DOCSLIB.ORG

Democratisation in Malawi: State, Economic Structure and Neo-Liberal Hegemony

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Democratisation in Malawi: State, Economic Structure and Neo-Liberal Hegemony Democratisation in Malawi: State, Economic Structure and Neo-Liberal Hegemony Eunice Njeri Sahle A thesis submitted to the Department of Political Studies in conforrnity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Queen's University Kingston, Ontario, Canada 2001 Copyright O Eunice Njeri Sahle, 2001 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 .,,a du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Omwa ON K1A ON4 ûttawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence ailowing the exclusive permettant à la Kationai Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichel~de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Existing studies on Malawi's transition to democracy overwhelmingly cite local factors such as ethnic cornpetition, poor leadership, corruption, and economic difhlties as being the determinants of the forrn of democracy that emerged in the post 1994 period. This thesis argues these studies have led only to partial insights since they have not problematized the role of the state, its economic structure and the transnational lending community's neo-liberal hegemony on the country's democracy. In its examination of the character of the state, this study demonstrates how the previous state's authoritanan character influenced the nature of the resulting democracy by setting the parameters of the democratisation debate. In particular, it shows the state's role in the formation of a nascent postcolonial bourgeoisie, which played such a central role in the democratisation process. The thesis also shows the dependent capitalist bases of the state through an examination of Malawi's economic structure. The thesis contends that an understanding of the historical evolution of the state and its structural bases leads not only to a better understanding of its crucial role in the democratisation process but also tempers the tendency to overestimate its capacity to institute changes in the existing social and political power structures in the era of democracy. White acknowledging that local factors did play a crucial role in shaping Malawi's so- called democracy, the thesis contends that international forces were no less important. In particular, the role of the transnational lending community needs to be critically examined, given the country's foreign 'aid' dependency and its consequent vulnerabilii to that community's development policy shifts. WITH LOVE TO: Haben and Nia Serieu; Anne-Mane Gardner and Nadine Busmann iii ACKNOWLEOGEMENTS 1 am deepiy indebted to many individuals and organisations for their help and support in the production of this dissertation. To my thesis supervisor, Professor Colin Leys, my heartfelt thanks for his guidance, patience and rigorous demands, which made this project not only a reality but also worthwhile. By challenging me at every step, he has not only stimulated my intellectual growth but also taught me many invaluabte Iessons that 1 will cany with me throughout my life. My thanks to Professor Stephen Page, the Head of the Political Studies Department, for being there for me during the best and the worst of times. Many thanks to Professors Jayant Lele, Catherine Conaghan, Bruce Berman, Eleanor MacDonald, Charles Pentland, Michael Hawes and Louis Delvoie for their valuable contribution to my intellectual growth; and to Shiriey Fraser, Barbara Murphy, Evelyn McCaugherty, Pauline Bettney, and Frances Shepherd for their support over the years. 1 aIso owe the completion of this dissertation to my intellectual encounters with professors who challenged me during my undergraduate and graduate years at the University of Toronto. Many thanks to Professor Richard Sandbrook for being there from the beginning; to Professors Eboe Hutchful, Joyce Esbery, Julius Ihonvbere, Janice Boddy, Jonathan Baker and E. Elemeki for demanding nothing but the best fmrn me; and to Professor David Welch for not only being a wonderful professor but also for giving me the love of teaching. 1 would like to express my gratitude to the various institutions thot provided financiai support for this study. Many thanks to the International Development Research Centre {Ottawa) for offering a major research grant for my fieldwork and to Jean Claude Durnais, my grant officer at IDRC, for his support during the fieldwork and upon my retum to Canada. Thanks to the Department of Political Studies and the School of Graduate Studies at Queen's for research grants. Ouring my fieldwork in Maiawi, various individuals and institutions also made valuable contributions to my research, I am indebted to Professor Wiseman Chirwa for suggesting that I write my dissertation on Malawi during an initial visit to the country in 1996. My special thanks to him for al1 his support and wonderful sense of humour, which sustained me through difftcult times dunng the research process. Thanks to Professor Z. Kadzamira for arranging rny affiliation with the University of Malawi and facilitating the logistics of rny research, especially for help with obtaining the permits for archival research. I am grateful also to rny friends at the University of Malawi Library, the Malawi Collection section, for giving generously of their time. Special thanks to Mr. Dickson V. Phiri for assisting me in obtaining historical, conternporary and obscure documents; to the staff at the Malawi National Archives and the Centre for Social Research for al1 their support; and to my research assistants -W. Soko, Ronald Mangani, Wisdorn 'King Salomon' Malongo and firnothy Chikoti -for al1 their help at various stages of my fieldwork. During rny stay in Malawi, Professor Mitch Strimpf extended rny family tremendous support that will never be forgotten. Many thanks to Dr. Chiwoza Bandawe for his friendship, and to Dr. Peter Chirnimba and Fnder Chimimba as welt as Dr. Boniface Msarnati and Felicitas Msamati for their wam friendship and welcome comic relief. 