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Eine nachhaltige Fachkräftesicherung gehört zu den zentralen aktuellen und künftigen Herausforderungen von Politik und Wirtschaft. Ein ungedeckter Fachkräftebedarf kann nicht nur
die Zukunftsfähigkeit der betroffenen Betriebe gefährden, sondern das Wachstum der Wirtschaft des Landes bremsen. Entsprechend wichtig ist es zu analysieren, wie sich der Fachkräftebedarf entwickelt hat und wodurch sich Betriebe mit unbesetzten Stellen auszeichnen. Die Zahl der offenen Stellen für Fachkräfte erhöhte sich im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um fast ein Drittel und stieg auf rund 35.800. Damit erhöhte sich auch der Anteil der offenen Stellen für Fachkräfte an allen offenen Stellen weiter auf 85 Prozent, was dem höchsten Wert der vergangenen 10 Jahre entspricht. Der Anteil der Fachkräfte an den Neueinstellungen verzeichnete ebenfalls zum vierten Mal in Folge einen Anstieg. 2012 entfielen 57 der Neueinstellungen auf Fachkräfte. Allerdings verringerte sich die absolute Zahl der neu eingestellten Fachkräfte. Dies könnte zum Teil auf die unbesetzten Stellen für Fachkräfte zurückzuführen sein. Etwa 30 Prozent der zu besetzenden Fachkräftestellen (Neueinstellungen und unbesetzte Stellen) konnten im ersten Halbjahr 2012 nicht besetzt werden. Eine nähere Analyse zeigt, dass kleinere und größere Betriebe ähnlich stark von den Besetzungsproblemen betroffen sind und dass von den kleineren Betrieben das Produzierende Gewerbe größere Probleme aufweist als der Dienstleistungssektor. Die weitere Differenzierung der kleinen Betriebe mit und ohne Stellenbesetzungsproblemen für Fachkräfte verdeutlicht, dass Betriebe mit Stellenbesetzungsproblemen wesentlich dynamischer sind, d.h. ein höheres Beschäftigungswachstum und eine bessere wirtschaftliche Entwicklung aufweisen und auch häufiger Innovationen und Investitionen tätigen. Darüber hinaus bieten sie deutlich häufiger Maßnahmen zur Qualifizierung, Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie sowie zur Gesundheitsförderung an und fördern auch stärker Ausbildungen. Die Bezahlung liegt ebenfalls in diesen Betrieben über dem Durchschnitt. Dennoch weisen diese Betriebe gleichzeitig massive Personalprobleme auf, die von großen Schwierigkeiten, Fachkräfte auf dem Markt zu bekommen, über hohe Lohkostenbelastungen und Überalterung bis hin zu hohen Fehlzeiten und mangelnder Arbeitsmotivation reichen. Bezüglich der atypischen Beschäftigung zeichnen sich Betriebe mit Besetzungsproblemen vor allem durch einen überdurchschnittlich hohen Einsatz von befristeten Beschäftigten aus. Die großen Personalprobleme hängen möglicherweise u.a. mit einer mangelnden Anpassung der Organisations- und Kommunikationsstrukturen bei einer wachsenden Belegschaft zusammen. Folglich könnten Beratungs- und Unterstützungsangebote in diesen Bereichen den Betrieben helfen, ihr Wachstum sowie ihre Zukunftsfähigkeit zu sichern.
Die Ausweitung der Beschäftigung von Frauen, die Erhöhung des Frauenanteils in den Führungsetagen sowie eine größere Gleichverteilung von Beschäftigungschancen und -risiken zwischen den Geschlechtern zählen zu den dauerhaften Aufgaben betrieblicher Beschäftigungs- und Personalpolitik und könnten dazu beitragen, Fachkräfteengpässen vorzubeugen und dieses Beschäftigungspotenzial stärker zu nutzen. Wie die aktuellen Ergebnisse des IAB-Betriebspanels zeigen, sind in einigen Bereichen positive Entwicklungen zu verzeichnen, die sich jedoch häufig nur langsam vollziehen. Im Einzelnen zeigen sich folgende Befunde: Der Frauenanteil an der Gesamtbeschäftigung verzeichnete nach einem stetigen Anstieg in den Vorjahren 2012 einen geringen Rückgang. Trotz des generellen Beschäftigungsaufschwungs verringerte sich auch die absolute Zahl der beschäftigten Frauen im Jahr 2012 minimal auf hochgerechnet 759.000. Obwohl Frauen in qualifizierten Tätigkeiten noch immer unterrepräsentiert sind, ist vor allem bei den akademischen Tätigkeiten eine stetige Annäherung der Geschlechter zu beobachten. Auch bei den weiblichen Beschäftigten für Tätigkeiten, die eine Lehre erfordern, gab es einen leichten Zuwachs und gleichzeitig einen Rückgang bei gering qualifizierten weiblichen Beschäftigten. Bei den atypischen Beschäftigungsformen sind Frauen weiterhin überrepräsentiert. Der Anteil der Frauen in Teilzeit stieg nach einem leichten Rückgang im Vorjahr wieder leicht an und auch der Anteil der Frauen in befristeter Beschäftigung an allen Frauen erhöhte sich. Folglich sind Frauen überdurchschnittlich häufig von der befristeten Beschäftigung betroffen, was u.a. auch auf die Branchenzugehörigkeit zurückzuführen ist. Auch bei den Neueinstellungen waren Frauen 2012 benachteiligt; ihr Anteil an allen Neueinstellungen betrug 44 Prozent. Die Zahl der Frauen, die in den Betrieben die höchste Hierarchiestufe erreichen, ist nach wie vor recht gering, erhöhte sich jedoch auf 28 Prozent und lag damit über dem westdeutschen Durchschnitt. Nur eine Minderheit der rheinland-pfälzischen Betriebe förderte Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Chancengleichheit zwischen Männern und Frauen bzw. zur Vereinbarung von Familie und Beruf. Am häufigsten nahmen Betriebe hierbei Rücksicht auf Betreuungspflichten, seltener gab es Angebote zur Kinderbetreuung oder zur Unterstützung Pflegender. Die Untersuchung, ob Betriebe, die das Potenzial von Frauen stärker nutzen, sich auch als zukunftsfähiger erweisen, kommt zu keinen klaren Ergebnissen. Vor allem Betriebe, die überdurchschnittlich viele Frauen neu einstellten, zeichnen sich, bezogen auf die
zugrundeliegenden Indikatoren, durch eine höhere Zukunftsfähigkeit aus. Auch bei der Nutzung des Ausbildungspotenzials, das ebenfalls dazu beitragen kann, Fachkräfteengpässen vorzubeugen und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu steigern, sind in den letzten Beschäftigungsressourcen von Frauen und Auszubildenden 2012 4 Jahren Veränderungen wahrzunehmen, die vor allem auf einen, zum Teil bestehenden, zum Teil zu erwartenden, Bewerberrückgang zurückzuführen sind. Die Ausbildungsbeteiligung ging nach einer relativ stabilen Entwicklung in den Vorjahren 2012 auf 34 Prozent zurück. Gleichzeitig erhöhte sich vor allem der Anteil der Betriebe, der trotz Berechtigung nicht ausbildet. Zugleich verringerte sich auch die Ausbildungsquote minimal auf 6,1 Prozent bezogen auf die sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten. Sie lag damit jedoch weiterhin deutlich über dem westdeutschen Durchschnitt. Die höchste Ausbildungsquote wies das Baugewerbe auf, gefolgt vom Sektor Handel/Reparatur. Mit steigender Betriebsgröße verringerte sich die Ausbildungsquote, wobei die Großbetriebe mit nur 3,9 Prozent weit unter dem Durchschnitt lagen. Der Anteil der unbesetzten Ausbildungsplätze erhöhte sich 2012 weiter; rund 17 Prozent der angebotenen Ausbildungsplätze konnten nicht besetzt werden. Von dieser Verschlechterung waren alle Sektoren betroffen. Hingegen bewegte sich die Übernahmequote der Auszubildenden mit einem erfolgreichen Abschluss auch 2012 mit 62 Prozent auf einem hohen Niveau. Dies weist auf eine hohe Ausschöpfung des Ausbildungspotenzials hin sowie das Bestreben, den Fachkräftebedarf u.a. durch die Übernahme von Auszubildenden zu decken. Die Analyse der Zukunftsfähigkeit von Betrieben, die sich im Bereich der Ausbildung engagieren, ergab, dass sich diese Betriebe auf Basis der aufgeführten Indikatoren als deutlich zukunftsfähiger erweisen, als Betriebe, die das Potenzial der Ausbildung nicht ausschöpfen.
Der Anteil der Betriebe mit Maßnahmen zum Gesundheitsschutz erhöhte sich zwischen 2004 und 2012 von 17 Prozent auf 25 Prozent. Am häufigsten förderte der Öffentliche Sektor Maßnahmen zum Gesundheitsschutz, am seltensten der Sektor Handel/ Reparatur. Der Anteil der weiterbildenden Betriebe erhöhte sich im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um 4 Prozentpunkte auf 55 Prozent. Damit stieg der Anteil der weiterbildenden Betriebe seit dem Jahr 2000 um 33 Prozentpunkte und erreichte 2012 seinen Höhepunkt. Am häufigsten förderte der Öffentliche Sektor Weiterbildungsmaßnahmen. Auch der Anteil der weitergebildeten Beschäftigten stieg weiter an auf 29 Prozent. Dies bedeutet einen Anstieg um 3 Prozentpunkte im Vergleich zum Vorjahr. Den höchsten Anteil an weitergebildeten Arbeitskräften wies dabei der Sektor Handel/Reparatur mit 33 Prozent auf. Arbeitszeitkonten bestanden 2012 in 24 Prozent der Betriebe. Dies ist eine Verdoppelung seit dem Jahr 2002. Allerdings konnten die 30 Prozent des Krisenjahres 2009 bislang nicht wieder erreicht werden. Der Ausgleichszeitraum wurde dabei zunehmend flexibler gehandhabt. In 42 Prozent der Betriebe gab es keinen festen Ausgleichszeitraum mehr. Unter den weiteren Arbeitszeitinstrumenten war die bedarfsabhängige Einbeziehung der Samstagsarbeit weiterhin am verbreitetsten (43 Prozent). Hingegen erhöhte sich die Bedeutung der Vertrauensarbeitszeit sowie der versetzten Arbeitszeiten in den letzten Jahren deutlich. Inwieweit die Arbeitsfähigkeit auch zu einer höheren Zukunftsfähigkeit beiträgt, wurde näherungsweise durch die Ertrags- und Beschäftigungssituation der Betriebe gemessen. Dabei zeigte sich, dass sich Betriebe mit Maßnahmen zum Gesundheitsschutz, zur betrieblichen Weiterbildung sowie mit Arbeitszeitkonten vor allem durch positivere Erwartung bezüglich der Entwicklung des Geschäftsvolumens sowie zur Beschäftigungsentwicklung auszeichnen.
Insgesamt zeigen die untersuchten betrieblich-strategischen Faktoren ein uneinheitliches Bild. Während der Anteil investierender Betriebe in Rheinland-Pfalz im Vergleich zum Vorjahr anstieg und den höchsten Wert der vergangenen 10 Jahre erreichte, verringerte sich das durchschnittliche Investitionsvolumen. In Bezug auf den technischen Stand der Anlagen ist die Einschätzung hingegen weiterhin tendenziell recht positiv. Anders bei den Innovationen: Der Anteil innovativer Betriebe erhöhte sich zwar 2011 im Vergleich zum Vorjahr, allerdings lag Rheinland-Pfalz damit nach wie vor deutlich unter dem westdeutschen Niveau, was durchgängig für alle betrachteten Innovationsarten und unabhängig von der Betriebsgröße und dem Sektor gilt. Bei den organisatorischen Änderungen schließlich zeigen sich kaum nennenswerte Veränderungen, wobei die Verbesserung der Qualitätssicherung dabei weiterhin die wichtigste organisatorische Änderung blieb. Als These wurde zudem eingangs formuliert, dass sich die Betriebe, welche die betrieblich-strategischen Faktoren (Innovationen, Investitionen, hoher technischen Stand der Anlagen, organisatorische Änderungen) aktiv nutzen, in Bezug auf die Ertrags- und Beschäftigungssituation überdurchschnittlich gut aufgestellt sind. Zusammenfassend kann dies bestätigt werden: Betriebe, die in den Bereichen von Investitionen, Innovationen, organisatorischen Änderungen aktiv sind sowie einen sehr guten oder guten technischen Stand der Anlagen aufweisen, heben sich bei fast allen Indikatoren durch bessere Werte von den Betrieben ab, die in den genannten Bereichen nicht aktiv sind. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass Investitionen, Innovationen, ein sehr guter Stand der Anlagen sowie organisatorische Änderungen zu einer guten wirtschaftlichen Lage und stabilen Beschäftigung und somit zur Nachhaltigkeit bzw. der Zukunftsfähigkeit der Betriebe beitragen. Nimmt man die beiden Teile nun zusammen, ergibt sich ein recht klares Bild zum derzeitigen Stand der rheinlandpfälzischen Betriebe und deren Zukunftsfähigkeit. Aktuell und in näherer Zukunft ist man im Bereich der Geschäftspolitik insgesamt gut aufgestellt, wie auch die gute Ertragslage und die tendenziell positiven Erwartungen unterstreichen. Für die mittelfristige Nachhaltigkeit sollte jedoch näher analysiert werden, worauf z.B. der geringere Anteil an innovativen Betrieben zurückzuführen ist und wie Innovationen gezielt gefördert werden können. Angesichts der Bedeutung der Innovationen für die Zukunftsfähigkeit der Betriebe ist es auf jeden Fall eine wichtige Aufgabe, die in Teilen bestehende Lücke zu den Betrieben in Westdeutschland zu reduzieren.
