kokoua National Park (OKNP) in northern ROC. In this area, several peripheral influences contribute to reduced wildlife populations and so conservation efforts are still needed. Ngombé forest management unit is the largest forest concession in northern Congo with a size of 1,159,643 hectares, and it is currently allocated to the second largest logging company in ROC. And OKNP is the largest Park in ROC with about 1,360.000 hectares, created in 1935. It is one of the few sites left in Africa with a forest habitat and mammal population so rich and relatively intact. It contains very high populations of mammals including forest elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, bongo, buffalo and leopard. participation is subject to several factors Germain A. Mavah is a MSc student in To reduce threats to wildlife and Interdisciplinary Ecology. His research was encourage sustainable management such as the value wildlife for local people, funded in part through the Wildlife Conservation practices in the OKNP buffer zone, a its contribution to their income, their Society (WCS), Tropical Conservation and recognition of threats, potential solutions, Development (TCD) and Center for African collaborative effort was introduced by Studies. He is currently a Beinecke African the Ministry of Forest Economy, the or obstacles to success of management Conservation Scholar. Wildlife Conservation Society, and the initiatives and formal wildlife regulations logging company Industrielle Forestiere as wel as their memberships and their de Ouesso (IFO) in 2005. This is a willingness to participate in collective new partnership in this area regarding action and the level of social trust and conservation strategies. Although local cohesion in the community. All these communities have been involved in factors influence local behavior in regards the process of zoning of traditional to the use of a given resource such as territories, I am concerned that their wildlife in northern of ROC. participation in conservation innovations Fieldwork in this area has been remains passive, and this study is seeking demanding and satisfying. As a researcher, to find out why. my hope is that my work contributes Thus, during summer 2010, to better understandings of why local I collected data which concerned people are passive in wildlife management governance and sustainability of wildlife strategies. I do believe that this study is a in logging concessions adjacent to the starting point to communicate between national park in northern ROC. I have local communities, conservation NGOs, investigated potential factors likely to private companies and the Congolese influence the participation of local people Government. in wildlife management strategies. This

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 51 Risk, Perception, Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change in Niger and Tanzania SARAH LINDLEY MCKUNE

This summer I returned to pastoralism who were keen to collaborate. complete, a small-scale version of the Niger to investigate the We spent a week hashing out theoretical project is planned in Tanzania, to test feasibility of my desired and logistical components of a potential the appropriateness and usefulness of research. I spent much of 2005- project, and I came home and started indicators of pastoral resilience and 2007 in the area around Tanout in writing proposals for funding. vulnerability across multiple contexts. A eastern Niger evaluating a British Red Our research project is investigating workshop will be held in collaboration Cross Cash Distribution Project. The how populations of varying degrees of with the International Livestock Research experience – collecting livelihood data pastoralism in Niger are interpreting and Institute in Nairobi to discuss findings from 359 households, plus focus groups responding to perceived risk of climate from the project as well as methodologies and key informant interviews in 19 change, and how those reactions are for risk assessment and vulnerability communities – sparked my interest in affecting their vulnerability and resilience. analysis. understanding how climate change is The project will replicate household being perceived and my subsequent desire interviews conducted in 2005, following to initiate doctoral studies. My research the 2004-05 food crisis. The current food plan had been to return to Niger in fall crisis will serve as a second environmental of 2010 and to build upon the livelihood shock around which discussions of research that I conducted after the 2004- climate change and perceived risks will 05 food crisis. Niger is coming out of be assessed. Data points from 2005 and another food crisis now, thus I wanted 2010 will facilitate analysis of adaptations to capture and compare perspectives on and coping mechanisms and the impact climate change surrounding these two of those actions on vulnerability and distinct environmental shocks. However, resilience over time. The project includes the security situation in Niger has key informant interviews, focus groups, Sarah McKune is an interdisciplinary ecology household interviews, and child growth doctoral candidate in the School of Natural deteriorated since 2005, and insecurity, Resources & Environment (SNRE). She is an particularly in the pastoral zone, left me and health measures. I have just returned IGERT Fellow (Adaptive Management of Water, from Niger, having spent two weeks Wetlands, and Watersheds) and was a FLAS wondering about the feasibility of the fellow for Arabic in 2009-10. She recently research. Thus, I returned to Niger to pilot testing and revising the research secured research funding through Colorado meet with researchers at LASDEL, a instruments in Tanout. And although State University Livestock-Climate Change CRSP, a USAID project. research institute in Niamey, to look into the logistics of working in rural Niger are the possibility of collaborating. challenging, data collection has officially The results were fantastic. I found begun! two doctoral students interested in Once data collection in Niger is

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The Impact of Chobe National Park on Rural Livelihoods and Conservation Behaviors – Chobe District, Botswana BOTHEPA MOSETLHI species, among them the Chobe River dichotomy of “winners and losers,” System which feeds in to Victoria 3) factors underlying the nature Falls and mega-fauna mammalian and distribution of the livelihood species including elephant, hippo, effects of the park, and 4) if there buffalo, lion, leopard and several is correlation between livelihood ungulate species. A remarkable effects of the park and conservation feature is the park’s elephant behaviors. population which constitutes the Detailed collection of data largest and least molested herd in the to answer these questions was world, and which has grown from completed in July 2010. Within the about 45,500 in the 1980s to 151,000 hinterland of Chobe National Park, at present. Altogether these resources three settlements (Kasane, Kachikau designate the Chobe region the and Parakarungu) were sampled with second most important wildlife and household surveys and key informant tourism area in Botswana after the interviews conducted. The sampling Okavango Delta. Given the position of the settlements was based on of the tourism industry in Botswana differences in level of economic as the second engine of economic development or urbanity, proximity growth after diamonds, it follows to the park, and length of community therefore to ask: Do the highly conservation programs/projects. acclaimed tourism-related benefits of Most of the settlements in the study the protected resources trickle down area have a rural setting except for to the household level? the emerging urban area of Kasane It became apparent from and Kasungula which is the tourism the exploratory research I carried hub of the district. Contemporary natural resource out in summer 2008 that there is significant growth in tourism Bothepha Mosetlhi is a doctoral candidate management is marked by in Interdisciplinary Ecology & a Fulbright discourses that attempt to build based economies and employment Alumni. Her PhD training was supported by related benefits in Chobe while on Fulbright from 2005-07 and thereafter by positive relationships and synergies her employer, University of Botswana. She between conservation and the other hand there numerous received summer pre-dissertation funding adverse effects: mainly elephant from Tropical Conservation & Development development with such concepts as and NSF Parks Project co-management and stakeholder property damages, predation, participation, particularly the human life endangerment and the involvement of local people in overshadowing of conservation on resource governance and benefit the agricultural potential and non- sharing attracting significant tourism land-based economies of the area. These insights helped to attention. The present study is trying to shape my on-going PhD research unravel the extent to which these goals are work which is grounded on the realized by focusing on the influence of Chobe theories of empowerment and social National Park on people’s livelihoods and the exchange and set out to determine: effect this has on their conservation practices. My 1) if the park is resulting in positive interest in the study area and population has been and significant livelihood effects, 2) spurred by my familiarity with Chobe District as a if there is an equitable distribution biodiversity endowed area yet one where poverty of the livelihood effects of the park and dependency are still the order of the day. The amongst people – or if there is a area teems with diverse natural habitats and wildlife

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 53 Transboundary Protected Area Management and Community- Based Ecotourism Development in southwestern Botswana NAOMI MOSWETE I spent three months in Botswana pursuing my research on stakeholder perspectives and support for Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), a transboundary conservation area with a dual ownership between Botswana and South Africa. KTP is renowned for being the first formally declared transboundary protected area in Southern Africa. My work also covered residents’ perceptions about park-based community tourism in the Kalahari region. I worked in nine villages: Ncaang, Ukhwi, Zutshwa and Tshane in Kgalagadi North, and Khawa, Struizendam, Bokspits, Tsabong and Kang in the south. Four of these villages are located within Wildlife Management Areas or the KTP buffer zone. Mixed research inquiries were used to collect data for this research. I interviewed 18 national and local public sector representatives who included local authorities (village chiefs, village groups, extension workers). About 740 household handful of villages were engaged in attitudes toward and support for the surveys were conducted within the nine villages joint venture safari hunting activities. KTP as a transboundary area. adjacent to KTP. Other information sources used Park-based community ecotourism included the country’s national archives, policy was perceived as an activity with the Naomi Moswete just completed her documents and official government reports, and doctoral studies from the Department potential to generate socio-economic tourism statistics. of Tourism, Recreation and Sport benefits to rural people, and that was Management, supervised by Dr. Brijesh I also participated in workshops as well as Thapa. She is a lecturer in the Department highly recognized and appreciated collected extra information from the Botswana of Environmental Science, University of as an essential livelihood option. Botswana. Her research was made possible Tourism Authority and Department of Tourism. However, local residents obtained by funding from Kellogg Foundation via This research is one of the first inquiries Leadership Initiatives for Southern Africa. only minimal benefits from the KTP. conducted in Botswana’s remote Kgalagadi region, Despite low or lack of park where issues that pertain to common property benefits to adjacent communities, the and multiple-use rangeland management and public sector officials demonstrated community tourism development are important. strong attitudes toward KTP as Lack of alternative livelihoods has put strains on a transfrontier protected area the limited resources of the area. Thus, alternative and support for park-based livelihoods are highly needed among communities ecotourism activities. Generally, flanking the KTP. I found that community the study discovered a low level of ecotourism development in the Kgalagadi region is local participation in park-based generally low as many individuals are not engaged conservation activities and lack of in tourism-related projects. Self-employment in collaboration between the KTP tourism-related commerce is minimal across the authority and residents. Even though region, with people involved in the accommodation local residents were left out in all sector. Craftmaking with ostrich eggshells and park programs and activities, they still hides and skin was also highlighted as a common held very strong general conservation activity among the San/Bushmen communities. A