1 wish to offer my thanks to my dearest friends at Queen's University, who in different ways contributed to the completion of this project: Nadine Busmann, Paul Haslam, Eva Lazar, Brian Yealland. Paritosh 'Uncle Juice' Kumar, Sevgul Topkara, Demetri Glentzakos, Sylvia Soderlind, Tom Gillon, Josie de Leon, Reena Kukreja, Ludeki Chweya, Doug Kropp and Tuula Lindlum. Over the years 1 have received tremendous support and inspiration from many friends, who have made it possible for me to engage in intellectual pursuits. My special thanks to Almuth Weigedt and her children Andrea and Erik Lacroix, as well as Anne-Marie Gardner, Tesfai Ande, Lynda Tavares, Elizabeth Dwivedi and Luther Francis for their love and support. 1 am also indebted to Charlotte Maxwell and Susanne Frederick for their unfailing support. For their inspiration and kindness, 1 extend my gratitude and respect to Kamoji Wachiira, Wanjiku wa Ng'anga, Professors Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Julius Nyang'oro and Micere Mugo. My special thanks to my parents, Esther and James K. Mugo for believing in the liberating power of education; to my late materna1 grandparents, Zacharia and Joyce, for their love and for telIing me about Githae's daughter (Professor Micere Mugo); and to my sisters and brothers and their families for their love. 1 would especially like to thank my sisters Ruth and Jennifer for their generosity and understanding. Thanks to Papa Fit. Tewelde Tedla and Mama Lemlem, Thomas, Ammanuel and Haileab Tewelde arid Frederic Mwai Kaburu's family for their love. Many thanks to the Serieux clan and to Dolly and Tally for their love and support. Last but not least my deepest and sincere thanks to John, Haben and Nia Serieux for enduring the craziness that marked the completion of this project, Without their love and support this project would have remained an unrealized dream. While al1 the individuals mentioned above made a valuable contribution to the completion of this project, I alone bear responsibility for any errors and omissions contained. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments.......................................................................................... .-iv Table of Contents............................................................................................ vi ... Map of Malawi... .....................................--....................................................VIII List of Tables and figures .................................................................................. ix Chapter One: Introduction................................................................................. 1 Chapter Two: Development Perspectives and Democratisation in the Periphery.. ...... -11 Modernisation theory The Dependency approach The Neo-liberal perspective The Neo-patrimonial perspective A historical-structuraland neo-Gramscian approach Chapter Three: Historical Origins of the Postcolonial State and its Economic Structure
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MALAWI COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service
    MALAWI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 31 OCTOBER 2012 MALAWI 31 OCTOBER 2012 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY ................................................................................................................. 3.01 Local government elections ................................................................................ 3.05 Foreign donor aid to Malawi suspended ............................................................ 3.07 Anti-government protests: July 2011 ................................................................. 3.10 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2012) ......................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • ZINDABA CHISIZA Thesis FINAL.Pages
    DEADLY MASCULINITIES: TOWARDS A THEATRICAL TOOLBOX FOR EXPLORING IDENTITY AND HIV WITH YOUNG MALAWIAN MEN Zindaba Dunduzu Chisiza Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Leeds School of English, Workshop Theatre January 2017 !1 To George Phangazindaba Simon (GPS) and Nyokase F. Madise, my maternal grandparents. !2 STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be punished without proper acknowledgement. The right of Zindaba Dunduzu Chisiza to be identified as Author of this work has asserted his right in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. © 2016 The University of Leeds and Zindaba Dunduzu Chisiza !3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS God Almighty deserves all the honour and glory for fulfilling his word spoken over my life twenty years ago. I want to thank Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, for saving my life and giving me a second chance. I am greatly indebted to my supervisor, Professor Jane Plastow, for her guidance, support, mentorship and friendship. Our journey began in 2011 when she encouraged me to pursue my questions about Malawian TfD. My work has benefited from her expertise and many of the questions she engages with in her own work, which shaped my thinking. Her patience and support has greatly contributed towards my growth as an academic, scholar and researcher.