Beschäftigungsprognose 2013/2014 für die Region Rhein-Main :
IWAK-Betriebsbefragung im Herbst 2012
(2013)
Folgende Beschäftigungstrends in der Region Rhein-Main sind für die Jahre 2013 und 2014 zu erwarten: Die Gesamtbeschäftigung in der Region Rhein-Main wird bis Ende 2013 voraussichtlich unverändert bleiben. Diese Beschäftigungsstagnation ist angesichts der aktuellen und erwarteten Wachstumsraten des BIP durchaus nachvollziehbar. Die Zahl der sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten wird hingegen nach Erwartung der Betriebe eher leicht ansteigen, auch wenn der Zuwachs mit 0,4 Prozent moderat ausfällt. Die künftige Beschäftigungsentwicklung verläuft in den Sektoren unterschiedlich.
Mit einem Stellenabbau rechnen das Verarbeitende Gewerbe, der Energiesektor, der Bereich Information und Kommunikation sowie das Gastgewerbe. Am deutlichsten wird der Rückgang im Bereich Erziehung und Unterricht ausfallen, wobei hier, anders als in den anderen Sektoren, fast ausschließlich nichtsozialversicherungspflichtige Stellen betroffen sind. Die Dienstleistungssektoren bleiben bezogen auf die Beschäftigung die zentralen Wachstumsbranchen in der Region Rhein-Main. Insbesondere im Bereich der sonstigen Dienstleistungen, aber auch im Handel und dem Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen werden Beschäftigungsanstiege prognostiziert. Dies betrifft sowohl die Gesamtbeschäftigung als auch sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigungsverhältnisse. Jobmotor der Region sind, wie schon oft in der Vergangenheit, die kleinen Betriebe, die mit einem Beschäftigungszuwachs von 1,4 Prozent bis Ende 2013 rechnen. Dass dies nicht zu einer Zunahme der Gesamtbeschäftigung führt, liegt an den Großbetrieben, die weiterhin Stellen abbauen. Die 2-Jahresprognose zeigt, dass die Betriebe in der Region Rhein-Main jedoch mittelfristig mit einem Anstieg der Beschäftigung rechnen, wobei ein Zuwachs um etwa 1,5 Prozent erwartet wird. Es ist hier aber – wie bereits bei den letztjährigen Prognosen, zu berücksichtigen, dass Prognosen über einen solchen Zeitraum mit recht hohen Unsicherheiten verbunden sind. Dieser Zuwachs bis Ende 2014 wird sektor- und größenübergreifend prognostiziert, wobei insbesondere die Sonstigen Dienstleistungen, aber auch der IuK-Sektor sowie der Bereich Erziehung und Unterricht mit deutlich mehr Beschäftigten rechnen. Da die beiden letzteren für 2013 noch mit einem Rückgang rechnen, liegt die Vermutung nahe, dass in diesen Bereichen die aktuelle und die erwartete Lage besonders stark auseinanderklaffen.
Beschäftigung Schwerbehinderter in der Region Rhein-Main :
IWAK-Betriebsbefragung im Herbst 2012
(2013)
Folgende zentrale Befunde zur Beschäftigung Schwerbehinderter in der Region Rhein-Main lassen sich aus den Ergebnissen filtern: Jeder siebte Betrieb der Region beschäftigte 2012 mindestens einen Schwerbehinderten. Dieser Anteil steigt mit der Betriebsgröße, aber noch über 40 Prozent der Betriebe mit 20 bis 249 Beschäftigten, die der Beschäftigungspflicht unterliegen, und noch knapp vier Prozent der Großbetriebe verzeichnen keinen Schwerbehinderten in ihrer Belegschaft und zahlen entsprechende Ausgleichsabgaben. Besonders häufig beschäftigen Betriebe der Öffentlichen Verwaltung, aber auch des Energiesektors und des Information- und Kommunikationsbereichs Schwerbehinderte; deutlich seltener der Handel, das Bau- und das Gastgewerbe. Die Zahl der in den Betrieben beschäftigten Schwerbehinderten variiert sehr stark; hohe Anteile finden sich im Finanz und Versicherungssektor sowie der Öffentlichen Verwaltung, nur relativ wenige im Bereich Information und Kommunikation. Die Qualifikationsstruktur der Schwerbehinderten ähnelt der allgemeinen Qualifikationsstruk-tur, wobei unter den Schwerbehinderten ein etwas höherer Anteil mit abgeschlossener Berufsausbildung und etwas weniger Ungelernte zu finden sind. Es existieren diverse Förderprogramme zur Verbesserung der Erwerbsbeteiligung Schwerbehinderter. Diese sind jedoch häufig unbekannt und werden z.T. von nur sehr wenigen Betrieben in Anspruch genommen. Wenn sie beansprucht werden, haben sie jedoch eine recht hohe Bedeutung für die Einstellung Schwerbehinderter. Etwa jeder siebte Betrieb gibt an, zusätzliche Arbeitsplätze mit Schwerbehinderten besetzen zu können, wobei dies v.a. in Branchen, die ohnehin viele Schwerbehinderte beschäftigen, der Fall ist. Mit Abstand am häufigsten ist dies für körperlich Behinderte vorstellbar, Arbeitsplätze für geistig Behinderte sind hingegen selten. Gewünscht werden neben finanzieller Unterstützung vor allem gute Beratung und Hilfe bei der Arbeitsplatzgestaltung; als Haupthemmnisse sehen die Betriebe geringere Belastbarkeit der Schwerbehinderten sowie höhere Kosten. Interne Integrationsvereinbarungen spielen in der Region bislang praktisch keine Rolle. Die Agenturen für Arbeit sind der wichtigste betriebliche Ansprechpartner zum Thema; die Kooperation wird dabei mehrheitlich als befriedigend eingeschätzt.
Was in der Einleitung schon skizziert wurde, findet in den aktuellen Ergebnissen des IAB-Betriebspanels seine Bestä-tigung: Die Angleichung der Beschäftigungs- und Karrierechan- cen zwischen den Geschlechtern vollzieht sich eher langsam, wobei insgesamt ein Trend zu einer stärkeren Gleichstellung von Frauen bestätigt werden kann. Dass die Zahl der beschäf-tigten Frauen im Zuge des generellen Beschäftigungsaufschwungs einen Höchststand erreicht hat, ist zunächst eine erfreuliche Meldung. Der zweite Blick zeigt jedoch, dass hierbei struktu-relle Differenzen in der Beschäftigungs-situation fortgeschrie ben werden. So sind Frauen in qualifizierten Tätigkeiten noch immer unterrepräsentiert, zugleich aber deutlich häufiger auf Teilzeitstellen beschäftigt oder befristet eingestellt als ihre männlichen Kollegen. Auch ist die Zahl der Frauen, die in den Betrieben die höchste Hierar-chiestufe erreichen, nach wie vor recht gering und hat in den letzten Jahren nur leicht zugenommen; erst auf der zweiten Führungsebene findet sich eine größere Zahl von Frauen. Zudem konzentriert sich dies auf spezifische Wirtschaftszweige mit ohnehin hohen Frauenanteilen - in Bau- und Verarbeitendem Gewerbe arbeiten und führen nur wenige Frauen. Allerdings finden sich auch Anzeichen für z.T. recht kurzfristige Verbesserungen der Situation. So ist bei-spielsweise der Frau-enanteil an den akademischen Tätigkeiten in den hessischen Betrieben recht deutlich angewachsen, und insbesondere in Mittel- und Großbetrieben sind weibliche Führungskräfte wesentlich häufiger anzutreffen als noch vor einigen Jahren. Ob diese Verbesserungen die Folge gezielter Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Chancengleichheit zwischen Männern und Frauen bzw. zur Vereinbarung von Familie und Beruf sind, lässt sich nicht klären. Festzuhalten ist aber, dass ohnehin nur eine Minderheit der hessischen Betriebe derartige Maßnahmen fördert oder durchführt.
Am ehesten nehmen Betriebe hierbei Rücksicht auf Betreuungs-pflichten, deutlich seltener gibt es Angebote zur Kinderbe-treuung oder zur Unterstützung Pflegender. Bemerkenswert ist zudem, dass auch Betriebe mit weiblichen Führungskräften nur recht selten konkrete Angebote machen; die bloße Existenz von Frauen in der Betriebsführung sorgt noch nicht automatisch für mehr Maßnahmen. Generell bleibt demnach festzuhalten, dass die Vielzahl von Ansätzen, die zu einer größeren Gleichverteilung von Beschäftigungs-chancen und -risiken zwischen den Ge-schlechtern existieren (bspw. zur Kinderbetreuung oder Frauen-förderung), bislang nur selten in der betrieblichen Praxis Berücksichtigung finden; die gezielte Werbung und Unterstütz-ung bleibt somit eine wichtige Aufgabe für die Akteure.
Zu den eingangs aufgeworfenen Leitfragen liefern die Ergebnisse des IAB-Betriebspanels 2012 kein einheitliches Bild. Bezüglich der klassischen Innovationstätigkeiten lässt sich zunächst festhalten, dass die Betriebe derzeit eher weniger innovativ sind als in der Vergangenheit. Zwar lag der Anteil der Betriebe, der im Vorjahr mindestens eine innovative Maßnahme umgesetzt hat, noch am unteren Rand des langjährigen Mittels, bei den einzelnen Innovationsarten, die hierbei erfasst wurden, ist jedoch durchweg eher ein Rückgang der Innovationsaktivitäten zu beobachten. Dies lässt den Schluss zu,
dass die hohe öffentliche Wahrnehmung für das Thema betriebliche Innovation nicht mit den realen Aktivitäten korrespondiert, bzw. dass hier möglicherweise Anreize für mehr Innovationsfreude fehlen.
Für viele Betriebe gewinnt die Sicherung der Arbeitsfähigkeit ihrer Beschäftigten aufgrund des demografischen Wandels an Bedeutung. Hierzu zählt die Regelung und Steuerung der Arbeitsbelastung ebenso wie die Aufrechterhaltung der Gesundheit aller Beschäftigten. Die hessischen Betriebe, so zeigen die hier vorgestellten Ergebnisse, nutzen die Instrumente zur Sicherung der Arbeitsfähigkeit bislang jedoch nicht in größerem Maße als in der Vergangenheit. So wurde das flexible Instrument der Arbeitszeitkonten sogar seltener genutzt als im Vorjahr, zudem ermöglichen die Betriebe es ihren Beschäftigten in der Regel nicht, die angesparten Zeitguthaben über einen längeren Zeitraum zu kompensieren. Noch seltener finden sich Arrangements zu langfristigen Arbeitsfreistellungen, die die Zeitautonomie der Beschäftigten vergrößern würden. Zudem gibt es in der Mehrheit der hessischen Betriebe keinerlei Angebote und Aktivitäten zum Gesundheitsschutz. Eine gewisse Verbreitung haben zumindest Krankenstandanalysen und Mitarbeiterbefragungen zum Thema; finanzielle Unterstützung und aktive Netzwerkarbeit zur betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung ist dagegen überaus selten. Bei der vereinbarten durchschnittlichen Wochenarbeitszeit sowie der Inanspruchnahme von Überstunden ist ebenfalls nur wenig Veränderung zu beobachten: Die Arbeitszeit lag leicht über den Vorjahreswerten, Überstunden wurden in ähnlich vielen Betrieben eingesetzt wie in der Vergangenheit; ein Rückgang der Arbeitsbelastung ist demnach nicht zu verzeichnen. Allerdings ist bei den Überstunden trotzdem eine Zunahme der Flexibilitätspotenziale zu beobachten, denn die Betriebe setzen bei der Kompensation der Überstunden häufiger auf eine flexible Mischung von Entgeltzahlung und Freizeitausgleich. Auch zeigt die Untersuchung, dass die Betriebe durchaus zum Handeln fähig sind, wenn dies die Umstände erfordern, denn in den Betrieben, die mit rückgehenden Beschäftigtenzahlen oder Personalproblemen rechnen, finden sich deutlich häufiger Maßnahmen zum Gesundheitsschutz als im Durchschnitt aller hessischen Betriebe. Dies lässt den Schluss zu, dass für die Mehrheit der Betriebe der derzeitige Handlungsdruck zu gering ist, um aktiv einen Beitrag zur Verbesserung der Arbeitsfähigkeit ihrer Beschäftigten zu leisten.