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A Comparative Perspective of Elite Capture of Community Conservation Programs in Namibia and Zimbabwe SHYLOCK MUYENGWA office. Masoka community was one of the CAMPFIRE pioneers that accepted the idea in late 1980’s and promoted its proliferation across the country, region, and internationally. I managed to interview former committee members and the traditional leaders. Finally, I conducted some informal discussions with community members, teachers, nurses, and village heads. The 1980- 1990’s acclamations of deliberative democracy, formalized rule, equity, and enthusiasm and hope in CAMPFIRE were no longer evident. The program had become so centralized with the traditional leadership exerting much influence and appropriating most benefits. My research experience was worthwhile. It helped me to narrow my research interest from broader governance interests to understanding micro governance processes. In summer My research seeks to of CBNRM programs in Namibia and of 2011, I will conduct a comparative understand why community Zimbabwe. case study in selected communities in wildlife management I worked in five communities in Namibia and Zimbabwe, to understand programs fail to deliver Namibia with the support of a local mechanisms through which elites capture communal goods and services NGO. I conducted interviews and surveys community-based programs and non-elite to the poor. I am interested in on a bigger project, working closely strategies for alternative representation. how and why such well intentioned with five conservancy communities in Shylock Muyengwa is a doctoral student in the projects and interventions, targeting the Caprivi Region; Kwando, Mashi, School of Natural Resources and Environment the marginalized and disenfranchised Balyerwa, Wuparo, and Sobbe. I and managing editor for the African Studies attended meetings to provide feedback Quarterly.. This research was made possible by populations, end up benefiting local elites Africa Power and Politics (APPP) program, which such as chiefs, local headmen and other to management on the governance is funded by the Department for International issues based on the larger survey we had Development (DFID), to a research consortium traditional or religious leaders, committee of which CAS is an institutional member. Further members, and their immediate relatives. conducted in these areas. Inequity was support was provided by Tropical Conservation In summer of 2009, I was awarded a major issue and elite control was also and Development (TCD) pre-dissertation research grant and Dr. Brian Child. an African Power and Politics grant to widespread in most of these communities. travel to Namibia and Zimbabwe to In Zimbabwe, I spent two undertake my preliminary dissertation weeks working with the CAMPFIRE work. My initial interests were broader Association. I reviewed project governance issues. I initially intended to documents, workshop proceedings, and understand how the macro, meso, and consultancy reports. I also traveled to micro level interface in CBNRM, the Masoka, where I was able to conduct distribution of authority, and the effects interviews, participate in meetings of process of the melding of modern and and community activities, and review traditional institutions on performance minutes and proceedings at their local

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 55 Performing Adzomanyi: Religious-Cultural Expression among the Anlo-Ewe of Ghana SAMUEL ELIKEM NYAMUAME Traditional music and dance are among the cultural legacies that preserve the history of the Anlo-Ewe, who are located in the southeastern corner of the Volta region of Ghana. Musical performance in Ghana generally, and among the Anlo people in particular, is organized and practiced as an integral part of everyday life. The Anlo-Ewe people’s rich musical tradition has been the subject of study from the time of their migration from Dahomey, now the Republic of Benin, until their present settlement in Ghana. The research that has been conducted focuses on recreational and social music as well as the amateur and national dance companies. Since there is ample research on social and recreational music, my research is geared towards an examination of religious music and dance traditions. For the past three years, I have been researching a highly complex religious music and dance performance called Yeve among the people in Ave-Dakpa who are considered Anlo-Ewes. Yeve is a religious cult associated with the god of thunder, which also has a historical relation to the resistance to the colonial administration dance styles that interpret the songs and Yoruba Shango. Considered as a suite, I and the lasting existence of the the drum text that conforms with it and examined seven different movements Adzomanyi group is due to the religious its association with the divinities), and that made up the musical performance. I significance of ritual music performances Hamekoko/Hatsiatsia (song performances studied the songs, dance, and the various through the language of the drum, the that praise and reveal the power of drumming associated with rituals and dance movements and the theme of the deities). Though it is challenging to performance in general. In the summer of songs. research complex rituals and religious 2010, I went to Ghana again to research During my research over the musical traditions, I hope my research another religious aspect of music, dance summer, I investigated three aspects of and findings contribute significantly and song in the central part of the Anlo Adzomanyi music that work together to to the religious music discourse in State called Lashibi-Anloga. The music is give a holistic interpretation of how the ethnomusicology as well as African- called Adzomanyi and performed mostly performance of Adzomanyi serves as a related disciplines in the arts and religion. by older folks. Historically, Adzomanyi safe medium for religious and political expression. The three aspects are: Vugbe Samuel Elikem Kwame Nyamuame is a doctoral served as a powerful force of resistance fellow in ethnomusicology in the School of Music. during the colonial period by helping to (the drum language or texts and their Part of this research was funded by a Center for African Studies summer pre-dissertation grant. maintain customs, values, and morality meaning, and the text that angers and sets within the Anlo State. The success of this the deities to rebel), Atsiadodo (different

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Gender Equality in International Aid: The Case of Norwegian- Funded Development Projects in Ethiopia MARIT TOLO ØSTEBØ implementing organizations in Ethiopia 4) local community / target population in Ethiopia. Interviews at the level of Norwegian back-donors were conducted during spring 2010 and currently I am working on analysing the aid policies. Fieldwork in Ethiopia will be conducted during fall 2010 and spring/summer 2011. The present study is a prolongation of research conducted as part of my MPh degree in International Health at the Centre for International Health at the University of Bergen, Norway. In addition to research experience, I have also been engaged in development and aid related projects in Ethiopia from 2000-2007.

During the last decade Norwegian-funded development projects gender equality and women’s in the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. rights have become key foci In my study I explore the concept ‘gender in international development equality’ and how it is translated into aid, and a main concern in development practice. This includes the ‘Millennium effort’ to a focus on how local communities Marit Tolo Østebø is a doctoral candidate at eradicate poverty. Being at perceive and experience project activities the University of Bergen, Norway, and holds addressing gender equality and women’s a courtesy appointment at the Center for the international forefront regarding African Studies. Her study is part of a larger legislation and practical policy related rights. My study also has a particular research project titled “Gender in Poverty focus on local gender norms, institutions Reduction: Critical Explorations of Norwegian to gender equality, this is also reflected Aid Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s in Norwegian aid policies. In January and practices with relevance to women’s Rights,” developed by a interdisciplinary group 2008, Norway’s first White Paper on rights. This implies a focus on the of scholars based at the University of Bergen, dynamics between conceptualizations Christian Michelsen Insitute, Bergen University women’s rights and gender equality in College and Haraldsplass Deaconess University international development was presented. situated within global development and College, Norway. The project is funded by the Together with the 2007 Action Plan for human rights discourses, on the one hand, Norwegian Research Council. Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and local discourses, perceptions and in Development Cooperation, this practices on the other. document accounts for one of the most With empirical focus on development ambitious donor strategies on gender agents, organisations and development politics to date. aid ‘recipients’-my study is a multi-sited The overall aim of my present study. The following four levels have research project is to explore been identified as “field-work sites”: 1) conceptualisations of gender equality international and national (Norwegian) among various actors involved in two aid policy 2) Norwegian back-donors 3)

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 57 Designing Identities in Accra, Ghana CHRISTOPHER RICHARDS an article addressing the visual exchanges cosmopolitan Ghanaian, an individual between Western and African designers. expressing their global identity while Building on connections from my attempting to maintain a connection to previous trip in the summer of 2009, their cultural roots. This postulation I returned to Accra, Ghana in August will be strengthened with evidence as I 2010 to conduct additional interviews expand my research through additional and to elucidate the cultural significance interviews of the designers’ clientele. of Ghanaian high fashion. During my My research thus far has been a brief two-week trip, I was fortunate fantastic adventure. I’ve learned the value to interview six additional designers. of being patient and well dressed in the Their garments ranged from elegant field! I plan to return to Ghana in the cocktail dresses fashioned from strips summer of 2011 to finalize my research of batakari cloth, to business casual and explore the Ghanaian fashion tunics embroidered with adinkra symbols industry’s historical antecedents. I hope my work will illustrate the importance of fashion, specifically Ghanaian high During August 2010, I fashion, as a vehicle for understanding returned to Ghana to crucial concepts of individual’s identity, continue my research on and how these concepts have changed the contemporary Ghanaian over time. Additionally, my research will fashion industry. I spent two attest to the importance of contemporary weeks traversing the capital city of non-Western high fashion, indirectly Accra, interviewing designers, visiting asserting its creativity and viability. their boutiques and workshops, and interviewing the designers’ clientele. This trip solidified what I discovered last summer: Ghana has a vibrant, innovative, and culturally significant fashion industry, which reflects crucial aspects of Ghanaian identities. Last summer I attended Ghana’s 3rd Annual Ghana Fashion Weekend and was dazzled by the breadth of imagination and innovation exhibited by Ghanaian designers. I interviewed one of Ghana’s leading designers, Kofi Ansah, as well and representations of Anansi the as the CEO of the Exopa Modeling spider’s web. All of the garments I Agency and organizer of Ghana Fashion photographed were a visual mélange Weekend, Sima Ibrahim. This first of influences: fabrics from Europe, trip demonstrated Accra was a viable America, and West Africa, mixed with location for my research and allowed me both local and international styles of to acquaint myself with the established tailoring. As I conducted interviews with Ghanaian designers and their fashion both the designers and their clientele, Christopher Richards is a doctoral candidate in the School of Art and Art History. His research labels. This summer, I utilized my the clothing’s significance began to take was partially supported by a CAS summer pre- preliminary research and my knowledge shape. Ghanaian high fashion garments dissertation award. He is a FLAS fellow in Akan of European fashion to write and publish visually affirm what it means to be a (2010-11).