    [Show full text]
  • Geographical Marginalisation in Context with Identity Crisis Projected by David Rubadiri and Derek Walcott in Their Poems
    Geographical Marginalisation in Context with Identity Crisis Projected by David Rubadiri and Derek Walcott in Their Poems K. Uma, II M.A. English Department of English and Comparative Literature Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai ================================================================== Abstract This paper is an attempt to view the “Geographical Marginalisation” with the reference to the two poems, David Rubadiri’s “A Negro Labourer in Liverpool” and Derek Walcott’s “A Far Cry from Africa”. In Rubadiri’s poem, the poet spot lights the suffering of a Negro who is working in the land of free (the place of White) and how he longs for a hope. The title of the poem itself is a juxtapose and the toil of a Negro to get an identity is shown. In Walcott’s poem, “A Far Cry from Africa” the suffering of the native African is discussed and the condition of the native “Kikuyu” is mentioned. The poet uses the personification to show the pitiable condition of Arica during the battle by comparing the position of the White and of the Black. Both the poems depict out the voice of the voiceless. Keywords: David Rubadiri, “A Negro Labourer in Liverpool”, Derek Walcott, “A Far Cry from Africa”, Battlefield, Impact, Migration, Quest for an Identity, Longing for a hope. This is an attempt to focus on the poems which has the same theme ‘Geographical Marginalisation’ of two different poets like James David Rubadiri’s ‘A Negro Labourer in Liverpool’ and the poem ‘A Far Cry from Africa’ by Derek Walcott tell about the pitiable situation of the African people. Literature is a word derived from Latin word ‘Littera’ means Letter in English.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement at the Memorial Service for Mr. Kanyama Chiume
    Statement at the Memorial Service for Mr. Kanyama Chiume (November 22, 1929 – November 21, 2007) Flynn Memorial Home, 1652 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, New York Saturday, November 24, 2007 I stand here on behalf of the Tanzania Government, the Tanzania Community in New York and all Tanzanian nationals who knew the late Kanyama Chiume and remain close to his family. We extend deep condolences to the bereaved family, friends and colleagues of the late Kanyama Chiume whose body lies before us in dignified peace at this solemn service. On behalf of the family, I thank all of you who have assembled at this chapel to pay our last respects to this great son and patriot of Malawi and Africa. Kanyama Chiume was one of the towering stalwarts of Pan-Africanism and the Nyasaland nationalist movement which led to the independence of Malawi. His passing away marks the end of the era of the founding fathers of African independence and unity. My generation, who were youngsters at the dawn of independence in Africa, witnessed the thrill and jubilation of the lowering of the British Union Jack in former British colonies and the hoisting of the flags of our independent states. However, at that age we did not fully appreciate until much later the courage and sacrifices which were made by the leaders who started the fight for our independence against tremendous odds, risks and personal sacrifices. 2 As a student in secondary school, I heard Mwalimu Julius Nyerere speak on the radio after our independence in 1961, telling Tanzanians that our independence in Tanganyika, and later Zanzibar, was not complete until the whole of Africa was free and that Africa must unite.