Eingangs wurde als eine Leitfrage formuliert, ob sich die Nutzung der Potenziale von betrieblicher Aus- und Weiterbildung zwischen den Betrieben unterscheidet und welche Faktoren hierfür maßgeblich sind.
In Frage kamen, neben strukturellen Größen wie der Betriebsgröße und dem Wirtschaftszweig, vor allem personalpolitische Probleme wie unbesetzte Fachkräftestellen, Überalterung und Personalmangel.
Geprüft wurde aber auch, ob die wirtschaftliche Lage der Betriebe das Verhalten beeinflusst. Letzteres ist eher nicht der Fall. Ob und wie viel Betriebe aus- und weiterbilden, ob sie Probleme bei der Rekrutierung von Jugendlichen haben, oder ihre Absolventen übernehmen, wird nach Lage der Daten kaum davon beeinflusst, ob sie einen hohen Wettbewerbsdruck verspüren oder aber mit steigendem Geschäftsvolumenrechnen. Entscheidungen zur Aus- und Weiterbildung werden demnach weitgehend unabhängig von der aktuellen ökonomischen Situation getroffen, wobei Betriebe mit einer positiven Geschäftserwartung in der vorliegenden Untersuchung zumindest eine etwas höhere Ausbildungsintensität und Übernahmebereitschaft zeigen.
Deutlich stärker wirken sich hingegen personalpolitische Probleme aus. Wie auch zu erwarten war, zeigen Betriebe, in denen aktuell Fachkräfteengpässe bestehen, ein erhöhtes Aus- und Weiterbildungsengagement, was nahelegt, dass dies auch zur Kompensation der bestehenden Stellenbesetzungsprobleme geschieht. Allein die Intensität der Ausbildung ist bei diesen Betrieben unterdurchschnittlich, was auf deren generelle Schwierigkeiten bei der Rekrutierung von externem Personal verweist.Etwas weniger deutlich ist dieser Zusammenhang bei den Betrieben spürbar, die für die Zukunft mit Problemen bei der Fachkräftegewinnung rechnen. Insbesondere in der Ausbildung zeigen sie nur durchschnittliches Engagement, haben auch bislang keine besonderen Probleme bei der Rekrutierung von Auszubildenden.
Deutlich aktiver sind sie im Weiterbildungsbereich, der flexiblere Anpassungen an veränderte Qualifikationsanforderungen und zukünftige Fachkräftebedarfe ermöglicht. Dies verweist auch auf schon bekannte Unterschiede zwischen der betrieblichen Aus- und Weiterbildung: Die Ausbildung ist in erster Linie strukturell determiniert Betriebe bilden in der Regel entweder aus oder eben nicht, wobei bestimmte Bereiche traditionell höheres Engagement zeigen als andere. Die betriebliche Bereitschaft, in Weiterbildung zu investieren, ist hingegen häufiger von personalpolitischen Erwägungen beeinflusst, wobei sowohl bestehende als auch erwartete Probleme von Belang sind.
Gemeinsam ist schließlich beiden Qualifizierungsbereichen, dass deutliche sektorale Differenzen in der Ausschöpfung des Potenzials bestehen, und zwar wechselseitig: In Wirtschaftszweigen, die ein hohes Ausbildungsengagement zeigen, wird tendenziell weniger weitergebildet, während Wirtschaftszweige mit hoher Weiterbildungsaktivität eher ausbildungsfern sind. Diese strukturellen Zuordnungen zeigen sich über lange Zeiträume stabil, so dass betriebsindividuelles Qualifizierungsverhalten immer vor diesem Hintergrund zu verstehen ist.
Aus diesen Befunden heraus lässt sich ableiten, dass spezifische regionale Strategien nötig sind, die von einem breiten Bündnis getragen und umgesetzt werden. Zu diesem Bündnis sollten alle relevanten regionalen Arbeitsmarktakteure wie die Kreisverwaltung, Kammern, Verbände, Arbeitsagenturen, usw. sowie Unternehmen aus der Region gehören. Um gemeinsam Arbeits- und Fachkräftesicherungsstra-tegien nachhaltig zu entwickeln und zu verstetigen, ist eine dauer-hafte Einrichtung eines solchen Bündnisses z.B. in Form eines Beirats notwendig. Seine Aufgabe ist zunächst, eine zielorientierte kommunale Arbeitsmarktstrategie zu entwickeln und zu implementieren. Die Funktionalität der eingesetzten Maßnahmen muss jedoch immer wieder überprüft werden. So sollte ein ständiger Monitoringprozess stattfinden, um die Effizienz der Maßnahmen zu bewerten. Hier könnte immer wieder nachgesteuert werden. Außerdem ist es wichtig, den Arbeitsmarkt dauerhaft zu beobachten und auch somit neue Entwick-lungen mit in die Nachjustierung der arbeitsmarktpolitischen Stra-tegien mit zu berücksichtigen. Ziel ist eine dauerhafte, effiziente und zielorientierte Begleitung der verstetigten kommunalen Arbeits-marktpolitik.
Berufliche Qualifikationsmismatches bei Zugängen in Arbeitslosigkeit : ein Diskussionsbeitrag
(2013)
Die Bedeutung von Diskrepanzen zwischen den Qualifikationen und Fähigkeiten der Erwerbstätigen und den Jobanforderungen für die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit wird vor allem international in jüngster Zeit zunehmend diskutiert und thematisiert. Die Gründe dafür liegen u.a. darin, dass sich bei solchen Diskrepanzen die Arbeitszufriedenheit und die Produktivität in Betrieben verringern und es zu einem Verlust von Humankapital und zur Reduktion des Produktivitätswachstums kommt.
In Deutschland ist diese Diskussion zumindest auf wirtschafts- und arbeitsmarktpolitischer Ebene bisher eher von zweitrangiger Bedeutung. Dieser Beitrag richtet sich entsprechend auf die
Beantwortung der Frage, welches Ausmaß der berufliche
Qualifikationsmismatch in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland hat. Aufgrund der (noch) bestehenden Datensituation werden Mismatches bei den Qualifikationen für die Zugänge von Personen in Arbeitslosigkeit untersucht. Diese Begrenzung hat primär datentechnische Gründe, für die Beschäftigten liegen die Daten noch nicht vor. Mismatches bei Zugängen in Arbeitslosigkeit sind aber auch wissenschaftlich von Interesse, da u.W. bisher keine systematische Analyse dafür erfolgte.
Die empirische Untersuchung über Qualifikationsmismatches bei Zugängen in Arbeitslosigkeit wird nach verschiedenen Kategorien ausdifferenziert. So interessieren mögliche Unterschiede nach Geschlecht, Alter und schwerpunktmäßig nach (ausgewählten) Berufen bzw. Berufsgruppen. Als Datenbasis dient die Arbeitslosenstatistik der BA. Diese hat den Vorteil, dass die formalen Bildungsabschlüsse arbeitslos gewordener Personen den geforderten Qualifikationen ihrer vorangegangenen Beschäftigung gegenübergestellt werden können. Zudem lassen sich mit dieser Statistik unterschiedliche Berufe und Personengruppen detailliert untersuchen.
Für die Zugänge in Arbeitslosigkeit lässt sich nach den Untersuchungsergebnissen konstatieren, dass formale Qualifikation und Anforderungsniveau weitgehend übereinstimmen. Allerdings gab es
bei den Zugängen in Arbeitslosigkeit immerhin bei knapp 30% eine
Diskrepanz zwischen Ausbildung und der zuletzt ausgeübter Tätigkeit. Der Anteil an Personen, deren formale unterhalb der geforderten Qualifikation lag (Unterqualifizierung/überwertige Beschäftigung), war etwas größer als der Anteil der Personen mit einem höheren als dem geforderten Qualifikationsniveau Überqualifizierung/unterwertige Beschäftigung).
Die Differenzierung nach einigen ausgewählten Kriterien ergab keine größeren Unterschiede bei der Passung wie auch bei den Mismatches. Weder bestanden größere Abweichungen zwischen den Bundesländern noch gab es gravierende Unterschiede nach dem Geschlecht, dem Alter und nach Qualifikationsklassen und Anforderungsniveaus. Auf diese Strukturfaktoren lassen sich die konstatierten Mismatches somit nicht zurückführen.
Bei den untersuchten Berufen lässt sich resümierend als erstes festhalten, dass bei allen Personen, die sich im Untersuchungszeitraum arbeitslos gemeldet haben, die passgenaue Beschäftigung, gemessen am Ausbildungsberuf und an den Anforderungsniveaus der Tätigkeit, die die Personen ausübten, bei weitem überwog; allerdings schwankten die Anteile bei der Übereinstimmung zwischen 56% bei den Lagerverwaltern/Magazinern und 83% bei den Malern/Lackieren. Entsprechend lässt sich zum zweiten konstatieren, dass in allen Berufen Mismatches hinsichtlich unterqualifizierter (überwertiger) und überqualifizierter (unterwertiger) Beschäftigung in der vorherigen Beschäftigung bestanden, diese aber unterschiedlich hoch in den einzelnen Berufen waren.
Die untersuchten Berufsaggregate und die zehn Berufe lassen sich grob in drei Kategorien bezüglich der Mismatches einteilen. Bei einigen Berufen überwiegt die überqualifizierte Beschäftigung, d.h. die sich arbeitslos Meldenden waren in ihrer vorherigen Tätigkeit unter ihrer formalen Qualifikation beschäftigt. Bei den Berufsaggregaten waren das Grüne Berufe und Gesundheitsberufe; bei den Berufen: Lagerverwalter/Magaziner, Maler/Lackierer und Maurer, wobei der Anteil der Überqualifikation variierte. In etwa gleich hoch sind die Anteile der über- und unterqualifizierten Beschäftigung bei Köchen, Bürofachkräften und Verkäufer/innen. Bei den übrigen Berufen überwiegt eine unterqualifizierte Beschäftigung vor der Meldung in Arbeitslosigkeit: Transport- und Logistik, wissensintensive Berufe, MINT-Berufe sowie Kellner/Stewards, Kraftfahrzeugführer, Groß- und Einzelhandelskaufleute/ Einkäufer.
Was die Ursachen für diese Unterschiede sind, lässt sich nach den vorliegenden Ergebnissen nicht beantworten. Ein Teil der Diskrepanzen dürfte, wie bereits erwähnt, auf die Qualifikationsniveaus der Berufe selbst zurückzuführen sein. Allerdings trägt auch dieser Erklärungsversuch nur teilweise. Dies verdeutlicht der Beruf Einzelhandelskaufleute. Trotz eines im Durchschnitt mittleren Anforderungsniveaus bei dieser Berufsgruppe, findet man dort Personen mit abgeschlossener Berufsausbildung, die überwiegend sogar zwei Qualifikationsstufen höher arbeiteten.
Insgesamt lässt sich festhalten, dass hinsichtlich der Erklärung von über- und unterwertiger Beschäftigung bei Zugängen in Arbeitslosigkeit noch einiger Forschungsbedarf besteht
The Struggle for Meaning is a landmark publication by one of African philosophy's leading figures, Paulin J. Hountondji, best known for his critique of ethnophilosophy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In this volume, he responds with autobiographical and philosophical reflection to the dialogue and controversy he has provoked. He discusses the ideas, rooted in the work of such thinkers as Husserl and Hountondji's former teachers Derrida, Althusser, and Ricoeur, that helped shape his critique. Applying his philosophical ideas to the critical issues of democracy, culture, and development in Africa today, he addresses three crucial topics: the nexus between scientific extraversion and economic dependence; the nature of endogenous traditions of thought and their relationship with modern science; and the implications - for political pluralism and democracy - of the emergence of 'philosophies of subject' in Africa. While the book's immediate concern is with Africa, the densely theoretical nature of its analyses, and its bearing on current postmodern theories of the 'other', will make this timely and elegant translation of great interest to many disciplines, especially ethnic, gender, and multicultural studies.
