This edition of Perspectives contributes to the ongoing debate on infrastructure development in Africa by sharing snapshots of experience from around the continent, exploring questions about democratic participation, the role of human and environmental rights, and economic transformation.
When you write about Africa, make sure to always include sad and starving characters, advises Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainana in his famously ironic essay “How to write about Africa”, which takes aim at Western prejudices. In the same way that everyday laughter has been excluded from all-too-familiar depictions of the continent, African humour and satire as a form of social and political engagement remains underexplored.
With this edition of Perspectives, the Heinrich Böll Foundation explores some of the approaches and instruments that communities and their NGO partners have developed to create room for community-centred stakeholder participation, and to champion community interests and rights.
Despite the formal commitment of many African states to universal human rights, the realisation of those rights remains unfulfilled for a great number of their citizens, especially women.
For this edition of Perspectives the Heinrich Böll Foundation asked a number of African intellectuals, writers and analysts to provide their take on Africa’s relationship with Europe. The result is a small collection of interviews, short essays and comments that throw light on the complexities and complexes of this relationship, using analysis, imagery, experience, provocation and humour.
Immediately after the World Cup Final, Brazil hosts the next BRICS Summit from July, 14th to 16th 2014. The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will come together and important announcements are expected: a new BRICS Development Bank and a Contingency Reserve Arrangement. On this occasion a special BRICS Summit Reader is available here presenting background analysis and facts.
Fossil resources like coal, oil and gas are responsible for 63 percent of carbon emissions in the atmosphere by only 90 entities – the “Carbon Majors”. This discussion paper outlines the case for the Carbon Majors to provide funding via the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage for poor communities all over the world.
Invisible is a Kenyan story made up of many tales. Although the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity is a very controversial topic in Kenya, the queer community has recently struggled to make itself more visible.
Media plays a key part in the democratisation process in Somaliland, vital in efforts to improve all branches of the state and its democratic performance. This publication of papers presented at a 2013 conference on Press Freedom explores the opportunities and challenges of Somaliland's media development.
PIDA, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, is poised to be a game changer for the transformation of Africa. This publication describes PIDA's plan to double levels of investment in energy, water, and transportation mega-projects and the opportunities and risks these projects present, asking the big question: will PIDA accelerate the colonial patterns of resource extraction or foster the economic diversification required for Africa to prosper?
