RETHINKING AFRICAN PARTNERSHIPS for GLOBAL SOLUTIONS © Michigan State University RETHINKING AFRICAN PARTNERSHIPS for GLOBAL SOLUTIONS EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS AMY JAMISON RICHARD MKANDAWIRE Coordinator, Alliance for African Partnership Director, Alliance for African Partnership Secretariat Michigan State University Michigan State University THOMAS JAYNE JAMIE MONSON Co-Director, Alliance for African Partnership; Co-Director, Alliance for African Partnership; University Foundation Professor of Agriculture Director, African Studies Center and Food Resource Economics Michigan State University Michigan State University ISAAC MINDE Coordinator, Alliance for African Partnership Michigan State University CONTRIBUTORS THELMA AWORI ADIPALA EKWAMU Chair Emeritus, Founding Chair and President Executive Secretary Sustainable Market Women’s Fund Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) SOSTEN CHIOTHA Regional Director PENINA MLAMA Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Professor, Creative Arts Department and Mwalimu Nyerere Southern and Eastern Africa Professorial Chair in Pan-African Studies University of Dar es Salaam CHINWE EFFIONG Assistant Dean, The MasterCard Foundation Scholars MOSES OSIRU Program and Youth Empowerment Programs Deputy Executive Director Michigan State University Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) DAVE EKEPU Intern DAVID WILEY Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Director Emeritus, African Studies Center Michigan State University Rethinking African Partnerships for Global Solutions 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This edited volume is published by Michigan State University’s Alliance for African Partnership, and is the product of numerous discussions in 2016 and 2017 with colleagues in African universities, research institutes, governments, private sector organizations and civil society, as well as with strategic development partners and MSU’s Africanist faculty. Many of the views expressed here emerged from the original convening of the Alliance for African Partnership in May 2016, and in subsequent campus-based events involving MSU faculty from across the university. To all those people who are too numerous to name, the AAP management team expresses its sincere thanks. A special thanks to Steve Hanson, associate provost and dean of International Studies and Programs; Anne Ferguson, senior associate dean, International Studies and Programs; and to the Alliance for African Partnership’s advisory board, including Aggrey Ambali, Titus Awokuse, Thelma Awori, Candace Keller, Penina Mlama, Moses Osiru, Leonard Wantchekon and Paul Zeleza. 2 Rethinking African Partnerships for Global Solutions TABLE OF CONTENTS Title and Contributors .......................................................................................................................................1 Table of Contents ..............................................................................................................................................3 Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................................4 Part 1: Partnerships: Learning from the Past and Innovating for the Future ..................................7 Chapter 2: International Partnerships for Global Solutions: A History and Literature Review .......................................................................................................8 Chapter 3: A History of African Partnership at Michigan State University ..........................11 Chapter 4: The 2016 Convening of the Alliance for African Partnership ........................... 16 Part 2: Building Bridges ................................................................................................................................ 19 Chapter 5: Endeavoring to Nurture Partnerships ..................................................................... 20 Chapter 6: Partnerships in the Arts and Literature: Challenges and Opportunities for Building Bridges between Africa and the World .....................................22 Part 3: Transforming Institutions ................................................................................................................25 Chapter 7: Building Strong South-South Partnerships for University Transformation in Africa: Lessons from RUFORUM .................................................................26 Chapter 8: The Changing Landscape of Partnerships for the Transformation of African Agri-Food Systems ...........................................................................29 Part 4: Transforming Lives ............................................................................................................................33 Chapter 9: Partnership in Climate Change Adaptation........................................................... 34 Chapter 10: African Youth: Building on Values, Counting on Partnerships ........................38 Chapter 11: Generating Income and Hope in Africa with Mushrooms .................................40 Chapter 12: Conclusion and Future Directions ...................................................................................... 44 References ........................................................................................................................................................ 46 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................................51 Appendix 1: Faculty Guidelines for Scholarly and Professional Cooperation between Colleagues in Africa and Michigan State University ..............................................52 Appendix 2: Best Practices for International Partnerships between Higher Education Institutions in Africa and Abroad ................................................................ 54 Rethinking African Partnerships for Global Solutions 3 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Thomas S. Jayne and Jamie Monson BACKGROUND THE ALLIANCE FOR Since early in their post-independence histories, AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP almost all African countries have addressed their Michigan State University, in consultation with 14 most pressing developmental challenges through African development thinkers representing a range collaborations involving African governments, of African organizations and fields of study, initiated African universities, the private sector, civil society, the Alliance for African Partnership at a convening donor/financial organizations, and international held at MSU in May 2016. The purpose of the Alliance technical partners (universities, research institutes, is to promote sustainable, effective, and equitable and program implementation organizations). partnerships between African organizations, MSU These organizations interact within an ecosystem and other international organizations to address influenced by funding patterns, power relations, mutually defined challenges facing Africa and the and the individual goals and objectives of the world. Six highly interrelated thematic issues have participants involved. Our premise is that prevailing been identified: (i) the transformation of African agri- development-oriented ecosystems are not optimal food systems; (ii) water, energy and the environment; and that changes in the way that these partnerships (iii) youth empowerment; (iv) education; (v) culture; are structured can lead to more sustainable and and (vi) health and nutrition, among others. Three mutually beneficial forms of collaboration and more pillars also emerged from the convening: (i) Building effective outcomes for society. The Alliance for Bridges, (ii) Transforming Institutions, and (iii) African Partnership has invited a number of people Transforming Lives. who we regard as thought leaders on this topic to present their perspectives and reflections in this The Alliance is a work in progress. Its activities will volume, stimulate discussion, solicit feedback, and surely evolve over time as we learn what works collectively encourage more effective forms of well and what doesn’t, widen our network of partnerships. collaborators, and become more sensitized to their MISSION PRIORITY AREAS Bring about positive change in Africa through meaningful, equitable partnerships. Agri-food Culture Building systems Bridges GUIDING PRINCIPLES Education Health & Accountability Nutrition Equity Inclusivity Sustainability Transparency Youth Water, Energy, & Empowerment Environment 4 Rethinking African Partnerships for Global Solutions perspectives and experience. At the core of the operate effectively given their superior knowledge Alliance is its vision that “partnership”—the process of local culture and connections with centers of local of defining and implementing the collaboration—is and global power. They’re capable of influencing a crucial and under-appreciated determinant of the government investments and mobilizing community success of any project, perhaps much more so than engagement. An effective strategy toward the technical know-how of the parties involved or improving the ecosystem of partnerships must the amount of funding devoted to addressing the directly engage more African professionals than in challenge. This is why the term “partnership” is the past. Collaborations based on the idea that one featured in the initiative’s title. organization is the capacity