Marginality does not mean isolation. In Africa where people are permanently on the move in search, inter alia, of a 'better elsewhere', marginality means disconnection to obvious possibilities and the invisibility of the myriad connections that make life possible for the ordinarily sidestepped. This book is about the workings of networks of the mobile in Africa, a continent usually associated with the 'global shadows' of the world. How do changes in the possibilities for communication, with the recent hype of mobile technology, influence the social and economic dynamics in Africa's mobile margins? To what extent is the freedom associated with new Information and Communication Technologies reality or disillusion for people dwelling in the margins? Are ordinary Africans increasingly Side@Ways? How social are these emergent Side@Ways? Contributions to answering these and related questions are harvested from ethnographic insights by team members of the WOTRO funded 'Mobile Africa revisited' research programme hosted by the African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Vestiges
(2013)
The poems in this collection are adequate, with great lines. The rhythm is stimulating to all the five senses thanks to the use of multiple images. A lot of imagery in Vestiges gives a picture of a war front after a ferocious battle. The objects, animals, and images in the poems disorient and lead the reader to focusing on putting flesh to the bones than just getting the juice of the poems... The rhythm more than anything else carries the reader through this chaotic tableau painted in Vestiges. In a way, this comes across as a substantiation of the poet's vision of our world and an explanation as to why he considers this collection as a skeleton; and precisely skeletons left by the ravages of war. Is the poet's world and ours a field of ruins and topsy-turvydom to which we are all blind? The answer is yours.
It is important to question some recurrent commonplaces about the (post)colonial order and the preservation of the environment if one wants to reconcile ecocriticism and postcolonial theories. For instance, were pre-colonial societies devoid of ecological awareness? Is the environmental commitment of the developed world a kind of repentance for the damages that its material comfort has caused to the environment? Are the underprivileged people of the third world so concerned with their daily survival that they become unable to advocate for the protection of the environment? Can we conclude, given the conflicting views of the industrialized countries and their post-colonial counterparts on ecology, that issues of human development and those of the conservation of the environment are incompatible? These are some of the questions that the essays in Aspects ?cocritiques de l?imaginaire africain attempt to answer, with reference to African literature.
The Green Cross of Kafira
(2013)
In his last play published posthumously the late Francis Imbuga presents the dramatic dialogue of his characters as mind games. In addition to using a narrator, Sikia Macho, to fill us in on the broken politics of Kafira, centring around detention without trial, Imbuga deliberately delays the inciting action, the formation of the Green Party of Kafira which then challenges the hitherto political monolith called the National Party. The candidate of the new party, former detainee Pastor Mgei, wins the election, and thereby dethrones the so-called Chief of Chiefs. In The Green Cross of Kafira, Imbuga, with a renewed sense of urgency, addresses the theme of dictatorship in Africa, and completes his trilogy of the Kafira plays which begins with Betrayal in the city followed by Man of Kafira.
Thousands of Cameroonian women played an essential role in the radically anti-colonial nationalist movement led by the Union of the Populations of Cameroon (UPC): they were the women of the Democratic Union of Cameroonian Women (UDEFEC). Drawing on women nationalists' petitions to the United Nations, one of the largest collections of political documents written by African women during the decolonization era, as well as archival research and oral interviews, this work shows how UDEFEC transcended ethnic, class, education and social divides, and popularized nationalism in both urban and rural areas through the Trust Territories of the Cameroons under French and British administration. Foregrounding issues such as economic autonomy and biological and agricultural fertility, UDEFEC politics wove anti-imperial democracy and notions of universal human rights into locally rooted political cultures and histories. UDEFEC's history sheds light on the essential components of women's successful political mobilization in Africa, and contributes to the discussion of women's involvement in nationalist movements in formerly colonized territories.
This is a story of Nigeria, told from the inside. After a successful career in the private sector, Nasir El-Rufai rose to the top ranks of Nigeria's political hierarchy, serving first as the privatization czar at the Bureau for Public Enterprises and then as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja under former President Olesegun Obasanjo. In this tell-all memoir, El-Rufai reflects on a life in public service to Nigeria, the enormous challenges faced by the country, and what can be done while calling on a new generation of leaders to take the country back from the brink of destruction. The shocking revelations disclosed by El-Rufai about the formation of the current leadership and the actions of prominent statesmen make this memoir required reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of power politics in Africa's most populous nation.
Most Nigerians, when they talk about Nigeria, will always refer to her with bubbling jingoism as 'giant of Africa' or 'our great nation, Nigeria' but fail to ask 'giant of what?' Goodness or Evil? Productivity or Consumption? Success or Failure? Meritocracy or Mediocrity? Hollowness or Substance? Capturing the 'mood of the nation' this book offers diagnosis on the country which are broad-based, instructive and well presented. Part I outlines the developmental stages of Nigeria while Part II gives an in depth diagnosis of the major problems besetting Nigeria, following Part III gives examples of nations and leadership traits Nigeria could emulate.
An important feature of Ghanaian tertiary education is the foundational African Studies Programme which was initiated in the early 1960s. Unfortunately hardly any readers exist which bring together a body of knowledge on the themes, issues and debates which inform and animate research and teaching in African Studies particularly on the African continent. This becomes even more important when we consider the need for knowledge on Africa that is not Eurocentric or sensationalised, but driven from internal understandings of life and prospects in Africa. Dominant representations and perceptions of Africa usually depict a continent in crisis. Rather than buying into external representations of Africa, with its 'lacks' and aspirations for Western modernities, we insist that African scholars in particular should be in the forefront of promoting understanding of the pluri-lingual, overlapping, and dense reality of life and developments on the continent, to produce relevant and usable knowledge. Continuing and renewed interest in Africa's resources, including the land mass, economy, minerals, visual arts and performance cultures, as well as bio-medical knowledge and products, by old and new geopolitical players, obliges African scholars to transcend disciplinary boundaries and to work with each other to advance knowledge and uses of those resources in the interests of Africa's people.
Understanding Confusion in Africa : The Politics of Multiculturalism and Nation-building in Cameroon
(2013)
Cameroon is often considered to be Africais legendary pathfinder. This book argues essentially that Cameroon cannot competently champion African unity and progress until it can correctly pursue its own multicultural nation-building. Cameroon's success continental-wise would depend on its theory and practice of multiculturalism, as particularly reflected in (1) the rejoicing in its historical diversity and the harmonious co-existence of its Systems of Education which must, of necessity, be linked to (2) effective federalization or decentralization of uniquely cultural matters. Critically examining history and education as components of culture, and therefore, of multiculturalism, the book makes some bold recommendations while demonstrating how nation-building is meaningless without the peopleis authentic history. It argues that Cameroon national culture cannot be a national culture without embodying the distinct culture of the English-speaking minority. Anything else is nothing but deliberate confusion of assimilation for multiculturalism, a confusion that is heavily tied to the countryis phoney independence. Hinging on education (and its associates of bilingualism and bijuralism), the book demonstrates that Cameroonis over-sung cultural dualism is a charade, epitomized by the 1998 Education Law. Rather than reaffirm Cameroonis biculturalism as it superficially avows, Cameroonis purported cultural dualism is really out to efface any semblance of cultural or educational dualism that may still be resisting assimilation. The continuous and persistent employment of terms such as biculturalism, bilingualism and bijuralism in legal texts in Cameroon is only to confuse the international community, especially from seeing exactly the kind of eethnic cleansingi which is taking place in the country.
This book provides useful pointers to help journalists navigate the dilemmas they face in the professional practice. It provides an enlightening overview of the views of Mauritian journalists on their own industry and an in-depth look at the South African model for self-regulation. As part of the ethical approach, the book also reviews the main issues related to gender-sensitive reporting, in view of the significant role the media have to play in gender education. In an age of information overload, over-exposure to a hyper-mediated culture and the rise of user-generated content, journalists increasingly strive to remain relevant. The temptation to use lower standards, resort to sensationalism and even paycheck journalism is strong. Such examples of unethical practice can only further undermine the credibility of a profession which purports to act as a watchdog, a Fourth Estate. Claims that ethics is a private affair no longer hold good. Journalism is a public good and the need to a clear social contract is stronger than ever in a world where transparency and accountability are on the agenda. Mechanisms for ensuring ethical practice are essential and should be hailed as beacons for a stronger journalism.
The independence of Mozambique in 1975 and its decolonisation process attracted worldwide attention as a successful example of ìnational unityî. Yet, the armed conflict that broke out between the government and the guerrilla force in 1977 lasted for sixteen years and resulted in over a million deaths and several million refugees, placing this concept of ìnational unityî into doubt. For nearly twenty years, Sayaka Funada-Classen interviewed people in rural communities in Mozambique. By examining their testimonies, historical documents, previous studies, international and regional politics, and the changes that various interventions under colonialism brought to the traditional social structure, this book demonstrates that the seeds of ìdivisionî had already been planted while the liberation movement was seeking ìunityî in the struggle years. Presenting a comprehensive history of contemporary Mozambique, this book is indispensable for Mozambican scholars. It promises to serve as a landmark study not only for historians and the scholars of African studies but also for those who give serious consideration to the problems of conflict and peace in the world.
Elections provide a tremendous opportunity for national transformation and the pursuit of democratic practice. They can be a moment of national renewal. However, in most of Africa elections are often characterized by violent conflict as politicians seek to capture or maintain power through ethnic mobilization, propaganda and misrepresentation. Considering opportunities offered by information technology especially mobile phones and the discovery of extensive natural resources, Africa has an opportunity to significantly change the lives of ordinary citizens. But this transformation requires that youth are fully 'present' in the political, economic, social and cultural arenas. They will need to marshal their energies and stay focused on the things that are important for the continent of Africa. In the case of Kenya, youth should not wait to be invited to take up political leadership. Instead, they will need to invite themselves to the table and take advantage of the opportunity provided in Constitution and demand accountability and transparency in the conduct of national affairs. This book is part of ongoing work at Twaweza Communications in the pursuit of democracy, peace and justice. Themes covered include youth and leadership; elections and peace; youth as peace makers; family and global values among other topics.
Durorp-English Dictionary
(2013)
This book explores the emergent character of social orders in Sudan and South Sudan. It provides vivid insights into multitudes of ordering practices and their complex negotiation. Recurring patterns of exclusion and ongoing struggles to reconfigure disadvantaged positions are investigated as are shifting borders, changing alliances and relationships with land and language. The book takes a careful and close look at institutional arrangements that shape everyday life in the Sudans, probing how social forms have persisted or changed. It proposes reading the post-colonial history of the Sudans as a continuous struggle to find institutional orders valid for all citizens. The separation of Sudan and South Sudan in 2011 has not solved this dilemma. Exclusionary and exploitative practices endure and inhibit the rule of law, distributive justice, political participation and functioning infrastructure. Analyses of historical records and recent ethnographic data assembled here show that orders do not result directly from intended courses of action, planning and orchestration but from contingently emerging patterns. The studies included look beyond dominant elites caught in violent fights for powers, cycles of civil war and fragile peace agreements to explore a broad range of social formations, some of which may have the potential to glue people and things together in peaceful co-existence, while others give way to new violence.
In 2009, Anglophone Cameroon literature celebrated its fifty years of existence. Now at the mature age of fifty plus this literature has a great deal to write home about even if it still has a lot to do in its pursuit of excellence. Part of its maturity resides in the fact that although the scale of literary creativity and literary criticism is skewed in favour of the former, Anglophone Cameroon literary criticism is gradually waking up from slumber in an attempt to catch up with the rapidly expanding creativity. The essays in this book comment practically on some aspects of all the genres of written literature that the Anglophone Cameroon creative writers have produced so far: the novel, drama, poetry, the short story, the essay and children's literature. The essays, on the whole, are a testimony of the transition and reality from the apparent drought of Anglophone Cameroon literary paucity to the actual fruitful period of Anglophone Cameroon abundance of literary creativity. The Anglophone Cameroonians have appropriated an imperial language, English, to serve their postcolonial Cameroonian vision. Their various literary texts are vehicles of representations that are essentially cultural and ideological constructs. The works examined are initially anchored on Cameroonian experiences to take on social significance. As they are grounded on moving human experiences, these works necessarily make references to the immediate Cameroonian environment of their authors before taking on universal human significance. The book abundantly evidences and crowns Shadrach Ambanasom's achievements and reputation as a skilled pedagogue on the art of practical literary criticism.