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Acacia-Ant Defenders in Kenya: What Are the Costs and Where Do They Matter? KATHLEEN P. RUDOLPH competition) - to positive - one or both across an environmental gradient. With interactors benefit (e.g. facilitation and the help of three UF undergraduates, I mutualism). These two interaction types was able to quantify differences between are most often studied in isolation with sites along the gradient. Data collected negative interactions historically receiving in 2010 suggests that for some measures much more attention. Growing interest in of growth, the presence of ant partners positive interactions has produced many actually costs trees more in growth studies exploring the type and strength of benefits but which largely ignore the costs of these partnerships. In the rare case that the costs of mutualism are measured, they lack context with the costs of negative interactions like competition. Without this comparison of costs, it remains unclear how the net effects of multiple interactions influence individual organisms and if the labels placed on species relationships are accurate (e.g. Whistling-thorn acacia mutualist vs. competitor). (Acacia drepanonolobium) Using Acacia drepanolobium as a is a common savanna tree focal species, I am able to explore how in Kenya. Its name stems from the the costs of resident ant defenders of the whistling sound produced when breezes tree (‘mutualists’) compare with the cost blow over holes in the bulbous thorns of grass (‘competitors’). Fully factorial that fill its branches. The creators of manipulations of ant and grass absence than the presence of grass competitors. these holes are tiny ant defenders that were implemented last summer and this It also appears that location and ant set up residence inside thorns, feed on summer I was able to begin measuring partner species affect the comparative tree sap and in exchange, provide very difference between competitors and effective defense against herbivory by mutualists. More time and measurement some of the worlds largest mammals - will be required to fully parse treatment giraffe, elephants, and other browsers. differences but these initial findings will On the surface the interaction seems help guide my further research on costs beneficial for both the trees and the ants and consequences of plant-ant defense. but - how much do trees pay for this Kathleen P. Rudolph is a PhD candidate in the protective service? Do trees without ant Department of Biology. Her research was partially defenders actually grow better than trees funded by a CAS summer pre-dissertation award. without competitive grass? Does where a tree lives change the dynamics of these interactions? These questions motivated the research I conducted this summer at the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, Kenya. Ecological interactions between treatment effects on tree growth and species fall along a continuum from reproduction. This experiment also allows negative - one or both interactors is me to test how comparative costs change negatively affected (e.g. predation and with different ant defender species and

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 59 Kanga: A Culturally Embedded Swahili Textile MACKENZIE MOON RYAN Kanga are colorful, machine- produced, printed textiles worn widely by women in many parts of East Africa. These rectangular-shaped textiles measure about 66” x 44” and are sold in pairs. Most often worn as wrap garments, one kanga is worn around the body and the second is used as a head or shoulder covering. Generally kanga feature bright colors of ink printed on white, factory- produced cotton cloth. The design of each adheres to a basic structure: central motif surrounded by a wide, continuous graphic border. Kanga most often display a proverb or phrase in Swahili, framed just below the central motif. These phrases can take many forms, and while on research, I collected a small sample of kanga from the shops on Uhuru Street in Dar es Salaam. One textile displays the well-known proverb, “The village rooster doesn’t crow in the city.” Another exhibits the blessing, “God’s love is eternal.” A further example is most certainly a pointed communication: “Your wear this textile as everyday clothing, ongoing story of this dynamic textile meddling is my gain.” at times making use of particular demonstrates that this dissertation Kanga central motifs and border designs Swahili phrases. Through the wearing project is both called for and timely. vary considerably, but generally speaking, they all of carefully selected kanga phrases, By examining both shifting and possess a striking graphic sensibility. Bold colors women are able to communicate enduring functions of kanga, my and outlines are privileged, careful shading or beyond the bounds of polite society, research strives to show how women gradual tonal variances are almost never present. making this textile a significant player have defined themselves within Everyday items such as plants, animals, and other in social and gender relations. Swahili society throughout the past domestic objects regularly feature on kanga. Some A relatively new function of century. kanga are also commemorative in theme, while the kanga textile is its use in tailored clothing. While in Dar es Salaam MacKenzie Moon Ryan is a third year PhD others display abstract geometric patterns, which student in African art history. In November at times resemble flora or paisley-like prints. I attended Swahili Fashion Week. 2010, MacKenzie completed a pre- Now in its third year, this three-day dissertation research trip to Dar es Salaam, Aspirational expressions also frequent kanga, such Tanzania. Through the generous support ships, airplanes, and buildings. showcase gives new and established of Madelyn M. Lockhart Summer Research But what makes these inexpensive and widely East African designers a platform Travel Fund and UF Office of Research, to highlight their work. I had the MacKenzie was able to lay the groundwork available textiles so fascinating are their myriad for her dissertation project. of uses. As a uniquely Swahili textile, kanga are opportunity to speak with a few culturally embedded in everyday life and used to designers during this research trip, mark transitional moments in Swahili women’s including Ailinda Sawe of Afrika lives. For example, kanga are commonly used to Sana and Kemi Kalikawe of Naledi swaddle newborns and shroud the dead. While Designs. Both these designers create on research, one new mother shared that local high fashion looks for the runway as hospitals insist expectant parents bring new kanga well as accept clothing commissions to welcome their child into the world. Kanga are and sell readymade designs, all commonly given as wedding gifts and also worn to tailored in part from kanga. This celebrate upcoming nuptials. Additionally, women most recent development in the

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Community Resilience in the Eastern Cape, South Africa SAM SCHRAMSKI Are communities in the Eastern Cape resilient to climate change and déagrarianization? How does access to water fit into the equation? I spent the past summer investigating these questions for my preliminary dissertation research in the south-easternmost part of the African continent. In the intervening time I have learned how truly complex and deceptive a focus on two trends (decreased water access and increased dependency on households without strong agricultural skills) can be, and also how helpful participatory research can be when trying to tease apart problems at the community level. The Eastern Cape is the epitome of many of the inequities evident in South Africa: it is home to a unique subtropical thicket biome, and yet much of its rural lands are considered degraded; it possesses active urban centers, and yet significantly affected by climate change, science in addressing what constitutes suffers from some of the country’s worst other worries were more pressing. Also, vulnerability, resilience and adaptation in a levels of un- and underemployment; while the possibility of drought was on dynamic region in southern Africa. it stands adjacent to hundreds of the minds of many in even the most rural communities I visited, people were far Sam Schramski is an interdisciplinary ecology kilometers of ocean and yet many of its doctoral student in the School of Natural municipalities suffer from depleted fresh more concerned about disease and limited Resources & Environment (SNRE) and an NSF water stocks. While the socio-ecological sources of household income. IGERT-AM3 fellow. conditions of the province do not Lack of water in the form of appear to be encouraging, how exactly drought may be an underlying symptom communities are responding to stressors of increased aridity in the region, and at the moment, and will continue to in the the changing nature of what it means to future, is not well understood. be engaging in “rural” work may also be I initially hoped to see how water present but not be central to the concerns access and governance could be of community members. In the end understood in rural and semirural Eastern agrarian systems are perceived of very Cape communities using a coupled differently in this part of the world, so the human-natural or socio-ecological question of how adaptive communities framework in order to more fully like the ones I looked at are appears understand various kinds of stressors. to be tricky to answer but nonetheless What I found after carrying out many important to explore. The next step in interviews and questionnaires was that my research is to develop a participatory water access was only a minute concern research index that can be used to gauge for most households, and that even in a capabilities of dealing with future events, region of the world that is predicted to be and in so doing bridge basic and applied

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 61 Weapons and Refuse as Media: The Potent Politics of Recycling in Contemporary Mozambican Urban Arts AMY SCHWARTZOTT My research investigates the local and global impact of contemporary Mozambican artists who use recycled materials as artistic media. The transformation of recycled materials into art by artists reflects a nexus of environmental, economic and culturally-related issues that reflect Mozambique’s distinct history and how artists utilize recycled materials to create uniquely Mozambican art. My investigation focuses on determining how and why Mozambican artists use recycled materials to create their art and how the use of these materials relate to broader themes of recycling, visual culture and post-conflict resolution theory. I investigate artists who use natural and urban refuse, as well as artists involved with the Christian Council of Mozambique’s (CCM) program Transformação de Armas em Enxadas/ Transforming Arms into Plowshares (TAE), who transform decommissioned weapons from the Mozambican civil war into assemblage art. research. I was asked to participate in 4th. For the past two summers I have completed the selection process of an exhibition I also participated in a workshop pre-dissertation research in Maputo, Mozambique’s of Mozambican artists for the at Nucleo de Arte organized by capital. Maputo is a compelling case study site United States Embassy that included artists to teach children about because of its large number of artists using various several established and emerging making art from recycled materials. recycled materials and its strong network of arts Mozambican artists. I also helped I feel fortunate to have been organizations. My previous research focused in the organization of an exhibition invited to take part in these varied on broadening my network of contemporary produced by CCM’s TAE project and innovative cultural events and Mozambican artists and strengthening ties with and artists’ collective Nucleo de Arte. hope my investigation continues to arts organizations and cultural groups to enrich develop as I explore the visual arts of my investigation. This year I have begun intensive Mozambique. fieldwork for my dissertation research and will Amy Schwartzott is a doctoral candidate spend 2010-2011 in Maputo continuing my in the School of Art and Art History. research on contemporary Mozambican arts. She received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad award Shortly after my arrival in Maputo this year to complete her dissertation research in food riots took place. Popularly referred to as Mozambique in 2010-2011. the “situação,” these events underscored for me the importance of my research. The expressive arts of contemporary Mozambican artists reveal important social and political issues. Through my research, I hope to continue a dialogue with This exhibition invited a wide range Mozambican artists regarding their important of artists from Nucleo de Arte to messages through their use of innovative media. create art from weapons, and was Although I have been in Maputo only a short organized in conjunction with the time, I am grateful to have been able to take part commemoration of Mozambican in a few important artistic events connected to my peace from the civil war on October

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The Medieval East African Diaspora NOAH ISAIAH SIMS and having the chance to situate myself culturally in East Africa was critical due to the nature of my project. In the near future, I plan to return to Tanzania to conduct archaeological fieldwork in the northwest part of the country. In November 2010, I presented a paper on Islamic colonization at the American Anthropological Association (AAA) meeting. I will be using the information that I was able to gather this summer along with research I have done for my MA thesis to discuss an aspect of Islam in Africa that is rarely addressed. I see a bright and very interesting future of research ahead of me in the dynamic culturally heterogeneous area of the world that is the East African Coast.

