Henning Melber

Across Africa, a burgeoning middle class has become the poster child for the 'Africa rising' narrative. Ambitious, aspirational and increasingly affluent, this group is said to embody the values and hopes of the new Africa, with international bodies ranging from the United Nations Development Programme to the World Bank regarding them as important agents of both economic development and democratic change. This narrative, however, obscures the complex and often ambiguous role that this group actually plays in African societies. Bringing together economists, political scientists, anthropologists and development experts, and spanning a variety of case studies from across the continent, this collection provides a much-needed corrective to the received wisdom within development circles, and provides a fresh perspective on social transformations in contemporary Africa.

Myths, Realities and Critical Engagements

The Rise of Africa's Middle Class

Dumisani Moyo

Sarah Helen Chiumbu

The current situation in Zimbabwe under the ZANU-PF government shows increasing signs of abuse of power by those in political control. They also direct their desire to suppress criticism towards the media. Press organs in private ownership have been closed down and journalists have been physically harassed, arrested and expelled. Laws are abused to regulate and manipulate public opinion by a policy of banning. Worldwide condemnation of the growing restrictions upon the freedom of expression goes hand in hand with the protests inside the country against the growing tendencies of totalitarian rule. Current events are critically reflected upon and the background to these developments is summarised in this publication. It is based on some of the contributions to a recent conference on Zimbabwe organised by the Nordic Africa Institute and offers insights into the contested space of public opinion in Zimbabwe. The critical analyses of current developments are thereby complemented with particular reference to the media sector in the ongoing battle for hegemonic control over the public sphere.

Media, Public Discourse and Political Contestation in Zimbabwe

Klaas van Walraven

Andreas Mehler

The Africa Yearbook is a reliable source of reference covering major domestic political developments, the foreign policy and socio-economic trends of all sub-Saharan states – all related to developments in one calendar year.

Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara 2004

Africa Yearbook Volume 1

The Africa Yearbook is a reliable source of reference covering major domestic political developments, the foreign policy and socio-economic trends of all sub-Saharan states – all related to developments in one calendar year. The print version of the Africa Yearbook now gives access to the Africa Yearbook online, with all material since 2004. Every copy of the print has a personal code for free access to Africa Yearbook online.

Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2010

Africa Yearbook Volume 7

Mary-Lynn Hanley

It is now fifty years since Dag Hammarskjöld left the world and the United Nations behind. Yet, with every passing year since his death, his stature grows and his worth along with his contribution becomes more apparent and meaningful. When Hammarskjöld was at its helm the United Nations was still a relatively young organization, finding its way in a post-war world that had entered a new phase, the cold war, for which there was no roadmap. He was a surprise choice as Secretary-General, a so-called "safe" choice as there was little expectation that this former Swedish civil servant would be more than a competent caretaker. Few imagined that Dag Hammarskjöld would embrace his destiny with such passion and independence and even fewer could have foreseen that he would give his life in service to his passion. But as Hammarskjöld himself stated: "Destiny is something not to be desired and not to be avoided - a mystery not contrary to reason, for it implies that the world, and the course of human history, have meaning." That statement sums up his world view. This is a volume of memoirs written by people who knew Hammarskjöld. We hope that these memories succeed in imparting to those who never knew or worked with Dag Hammarskjöld the intrinsic flavour of this unusual, highly intelligent, highly complex individual who believed deeply in the ability of people, especially their ability to affect the world in which they live. He once reflected: "Everything will be all right - you know when? When people, just people, stop thinking of the United Nations as a weird Picasso abstraction and see it as a drawing they made themselves." Today that advice rings as true as ever.

A Collection of Personal Memories

Dag Hammarskjöld Remembered

In 1953 Dag Hammarskjöld became the second Secretary-General of the United Nations--the highest international civil servant. Before his mission was cut short by a 1961 plane crash in then Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), he used his office to act on the basis of anti-hegemonic values, including solidarity and recognition of otherness. The dubious circumstances of Hammarskjöld's death have received much attention, including a new official investigation, but have perhaps overshadowed his diplomatic legacy--one that has often been hotly contested. Henning Melber explores the years of African decolonization during which Hammarskjöld was in office, investigating the scope and limits of his influence within the context of global governance. He paints a picture of a man with strong guiding principles, but limited room for maneuver, colliding with the essential interests of the big powers as the 'wind of change' blew over the African continent. His book is a critical contribution to the study of international politics and the role of the UN in the Cold War. It is also a tribute to the achievements of a cosmopolitan Swede.

Dag Hammarskjöld, the United Nations, and the Decolonisation of Africa

Carsten Stahn

This critical review of Hammarskjöld's legacy as Secretary-General explores the contemporary relevance of his international civil service, agency and leadership.

Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld

Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency

Klaas Van Walraven

Amin Kamete

The Africa Yearbook is a reliable source of reference covering major domestic political developments, the foreign policy and socio-economic trends of all sub-Saharan states - all related to developments in one calendar year.

Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2006. Volume 3

Africa Yearbook

Reinhart Kössler

Per Strand

This paper deals with aspects of rebuilding societies from below firstly in a general development studies discourse on a more theoretical level, considering aspects of the current debate on globalisation.

A Namibian Case Study

Development from Below

Since independence in 1990, Namibia has witnessed only one generation with no memory of colonialism - the 'born frees', who voted in the 2009 elections. The anti-colonial liberation movement, SWAPO, dominates the political scene, effectively making Namibia a de facto one-party state dominated by the first 'struggle generation'. While those in power declare their support for a free, fair, and just society, the limits to liberation are such that emancipation from foreign rule has only been partially achieved. Despite its natural resources Namibia is among the world's most unequal societies and indicators of wellbeing have not markedly improved for many among the former colonized majority, despite a constitution enshrining human rights, social equality, and individual liberty. This book analyses the transformation of Namibian society since Independence. Melber explores the achievements and failures and contrasts the narrative of a post-colonial patriotic history with the socio-economic and political realities of the nation-building project. He also investigates whether, notwithstanding the relative stability prevailing to date, the negotiation of controlled change during Namibia's decolonization could have achieved more than simply a change of those in control.

The Trials of Independence

Understanding Namibia

Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2012

Africa Yearbook Volume 9

The Africa Yearbook is a reliable source of reference covering major domestic political developments, the foreign policy and socio-economic trends of all sub-Saharan states all related to developments in one calendar year. The print version of the Africa Yearbook now gives access to the Africa Yearbook online, with all material since 2004. Every copy of the print has a personal code for free access to Africa Yearbook online.

Henning Melber

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