In spite of its surging popularity with scholars and environment conservation and management aid experts, scientific environmental epistemology does not seem to be the answer to the forestry and environmental problems that Africa is facing. Due to the lasting impacts of colonialism and therefore Western scientism on Africa, at the core of the conservation dilemma lies the conflict between scientific conservation epistemologies and 'local'/'indigenous' conservation epistemologies with the latter being the locals' potential workable solution to the environmental problems haunting the continent. It is in view of these circumstances that this book was born. The book is a clarion call for the revival and reinstitution of indigenous conservation and management epistemologies, not as a challenge to Western scientific conservation epistemologies, but to complement efforts by Western science in easing the tapestry of environmental problems that haunt Africa and the rest of the world. This is a valuable book for environmental conservationists, land resource managers, political/social ecologists, environmentalists, environmental anthropologists, environmental field workers and technicians, and practitioners and students of conservation sciences.
During the 1990s, as the Internet in general and e-mail in particular grew in popularity as a means of communication, a number of Cameroonians residing in various parts of the world established a vibrant and lively electronic forum for the discussion of various issues related to their native land. The forum, known as Camnet, demonstrated that Cameroonians living abroad could actively participate in the political, economic and social processes taking place at home. This ability to remain actively engaged in the development of one's nation through the Internet is what Endeley calls 'virtual activism.' Camnet thus distinguished itself as the first and most influential breeding ground for Cameroonian 'virtual activism.' Although Camnet appeared to be dominated by political discussions, it was a truly multi-dimensional forum. No topic was explicitly forbidden and on some occasions the participants conducted extensive debates on issues that had nothing to do with Cameroon or with politics. In this publication, however, the author has chosen to present only a representative sample of his own contributions from the late 1990s with a direct bearing on Cameroon's development. Some of the contributions are in French and in order to reflect the bilingual nature of the debates that took place on Camnet, these have not been translated into English. The informed reader will be struck by the issues which were being debated over 15 years ago as well as by the fact that some of the predictions the author made in the 1990s are a reality today.
Current Challenges with their Evolving Solutions in Surgical Practice in West Africa : A Reader
(2013)
Worldwide, there is a plethora of study materials in the form of authoritative review articles on disease entities afflicting the Western world but relatively few publications exploring similar problems confronting the developing countries, where resource limitation adds an extra dimension to the challenges facing the clinician. The contributions in this Reader address common surgical challenges and what measures have evolved to countenance these problems. This therefore addresses 'Current Surgical Practice', placing emphasis on the principles underlying the consensus opinions prevailing in surgical management. The approach is practical, avoiding the minutiae of procedures for which appropriate references detailing such information are provided. The contributions have come from a broad suave of critical management problems in the salient fi elds of surgery. Regrettably some urgent areas of public interest are not covered but it is clear that this volume represents the beginning of a process, yea, the initiation of an epoch of Recent Advances in Surgical Practice; we are confi dent that such yawning gaps in coverage would soon be made good by subsequent developments, stimulated by issuance of this publication.
Literature about Christianity in Africa disproportionately directs attention to the important work of Western missionaries, but to a great extent Africans were the agents of their own conversion. This is true of the key figure in this book, Kamba Simango. Encouraged from a distance by an American Congregationalist missionary, Fred R. Bunker, who shared his commitment to an African-led work, Simango, Tapera Nkomo and others struggled against difficult odds in the Mozambique Company region of Manica and Sofala in Central Mozambique. This study reveals the humanity of its characters as well as their deep devotion to their task.
Jonathan Nkhoma, in this scholarly collection of essays, enriches the reader with different interesting windows on how one can unearth the riches contained in some of the New Testament writings. The first two essays underscore the importance of placing the New Testament in a proper context and attempt to construct this context by discussing the historical background and the theological understanding of the Qumran Covenanters as derived from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jonathan Nkhoma treats many aspects touching the proper interpretation of the New Testament writings. For example, he shows how the sacramental rituals of washing and eating together in the Qumran Community add meaning to the same rituals carried over to the New Testament. The significance of table fellowship is treated in greater depth in a subsequent essay. Throughout the various essays the question of the historicity of the various texts is treated in a succinct way and the author is able to come to some helpful conclusions drawing on the previous work of many well know scholars. The later essays tackle the very difficult question of martyrdom and Jonathan Nkhoma delves into the history of two particular cases in order to shed light on this difficult subject. All essays are written in impeccable English which flows in an easy style. This collection of essays would be invaluable to anyone who would wish to make a serious study of the New Testament writings.
This pioneering and fascinating book is the first to tell the story of the remarkably enduring bonds between Malawi and Scotland from the time of David Livingstone to the flourishing cultural, economic and religious relationships of the present day. Why should there be any significant relationship between one small nation on Europe's north-western seaboard and another in the interior of Africa? How did it reach the stage where in 2012 Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in the Scottish Government, could describe Malawi as Scotland's 'sister nation'? This book attempts an answer.
Tanzania is a politically stable, much aided country that has consistently grown economically during the first decade of the millennium, while also improving its human development indicators. However, poverty has remained persistent, particularly within rural areas. This collaborative work delves into the reasons why this is so and what can be done to improve the record. The book is the product of both Tanzanian and international poverty experts, based on largely qualitative research undertaken within Tanzania by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC). The authors highlight and discuss the importance of macro- and micro-level causes of the persistence of poverty. The latter, on which the book is focused, centre around a negative dynamic affecting a large number of poor households in which widespread failure to provide household food security undermines gender relationships and reduces the possibility of saving and asset accumulation which is necessary for escaping poverty. This results in very low upward mobility. Vulnerability is widespread and resilience against shocks minimal, even for those who are not absolutely poor. Through an in-depth and broad analysis of poverty in Tanzania, the book provides alternative conclusions to those often repeated in the poverty discourse in international and local arenas. The conclusions were reached with the specific aim of informing political and policy debates within Tanzania.
In 1963 Mukwahepo left her home in Namibia and followed her fiance across the border into Angola. They survived hunger and war and eventually made their way to Tanzania. There, Mukwahepo became the first woman to undergo military training with SWAPO. For nine years she was the only woman in SWAPO's Kongwa camp. She was then thrust into a more traditional women's role - taking care of children in the SWAPO camps in Zambia and Angola. At Independence, Mukwahepo returned to Namibia with five children. One by one their parents came to reclaim them, until she was left alone. Already in her fifties, and with little education, Mukwahepo could not get employment. She survived on handouts until the Government introduced a pension and other benefits for veterans. Through a series of interviews, Ellen Ndeshi Namhila recorded and translated Mukwahepo's remarkable story. This book preserves the oral history of not only the 'dominant male voice' among the colonised people of Namibia, but brings to light the hidden voice, the untold and forgotten story of an ordinary woman and the outstanding role she played during the struggle.
Using original sources the author weaves a number of themes into the sad personal story of Uganda?s first president in his last exile, 1966-1969. The first section, chapters 1-5, highlights the social and political causes of Sir Edward Mutesa?s exile. The author argues that the failure of the state to integrate into a viable political community explains the tears Ugandans have shed since independence. Sir Edward Mutesa?s exile and suffering is viewed in this historical context. The second and third sections, chapters 6-12, not only describe Sir Edward Mutesa?s suffering in exile in the UK, but also bring to light an aspect of British imperial history that is rarely described in historical narratives of Africa. This is the export of the British social hierarchy into the colonies. In 1966, Sir Edward Mutesa II was guaranteed entrance into the U.K and financially supported by his friends who were, mainly, titled members of the British upper class into whose ranks he was recruited by his education, socialization and collaboration in governing the Uganda colonial state. For the British lords and sirs who managed the empire, class trumped race in their dealings with African or Asian collaborators. A substantial number of his friends from this class?Lord Allan Lennox-Boyd, Edward Heath, Lord Montague, Reginald Maudling, Lord Carrington, Sir Hugh Frazer, Lord Nugent, Sir Nigel Fisher, Sir Dingle Foot, and others?showed to Sir Edward Mutesa a degree of friendship and loyalty that was amazing. These elites considered him as one of their number and supported him against the official position of the Labour Government under Harold Wilson. Supported by his titled friends, Sir Edward Mutesa tried unsuccessfully to obtain financial support from the British Labour Government.
Classification of East African Crops Second Edition is a revised modern version of a book first published in 1979. It is a handbooks grouping the crops, timber, and common ornamental plants found in East Africa into 26 classes. The plants are discussed under two broad categories, namely, usage and commercial classifications. the Type A group of plants, based on usage classification, has 19 classes including the famous categories such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, oil crops, fibre crops, and forage and fodder plants amongst others. The Type B group, based on commercial use of the plants, covers food crops, cash crops, commercial horticultural crops, forbidden crops (drug plants), and bee forage or useful plants for honey bees. Each class has a full or brief discussion of the crops or useful plantas grown in modern East Africa covering Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. The most important part of the handbooks is the list of all major and minor crops and useful plants in each class containing the English or trade names, the botanical names, and the families to which they belong. The book has over 70 selected colour plates illustrating different crops and other useful plants. It is an excellent handbook for university and college scholars, students, and researchers in agriculture, forestry, environment, and animal husbandry.
Despite sending huge sums of money on health every year the African region's burden of disease is persistently high. Most of the countries in the region are lagging behind in achieving the health-related United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The African region's dismal health situation has largely been blamed on weakness pertaining to such factors as health leadership and governance; service delivery; health workforce; medicines, vaccines, and health technologies; health information; and health system financing that have undermined the capacity of health systems of countries in the region to improve population health without wastage of resources. Institutionalising health system efficiency monitoring, as a basis for the design and implementation of appropriate policy interventions, has been proposed as an effective way of curbing wastage of health system inputs. Efficiency of Health System Units in Africa: A Data Envelopment Analysis is the first book of its kind on application of the data envelopment analysis technique to examine the efficiency of health system decision-making units in Africa. The book interlaces lecture notes with research articles and case studies to equip students and practitioners of economics, operations research, management science, and public health with knowledge and skills for undertaking technical efficiency, cost efficiency, and total factor productivity analyses.
Can Christian-Muslim relations be better understood and even interfaith conflicts resolved if Christians and Muslims joined together in an existential and phenomenological engagement with common spatiality? To answer this question, 12 Christian students from St. Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya and 12 Muslim students from Eastleigh, Nairobi mapped the 12 streets of Eastleigh, a sprawling Nairobi suburb largely populated by Somali Muslis. The mapping method in the above exercise was phenomenological, that is, mapping spatiality as a 'lived experience' and interpreting spatial observations in light of individual and group existential experiences. The result of the mapping exercise was a radical transformation both in the Mappers' own self-perceptions as well as their perceptions of Christian- Muslim relations. The seven chapters in this unique book look at the above finding from different perspectives, both Christian and Muslim.
The author is a Don at the School of Law, University of Nairobi Kenya and a development consultant with various NGOs and other international bodies in Eastern Africa region and Italy. He is a researcher and writer of articles and texts on matters concerning law and culture. Dr. Onyango is an expert in modern legal science with wide knowledge of law ranging from comparative legal system, international public law, ethics, philosophy, theology, sociology, mass media and social realities today. He is currently teaching Social Foundations of Law, Customary Law, International Public Law and International Relations at the University of Nairobi and he is a part-time lecturer at St. Paul's University. Among his publication are Cultural Gap and Economic Crisis in Africa and, Dholuo Grammar for Beginners.
While probing the politics of everyday in Gikuyu popular music, the main thrust of this book is to unpack the representation of daily struggles through music. Depending mainly on the lyrics of the songs, the study also combines both the textual and the contextual analysis of the music. Music here is studied both as a text, and as an aspect of popular culture. The decade 1990-2000 in Kenya provides two contrasting political developments, which directly impacted on the ordinary Kenyan; firstly, the extremes of the country?s one-party rule were at the peak until when multi-party democracy was re-introduced. This ushered in a new era, but with antecedents in one-party rule, where service delivery was below par and economic mismanagement, corruption, assassinations and detentions continued unabated. It is in this contrasting environment that popular arts proliferated as a way of countering the repressed freedom of expression. This book, therefore, looks at how the Gikuyu musicians reacted and responded to these social and political realities in their songs. Music is discussed as an essential site for creation, re-creation and negotiation of the various forms of identities.
Taxation is perceived by citizens as a compulsory contribution to the state yet, the legitimacy of the state rests on the publics' acceptance of the state's right to levy tax and redistribute it in such a manner as to promote the overall good of society. The modern developing state can be said to be facing a crisis of fiscal legitimacy, afflicted by poor governance, poor societal participation, corruption and a lack of accountability. This book investigates whether a possible remedy in averting the fiscal crisis is firstly, to re-establish a link between taxation and government expenditure in the developing state and to utilise human rights law, principles and policies to link tax revenue to expenditure through re-distribution. This thesis will consider whether human rights may be the tool or vehicle for citizens to assess fiscal allocations It analyses developing countries with reference to Brazil and India and more specifically Kenya.