Noah Isaiah Sims is a master’s student in the Department of Anthropology. He was a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) fellow in Swahili during summer 2010 and is a FLAS fellow in Arabic (2010-11). I came to the University of immersed in the latter. What I found to Florida with a strong interest be of high interest was that the people of in studying various aspects Tanzania, and I suppose all throughout of the Medieval East African East Africa, were very welcoming. Diaspora and the impact that However, there is a large difference Islam has had on the east between being welcomed as a tourist/ African coast in terms of the guest and as a friend. There is a culture of rise of the Swahili as a culture tourism that is provided to and promoted and civilization. In summer 2010, by the majority of visitors and then I made tangible progress on my research there is the culture of real life, which is through a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects obvious but still unnoticed by many. I was Abroad (GPA) language and cultural shocked to hear, witness, and be subjected immersion grant to study Kiswahili in to this, but it gave me an even deeper Tanzania. I was able to make connections understanding and appreciation for the with scholars and community leaders, and vast complexities that exist within Swahili associate myself with the archives in the culture. I was able to identify the multiple coastal cities of Dar es Salaam, Kilwa, socio-cultural layers constructed by the and Bagamoyo along with the Island of people and I hope to be able to peel back Zanzibar. those layers in an attempt to look into the It is one thing to be on vacation in past; one that is too often overlooked. Tanzania, but to actually be involved with My research requires a multi-faceted, the people and their culture is entirely interdisciplinary approach combining different. I made it my mission to be anthropology, history, and archaeology

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 63 Soil, Vegetation and Land Use Heterogeneity in the Okavango Delta, northwestern Botswana CAROLINE G. STAUB The Okavango region, located in northwestern Botswana in the center of the vast tropical African savanna, is of great socio-economic and environmental importance. Located in the Kavango-Zambezi Trans- Boundary Conservation Area (KAZA), one of the largest transfrontier parks in Africa, it also features the Okavango Delta, a wetland of international importance and a RAMSAR protected area since 1997. Northern Botswana’s protected areas, Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve, currently host the largest population of African elephants on the continent. The area supports many communities by providing a diversity of livelihood activities including pastoral grazing, controlled hunting and wildlife conservation for both biodiversity and tourism purposes. The commercialization of the arable and livestock industries in fire, extensive herding and anthropogenic with a better understanding of the local the early 1970’s, whereby ranches were activity such as clearing woodland for patterns of natural resources, in the hope demarcated and land was fenced, resulted agriculture, fuel wood collection and that it will contribute to conservation in environmental threats though the construction materials in pastoral areas. strategies that are better adapted to local intensification and restriction of both Meanwhile, wildlife movement restrictions livelihoods in the region. in protected areas have resulted in home- livestock and wildlife in small areas. Caroline G. Staub is a master’s student in This summer, I conducted a pilot range reductions for migratory species the Department of Geography. She received such as the African elephant, which is funding from UF’s Tropical Conservation and study for my doctoral research in Development (TCD) Program, the Department of northwestern Botswana. I collected also a source of concern with respect to Geography, and the College of Liberal Arts and habitat modification. African savannas Sciences. soil samples and vegetation profiles in protected areas and on pastoral have been experiencing rapid changes in grazing lands. My research focuses on response to climate and/or land use over understanding the mosaic of natural the past century, and are vulnerable to resources that occurs as a result of future change. These changes may have interactions between soil, vegetation and profound effects on the ability of local land use types in dryland systems. I am people to use natural resources including interested in examining the availability and growing crops, herding cattle, and distribution of vital resources in my study exploiting wildlife. area. Nutrients and water are essential I will use recently developed to wildlife as well as livestock, which are geophysical mapping techniques to directly linked to economic returns and produce high quality, high resolution local livelihoods worldwide, and especially geographic information on current soil, in southern Africa. The vegetation in vegetation and land-use interactions. I northern Botswana is being modified by want my research to provide landholders

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Market Reforms and Local Realities: The Case of the Malian Cotton Sector VERONIQUE THERIAULT Despites relative past success, the Malian the difference. Although the exclusion cotton sector has recently faced important of insolvent cotton growers from a internal (i.e., large financial deficits) and cooperative seems a priori a solution, the external (i.e., low world prices) challenges strength of the social relations prevailing that ultimately led to major reforms. in villages might prevent it from As a way to improve the efficiency and happening. One objective of my research competitiveness of the Malian cotton is, therefore, to analyze how local realities, sector, market-oriented reforms that aim through social and economic status and to privatize and liberalize some segments linkages, influence both the performance of the sector have been undertaken. For of the farmer (individual’s capability and instance, the parastatal monopoly has willingness to repay) and the cooperative In March 2010, I had the centralized its activities toward cotton (withdrawal of the performing farmers opportunity to go back to processing and marketing; has withdrawn facing low profit margin due to other Mali to further explore the from the provision of public goods, such members’ insolvency). In conjunction interaction between local as literacy and extension services; and will with the African Power and Politics (APP) realities and cotton sector be soon privatized into local monopolies. Malian team, I conducted individual performance. This second phase of Under the reforms, former village interviews with the main stakeholders field research builds on the work done associations have also been transformed involved in the Malian cotton sector at during summer 2009, by investigating into cotton producer cooperatives the village and national levels. Moreover, the issues and concerns related with (CPCs), where membership can be, in focus groups with cotton producers were the ongoing reforms. Given that Mali theory, selective. However, it appears that also conducted in order to shed light on is one of the latest African countries to exclusion is not such an easy option in how credit and inputs, such as fertilizers reform its cotton sector, many studies reality. and pesticides, are managed inside the have previously examined the relationship CPCs. From my fieldwork, I have learned between market structure (i.e., monopoly that the success of the cotton reforms versus competitive market) and cotton largely depends on the ability to work performance (i.e., farm gate prices and closely with the local realities. production). However, little research has Veronique Theriault is a doctoral candidate analyzed the interaction between local in the Department of Food and Resource realities and cotton reform success. My Economics. This research is part of the cotton sector reform project coordinated by Dr. Renata research contributes to the literature by Serra (CAS) and is part of the broader project on providing deeper insights on how the African Power and Politics Programme (APPP). internal challenges facing the cotton The APPP is funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development sector, such as farmer indebtedness, (DFID) and Irish Aid to a consortium of which delays in farmer payments, and increase CAS is a member. in input costs, influence cotton farmer During this second phase of production decisions and market reform fieldwork, I examined the issues related success. with the joint liability program prevailing The Malian cotton sector has in the CPCs, in order to better understand traditionally been vertically integrated. how local realities affect repayment rates, Indeed, a parastatal monopoly is and therefore, indebtedness. Under the responsible for providing inputs on credit joint liability framework, members of to farmers; purchasing all cotton at the a CPC are jointly liable for each others’ harvest at a fixed pan territorial price; and loans. If certain members are unable transporting, processing, and selling all to pay back their loans, contribution production on the international market. from solvent members will make up

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 65 Voters and the Political Opposition in Africa KEITH R. WEGHORST A common explanation of why ruling parties in Africa rarely lose election points to how clientelism can circumvent democratic accountability and keep unhappy voters from supporting the opposition. Opposition parties face tremendous barriers to attaining modest gains in power in government, and even more in ousting the ruling party. Under what circumstances do opposition parties effectively challenge incumbent governments? This question motivates an ongoing research project I am conducting in Tanzania that explores how opposition parties win (or fail to win) power from the dominant Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and what drives such success - failures of the governing party, success of the opposition, or both. During the summer of 2010, I conducted a survey in Dar es Salaam that studied how voters make decisions over political parties. The survey included over 900 respondents and explored how the political performance of incumbent and opposition parties impacts which party citizens said Salaam. Dar and Zanzibar. While it remains they would support in the October 2010 elections. In October, I am conducted a to be seen what the outcome of the Do voters support the opposition because of poor second round of the survey in Dar 2010 elections will be, this survey will economic policies of the incumbent party? Or es Salaam and (pending research provide critical insight into political do critical voters simply choose the incumbent in clearance) in Zanzibar. In Zanzibar, competition that is so fundamental exchange for a gift? If opposition parties could the same political parties compete but to the development of democracy in offer these private goods, would a voter change have been more successful than in Africa. their party? the mainland. In a July referendum, The survey employed new techniques Zanzibari voters chose to bring that improve the quality of data about political opposition CUF into a power- competition. In Tanzania’s dominant party regime, sharing government with the CCM citizens might “self-censor” and be dishonest about after the October elections. During issues like taking cash for their votes or supporting the summer of 2010, I conducted violence by the political opposition. I conducted a extensive qualitative research with survey experiment with students at the University political leaders and headed a of Dar es Salaam in 2009 and found this to be referendum observation mission on the case. When asked directly if political violence Pemba, Zanzibar’s second largest was acceptable for the opposition, about two of island. Keith R. Weghorst is a doctoral candidate every five of individuals agreed. When using less The October survey round in the Department of Political Science. compared what strategies work for He received funding from a CAS summer obtrusive question formats—particularly one called pre-dissertation grant, the Department of a “list experiment”—support was closer to 90% courting support for the opposition. Political Science, the American Political It implements an important control Science Association, and the International for respondents. The survey conducted in 2010 Law and Policy Institute. expanded the use of this technique across Dar es across the two cases, as the parties themselves are constant between

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State Bureaucrats or Social Leaders? Conflicts in the Implementation of Morocco’s Islamic Education Curriculum ANN WITULSKI

