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SOCIAL SCIENCES

Rural water supply and health : the need for a new strategy

Medarbetare: Falkenmark, Malin
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 1982
Ämnesord: Rural Areas, Water supplies, Water distribution, Health, Development strategy, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
In poor countries there is a linkage between lack of safe water, high levels of infections, and high rates of child mortality. To cope with this world-wide problem, the United Nations has launched The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade 1981-90 with health as the overriding objective. Water supply close to the homes will also radically reduce the heavy burden on rural women for which water drawing is a household task. In order that the health objective will be attained, people have to use the water provided, keep it clean in the home, and keep the water supply system in operation. Water supply and sanitation can no longer be seen as merely technical problems, but involve measures to secure operation and maintenance, manpower, administration, health education, and creation of a sence of public ownership. This book synthesises contributions to and results of the United Nations Seminar on Rural Water Supply held in Uppsala Sweden, in October 1980.

Being and becoming Oromo : historical and anthropological enquiries

Medarbetare: Hultin, Jan | Triulzi, Alessandro | Baxter, Paul Trevor William
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 1996
Ämnesord: Ethiopia, East Africa, Ethnicity, Cultural identity, Nationalism, Ethnic groups, Oromo, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
The Oromo are one of the most numerous peoples of Africa but general recognition of their distinctive culture and identity is comparatively recent. These essays, through an examination of the Oromo experience, seek to explain why recognition took so long and to analyse some aspects of the Oromo culture.

The changing forms of identity politics in Nigeria under economic adjustment : the case of the oil minorities movement of the Niger Delta

Upphovsperson: Obi, Cyril
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2001
Ämnesord: Structural adjustment, Ethnic groups, Minority groups, Petroleum industry, Nigeria, Niger Delta, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
This study attempts to capture the transformations in ethnic minority identity politics in the oil-producing areas of the Niger delta. In doing this, attention is simultaneously drawn to the factors informing the shift from peaceful agitation to violent protest as well as the dynamic of decay and renewal in the various ethnic minority movements that are active in the delta. It is suggested that part of the solution to the crisis in the delta will involve not only a thorough-going restructuring of the Nigerian state but also the re-orientation of the mode of operation of the giant oil multinationals in order to make them both more sensitive and accountable to the local communities.

The African Union and the challenges of implementing the “responsibility to protect”

Upphovsperson: Kuwali, Daniel
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2009
Ämnesord: United Nations, African Union, Regional security, African organizations, Regional cooperation, International relations, Foreign intervention, Dispute settlement, Peacekeeping, Defence policy, Crime prevention, Human rights, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
The concept of the “responsibility to protect” (“R2P”) was endorsed by the world’s leaders sitting at the 2005 World Summit level in the UN General Assembly. The World Summit Outcome Document affirmed that every sovereign government has a responsibility to protect its citizens and those within its jurisdiction from genocide, war crimes, “ethnic cleansing” and crimes against humanity (UN 2005 paras. 138–139). The concept of R2P is cast in the three core pillars: first, an affirmation of the primary and continuing obligation of individual states to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, as well as incitement thereof; second, a commitment by the international community to assist states in meeting these obligations; and third, acceptance by UN member states of their responsibility to respond in a timely and decisive manner through the UN Security Council, if national authorities are manifestly failing to protect their populations from these mass atrocity crimes. R2P is a restatement of positive binding obligations of states to protect their citizens from mass atrocity crimes; and the collective responsibility to the international community to prevent mass atrocity crimes. R2P is about taking effective action at the earliest possible stage (Evans 2008). These obligations are particularly relevant to Africa in the face of crises such as those in Sudan (Darfur), parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia. It is, however, rather early to pass definitive judgement on the relatively young notion of R2P without addressing some of the challenges confronting its implementation in Africa.

Sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping operations in contemporary Africa

Upphovspersoner: Rudén, Fanny | Utas, Mats
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Urban Dynamics | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2009
Ämnesord: Africa, United Nations, Peacekeeping, Peace corps, minitary personnel, Hiv, Social implications, sexual abuse, Human rights violations, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
In international peacekeeping operations (PKOs) some individuals are involved in sexual exploitation and abuse of the host country’s population, buying of sexual services and trafficking of prostitutes. Far from being a new phenomenon it goes back a long time, and reports on the issue have increased over the years. All too frequently we read about peacekeepers visiting prostitutes, committing rape, or in other ways sexually exploiting host populations. Some peacekeepers are taking advantage of the power their work gives them, and becoming abusers rather than protectors in situations where the host population is powerless and in dire need of protection. Peacekeepers’ abuse of their mandate is inflicting severe damage on host societies and often results in a number of unintended consequences such as human rights violations, rapid spread of HIV, decreased trust in the UN as well as other international aid agencies, and harmful changes to gender patterns. Women and children, both girls and boys, are especially exposed. Having already suffered from war and instability they risk becoming even more physically and mentally wounded. Peacekeeping operations risk doing more harm than good in African war zones, and if they cannot learn from previous mistakes maybe they ought to stay at home. We do not argue for the latter; rather, we point towards the urgent need to change explicit and implicit patterns and habits in international peacekeeping operations in relation to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in Africa. In this Policy Note we focus predominantly on military staff, but acknowledge that the civilian staff of PKOs, and international aid workers, are also implicated. On the other hand it should initially be pointed out that most PKO staff are not sexual exploiters and abusers.

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