Out of the first series of public lectures titled (Re) membering Kenya organised by the Volume editors together with Twaweza Communications and supported by the Goethe Institut Kenya, The Ford Foundation and the Institute for International Education, and whose key outcome was the publication of Remembering Kenya Vol.1 (2010) grew a second round of lecture series. The second series took cognisance of the fact that the problems that bedevil Kenya as a nation go far beyond questions of culture and identity that Volume 1 dealt with. Thus, the second presentations revolved mainly around issues of economics, governance and power. The awareness of the role and/or lack of equity and social justice in causing Kenya?s persistent problems informed all these presentations. Issues of how to bring marginalised groups into the mainstream were discussed. This Volume, in part, arises from the second presentations. The authors of chapters attempt to provide answers to the question: what entails (re)membering in post-conflict Kenya? From their work, it is clear that there is a lot to (re)member in Kenya, and many ways in which to reconfigure project Kenya. (Re)membering is re-thinking and re organising our ways of doing things. It entails a juggling of priorities; between peace and reconciliation, peace and justice, and seeking justice and reconciliation without undermining peace, all of which are arduous exercises. Reconciling misconceptions about places, issues and people is part of this reconstitution too. New pathways require being embraced, past mistakes (individual and collective) acknowledged and giving earnest meaning to the vow ?never again!? Yet, as observed in this Volume, Kenyans must be vigilant against individuals and groups that have often resisted change. There are also material constraints to the achievement of the various economic activities that come with reconfiguring the Kenyan nation. Worse still there exist certain cultural underpinnings that continue to have a debilitating effect on efforts to forge a sustainable peace after conflict. These aspects require deep reflection and honest work. In part, the contributors to this Volume suggest how it can be done. There is a hint in these chapters that we need to find new organizing spaces and principles on which a ?new? Kenya can move forward. Equally, debating the very meanings of social justice and reconciliation against the background of potential conflict should be a project of this endeavor. Questioning and identifying where impunity begun is key to this process. In doing so, we begin liberating ourselves from Kenyan society?s deep-rooted impunity. (Re)membering Kenya, after all, calls for a reconstruction of ?the journey to the conflict? in order to find the right balance between the right of remembrance and the duty of forgetfulness.
This book is a result of public dialogue forums in pursuit of accountable and transparent governance in Kenya organized by Twaweza Communications with the support of Ford Foundation. From the convenings it was evident that the stability of Kenya will be driven by the extent to which citizens feel fully included in the development agenda. Quite often, political leaders view the role of citizens in governance as restricted primarily to their participation in the electoral process. This narrow view has led to arrogance and total disregard of citizens after poll results are announced. Under the new political dispensation heralded by the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya on August 27, 2010 this trend must change and the sovereignty of the people, in theory and practice, must be reinscribed. The publication raises important issues worth serious reflection. It also suggests ways in which citizens can better participate in their own transformation. Case studies highlighted in the book exemplify the importance building the Kenyan nation by addressing patterns of exclusion and glaring inequalities. The topics covered include multipartism, natural resource governance, gender, politics of identity, marginalization of Coastal Kenya, youth empowerment and investing in knowledge economy among others. The book is a valuable addition to our understanding of the root political and social anxieties in Kenya and how these could be ameliorated.
This book is a timely humanistic touch to memory studies. It uses literature as a laboratory for the workings of the mind, and characters as the subjects of human experimentation and diagnostics. This book considers authors from different societies and historical periods. The book is a refreshing illumination on the functioning of human memory. It complements the work of neuroscientists who seek to rationalize the workings of the same. Drawing from various ideas on memory, this rich and authoritative volume results from wide-ranging endeavors centered on the common fact that tracking memory in literature provides an astounding vista of orientations covered in its separate chapters. The writers examined in the various chapters become mediums for unleashing memory and its reconfiguration into artistic images. The ten separate chapters investigate different aspects of memory in such memoric associations as power, music, resistance, trauma, and identity. It is therefore no surprise that the editors should consider this book as 'a veritable menu for everything needed for an unforgettable memory banquet'.
The Junkyard Blues
(2013)
In Cameroon life isn't only like living in limbo, it is like living in the very centre of a hellish junkyard where dreams are dumped and wishes shattered at will by forces which can barely be controlled or understood. It is in this junkyard of dreams that Jude Maimo finds himself after years of studies and obtaining a university degree that could not even procure him a decent job. Reluctantly living under his brother's care after having failed grossly in an attempt to be independent, and doing a job that is more than an insult to him, he still hopes to one day live his simple dream; furthering his education long enough to have a respectable and decent job that could make him truly independent. Entangled in a relationship he can barely understand and weighed down by the daily temptations of natural life, a long lost friend from back in his school days suddenly appears as a light to lead him to the end of the tunnel. But a little too late, he discovers that the promised light of salvation is just another face of darkness, a darkness that wants more than his soul, a darkness that can only lead to tragedy.
This crowning collection brings together seven of Bole Butake's finest plays since 1984, namely: Dance of the Vampires; Family Saga; Lake God; Betrothal Without Libation; And Palm Wine Will Flow; The Rape of Michelle; and Shoes. More than an academic, Butake has distinguished himself as a playwright, unearthing and foregrounding the ills, travails and predicaments of a land and people trapped by the blood-dripping impunities of vampires in power. In his rich repertoire of over ten plays, Butake takes sides with the downtrodden, the wretched of the earth, the deprived and the underdogs. His jabs and jibes, aimed at the rulers, are scathing, at times vitriolic. He has excelled at a stubborn determination to ignore the sinecures, lure and allure of power without responsibility.
In Nomads, Emmanuel Fru Doh combines historical fact, legend, and rumour to emerge with a memoir charged with nostalgia. In the process, he merges scenes and events from several lives and the process of nation building as they all unfold and mature with the passing of time. It becomes obvious that these are somber moments in Doh's life and that of the Cameroon nation, a nation that in recent decades selfish and reckless leaders without goodwill, foresight, or true love for the fatherland have succeeded in destroying. It all boils down to one fact: indeed, there has always been a socio-political agenda by the Francophone-dominated regimes, but it had nothing to do with building a truly united Cameroon. The plan has always been to tactfully subdue and eventually neutralize the Anglophone dimension of the union.
The Black Man and his Visa
(2013)
Tardif is the son of a medical practitioner, an herbalist and a spiritual healer in northwestern Cameroun. When his father eventually gives up his practice, his mother struggles to put him and four of his sisters through high school. But financing university is a challenge. Tardif works for seven years in the farms and as a school teacher and seeks help from all quarters of the globe to try to raise money for university in his home country. Then one day he finds himself in China - studying Chinese medicine - and hoping for a better life than the one he had in Cameroon. The predicaments are as challenging as they are profoundly instructive. Tardif poses as a Dutchman and as an American to get jobs teaching English and survive in his host country. He ends up earning the respect of his students and employers, but not without everyday encounters with precarity. Just as one problem is resolved, another always seems to be brewing on the horizon. Tardif autobiographically opens his adventures, his transformations and his musings on Chinese and African ways of thinking and living to those interested in intercultural mobility and learning about life. His story reads like a dairy and keeps one wondering what will happen next.
This is an eloquent, engaged and extremely well informed narrative of the environmental and natural resource conservation and management issues in Mozambique. While the topics in this volume are diverse, they are all explicitly designed to move beyond the routinized blame of natural resource mismanagement and environmental degradation on local communities, and to rethink ecosystem destruction, land degradation and natural resource over-exploitation in Africa and beyond. Never losing sight of the major causes of environment and resource mismanagement in Mozambique, the book advances the thesis that environment and resource problems are a result of compound factors such as poor governance, poverty, corruption, low education levels, and disregard of endogenous conservation epistemologies. A combination of all these factors makes the whole terrain of conservation even more complicated than ever; hence the need for urgent action by all social actors. This is a valuable book for environmental conservationists, land resource managers, social ecologists, environmental anthropologists, environmental field workers and technicians, practitioners and students of conservation sciences.
Zimbabwe: The Blame Game
(2013)
The Blame Game is a cycle of creative non-fiction pieces, pulling the readers through the politics of modern day Zimbabwe. Like in any game, there are players in this game, opposing each other. The game is told through the eyes of one of the players, thus it is subjective. It centres on truthfully trying to find who to blame for Zimbabwe's problems, and how to undo all these problems. Finding who to blame should be the beginning for the search of solutions. It encourages talking to each other, maybe about the wrongs we have done to each other, and genuinely trying to embrace and forgive each other. In trying to undo the problems in Zimbabwe, it also offers insight or solutions on a larger platform - Africa: particularly South Africa; that it might learn from other African countries that have imploded before it, how to solve its own problems.
Greener from a Distance
(2013)
Albert?s life dream is to immigrate to the USA, to seek greener pastures. After several failed attempts, he finally gets a visa. Then he arrives the USA hoping for a bright and easy future. Before long he hears stories of desperation, struggles and a few successes. Desperation is portrayed by Mola aka Mboma who adopts a dead man?s identity in order to stay in the USA and by Bruno who marries a US-born woman as his ticket to the USA, knowing fully well that she was leading a double life. Struggles are seen in Paul and Matt who have to work more than two times harder to barely survive in the USA. However, Samson, the surgeon is an example of a success story. Albert has to decide whether to stay in the USA, concoct a story for asylum and chase the dream that has proven elusive for many, or go back to his reality in Cameroon. Though the pasture may actually be greener on the other side for some, it takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication to keep it that way. Realising that the life in the Diaspora is not a bed of roses as portrayed by some Cameroonians, he decides to return to his modest job in Cameroon. Although this book could be considered a cautionary tale about immigration, it is also about the corruption that has overtaken Cameroon and its people.
The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in middle and low income countries is arguably one of the most meaningful outcomes recorded in the fight against HIV and AIDS. A record number of some 6.2 million people living with HIV and AIDS are reported to be benefiting from the treatment, which is reported to have risen by 19 per cent between 2010 and 2011 and as a result of this, the region has also enjoyed a significant decline in AIDS mortality. This volume is the outcome of the 'call for abstracts' put out by OSSREA in 2011 for senior researchers, social scientists and practitioners to write scientific articles on issues surrounding ARVs. The volume contains eight chapters organized into four sections: ART and quality of life; Adherence to ART; Traditional medicine and ART; and Sexual behaviour of ART attendants. The chapters are contributed by Academics and researchers from three different African countries: four from Ethiopia, two from Uganda and two from Zimbabwe.
Most of the papers in this book were presented during the 9th International South Sudan and Sudan Studies Conference of the Sudan Studies Association USA and the Sudan Studies Society UK. 150 scholars from numerous academic disciplines, experts in conflict transformation and development, staff of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), former and current senior officers from ministries and military institutions from Sudan, South Sudan, and seventeen further countries participated in the conference. They engaged in vivid discussions on historical and recent cleavages in the societies of Sudan and South Sudan, inequality and exclusion in numerous variations, and on rapid social change accompanied by urbanisation and land conflicts. The severe economic crisis following the separation and the importance of creating political solutions instead of using technical approaches to work on the multitude of challenges affecting each of the two countries and the interrelations between them were also scrutinised. The participants intensely exchanged views and experiences on the difficulties and successes in taking responsibility rather than being dependent on foreign assistance. Discussions revealed strong potentials in both societies to overcome such problems; to initiate processes of reconciliation, and to consolidate peace. They shed light on the complex processes of nation-building and the creation of meaningful constitutions. This book attempts to capture at least some of this multitude of insights and aspects that had shaped the conference.
(De)connexions identitaires hadjeray : Les enjeux des technologies de la communication au Tchad
(2013)
The recent history of Africa is characterised by the 'revolution' in information and communication technologies (ICT), specifically in the sector of mobile telephony, which reconsiders the challenges pertaining to identity in African societies. In this book, we follow the manifestation of such dynamic forces in the Hadjeray society in Guera, Tchad, a society that has suffered a history of political violence, mobility and failures. The study shows the role of the Chadian government in the implementation of ICT and explains how government logics have amplified. Through the analysis of the changes in the economic and social spheres, occurring due to mobile telephony, we discover the identity issues that are also informed by the feeling of fear, which is part of the Chadian history of violence. However, the ways in which the Hadjeray adopt this new technology also leave them with a means to escape the logic of violence and disruption. It is mostly a dynamic force that occurs amongst the youth who, by making use of mobile networks, discover another mode of identification, between the ethnic group and the more global identity, and find through it a political voice.