Public education is perhaps in 2003, it provides a case study on the curriculum could be improved. Our the most obvious and, at the day-to-day impact and unintended informal conversations later guided me to the same time, the most consequences of state responses to pursue my current dissertation topic. understudied mechanism violent attacks. During the summer of 2009, I spent linking state and society. In I will be doing the fieldwork for three months doing pre-dissertation my dissertation, I examine a conflict this research from November 2010 to fieldwork with funding through in Morocco over the content of an October 2011 in Fez. Through interviews collaboration with Herbert Kitschelt Islamic education curriculum between and archival data, I will identify the main of Duke University and from the UF state bureaucrats, religious leaders, actors, their positions and important Political Science Department. During Islamic education teachers and education events that allowed the curriculum reform this time, I experimented with survey inspectors. This topic is interesting for to occur. Through discourse analysis of research, gained experience interviewing several reasons. First, it problematizes the the final curriculum, I will evaluate which in French, and developed a number of assumption that the state is a coherent, actors’ preferences were incorporated and contacts with Islamic education teachers, integrated body by illustrating intra- whose were ignored. local political party leaders and journalists. state dissent and conflict. Second, by Past fieldwork in Fez was extremely After completing the dissertation, identifying the main actors and their important in guiding me to select this I hope to expand the project to a positions in this conflict, it illustrates dissertation topic. While studying Arabic comparative study of Islamic education important cleavages in Moroccan in Fez on a FLAS fellowship during reforms in North Africa and the Middle society. Third, it provides ethnographic the summer of 2008, I lived with a East. data on the content of an Islamic Moroccan woman and her family. The woman was an Islamic education teacher Ann Witulski is a doctoral candidate in the education curriculum in one of the most Department of Political Science. She is currently liberal Arab states. Finally, because the at a local elementary school, and she a Boren Fellow for 2010-11 and a former FLAS curriculum reform was part of a larger spoke frequently of the reform to the fellow in Arabic (2007-2009). restructuring of religious agencies in curriculum, all the training that she was response to the Casablanca bombings required to do, and ways that she felt

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 67 Moroccan Islam(s): Debating Religious Authority Through Ritual and Musical Performance CHRISTOPHER WITULSKI Since 2005 I have been spending time in Morocco researching the music of the Gnawa, a previously enslaved population from the south of the country. With each passing trip to North Africa, I am able to further prod the complexities of the relationship between these people, their religion, Sufism, Islam, rituals, and popular music. The ritual music of the Gnawa, unlike that of most Sufi groups in the region, has two parallel goals. It not only attempts to create a bridge between the individual and the divine – it also engages spirits (mluk, owner), asking them to participate in the ceremony by capturing, or possessing, adepts. The blessings from these spirits rest upon the house and the family of those who are possessed (or maskun, lived within). Questions remain unanswered, however, as orthodox groups and everyday Moroccans ask about these I worked to unravel small corners of the Abdullah Yaqubi, ‘Aissawa muqaddems mluk: are they syncretic Muslim/African densely woven Moroccan cultural “web.” from two different groups, and two spiritual figures, as the Gnawa say, or are As a nation renown for “hybridity,” members of a Hamadcha brotherhood, they jinns, troublesome demons aiming to social relations in Morocco fall upon Abderrahim al-Marrakechi and Fredrick separate Muslims from Allah? innumerable parallel and intersecting axis, Calmus. These individuals welcomed me When this contentious set of beliefs with race, belief, and language, three that into their lives and social circles, teaching is conflated with the already tenuous implicate the Gnawa directly, proving to me to play and sing their music while position of music within the Islamic be a few of the most prominent. spending countless hours humoring my world, criticisms and religious struggles questions about rituals, beliefs, society, between brotherhoods and other and Islam as they appear in Fez and organizations percolate to the surface. Morocco. Simultaneously, however, groups like the Christopher Witulski is a doctoral candidate in ‘Aissawa, a Sufi path originating in 18th ethnomusicology. He has received funding from century Meknes, adopt Gnawa songs, and UF’s Alumni fellowship program, a CAS summer pre-dissertation grant, and as a FLAS fellow in even spirits, placing them within their Arabic (summer of 2007). own ritual practices. This past summer I was able to return to Fez and investigate the theological, social, and economic relationships between these different During this trip, I had the religious organizations. By examining the opportunity to work closely with a motivations that drove ‘Aissawa and other diverse range of musical and ritual leaders Sufi groups to include Gnawa material in including Abderrahim Abd ar-Rzaq and their rituals and theological worldviews, Gaga, both Gnawa maalems, Adil and

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PURC in Sub-Saharan Africa: Recent Initiatives in Leadership Development, Telecommunications, Utility Policy and Regulation SANFORD BERG regulatory agencies from Kenya and Uganda, examined cases to determine the Tanzania attended the seminar. financial condition of an electric utility, Mark Jamison (PURC Director) separating regulatory from non-regulatory and Araceli Castañeda (PURC Assistant costs, restructuring an electricity market, Director) delivered a leadership designing prices, and benchmarking development workshop, “Executive to encourage efficiency, along with Leadership, Strategic Planning and numerous exercises. Organizational Development in In addition to technical topics Utilities Regulation,” on July 20-21 in such as demand forecasting, ratio Kampala, Uganda. The workshop was analysis and cost of service studies, the hosted by the Uganda Communications The Public Utility Research Commission (UCC) and participants Center (PURC) at the University learned how knowing strengths and of Florida, an internationally limitations, preparing the organization recognized academic center, for its work, and managing the external has spent many years working environment is essential to effective with African utilities to help executive leadership. Through case enhance understanding of studies, personal and organizational issues confronting public assessment, and action plans, the utilities and regulatory agencies. participants learned about assessing PURC concentrates its studies on an organization’s health, distinguishing participants examined how to better energy, telecommunications and water between technical and adaptive challenges, understand stakeholder objectives, how sectors and has had impacted at least adapting leadership approaches to current to manage relationships when working 2,331 infrastructure professionals on controversial issues, and how to from 143 nations through conferences, communicate with the press. The course seminars and other training programs. was delivered by PURC Director Mark Some of PURC’s latest projects center Jamison, PURC Director of Energy around leadership development, Studies Ted Kury, and PURC Senior telecommunications, utility policy and Fellow Raj Barua in conjunction with regulation. Professor Anton Eberhard of the PURC’s telecommunications seminar, University of Cape Town, South Africa. “Competitive Analysis in Telecoms: For more information about PURC Current and Future Markets,” was given situations, involving others in the work of programs and events, visit www.purc.ufl. by PURC Director Mark Jamison to the leadership, and challenging conventional edu. Uganda Communications Commission wisdom. Twenty-seven regulatory professionals from seven different nations Dr. Sanford (Sandy) V. Berg is the PURC Director (UCC) on July 22, 2010 in Kampala, of Water Studies and a Distinguished Service Uganda. Participants analyzed the attended the workshop. Professor of Economics. financial condition of telecom operators, PURC’s two-week training programs, assessed the intensity of market held in December 2009 and March 2010, competition, developed remedies for was specifically designed for the Rwanda weak competition and designed policies Utilities Regulatory Agency. The program to facilitate competition in emerging focused on electricity market design, broadband markets through examining financial analysis, designing economic case studies and other examples. Thirty incentives, and establishing prices. The 69 regulatory professionals from the UCC, participants, including commissioners and the telecom industry in Uganda and staff from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 69 Transforming CBNRM Education in Southern Africa BRIAN CHILD, GRENVILLE BARNES, SANDRA RUSSO, BRIJESH THAPA The objective of this project is to bring together scholars and practitioners into a community of practice to develop curricular materials to support community based natural resource management (CBNRM). This will enable southern African education institutions to provide training at several levels: undergraduate, graduate, and short courses for practitioners and policy-makers. Southern Africa is leading a new conservation paradigm called the “Sustainable Use Approach.” Moving away from fortress preservation, the essence of this approach is that if wild resources are valuable and if local people own and can benefit from them, then there is a high likelihood that these in the region, and outline the materials Polytechnic of Namibia, and at least resources will create jobs and economic needed to match these needs. Our two other partners – to UF to co-teach growth and will therefore be conserved priority is now to write four text books “foundations of CBNRM.” These by the people living with them. There that each form the basis of a separate visiting faculty members will test the draft has been a considerable investment in course, with the intention that each course textbook, adapt it to local circumstances this approach by national governments, can be used for participants ranging from by developing teaching manuals, and will donor agencies and local people and, field practitioners to university students provide a 2-week summer course for interestingly, wildlife in southern Africa and high level officials. The first book practitioners in southern Africa as part has increased since the 1970s whereas it “Foundations of CBNRM” will be a of their training. This project is a natural has declined steeply or precipitously in general text. The second book will bring outcome of the interdisciplinary research West and East Africa respectively. together principles and lessons relating that a number of our students, many of However, the intellectual logic to the economic management of wild whom are featured in this report, conduct and practical implementation tools resources, tourism, and livelihoods. The on CBNRM in Africa. behind this approach remain largely in a third book introduces the complexities knowledge network of committed scholar of governance and management, ranging Brian Child is associate professor in the practitioners and in the form of oral Department of Geography and the Center for from national distributional political African Studies. This project is managed through and grey literature. The project brings economy and policy to the micro- Higher Education for Development (HED) with a three-year funding award of $600,000 from this knowledge network together with governance of local communities. The scholars, and particularly young scholars the United States Agency for International fourth book emphasizes pedagogical Development (USAID). from African institutions, to document approaches, including participatory this knowledge and set it out in a format learning, action research and collaborative that can be used for educating students at adaptive management and technology many levels. development. The first step was to hold two In Spring 2011, we are planning to workshops in Pretoria and Kruger to bring young faculty from our key partners strengthen and broaden this community – University of Botswana, Sokoine of practice, to ascertain educational needs Agricultural University in Tanzania, the

70 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 Zambia Tourism Demand Survey BRIJESH THAPA, BRIAN CHILD, PATRICIA MUPETA, GREGORY PARENT Zambia has distinctive tourism resources – unique natural features, beautiful landscapes, historical and cultural attractions, places of ethnographic interest, and excellent recreational opportunities that need to be sustainably developed and promoted. However, it also faces immense competition for tourists from other destinations in east and southern African countries with better tourism infrastructure and international brand name recognition. For Zambia to realize its potential, it must diversify its current tourism product beyond its traditional hubs. In addition to the negative environmental impacts due to high concentration of visitors in a few destinations, it is paramount for visitor dispersal to other regions to provide a diverse mix of tourism opportunities, sustained economic growth and poverty improve the tourism opportunities that thereby enhancing the countrywide reduction in the greater KNP area. play a key role in a tourists choice in their product and distributing economic The purpose of this project is to trip selection. Additionally, it will assist benefit to regional and local economies. conduct a survey of current visitors in the development of comprehensive However, visitors are only likely to visit to Zambia with respect to demand marketing strategies to showcase the new regions if the destinations have assessment for the greater KNP area. greater KNP region. quality setting attributes, attractions, and Although there have been a few studies The project team has been suitable infrastructure. that have assessed nature-based tourism formulated based on their respective One of the destinations that is from a demand and supply perspectives, background, knowledge and expertise. currently underdeveloped but has the they have all been based on a countrywide This project is led by Brijesh Thapa, capacity to substantially increase its standpoint. This study proposes to Director of UF Center for Tourism international, regional and domestic examine demand based on current Research and Development. In addition, visitors is Kafue National Park (KNP). visitors that have visited the KNP area the team constitutes of Brian Child KNP is the second largest national park and/or those that have visited other (Geography/CAS), Patricia Mupeta in the world with limiting factors such national parks. Visitors will encompass (Natural Resources and Environment) as infrastructure, physical (e.g., roads) international, regional and domestic and Gregory Parent (Geography). and tourism. However, in order to tourists. This study will provide baseline information needed to position the Brijesh Thapa is associate professor in the further develop, package and promote Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport the park and its surrounding regions, region relative to other regions in the Management and Director of UF’s Center country. The study will also analyze for Tourism Research and Development. The it is important to assess the viability project is managed through U.S. Department of tourism growth from a supply and determinants of demand to aid policy of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service with demand perspectives. Currently, tourism makers and the tourism industry to funding in 2010-2011 from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. has not reached its potential but is a improve the identification of potential major tool to promote and strengthen new markets, as well as provide and

