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Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet

Studying Africa : a guide to the sources

Medarbetare: Andersson, Marianne | Lund Moberg, Åsa
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2011
Ämnesord: Reference materials, Bibliogaphies, Literature surveys, Internet sources, Periodicals, Statistics, Official publications, SOCIAL SCIENCES, history, politics, Africa, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
Studying Africa provides an introduction to the basic handbooks and standard works on contemporary Africa. It also offers guidance on searching for literature and facts wwithin the field of social sciences.

Transnational Islamist (Jihadist) Movements and Inter-State Conflicts in the Horn of Africa

Upphovsperson: Salih, M.A. Mohamed
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2011
Ämnesord: Political islam, Religious movements, Regional conflicts, Regional security, Horn of Africa, Political science, Statsvetenskap
Somalia has engendered the policy debate on the extent of the spread of transnational Islamist Jihadist groups in the Horn of Africa (HOA) and their consequences for peace and security across the region. These concerns are justified given the emergence since the late 1980s of extremist groups such as the Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement and the Somali Jihadist Islamist groups of the likes of Al-Ittihad, the Islamic Courts Union and currently Al Shabab. The leaders and fighters of these groups relocated to the HOA after the defeat of the Taliban following the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan. The operations of these transnational Islamist groups within and across the countries of the Horn pose serious challenges to the region and beyond.

Knowledge, renewal and religion : repositioning and changing ideological and material circumstances among the Swahili on the East African coast

Medarbetare: Larsen, Kjersti
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2009
Ämnesord: Social anthropology, Cultural anthropology, cultural identity, Islam, Social change, modernization, Social history, Social anthropology/ethnography, Socialantrolopologi/etnografi
In the past decades religion has entered the political debate and is evoked in relation to a variety of events taking place around the world. Religion and religious differences, not political, economic or social, are claimed to be the cause rather than an expression of – or even a reaction to – ongoing problems. Islam and Christianity (or also Islam and Hinduism) are, in most cases, represented not only as opposed, but also as incommensurable worldviews, value systems and identities, where the one is threatening the existence of the other. Among the Swahili on the East-African Coast, this trend provokes questions related to whether we should approach what appear to be expressions of religious positioning in terms of renewal of previous understandings and relationships, or as a rephrasing of complex and conflictual matters that were always part of Swahili society. The papers in this book reveal that the Swahili are experiencing worsening economic, political and social conditions. Within these circumstances, Islam is invoked as a source of knowledge that not only explains the current state of life and living, but also gives directions on how to cope with and to change the situation for the better. Islam is both what reinforces Swahili identity and a particular way of life, and at the same time, given the current international climate, further marginalizes Swahili society and culture.

Eroding local capacity : international humanitarian action in Africa

Medarbetare: Juma, Monica Kathina | Suhrke, Astri
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2002
Ämnesord: Humanitarian assistance, Emergency relief, Capacity building, Local planning, Regional cooperation, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
Eroding Local Capacity is a critical examination of the interplay between international and local actors operating in the humanitarian arena in Africa. All sides emphasise the need to build local capacity for humanitarian action, yet the results have not been substantial. Even long-term, semi-permanent emergencies have generated little local capacity to assist and protect the victims of violence, displacement and related deprivations. In some cases, whatever local capacity did exist has been overwhelmed by the international aid presence. Why is this so? What is the case for a more even division of labour between North and South in this area, and why is it so difficult to bring about? The book focuses on cases from East Africa and the Horn. It considers institutional capacity in the public and private sector, as well as legal and social norms of humanitarian action. The authors are African and Nordic scholars who worked together on the NORAD-supported project over a 3-year period. Preliminary conclusions were discussed at seminars organized by the Centre for Foreign Relations (Dar es Salaam), the School of Government at the University of the Western Cape (Cape Town), and the Chr. Michelsen Institute (Bergen).

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