Working for Cameroon state-owned Radio in the 1970s and ?80s meant toeing the official line and learning not to sing out of tune. While the rather scanty private press that existed at the time was subject to prior censorship, a different kind of censorship ? self-censorship prevailed at the Radio where topics for commentaries were vetted by the Minister of Information or his delegate. But for Anglophones working in a predominantly francophone environment, once topics were approved, the authorities could not be sure which direction commentaries were going to take as the journalists applied the tactics of ?bite and blow?, sometimes giving full expression of their Anglo-Saxon spirit of debate and critical analysis as evidenced in this selection of commentaries from the Sunday morning commentary programme, ?Cameroon Report? (now ?Cameroon Calling?) of the late 1970?s up till 1986. It is a showcase of the irrepressible seed of freedom of expression that Anglophone journalists were imbued with and demonstrated at a time when subjects related to coups d?état, human rights and governance were considered taboo. It was and shall remain the indelible input of the Anglophone character that has had a positive influence on Cameroon?s media landscape.
A Troubadour's Thread
(2013)
This volume powerfully conveys the pilgrimage of a singular spirit through adversity, equanimity, immanence and eventually, transcendence. It grapples with a range of emotions, topics and sensations. Christopher Okigbo achieved similar results but in an entirely different manner. Okigbo's vision is epical in its dimensions while Osha's work is infused with a sustained lyricism, mutedness or even more appropriately, quietude. Osha's poetry unveils a multi-layered journey from artistic infancy to complete aesthetic maturity. Most of this journey dwells upon the poet's inner states in which vast geographical vistas are revealed.
Duce Kingdom
(2013)
Duce Kingdom is a compelling mythical story of magic, sacrilege and violence, written in fine-styled first and third person dialogue and narration. The story commences with the rage of darkness into the official inauguration of the king, amid popular frustrations with the rigid laws and traditions of the kingdom. Sacrifice of virgins to gods, wars, romance and beheadings of criminals, make the future uncertain. The birth of Zalinda, a powerful sorcerer, redeems the kingdom from its woes.
This book is an opportune warning that alienation, estrangement and intentional diminishment serve as a cancer upon those who disburse it. The outsider suffers by being alone; the insider suffers even more by being forever known as a hypocrite who perpetuates dystopia. It uses literature as a hothouse for poisonous potted plants, the workings of a mind in turmoil and the exploration of a society or societies that seems to derive pleasure from others' ruin. Fears, Doubts, and Joy of Not Belonging considers themes that are biblical in scope from different societies and historical epochs. It is a sobering spiritual enlightenment of a child's 'silent treatment' in adult form. The text complements language engineers and social scientists who are on a quest or search for how the individual responds to pressure that is unexpected, ill-conceived and in desperate need of alleviation. Not only does this particular type of cancer differ from the type a surgeon can treat, the stage at which this malady is diagnosed causes far more problems than if it were dealt with head on. Pursuing numerous examples of estrangement, this diverse text delves into a wide spectrum of human behavior while coming to the realization that these problems are universal and have been with us for a long, long time. The purpose of resistance, individuality and personal identity is to rise above these obstacles without losing hope, resilience or optimism.
Armour Sucré
(2013)
Nerisha Yanee Dewoo writes in this book of poetry, her love for her people, love in its entire glory, Mauritian love...
This book aims at educating parents generally but divorcing or divorced ones specifically. The instruction is that the future and interest of the children, whatever the cause of their separation (or calculations for the non-divorcing others), should always be the prime mover for whatever arrangement (or decision) they make. That the world would be a better place if people generally look at the larger picture of things; larger picture people usually being better suited to give children, without definitional distinctions/exclusions, a better future than what they themselves have, irrespective of the societies they live in. The book's concern for the future of children also draws from the fact that social work departments, with enormous powers over the making or ruining of children's future, are often staffed by persons with contrary ideals to those these departments stand for. Africa and Canada are specifically examined but its messages apply across the globe; lessons dished out from both perspectives of a parent and a child who has been through it and seen it all and would not want other children/parents to go through similar experiences simply because of funny definitions of family or of child, classifications often exclusively geared toward making readily available resources for educating children unavailable to some children. There also is much apprehension about some parents' blatant use of children for accomplishing their own selfish agendas to the total disregard of the future of said children who, paradoxically, do not even feature in their new un-African and un-Canadian definition of family.
This is a study on the creative appropriation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by mobile Africans and the communities to which they belong, home and away. With a focus on Cameroonian migrants from Pinyin and Mankon who are currently living in Cape Town and the Netherlands, this book examines the workings of the social fabric of mobile communities. It sheds light on how these communities are crafting lives for themselves in the host country and simultaneously linking up with the home country thanks to advances in ICTs and road and air transport. ICTs and mobilities have complemented social relational interaction and provide migrants today with opportunities to partake in cultural practices that express their Pinyin-ness and Mankon-ness. Pinyin and Mankon migrants are still as rooted in the past as they are in the present. They were born into a community with its own sense of home, moral ethos and cultural pride but live in a context of accelerated ICTs and mobility that is fast changing the way they live their lives. Drawing on this detailed ethnographic case study and related literature, Henrietta Nyamnjoh argues that while ICTs continue to enhance mobility for those who move and for those who stay put, they have become inextricably linked in forging networks and reconfiguring existing ones. Contrary to earlier studies that predicted radical social change and the passing of traditional societies in the face of new technologies, ICTs have been appropriated to enhance the workings of existing social relations and ways of life while simultaneously pointing to new directions in ever more creative and innovative ways.
The poems in this collection are a mirror reflecting the goings-on in the nooks and crannies of the Republic of Cameroon. Crafted in the lingo of the man in the street, these poems speak for the voiceless in Cameroon, for all those who live on the fringe of a rich Cameroonian society. The themes broached are numerous, namely the culture of impunity, the vicious cycle of corruption, abuse of power, influence peddling, rape of the constitution, electoral gerrymandering, and the ineptitude of national bourgeoisie to name but a few. In sum, Speak camfranglais pour un renouveau ongolais is a clarion call for a new deal in Cameroon.
Boundaries and History in Africa : Issues in Conventional Boundaries and Ideological Frontiers
(2013)
This book compromises 26 well-researched essays in honour of Professor Verkijika G. Fanso, who retired in 2011 after over 36 years of distinguished service at universities in Cameroon. Contributors include colleagues, former students and close collaborators in Cameroon and beyond. Contributions cover a wide range of issues related to the contested histories, politics and practices of boundaries and frontiers in Africa. These are themes on which Fanso has researched, published and taught extensively, and earned international recognition as a leading scholar. The book explores, inter alia, indigenous and endogenous practices of boundary making in Africa; as well as colonial and contemporary traditions, practices and conflicts on and around frontiers. In particular focus, are disputed colonial boundaries between Cameroon and its neighbours. Issues of intra- and inter-disciplinary frontiers, politics and cultures are also addressed. The volume is crowned by a farewell valedictory lecture by Fanso. Like Fanso and his rich repertoire of publications, this bumper harvest of essays is without doubt, truly immortalising.
In Nzarayapera's village, famine and hunger strike as rain could not fall. The sky remains blue with scorching heat that leaves no creature desiring to move on with life. Chief Nzarayapera and his councillors believe this scourge is a curse from the ancestors. They think of holding a ceremony to mollify the ancestors and petition rain. The ceremony is held, but nothing happens except that hunger and famine strike even harder. This sets a fertile ground for conflict between traditionalists, Christians and scientists who lay blame on one another and take turns to intercede for the people. What comes out of this conflict only requires you to read Rain Petitioning for yourself. Equally there to awaken your curiosity is Step Child, the second play in this collection.
In the last two decades, erosion in the quality and effectiveness of education systems especially in sub-Saharan Africa has been compounded by factors - such as exogenous pressures precipitated by unsystematic provision of foreign aid - fostering corrupt practices, inadequate teacher training and limited deployment of professional educators to under-served communities. Yet, quality education is needed to attain high levels of critical thinking, analytic interpretation, academic creativity, innovativeness, effectiveness, personal and inter-personal skills in problem solving. This book, which focuses on Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, critically reflects on primary, secondary and tertiary education in Southern Africa with a view to explore the opportunities, constraints and challenges that practitioners, learners and other educational stakeholders face in their daily lives. The book draws on the findings from the aforementioned countries, to advance the thesis that education in sub-Saharan Africa faces problems of epic proportions that require urgent attention. Hence, the primary objective of this book is to serve as a drive and medium for informed change, critical thinking, constructive analysis, synthesis and evaluation of different situations, settings and problems situated in the interface of theory and practice in the education fraternity.
Forty Acres and a Mule
(2013)
These traveler's impressions across cultural and psychological spaces portray the two sides of this coin called life, oftentimes belligerent toward each other. In casting light on that dream of total freedom and the daunting contradictions inherent in its being and attainment, they represent a dialectic in our seemingly unending journey toward the shadow of the good life as we ceaselessly jettison virtue against vice. At a level, they confront a certain tyranny of thought, in more ways than one, challenging us to go beyond the comfort of our ideas and our upbringing and to dare to look at the world in ways hitherto only dreamed of. Another way this challenge is portrayed is in regard to language and the cannons of poetry. Because literary writing in this so-called global society may rightfully be considered as war by other means, the reader will quickly observe the, literally, take-no-prisoner approach embedded in many of the pieces the generalized despondency on the ground and the unprecedented cacophony of voices in the 'global village' calling for nothing less. The general conclusion of these poems would be the deferment promise of living even as they constitute a heightened harkening for us to live beyond existence.
This book draws on the case of the Shona and other Bantu people of Africa to argue that names are not mere identity tags. Names are an important cultural symbol of the people who give and bear them. The book challenges linguists and other social scientists to pay particular attention to the significance of names in the study of language use in society. Equally, it demonstrates the importance of names as part of the distinctive repertoire of Shona cultural heritage. Each Shona sentential name is a statement about that reality of being Shona. Carried in each name are sentiments that reflect on prevalent social, economic and political relations. The book focuses in particular on social names, religious names and war names inspired by such events as Zimbabwe's war of liberation.
Cameroon Anthology of Poetry
(2013)
In this carefully thought-through anthology, Bole Butake brings Cameroonian poets of different generations, gender, regions, backgrounds and interests into conversation not only among themselves but more especially with poets from other parts of Africa and the world. This is a testament on the universality of poetry. It is an invitation for those in tune with poetry to reaffirm its magic and to spread the warmth of its embrace in celebration of a common and boundless humanity.
This book draws on the perspectives of non-migrants and urban youth in Bamenda, in the Northwest region of Cameroon, as well as on the views of Cameroonian migrants in Switzerland, to explore the meaning and role of New Media in the negotiation of sociality in transnational migration. New Media facilitated connectedness serve as a privileged lens through which Cameroonians, home and away, scrutinise and mediate sociality. In this rich ethnography, Bettina Frei describes how the internet and mobile phones are adopted by migrants and their non-migrant counterparts in order to maintain transnational relationships, and how the specific medialities of these communication technologies in turn impact on transnational sociality. Contrary to popular presumptions that New Media are experienced as mainly connecting and enabling, this study reveals that in a transnational context in particular, New Media serve to mediate tensions in transnational social ties. The expectations of being connected go hand in hand with an awareness of social and geographical distance and separation.
This collection dissects post-independence Cameroon as a representative postcolonial junction. The history that assists in the writing of the poems is a necessary background to understand the dislocated vision of an erstwhile independent territory. After a patriotic pastime of sweeping every bit of rubbish under the carpet of national unity for over fifty years, the collection summons us to introspect on the consequences of feeding and living on a national lie. It is only after such reflection that, hopefully, remedial gestures can offer 'new dreams on the dawn of new sleep'.
Imaginary Crimes
(2013)
Habiba
(2013)
It is believed that even silence will whisper when pushed to the wall. Saleh's love and respect for his mother, Hamsatu, is not only detrimental to his own life but also injurious to his family life. Hamsatu makes all the decisions in his life. She becomes despotic and decides who her son should marry and the type of children his wife should bear. Habiba is just thirteen when her grandmother, Hamsatu brings in a suitor, Zubairu, a contemporary of her late husband. Although Saleh wishes to send all his children to school, a rainstorm renders him hopeless as his mother takes ill and eventually dies. After his mother's death, Saleh's bankruptcy compels him to take a loan from the elderly Zubairu on condition that failing to repay the loan means handing his daughter, Habiba, in marriage to Zubairu. Habiba is helpless, as it turns out that she is not just paying for the wrongs of her father but has to carry the responsibility of his abandoned wife and children by remaining married to Zubairu who is willing to assist them as long as she plays his game. Radiant Mohammed brings to the fore the socio-cultural plight and challenges that bedevil impoverished northern Nigerian families and compel parents to scuttle their children's educational ambitions at very tender ages in favour of marriage. Consistently, Mohammed nails the dilemma of the young Habiba between loving and hating the adults in her life that have caused her pain, and the desire to avenge her lost youth and ambitions.