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Partnership to Strengthen Teaching, Research, and Faculty Development in Tourism Management in South Africa BRIJESH THAPA, SANDRA RUSSO, LORI PENNINGTON-GRAY South Africa is the dominant tourism market on the African continent. Tourism is a very important industry for the economy, which has largely focused on the core products such as parks, wildlife, nature and culture. In the last two decades, the product mix has been diversified to incorporate marine and coastal areas, rural communities and townships, events, urban centers, and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. The market is largely comprised of visitors from Africa and the Middle East. However, international markets are increasing and there are indications of continued growth in the future. Also, the government expects to increase international arrivals to 10 million by 2010. Given the projected increases in visitors, the potential to expand this industry engagement (advisory board) of the objectives for Years 1 and 2 sector to generate more income, employment and partnership. The mission of the have been met. In addition, various and other benefits are enormous, considering the Center will be largely to serve tourism spin-off research projects have been current level of tourism development. destinations and industries through conducted. However, tourism growth is dependent on a research, training and outreach within The project team has been number of factors, notably, developing a trained the community, province and other formulated based on their respective and skilled labor force. Capacity building and regions in southern Africa. background, knowledge and expertise institutional development through training is a key In Year 3, faculty development from within and outside UF, which component for the vitality and sustainability of will be emphasized with regards will be instrumental in accomplishing the tourism industry in South Africa. In order to to enhancing capacity as well as the objectives and strengthening the address this major need, the University of Florida collaborative initiatives in tourism partnership between UF and TUT. (UF) and Tshwane University of Technology This project is led by Brijesh Thapa, (TUT) in Tshwane, South Africa have formulated Director of UF Center for Tourism a partnership to strengthen its teaching, research, Research and Development along service and faculty development initiatives in with Sandra Russo (International tourism management. Center), and Lori Pennington-Gray In Year 1, the teaching and curriculum needs (Tourism, Recreation and Sport will be accommodated at the Bachelor degree Management). level with respect to the following objectives: a) review and update existing curriculum; b) develop Brijesh Thapa is an associate professor in new curriculum in casino management, event the Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management. The partnership management, airport and aviation management research with the project team and is managed through Higher Education for Development with funding of $250,000 (currently these degree programs are not offered on select UF faculty. The facilitation of the African continent); and c) develop vocational from the U.S. Agency for International collaborative initiatives in research Development through 2011. and executive training certificate programs in partnerships will be sustained tourism. Also, a more concerted effort will be during and post-completion of highlighted to target and enroll disadvantaged the project. Also, professional populations to the Department of Tourism at TUT. development opportunities will In Year 2, based on a strategic visioning meeting be offered to current TUT faculty with faculty and industry stakeholders, a Center for through a short exchange program Sustainable Tourism will be established with active with UF. Currently, the majority

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 73 2010 FIFA World Cup: Resident and Visitor Perspectives BRIJESH THAPA, MATTHEW WALKER, KYRIAKI KAPLANIDOU, HEATHER GIBSON (e.g., identity, social capital, and tourism) experiences. Such information would be associated with the 2010 FIFA World a useful tool with respect to marketing CupTM. This focus will help to inform initiatives to attract additional visitors local and national level policy to facilitate following the event. the Nation Building goals of South This project is conducted in Africa. Data were collected three months partnership between the University of prior to the event in mid June 2010, Florida (UF) and Tshwane University while a follow up will be conducted in January 2011. The sample constituted of residents from five host cities (Pretoria, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Johannesburg, and Rustenburg). Within this context, the nine host Since the 2000 Sydney cities attracted an abundance of visitors Olympics, there has been a and created impressions in tourists’ minds shift in conventional thinking about the South African tourism product. about the various impacts Given the importance of the event for that the Games have on host the South African Tourism Brand, an countries – with the primary additional objective was to evaluate focus now on the legacies of destination and event image perceptions of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria, South mega sporting events. While and tourism behaviors of spectators in Africa. The team from the Department some attention is still given to economic order to assess the impact of such an of Tourism, Recreation and Sport and infrastructural legacies, a growing event in a country’s tourism development. Management at UF is led by Brijesh body of research shows that the long- Data were collected among visitors at all Thapa, Director of UF Center for term outcomes may be primarily Tourism Research and Development social, with contributions to the along with Matthew Walker, social infrastructure at both the Kyriaki Kaplanidou, and Heather local and national levels. For the Gibson. The TUT team is led by 2010 FIFA World CupTM, the Sue Geldenhuys along with Willie South African government has Coetzee. a developmental agenda, part of Brijesh Thapa is associate professor in which is predicated on “nation the Department of Tourism, Recreation, building.” Sport has long been and Sport Management and Director of UF’s Center for Tourism Research and associated with building national Development. The project ($130,000) has spirit and generating patriotism. been largely funded the Office of Research, Understanding the social Innovation and Partnership at TUT along with several South African host cities. legacies of a mega-event necessitates a focus on the residents of a nation. In particular, there the nine host cities (Pretoria, Nelspruit, is a need in such a study for a longitudinal Polokwane, Johannesburg, Rustenburg, approach, particularly to assess the change Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, in the resident’s perceptions associated and Bloemfontein) during the World TM with a mega-sports event. This research Cup which will provide a major source has multiple phases with the primary of information about visitor profiles, goal of identifying the social legacies market segmentation, perceptions and

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Understanding and Predicting the Impact of Climate Variability and Climate Change on Land Use and Land Cover Change in Southern Africa JANE Southworth, Brian Child, Eric Keys, Michael Binford, Peter Waylen, Youliang Qui, Greg Kiker, Rafa Mundoz-Carpena This project asks: “how does climate variability and climate change influence land use and land cover change as it works through socio-economic institutions?” To answer this question, the project develops a temporally and spatially multiscale understanding of the relationships between land-cover and land-use change (LCLUC) and climatic shifts in three watersheds that lie in four southern African nations. We hypothesize that socio-economic institutions are the main instruments of human adaptation to climate variability and change, and that the observable outcomes of institutional adaptations are seen in the spatial and material expression of LCLUC. This study will test the resilience of the socio-ecological early results from a wildlife-reliant primary mechanism for moving systems of southern Africa, enhance the use of community are fascinating. Although out of poverty, defined as families remote sensing, and provide models for climate everyone appears to be agricultural, who report hunger, is employment. scenario planning. only 8% of the household economy The loss of family members is As an ongoing portion of this project, in derives from agriculture, and people traumatizing this village on a personal summer 2010 two UF faculty (Brian Child and purchase well over half their food level, and because many deaths are Erik Keys) and six UF students (Jessica Steele, from stores in the nearby town. Jobs wage earners the loss of wage income Erin Bunting, Jing Sun, Shylock Muyengwa, drops families back into hunger. Patricia Mupeta, Keilani Jacquot) worked in four At a more conceptual level, communities in Botswana and Namibia. Working what is interesting is how little in teams their objective was to assess livelihoods reliance is placed on agriculture in and how these might respond to impending climate this community, and how therefore change. They surveyed individual households to climate change is largely nullified. determine their production and consumption, what This traditional-looking village is shocks they were concerned about, and how they moving rapidly into the wage and were responding to them. retail economy, and the real threats While numerical analysis is still underway, are the vagaries of government in tourism, and specifically hunting, policy on the economy (e.g. a much are enabling more than half of the 62 discussed hunting ban) and disease in families in this village to reach a stage the form of HIV/AIDS. Additional where they do not report hunger in field seasons and research visits are the household. However, if hunting planned for fall 2010, spring and is banned, many families will regress summer 2011. into a position of hunger. Hunting earns the village over $200,000 Jane Southworth is associate professor in the Department of Geography. This project annually from some 110 animals, is funded by an $870,000 grant from NASA employs many people, and funds through 2012. the transport people use to get into town. The second serious threat to the community is HIV/AIDS. The

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African Power & Politics Programme

Since 2007 the Center for The APP consortium is dedicated around six current “research streams,” African Studies has participated to “discovering institutions that work focusing on varied empirial issues. Two as an institutional partner (the for poor people”. That means exploring research projects are currently led by UF only one in North America) in the kinds of political, economic and faculty. Renata Serra directs one of two the African Power and Politics social arrangements that, if adopted, substreams of the “Business and Politics” Programme (APPP). This 5 would enable countries of sub-Saharan stream, on the theme of “Institutions, year program of research and policy Africa to make faster progress towards Power, and Norms in African Cotton engagement is led by the Overseas development and the elimination of Sector Reforms.” Leonardo Villalón Development Institute (London), and extreme poverty. APPP thus aims to is co-director, with Mahaman Tidjani other partners in France, Ghana, Niger, identify ways of ordering politics and Alou of LASDEL, of the stream on Uganda and the UK, including: regulating power and authority that might “Formalizing Schooling: Religion and • Centre for Democratic work better than those now in place, on Education Reform in the Sahel.” In Development, Accra, Ghana the basis of a careful and critical look at addition, several other UF faculty and • Laboratoire d’Etudes et de what has worked well in Africa itself in eight PhD students have had research Recherches sur les Dynamiques Sociales the recent and not-so-recent past. funded through the APPP. The photo et le Développment Local (LASDEL), The program’s objectives combine on this page shows the participants at a Niamey, Niger and Parakou, Benin research with research-training, June 2010 meeting of the religion and • Development Research and organizational capacity strengthening education research stream at LASDEL in Training, Kampala, Uganda and policy development, and aims to do Niger. • Centre Norbert Elias, Ecole des the research in ways that recognize the substantial, if often underrated, resources APPP is funded by the UK Department for Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, International Development and the Advisory Marseille, France for collective problem-solving that are to Board of Irish Aid. • Institute for Development Studies, be found in African societies. Brighton, UK The APP Programme is organized