    [Show full text]
  • Fragments of Rubadiri: Student, Teacher and Poet Susan Kiguli Makerere University
    J. Hum 27 (1), 2019 77 Fragments of Rubadiri: Student, Teacher and Poet Susan Kiguli Makerere University Abstract Keywords: The article explores the intersections of James David Rubadiri, archive, Rubadiri’s roles as a student, poet and teacher. The article Polysemous human, draws on selected episodes, experiences and interviews exile, home on his life and work at Makerere University with the aim of addressing silences and gaps the apparent absence of © 2019 The Author. Rubadiri’s full auto/biographical work creates. Relying This work is licensed on the archive, the paper traces three stages in Rubadiri’s under the Creative life: his days as a student at Makerere, his time as a teacher Commons Attribution at the same university and his career as a poet. I observe 4.0 International License that his remarkable abilities and personality as attested to by his teachers during his student days allowed him to transition into a celebrated teacher and an intuitive poet later in his life. I also observe that as a student, teacher and poet, his strengths were anchored in his ability to understand the importance of being human and the shifting boundaries of human experience. Further, I touch on notions of home and exile in Rubadiri’s life and poetry, particularly in the context of Makerere University and Uganda, his adopted home. The article takes note of the polysemous yet connected roles and their significance in defining Rubadiri as one of the leading literary voices in the East African region. Introduction James David Rubadiri was born on 19th July 1930 on Likoma Island in the then British Protectorate of Nyasaland, now Malawi.
    [Show full text]
  • Deliberation As an Epistemic Endeavor: Umunthu and Social Change In
    Deliberation as an Epistemic Endeavor: UMunthu and Social Change in Malawi’s Political Ecology A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Fletcher O. M. Ziwoya December 2012 © 2012 Fletcher O. M. Ziwoya All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Deliberation as an Epistemic Endeavor: UMunthu and Social Change in Malawi’s Political Ecology by FLETCHER O. M. ZIWOYA has been approved for the School of Communication Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Claudia L. Hale Professor of Communication Studies Scott Titsworth Interim Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT ZIWOYA, FLETCHER O. M., Ph.D. December 2012, Communication Studies Deliberation as an Epistemic Endeavor: UMunthu and Social Change in Malawi’s Political Ecology Director of Dissertation: Claudia Hale This dissertation examines the epistemic role of democratic processes in Malawi. In this study, I challenge the view that Malawi’s Local Government model of public participation is representative and open to all forms of knowledge production. Through a case study analysis of the political economy of knowledge production of selected District Councils in Malawi, I argue that the consultative approach adopted by the Councils is flawed. The Habermasian approach adopted by the Councils assumes that development processes should be free, fair, and accommodative of open forms of deliberation, consultation, and dissent. The Habermasian ideals stipulate that no single form of reasoning or knowledge dominates others. By advocating for “the power of the better argument” Habermas (1984, 1998a, 1998b, 2001) provided room for adversarial debate which is not encouraged in the Malawi local governance system.
    [Show full text]
  • Portrait of an Asian As an East African
    SINGING AGAINST ANTI-ASIAN SENTIMENT IN THE EAST AFRICAN POSTCOLONY: JAGJIT SING’S “PORTRAIT OF AN ASIAN AS AN EAST AFRICAN” Danson Sylvester Kahyana Makerere University, Kampala (Uganda) & Stellenbosch University (South Africa) Abstract The 1972 expulsion of Asians from Uganda by the President of the time, General Idi Amin Dada, is one of the most traumatic events that Uganda has suffered. This article examines how this event is imagined in Jagjit Singh’s ‘Portrait of an Asian as an East African’ (1971). I am interested in three inter-related issues that the poet depicts in this work: the pain of being uprooted from a place one has known as home, only to be cast into a state of statelessness and refugeehood; the nature and character of the emergent postcolony that the poem speaks to; and the ability of poetry to give prescient insights, given the fact the poem was published a year before the expulsion was announced. In the close reading of the poem that I perform in this paper, I pay special attention to the poetic devices that the poet deploys to speak to the three issues that I have mentioned above, and the success with which he does this. Keywords: Prejudice, Expulsion, Trauma, Atrocity, Asians. UN CANTO CONTRA EL SENTIMIENTO ANTI-ASIÁTICO EN LA POSTCOLONIA DEL ÁFRICA ORIENTAL. “PORTRAIT OF AN ASIAN AS AN EAST AFRICAN” DE JAGJIT SINGH 95 Resumen La expulsión de la población asiática de Uganda perpetrada por el presidente del momento, el General Idi Amin Dada, es uno de los episodios más traumáticos que Uganda ha sufrido.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 4 Making, Unmaking and Remaking Political Party Coalitions
