Africa and Development in the 21St Century David Dorward 4

Africa and Develop111ent in the 21st Century 1ll The Network tttt The Australian Development Studies Network seeks to provide a forum for discussion and debate of development issues, and to keep people in the field up-to-date with developments and events, publications, etc. The Network does this through its publications program and by conducting or co-sponsoring seminars, symposia and conferences. The Network produces three publications: Development Bulletin is the Network's quarterly Newsletter. It includes short articles (normally 1,000 to 2,000 words); reports on conferences and seminars; announcements of forthcoming events; details of courses, research and work related to development or development studies; articles on the centres pursuing these activities; and information about development education materials, recent publications and other news. Briefing Papers address a wide variety of development-related issues. 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ISSN 1035-1132 Africa and Develop111ent in the 21st Century Disctlssion Series Africa and development in the 21st century David Dorward 4 New issues in African population David Lucas 8 Nutrition and food security in Africa Chris McMurray 11 Rural development in Kenya Nyambura Mwaniki 15 Confronting Eve's destruction: African women and AIDS Tamara Aboagye-Kwarteng 20 Health services and contraception: Atyap (Kataf) women, Nigeria Helen Nene Avong 24 Women's employment in Africa Maria Kenig-Witkowska 27 Gender studies and gender training in Africa Deborah Hope Kasente 30 More about Africa 34 Viewpoint Towards a new cold war? Erik Paul 37 Human rights in Papua New Guinea Michael Jacobsen 38 Updates The shape of tele-costs world: The Pacific Islands case R. Gerard Ward 41 From the field Agricultural extension services in Vietnam: Some legacies and prospects Jim Monan and Doug Porter 49 Landowner/government relations in the forest industry of West New Britain Gary Simpson 52 From the press 59 Conferences 62 Publications 70 Courses 85 Resources 87 Briefing paper Towards a better understanding of the causes of poverty in Africa in the late twentieth century Cherry Gertzel Aprill996 1 Editors' notes This is the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, although from the development literature, the international debate and national aid programmes, there is little to remind us of the fact. Poverty alleviation appears on the international agenda for discussion, but poverty eradication remains conspicuous by its absence - in the literature, in the debate and in reality. Nowhere is ~e need for poverty eradication more pressing than in the countries of Africa. This issue of Development Bulletin considers the reality of development in the African 00 continent and looks to future possibilities for improved well-being and the eradication of poverty. Contributors include David Dorward, David Lucas, (].) Tamara Aboagye-Kwarteng and Nyambura Mwaniki. Briefing paper ~ } Cherry Gertzel provides an insight into the relationship between current development ideology and the opportunities for eradication of poverty in African states. 0 Viewpoint In his paper 'Towards a new cold war?', Erik Paul puts forward his view that Australia's recent security treaty with Indonesia exemplifies a growing emphasis ~ on business and military interests over human rights. Updates 00 Gerard Ward adds to the discussion in Information Technology and Development with a paper on the differential costs and impacts of telephones in the Pacific and the inconsistencies of international markets. " From the field ~ Agricultural extension services in Vietnam are reviewed by Jim Monan and Doug Porter in light of recent economic liberalisation. Gary Simpson considers the design and implementation of the Kandrian Gloucester Integrated Development 0 . Project. This section also includes case studies on the successes and failures of ~ } technical assistance in Ghana and Uganda. AusAID • ~ The members of the Australian Development Studies Network gratefully acknowledge the on-going assistance of AusAID in publishing the Development ~ Bulletin. The Network now has members in 120 different countries. The back half The back half of the Bulletin includes the latest information on new books and new courses, a conference calendar, conferences reports and an up-to-date listing ~ of development studies resources. Next issue The next issue will provide a variety of perspectives on the topic of the private sector and development. If you have any queries or would like to contribute please call, fax or e-mail us. Pamela Thomas and Rafat Hussain 2 Development Bulletin 37 Africa and development in the 21st century Development strategies of the last 30 years have failed to halt the impoverishment of Mrica. According to the World Bank, Africa has been the greatest, sustained development failure of the century. It is widely acknowledged, including by the Australian Government, that by 2010, the majority of those living in absolute poverty will be living on the African continent. Clearly, the major issue facing most African countries in the 21st century will be finding ways to eradicate poverty. In this International Year of Poverty Eradication the situation of Africa needs to be given priority attention and the underlying causes of African poverty and how they might be addressed thoroughly reviewed. The following papers, and the briefing paper which accompanies this issue of Development Bulletin, consider the Mrican situation and attempt to explain the growing inequalities and increasing impoverishment of African countries. Recurrent themes throughout this issue are the negative and widespread impacts of structural adjustment policies, the crippling burden of debt repayment, misdirected development assistance and the impact of global trade liberalisation policies on formal and informal economies. The more obvious factors contributing to the impoverishment of Africa include violence, internal conflicts, natural disasters, droughts, food shortages, population growth, population movement, AIDS, environmental degradation and changes in access to land, most particularly the rights of women to land and participation in the formal economic sector. However, changes in political processes have also had an impact on opportunities for development. Democracy in African states has seldom led to greater participation in political processes or to a reduction in inequalities or poverty. Cherry Gertzel states that by the end of the 1980s African governments had lost control of their policy-making processes. Conditionality of international loans and assistance mean that policy dialogue is now conducted between governments and bureaucrats, not between politicians, parties and people. Accountability in this environment is not to the electorate but to the donor community. David Dorward provides a more positive note and outlines the increasing international trade with Africa and states that despite the gloom, there are some hopeful signs. Nyambura Mwaniki provides a case study from Kenya of the ways in which political processes have weakened opportunities for effective community political participation and stifled community involvement in rural development programmes. David Lucas reviews Mrican population and Helen Avong discusses the impact of structural adjustment policies on fertility. Tamara Aboagye Kwarteng outlines the extent of the HIV epidemic on African women and the possible scenario in the 21st century. Food security and possibilities for improving the nutritional status of African peoples are discussed by Chris McMurray. The situation of women in Mrica is covered by Deborah Kasente and Maria Kenig-Witkowska. Apri/1996 3 Africa and development in the 21st century David Dorward, African Research Institute, La Trobe University Africa is continually written off by the Australian media as (Rakotoarison 1995a). It is the second largest non EU an arena for relief agencies, a continent of famine, political supplier of cut flowers, the largest non EU supplier

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