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 75 Bridging Research and Practice: Building a New Study Abroad Model in Southern Africa TODD LEEDY, GRENVILLE BARNES, BRIAN CHILD, & SANDRA RUSSO In late May – early June, PI Leedy and co-PIs Barnes and Child spent two weeks in Botswana, meeting with a wide variety of university, government, NGO, and private sector representatives to build upon existing relationships and forge new linkages that will support the creation of a new field practicum for graduate students from University of Florida, University of Botswana (UB), and potentially world- wide. UF and UB have become part of a global network of Masters in Development Practice (MDP) degree-granting institutions, a network built with seed funding from the MacArthur Foundation. The students in these programs form one natural constituency for the field practicum as it develops with full institutional partnership between UF and UB. The UF team met with senior administrators staff for the UF-UB practicum, various organizations for the type of and representatives of potential collaborating as well as the need for expanded training experience that the UF-UB units on the main UB campus in Gaborone. These administrative capacity at ORC program will offer. This provides discussions made it clear to the UF team that UB in order to undertake sustainable a potential secondary constituency has made substantial institutional commitments training programs for UF-UB and for the program, allowing for the to ensuring that the partnership is symbiotic and other potential institutions/clients. possibility of students working sustainable. For example, UB has committed to The UF team also met with in teams with active practitioners significantly expanding the Okavango Research potential coordinating government or the establishment of separate Center (ORC) accommodation facilities at its agencies and non-governmental field practicum for local agency Maun campus. The UF team met multiple times organizations in Gaborone to assess and organization staff. Meetings with the UB Dean of Graduate Studies to work on potential collaborative activities (e.g. with similar bodies in Maun to detailed budgeting, instructional commitments, and attachment of UF-UB program assess potential collaborative in-country orientation. Upon arrival in 2011, UF students, staff training through activities (e.g. attachment of UF- participants will spend their first week in Gaborone participation in UF-UB program, use UB program students, staff training at the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA), of monitoring data, etc.). Meetings through participation in UF-UB joining the UB participants for an intensive week with these organizations made it program, use of monitoring data, of orientation including guest lectures and visits to clear to the team that the imminent etc.) highlighted how a sustained various relevant government agencies and NGO establishment of the field practicum student training program could also offices. For weeks two through seven, participants would be broadly well-received for impact rural livelihoods by providing will be based at ORC in Maun and complete six a number of reasons. First, because actionable data to community-based one week field training and research modules. we plan to work in a defined set organizations and their private sector This will be followed by 2-4 week individual or of communities annually, student partners. small student team attachments to a variety of training projects will generate a set possible university, local government, private-sector of longitudinal data that can be used Todd Leedy is associate director of the Center for African Studies. This project is or community entities. Discussions with senior to monitor rural livelihoods and supported by a two-year award of $100,000 administrators and research staff at the UB Maun plan effective interventions. Second, from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. campus helped to identify possible instructional there is a clear demand within in

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Master’s Program in Sustainable Development Practice (MDP)

also serves as the Secretariat for the government and as a loan officer for global MDP network. In addition, FINCA in Tanzania. Tshi Tshi has MDP students at UF also take worked as a consultant, researcher courses in Health and Development, and volunteer for several different Economics, Ecological Principles organizations in war-torn areas of for Development Professionals, the DRC, including the World Food Natural Resource Management and Program, Heal Africa, Doctors Innovation Systems, Communication without Borders, and International and Leadership Skills, Conservation Crisis Group. and Development Entrepreneurship, Currently the Program is co- and Development Administration. directed by Brian Child (Geography/ The MDP degree bridges African Studies) and Grenville Barnes scholarship and practice and includes (SFRC) with Marianne Schmink In June, 2009, the University of Florida a three month summer practicum (Latin American Studies) as graduate received an award of approximately $1 which can be carried out in Africa coordinator. Program coordinator, million from the John D. and Catherine or Latin America. One option is the Sheila Onzere, was hired in October T. MacArthur Foundation to start up a field school in Botswana which is 2009 and the first of two new new Masters degree in Development comprised of seven weeks in the field faculty positions was filled by Rick Practice (MDP). This is part of a global followed by an attachment where Rheingans in July, 2010. Sheila is initiative designed to educate a new generation of students work with communities completing a PhD at Iowa State in development practitioners and MDP programs or local partners on a specific sustainable food systems and Rick is are now in place or under development at 22 development project. This field a specialist in health and development universities worldwide, most of these with funding school is a collaboration with the and was previously an Associate from the MacArthur Foundation. Other MDP MDP program at the University Professor at Emory University. We programs in Africa are located at the University of Botswana and the Okavango are in the process of searching for of Botswana, the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop Research Center (ORC) the second MDP faculty position de Dakar (Senegal) and the University of Ibadan The first cohort of 11 MDP in development administration (Nigeria). The MDP at UF is administered jointly students began this Fall (2010) and and expect to hire the successful through the Center for African Studies and Center is comprised of two Africans, a candidate by July, 2011. for Latin American Studies. Colombian/American and eight Americans. Four of these students For more details on the MDP see The UF-MDP was designed by an http://www.africa.ufl.edu/mdp/index.html interdisciplinary group of faculty from seven completed their undergraduate degree different colleges across campus. The 51-credit, at UF and the cohort as a whole five semester (including summer) MDP curriculum has diverse academic backgrounds, spans the social, natural, and health sciences and including agriculture, history, includes interdisciplinary management skills that international relations, environmental will enable students coming out of the program education, sociology and psychology, to be much better prepared to deal with the and community sciences. The first complex array of contemporary development two MDP scholarships were awarded challenges. Coursework includes a Global to Greyson Nyamoga from Tanzania Classroom in which MDP students from around and Tshubangu (“Tshi Tshi”) Kalala the world participate and discuss development from the Democratic Republic of topics ranging from sustainable energy to food the Congo (DRC). Greyson is a security to climate change to project management lecturer at the Sokoine University and foreign aid. This course is coordinated by of Agriculture in Tanzania and the Earth Institute at Columbia University which has also worked for the Tanzanian

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 77 The Trans-Saharan Elections Project LEONARDO A. VILLALÓN & DANIEL A. SMITH The need for “regular free and fair elections to institutionalize legitimate authority of representative government as well as democratic change of governments” is enshrined as a basic principle of the African Union in its African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The frequency of elections has indeed increased dramatically in Africa since the arrival of the “Third Wave” of democratic change in the early 1990s. While the results of the past two decades have been highly mixed, in virtually every country elections have been accepted as the “normal” mode of acceding to public office, and are now held with some regularity. The reiterated processes of elections has, in turn, produced intense debates about U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of challenging histories and more limited their conduct, and over the years there Educational and Cultural Affairs. experiences with elections. has been an increased awareness that A key goal will be to share In conjunction with partner the need is not just to avoid cheating experiences, so as to shape understanding institutions in each of the six countries, on election day but to consider much and knowledge, and thus to contribute project activities over two years will bring broader issues such as the impact of to discussions which will have real and six Elections Fellows from each of these varying choices of electoral systems, the substantive impact in the Trans-Saharan countries to the US, to participate in two importance of the larger institutional countries. On the US side, the exposure comprehensive learning programs on infrastructure and the rules of game, the to electoral issues in a set of African elections. Moving from the University role of social and political organizations countries that are otherwise strikingly of Florida in Gainesville, to the state in elections, and the management of the different is intended to provide a more capital of Tallahassee, and then on mechanics of electoral processes. nuanced understanding among American to Washington, the programs will Over a two-year period (2010-12), professionals about the challenges and comparatively examine electoral processes the UF “Trans-Saharan Elections Project” promises of electoral democracy in at local, state and national levels. They will sponsor a series of exchanges and Africa. The six target countries present will draw on visits to organizations seminars that will bring together elections a highly interesting set of cases. All are and presentations by a broad range specialists from six target countries— relatively poor countries, and primarily of professionals involved in elections: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Muslim, but with a broad range of academics, government officials, civic Niger and Senegal—with a wide range experiences in elections and democracy: groups, consultants, and media. In of American professionals involved Senegal and Mali are frequently described return, two delegations of Americans, in elections, to comparatively examine as democracies today; Niger has representing these various constituencies, the challenges and issues involved in experimented rather tumultuously with will visit the six African countries to learn ensuring electoral freedom, fairness, and establishing democracy; Burkina Faso more about their experiences and to share transparency. The project, co-directed has experienced a very cautious political insights more broadly. The project will, by Leonardo A. Villalón and Daniel A opening, without democratic transition; in addition, produce a website and other Smith, is funded by a grant through the and Mauritania and Chad each have had materials to serve as important research