Maybe Tomorrow
(2013)
When Clerics Kill
(2013)
The play depicts a troubled and violent society stoked by a vicious and violent culture of intolerance and extremism. It is about restiveness, puritanism and the politics of religiosity. The play gives a glimpse of the views and frustrations of young people, the supercilious and hateful perceptions of some clerics and the brigandage of law enforcers in such a given situation. The play points to the role courageous individuals could play in speaking out for peace and standing up to violence and in defiance of fear and for preservation of freedom.
Marsh Boy and other Poems
(2013)
Marsh Boy and other Poems is a welcome contribution to the tradition of poetry devoted to the revolutionary struggles of the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The poems celebrate the radical spirit of the oppressed and exploited people in their relentless quest for equity, equality, and justice. They are songs of anguish, revenge, defiance, love and patriotism.
Sea of My Mind
(2013)
Having produced five volumes of poetry, with a vision conscious of nationhood, Raji has become a stable dependable and enduring voice in recent Nigerian poetry. A poet with a consummate political theme, Raji sees versification as an engagement in the socio-political discourse of his land, aimed at forging a just nation.
Development has been on Africa's agenda for a long time but progress has been both varied and limited, partly due to the diverse levels of the discussions on the challenges and the interventions for tackling them. Africa's greatest challenge is the uneven development within and between its countries, and the pressing issues of extreme poverty in southern Africa, and the continent as a whole. Poverty causes its victims to suffer social exclusion and political repression. In addition, societies that experience poverty are also mostly under continuous threat of ecological disasters and diseases. All poor people are therefore plagued by loss of freedom and dignity, and are often unable to participate effectively in the political, economic, legal and social processes of their countries. This book focuses on the social and cultural dimensions of development dynamics and, in particular, the role of values in shaping development. Values are at the core of the hopes and aspirations of individuals, communities and societies. The book therefore explains the values that motivate and inform African communities and societies, with a view to facilitating a dialogue about sustainable development in Africa among academics, intellectuals, policy and, and the communities. It also investigates the social and cultural dynamics of development in Africa, as a better alternative to earlier studies that blame African culture for poverty and exclude the people of Africa in their definition of developments in the continent. The significance of this book lies in its provision of a theoretical argument, from empirical perspective, on the role of values in the development of Africa; an argument that is capable of facilitating a dialogue about African development, which obviously proves more useful than either the imposition of a technical process or the announcement of a normative framework.
The Fast Track Land Reform Programme implemented during the 2000s in Zimbabwe represents the only instance of radical redistributive land reforms since the end of the Cold War. It reversed the racially-skewed agrarian structure and discriminatory land tenures inherited from colonial rule. The land reform also radicalised the state towards a nationalist, introverted accumulation strategy, against a broad array of unilateral Western sanctions. Indeed, Zimbabwe's land reform, in its social and political dynamics, must be compared to the leading land reforms of the twentieth century, which include those of Mexico, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Cuba and Mozambique. The fact that the Zimbabwe case has not been recognised as vanguard nationalism has much to do with the 'intellectual structural adjustment' which has accompanied neoliberalism and a hostile media campaign. This has entailed dubious theories of 'neopatrimonialism', which reduce African politics and the state to endemic 'corruption', 'patronage', and 'tribalism' while overstating the virtues of neoliberal good governance. Under this racist repertoire, it has been impossible to see class politics, mass mobilisation and resistance, let alone believe that something progressive can occur in Africa. This book comes to a conclusion that the Zimbabwe land reform represents a new form of resistance with distinct and innovative characteristics when compared to other cases of radicalisation, reform and resistance. The process of reform and resistance has entailed the deliberate creation of a tri-modal agrarian structure to accommodate and balance the interests of various domestic classes, the progressive restructuring of labour relations and agrarian markets, the continuing pressures for radical reforms (through the indigenisation of mining and other sectors), and the rise of extensive, albeit relatively weak, producer cooperative structures. The book also highlights some of the resonances between the Zimbabwean land struggles and those on the continent, as well as in the South in general, arguing that there are some convergences and divergences worthy of intellectual attention. The book thus calls for greater endogenous empirical research which overcomes the pre-occupation with failed interpretations of the nature of the state and agency in Africa.
Within the context of the absence of effective state sovereignty and the presence of numerous armed struggles for power, Nande traders have managed to build and protect self-sustaining, prosperous, transnational economic enterprises in eastern Congo. This book discusses the commercial enterprises of the Nande trust networks and the subsequent transnational community they have produced, thereby challenging the assumption that a 'weak state' or a 'failed state' or even a 'collapsed state' can be presumed to signal a 'failed' society. It demonstrates the fact that several sovereignties and property right systems can coexist side by side, reinforcing each other - an idea which seems inconceivable for those with a normative view of governmental institutions and state sovereignty. Rethinking the question of African state formation, the study contributes to the formulation of a more rigorously transnational and local paradigms in the study of post-colonial African state formations. It constitutes an original contribution to critical theory of societal responses to processes of state implosion, and the anthropology of new social formations that emerge when states disintegrate, especially in war-torn Africa. The book also discusses issues related to the dynamics of conflict, new state formation, transnational trade network, ethnicity, and global political and economic governance. In the midst of abundant anti-ethnic literature on African studies, this study posits that there may be a renewed usefulness and necessity in theorizing the salience and continuing production of 'ethnic' differences in a manner that challenges the notion of ethnicity as merely a devious and divisive invention of colonialism that must simply be overcome.
Education is an important tool for the development of human potential. Organizations and individuals interested in development consider knowledge, skills and attitudes, obtained through formal, non-formal and incidental learning, as invaluable assets. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on fundamental elements that shape the process through which education is attained: How do people learn, and what are the conditions that facilitate effective learning? Answers to these questions demonstrate that no education can be politically neutral, because there is no value-free education. The traditional or indigenous education systems in Nigeria, which covered (and still cover) physical training, development of character, respect for elders and peers, development of intellectual skills, specific vocational trainings, developing a sense of belonging and participation in community affairs, and understanding, appreciating and promoting the cultural heritage of the community were, and are, not value-free. In other words, the goals and purpose of education, the content, the entire process and the procedures chosen for evaluation in education are all value-laden. This book attempts to show that the teaching-learning process in higher education, and religion, taught and learned through non-formal and informal education (or the hidden curriculum), and other socialization processes within and outside the formal school system, all interface to determine the persons that women become. This education enhances or limits women's capabilities, whether in the civic-political sphere or in their attempts to resist violence. Hence, education and religion have ways of empowering or disempowering women.
Ari Sitas is a distinguished sociologist, novelist, dramatist, a founder member of the Junction Avenue Theatre Company, and a cultural activist celebrated for his work in popular and worker theatre. As a poet he has written eight books, and collaborated with many visual artists and musicians. His poems are passionate, politically undaunted and wide-ranging, expressed with the exploratory instinct of a jazz improviser.
The current HIV and AIDS regime has opened up unknown vistas in intellectual pursuits and knowledge creation. One such newly opened up area of research is studying HIV and AIDS in relation to gender issues. However, owing to the devastating nature of the epidemic, most studies tend to focus on women merely as an 'at risk' population leaving aside the wider sociological dimensions that pertain to women's sexuality in general, issues of AIDS related stigma and discrimination and how it impacts on women's careers as economic contributors to society. The uniqueness of the present study lies in the fact that it embodies the author's triangulated research into the tripartite dimensions of HIV and AIDS, women's sexuality, and gender-sociology, all against the backdrop of analysing actual experiences of career women in Kenyan universities.
This book presents a detailed and practical explanation of the law of Civil Procedure in Kenya. It discusses the principles of Civil procedure Law in a practical setting. The intricate points of law have been illustrated by examples, and in the introduction the subject has been dealt with by topics rather than in the strict order of sections in the Act and Rules. This has been done to avoid cross-referencing to enable users to adequately grasp the doctrinal aspects of the subject.
Trading Places is about urban land markets in African cities. It explores how local practice, land governance and markets interact to shape the ways that people at society's margins access land to build their livelihoods. The authors argue that the problem is not with markets per se, but in the unequal ways in which market access is structured. They make the case for more equal access to urban land markets, not only for ethical reasons, but because it makes economic sense for growing cities and towns. If we are to have any chance of understanding and intervening in predominantly poor and very unequal African cities, we need to see land and markets differently. New migrants to the city and communities living in slums are as much a part of the real estate market as anyone else; they're just not registered or officially recognised. This book highlights the land practices of those living on the city's margins, and explores the nature and character of their participation in the urban land market. It details how the urban poor access, hold and trade land in the city, and how local practices shape the city, and reconfigures how we understand land markets in rapidly urbanising contexts. Rather than developing new policies which aim to supply land and housing formally but with little effect on the scale of the need, it advocates an alternative approach which recognises the local practices that already exist in land access and management. In this way, the agency of the poor is strengthened, and households and communities are better able to integrate into urban economies.
In Sounding the Cape, Denis-Constant Martin recomposes and examines through the theoretical prism of creolisation the history of music in Cape Town, deploying analytical tools borrowed from the most recent studies of identity configurations. He demonstrates that musical creation in the Mother City, and in South Africa, has always been nurtured by contacts, exchanges and innovations whatever the efforts made by racist powers to separate and divide people according to their origin.
The Turtle Dove Told Me
(2013)
THE TURTLE DOVE TOLD ME is the long awaited, debut collection of poetry from emerging South African poet and artist Thandi Sliepen. The first of a trilogy spanning the years 1990 - 2010, this collection traces her return to Africa at the age of 18 in search of her roots. The journey starts in Tanzania, then overland to Cape Town, her home city, which she had last seen in 1976. Her search takes her to a stretch of coast in the Ciskei and then to Clarens in the Eastern Free State where she finally finds what she has been searching for. Art, love and the healing embrace of land.
Beyond the Delivery Room
(2013)
A debut collection of poems from popular performance poet, Khadija Heeger. The collection is the first in a trilogy of poems that Heeger has worked on over many years. This collection is a combination of story-telling, resistance, re-naming, remembering. The language of the book is personal to the poet and reflects the wider community and society she is part of. She mixes languages, English and Afrikaans, and the language of the Cape called Kaaps.
Running and Other Stories
(2013)
Turning her back on what is considered conventional, Makhosazana Xaba engages with her subject-matter on a revolutionary level in Running and Other Stories. She takes tradition - be that literary tradition, cultural tradition, gender tradition - and re-imagines it in a way that is liberating and innovative. Bracketed by Xaba's revisitings of Can Themba's influential short story, The Suit, the ten stories in this collection, while strongly independent, are in conversation with one another, resulting in a collection that can be devoured all at once or savoured slowly, story by story. By re-envisioning the ordinary and accepted, Xaba is creating a space in which women's voices are given a rebirth.
Pleasure in Relating
(2013)
Pleasure-in-Relating is Susan Groves's first work, a culmination of many years' reflection. It spans her life in South Africa and time spent in England while weaving together her deep appreciation of the Buddhist and Christian traditions. Her training and experience in Core Process Psychotherapy is evident in her sensitivity to herself and those whose stories she shares. Her love for the part of Africa where she lives serves as an undertone which is present throughout her collection.
Shooting Snakes
(2013)
An old man is woken up by the wailing of a prophetess. Sitting on the veranda and staring into the dry veld he is beset with images of snakes hiding in the cellar beneath him. His peace is further disturbed by visits from his angry daughter, Susanna. Memories of his childhood on a remote mission station in Venda come flooding in. Johannes remembers his father's internment at Koffiefontein during World War II, leaving him and his sister free to make friendships, explore the mythical forests that surround their house and to connect with the spirit world of the Bavenda . On his return, the missionary tries to impose order on the mission station with tragic consequences.
Fractured Lives
(2013)
Fractured Lives is a memoir of one woman?s experiences as a documentary filmmaker covering the wars in southern Africa during the 1980s and 1990s. Part autobiography, part history, part social commentary and part war story, it offers a female perspective on a traditionally male subject. Growing up in South Africa in a politically active family, Toni went to Britain as an exile in 1965 in the wake of the famous Rivonia Trial, and in the years to follow, became a filmmaker. Despite constant difficulties fighting for funding and commissions from television broadcasters, and the prejudices of working in a male-dominated industry, Toni made several remarkable films in Mozambique and Angola. These bear witness to the silent victims of war, particularly the women and children. Fractured Lives paints the changing landscape of southern Africa: Namibian independence and the end of the war in Mozambique bring hope ? but also despondency. Yet there is also the possibility of redemption, of building new lives for the victims of war. In its final chapters, Fractured Lives traces the power of survival and the opportunities for new beginnings. Fractured Lives concludes with Toni?s return to South Africa after nearly three decades in exile. However, the joy following the demise of apartheid is tempered by the poignancy of returning to a place that for so long had existed in her dreams alone and the realization that home will forever lie somewhere else.