    POLITICAL PARTY COALITIONS IN MALAWI 111 4 MAKING, UNMAKING AND REMAKING POLITICAL PARTY COALITIONS IN MALAWI Explaining the Prevalence of Office-Seeking Behaviour DENIS KADIMA AND SAMSON LEMBANI INTRODUCTION The contemporary history of political alliances in Malawi dates back to the early 1990s when Malawian political and social groupings joined forces and succeeded in voting out the 30-year-old one-party regime of Kamuzu Banda in 1994. While a recent unpublished study by Lars Svåsand, Nixon Khembo and Lise Rakner (2004) gives an account of the reconfiguration of Malawi’s party system after the 2004 general elections, there is no chronological and comprehensive account of the main coalitions of political parties in the country, their accomplishments and setbacks and the lessons that can be drawn from their experience. This explains the need for this study as well as the unique contribution that it makes to the field of party coalition politics. The study deals only with alliances made up of political parties. For this reason, the pre-1994 election alliance of various political pressure groups, faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations, which worked towards the effective introduction of a democratic multiparty system, is not given significant attention. The study devotes equal attention to the history of both governing and opposition coalitions in Malawi. Specifically, it examines the short-lived coalition between the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) after the 1994 general elections; the 1995 alliance between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and AFORD; the alliance forged between the MCP and AFORD prior to the 1999 general elections; the UDF- AFORD-NCD Coalition preceding the 2004 general elections and the 111 112 THE POLITICS OF PARTY COALITIONS IN AFRICA Mgwirizano coalition of 2004.
    [Show full text]
  • Malawi at a Glance: 2000-01
    COUNTRY REPORT Malawi At a glance: 2000-01 OVERVIEW President Bakili Muluzi is expected to remain in power over the forecast period. But the main political parties, will, to varying degrees, experience internal disarray. A clear split has emerged in the main opposition party, the MCP, though the postponement of the September local elections should allow it to tackle its internal differences before they are held. A new uranium mining project will help the mining sector to develop, but infrastructure will need upgrading to attract further mining investment. Falling world tobacco prices in 2000, along with lower domestic production, will reduce export revenue, and increase the trade deficit. The rail link between Malawi and the Mozambican port of Nacala is scheduled to open in September, promising savings in transport costs, but improved track and signalling equipment is required. Key changes from last month Political outlook • There has been a major split in the opposition MCP party. John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba were both elected as party leader at parallel conventions in their respective regional strongholds. Economic policy outlook • The 2000/01 budget promises to build on the government’s reform efforts. But fiscal stability remains heavily reliant on foreign grants. Economic forecast • The EIU’s economic forecast remains essentially unchanged. Real GDP growth will slow to 3.5% in 2000, because of reduced agricultural output owing to poor weather. The rate of inflation will average nearly 29% in 2000 and the exchange rate will slip to MK65:US$1 by end-2000. September 2000 The Economist Intelligence Unit 15 Regent St, London SW1Y 4LR United Kingdom The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders.
    [Show full text]
  • Government & Politics Corr
    1 CONCEPTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND Augustine Titani Magolowondo INTRODUCTION This book is about Government and politics in Malawi. The diversity of issues that are discussed in the subsequent chapters bears testimony to the complexity of this subject matter. The aim of this first chapter is twofold. First, as you may have probably experienced in our daily discourse, the terms Government and politics are often confused with other key terms such as state and nation. As a starting point, this chapter clarifies these related concepts, which are inherently connected but yet conceptually distinct. Second, the discussion in this chapter aims at providing the context within which politics and Government in Malawi operate. In this regard, I look at both the political history and key socio-economic characteristics of Malawi. Finally, I discuss challenges facing Malawi’s politics and Government today. WHAT IS POLITICS? The concept of politics is as old as Government itself. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher (384–322 BC) argued that ‘man is by nature a political animal’. What was meant is that politics is not only inevitable but also essential to human activity. In other words, wherever there are human beings, politics is unavoidable. However, much as Aristotle’s maxim has become almost indisputable among the students of politics, there is no consensus on what exactly is to be understood by politics. To appreciate the conceptual complexity of politics, let us consider for instance the 2000 constitutional amendment to Section 65 of the Malawi Constitution (popularly called the ‘crossing of the floor’ provision). This amendment was to result in any member of Parliament (MP) losing his/her seat should he/she join 1 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN MALAWI any organisation whose objectives were deemed to be political in nature.