78 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 COLLABORATIVE PROJECT reports

resources for both faculty and graduate and the Chad office has been extensively of a working group on the organization, students working on these understudied in projects involving the training of administration and analysis of elections. countries. elections observers. The West African partner LASDEL, Laboratoire E’Etudes et organizations with which we will Recherches sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement collaborate in setting up the project Local (Niger) include: www.lasdel.net LASDEL is an independent organization The West African Research Center (Senegal) working in various domains of applied www.warc-croa.org social science research. It has emerged WARC is the overseas center for the as one of the most important social West African Research Association, science research organizations in the managed in conjunction with the Senegal- Francophone West African region. based Association de Recherche Ouest LASDEL has recently begun to work Africain, and a member of the Council in the field of elections, and hosted an of American Overseas Research Centers international conference on the “Electoral (CAORC). The Center thus has a strong Processes in Africa” in September 2010. network of ties across West Africa, as well as extensive experience organizing Mouvement Citoyen (Senegal) programs in Dakar. WARC will serve as www.mouvementcitoyen.sn the first point of contact and will host Mouvement Citoyen is a dynamic civil the orientation sessions for the American society organization, founded in 2002 delegations. by a noted Senegalese democratic activist, and quickly attracting significant Centre Pour la Gouvernance Reseau Appui au Processus national and international attention for Démocratique (Burkina Faso) Electoral au Mali (Mali) its activities in the field of citizenship cgd-igd.org APEM is an organized network of 49 training, democracy promotion, and The CGD, led by a well-known Burkinabé NGOs working directly to support working with the media. The Mouvement Political Scientist, is one of the most the transparency and legitimacy of the has a particular mission to work with respected research and democratic electoral process in Mali. Created in youth and women, and in promoting advocacy organizations in the region. 1996, on the eve of the contested 1997 the participation of women in electoral It undertakes a wide range of activities elections (the second in the country’s processes. in partnership with local as well as democratic history), APEM has international organizations, including continued to play a central role in national Leonardo Villalón is associate professor of projects on electoral administration and discussions about the electoral process in political science and director of the Center for monitoring. Final sessions of the US African Studies. Daniel Smith is professor of Mali. Its activities have included extensive political science and an affiliate with the Center delegation visits will be held at CGD. programs of citizen education, training for African Studies. of election observers, and working with EISA-Chad Country Office (Chad) political parties on fraud prevention. www.eisa.org.za/EISA/chad.htm EISA (formerly Electoral Institute of Université de Nouakchott, Faculté Southern Africa) is an international des Sciences Juridiques et network with country offices in six Economiques (Mauritania) African countries, including Chad. EISA’s The Faculty of Law and Economics of mission is to “promote credible elections the University of Nouakchott, which is in and democratic governance in Africa,” the process of planning the establishment

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 79 African Studies Quarterly

The Center for African Studies founded the African Studies Quarterly (ASQ) as a way to promote research on Africa beyond that undertaken by University of Florida faculty and graduate students. It is an interdisciplinary, fully refereed, online open access journal dedicated to publishing the finest scholarship relating to the African continent. ASQ invites the submission of original manuscripts on a full range of topics related to Africa in all disciplines. As an electronic journal, we welcome submissions that are of a time-sensitive nature. To qualify for consideration, submissions must meet the scholarship standards within the appropriate discipline and be of interest to an interdisciplinary readership.

The ASQ undertakes two kinds of publications. Many previous issues contain articles from a wide range of authors and focusing on diverse topics. The ASQ also publishes Special Issues that focus on a specific theme. The most recent Special Issue is entitled: Between Exit and Voice: Informality and the Spaces of Popular Agency, guest edited by Ilda Lindell of Stockholm University. It includes six articles on the following topics: urban youth vendors and top-down policy changes in Zambia; trash collection in Addis Ababa; changing relations between organized women market traders and rulers in Ghana; informalization processes driven by layoffs, casualization, and outsourcing in the South Africa’s industrial heartland; strategies for the collective organization of informal workers, “informalization from above,” and “informalization from below,” in South Africa; and the complexity for collective organizing, of informal labor in the construction sector in Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Cape Town, and Nepal.

An editorial committee composed of graduate students in African Studies who hail from Africa and the U.S. as well as other countries and represent a wide range of disciplines conducts the initial review of submitted manuscripts. Those submissions accepted for consideration are then sent to at least two external reviewers. ASQ expects the content of all manuscripts to be original and that the article has not been submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere. Therefore, authors should include a statement in their submission declaring that the manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration for publication by another journal. The final publication depends on the quality of the manuscript, the associated peer review process, and the number of manuscripts which have already been accepted. The journal will attempt to publish manuscripts no later than six months after submission.

For submission guidelines, matters related to the ASQ style, how to contact the ASQ, and other issues, potential authors should consult the ASQ website: www.africa.ufl.edu/ asq or email [email protected].

80 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 Academic Year & Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

The University of Florida’s Center for African Studies anticipates awarding Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships for the academic year. These fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USED) under Title VI of the U.S. Higher Education Act and are awarded to students combining graduate work in any academic discipline with African area and language studies.

Fellowships are offered for any one of the regularly taught languages (Akan, Amharic, Arabic, Swahili, Wolof, Xhosa, and Yoruba) as well as for other African languages for which instruction can be arranged.

Academic year fellowships provide a stipend of $15,000 and cover the cost of tuition and fees (12 credits per semester). Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States and be admitted to a graduate program at the University of Florida.

Summer fellowships provide students with an opportunity to undertake intensive African language study in any USED approved program including the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI). Summer fellowships cover tuition at the host institution and provide a stipend of $2,500.

For more information, including application deadlines, please visit www.africa.ufl.edu/ graduatestudies/flas.

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 81 Contribute to Graduate Student Research on Africa at UF

Funds for graduate students to travel and familiarity with the proposed field site and an annual award to help a student carry carry out research in Africa are in very the capability to carry out the proposed out pre-dissertation research in Africa. If short supply, especially in these trying work. you would like to make a contribution to economic times! As a result, preliminary summer this fund, we (and future generations of Beyond their training at UF, field research trips to lay the groundwork for UF Africanist students!) would be very research in Africa is absolutely essential dissertation fieldwork are invaluable for grateful. The form below can be used for for students to write the kinds of disserta- making students competitive for national this purpose. tions on which they will be able to base awards for dissertation funding. Helping If you are a UF employee and would successful careers, whether in academia, our students launch their professional like to contribute via payroll deduction, government, NGOs, or the private sector. careers in this way is one of our top pri- please contact CAS for assistance. The major dissertation research awards orities at the Center for African Studies. for Africa are limited in number and in- The Center for African Studies has If you have any questions or would creasingly competitive. In order for Ph.D. recently established a fund with the goal like more information—please contact candidates to be competitive for these of creating an endowment of at least Leonardo Villalón (CAS director) at awards they must demonstrate a strong $30,000, so as to generate the revenue for [email protected] or 352-392-2183

Method of payment: Check Enclosed (Make check payable to: UF Foundation, Inc.) Please Return To: UF Foundation, Inc. • CLAS Development Credit Card PO Box 14425 • Gainesville FL 32604-2425 Discover Visa MasterCard AmericanExpress Card Number: ______My Gift is For: Expiration Date (MM/YY): ______Alumni and Faculty Pre-Dissertation Travel Award – 013799 Name as it appears on card:______

Amount Enclosed: $______Billing Information (if different from on at left): Amount Pledged: $______Address:______(A pledge reminder will be mailed to the address provided.) City/State/Zip:______Name:______Email:______Address:______Phone:______City/State/Zip:______Email:______Signature:______Phone: ______Thank you for your support! Remember to enclose your company’s MATCHING GIFT FORM! It can double or triple your gift! The University of Florida Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by the law.

82 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 Thanks to Our Donors

MADELYN M. LOCKHART JEANNE & HUNT DAVIS Graduate Research Award Graduate Research Award In 2004, Dr. Madelyn Lockhart, In 2004, Dr. R. Hunt Davis, professor emeritus of economics professor emeritus in History and and a former Dean of the Graduate a former director of the Center School, established an endowment for African Studies, and his wife, to support an annual award for Jeanne, established an endowment graduate students doing pre- to support graduate students dissertation research in Africa. doing pre-dissertation research in Africa.

African Studies Faculty & Alumni Pre-Dissertation Award The generous contributions from Jeanne The African Studies Faculty & Alumni The Center would like to thank the & Hunt Davis and Dr. Lockhart has made Pre-Dissertation Award now has over following individuals who have it possible for the Center to provide sup- $20,000 in commitments and is mov- contributed to our various funds in the port for graduate students each summer ing toward the goal of $30,000, which past year (with an extra special thanks to doing fieldwork in Africa. In an effort will provide more support for graduate those who are working to build the Fac- to expand our capability for supporting students. Please see the following page ulty & Alumni Pre-Dissertation Fund). graduate students, Dr. Davis has taken the for more information about this fund and lead in helping CAS work toward estab- how you can contribute. lishing an additional endowment.

Dr. Charles Bwenge Dr. James E. Meier & Dr. Asha M. Brunings Dr. Paul A. Chadik & Dr. Charlotte A. Chadik Mr. John J. Mulligan & Dr. Connie J. Mulligan Dr. William L. Conwill & Faye V. Harrison, Ph.D. Dr. Susan O’Brien & Dr. Katrina Z. Schwartz Dr. R. Hunt Davis, Jr. & Mrs. Jeanne G. Davis Dr. Daniel Reboussin & Dr. Ann Glaowasky Dr. Stephen A. Emerson & Mrs. Angela B. Emerson Dr. Sandra L. Russo Professor Joan D. Frosch Dr. Richard Saunders Dr. Abraham C. Goldman & Dr. Judith F. Breiner Dr. Marianne Schmink Dr. Jacob U. Gordon & Dr. Barbara McDade Gordon Dr. Renata Serra Dr. Robert D. Holt & Mrs. Lynne Weissmann Holt Dr. Scot. E. Smith & Ms. Susan E Cooksey Dr. Abdoulaye Kane Hon. Emerson Thompson, Jr. & Hon. Geraldine Thompson Mr. Michael R. Kohlhaas & Dr. Jane Southworth Dr. Leonardo Villalon & Dr. Fiona McLaughin Dr. Michael R. Leslie & Dr. Agnes N. Leslie Mr. Marlon A. Watson Dr. Staffan Lindberg & Mrs. Wynie Lindberg Mr. Chris White Mr. Peter Malanchuk & Mrs. Iona R. Malanchuk Dr. Luise S. White Dr. Mansangu D. Matondo

Center for African Studies Research Report 2010 83 The Center Would Like to Thank

Patricia Mupeta for coordinating this project, the students and faculty who contributed reports and photographs, and Alex Coyle for the design and layout of this report. Cover photos by Terje Østebø and Todd Leedy.

84 Center for African Studies Research Report 2010