    [Show full text]
  • State Vs Non-State Armed Groups – a Political Economy of Violence
    State vs non-state armed groups - a political economy of violence Item Type Article Authors Jegede, Francis; Bampton, Kevin; Todd, Malcolm Citation Jegede, F. and Bampton, K. (2015) 'State vs non-state armed groups – a political economy of violence', Annual International Conference Proceedings of the 5th Political Science, Sociology and International Relations (PSSIR), Bangkok, 14-15 September. DOI 10.5176/2251-2403_PSSIR15.44 Publisher Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF 2015) Journal Annual International Conference Proceedings of the 5th Political Science, Sociology and International Relations (PSSIR 2015) Download date 24/09/2021 05:20:12 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10545/620544 State vs Non-state Armed Groups – A Political Economy of Violence Dr. Francis Jegede College of Law Humanities & Social Sciences University of Derby Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom. [email protected] Mr. Kevin Bampton College of Law Humanities & Social Sciences University of Derby Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom. [email protected] Prof. Malcolm Todd College of Law Humanities & Social Sciences University of Derby Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, United Kingdom. [email protected] Abstract—The early 21st century has witnessed the rise in violent extremism with groups such as Al Qaeda and Islamic I. INTRODUCTION State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East, the One of the greatest challenges facing the world’s nations Boko Haram in West Africa, and Al Shabaab in East Africa. and society at large in the early 21st century is the rise of The activities of these and other non-state armed groups have violent extremism amongst non-state actors and groups, whose created a general state of panic and fear that is spreading activities are genially believed to pose serious security risks to beyond their areas of operation to other parts of the political current world economic and political order.
    [Show full text]
  • (20) Ui Art Olorunyomi Africa 2014
    African Notes Vol. 38 No. 2 2014, pp. 71-77 Africa and the Literature of Unfreedom Sola Olorunyomi University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Introduction forebears found allies in other genres for When I grow up I’d like to be a dog... creative expressivity. For instance, by playing (A little girl in a Warsaw Ghetto) the codifier, through speech surrogacy, music became a viable nest for treasured information, The muse as'endangeredspecie and hidden critique. The early jester, In their book, Extreme Situations. ■.. David Craig “remembrancer” and court poet all comingled, and Michael Egan write, detailing the behaviour yet finding a little space to get at the Genre. of literature in the interwar years: “In the ghetto Even great minds in history will eventually in Warsaw in 1914, Ludwik Hirszfeld asked a want the poet banned from the Republic; and little girl, ‘What would you like to be.’ She over the period, they did get banned, even answered, ‘A dog, because the sentries like harmed in ways too shameful to recount to dogs’.” contemporary civilsation. And it was not a Literature continues to recount and habit contained by the diversity of our transform experience, such as has been geographies ... just wherever power relations described above. No doubt, literature has over felt threatened sufficiently enough. And the the ages b^emg^onstantly affronted, largely infamous apartheid system of South Africa was because it stokes the imagination. Imagination yet one such case in point. continues to serve as a cypher for a universal A bit of the anti-apartheid literature got language; and, in a way, it is'not particularly smuggled out and the rest of the continent held suprising that workers of the imaginative its breath, reading lines written in blood, enterprise UNIVERSITYhave hlso had to contend, OF IBADANdescribing sanguine LIBRARY tales of horror, in lonely, simultaneously, with a universal.language of lonsome cells - homes of the extra-judicial applause and censorship.
    [Show full text]