Poverty, Hunger and Democracy in Africa: Potential and Limitations of Democracy in Cementing Multi-Ethnic Societies

Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 2
Also by......Page 3
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Tables......Page 10
Figures......Page 11
Maps......Page 12
Boxes......Page 13
Abbreviations......Page 14
Acknowledgments......Page 16
Preface......Page 18
Foreword - John Endicott......Page 22
Foreword - Arie Kuyvenhoven......Page 24
Part I Introduction and Background......Page 28
Introduction......Page 30
1.1 The Black Man’s Burden......Page 58
From hopeful independence to stagnation......Page 59
From prolonged stagnation to a decade of miraculous growth......Page 61
New investment opportunities and capital flows to Africa......Page 64
Will the commodity crisis and the global recession end Africa’s recovery?......Page 67
Despite the continent’s growth and the more prudent economic policies, poverty continues to rise......Page 69
The threat of global warming......Page 73
The growing gap between countries, and growing inequalities between people......Page 74
Africa’s agenda in the coming decade......Page 78
Notes......Page 81
Part II Coping with EscalatingFood Insecurity......Page 82
2.1 The Threat of Climate Changes......Page 84
The haunting Malthusian predicament: the water crisis......Page 86
How relevant are Malthus’s “principles of production and population”?......Page 88
The Neo-Malthusian vision of the limits to growth......Page 90
The Millennium Development Goals: can they end hunger?......Page 92
Is Africa reaching limits to growth?......Page 96
Can African farmers produce enough food?......Page 102
How can African farmers increase their yields?......Page 110
Coping with hunger: a global imperative......Page 118
Some lessons from the food crisis of 2007–08......Page 127
How can the African countries cope withlocal food shortages?......Page 136
Can the food crisis happen again?......Page 140
Notes......Page 143
Part III Africa’s Poverty Traps andObstacles to Growth......Page 146
3.1 The Geographical andMan-Made Obstacles......Page 148
The myth of a poverty trap in landlocked countries......Page 154
The potential strategy for landlocked countries—regional trade agreements......Page 159
Africa’s most crippling obstacle: decaying infrastructure......Page 165
The “resource curse”......Page 169
Nigeria’s resource curse......Page 175
Rural–urban migration and growing urban population......Page 181
The urbanization of poverty......Page 185
The dilemma: promoting urban industrialization or alleviating rural poverty......Page 186
Notes......Page 196
Part IV Civil Conflicts, Wars and Democracy: Will Democracy Inflame or Help to Settle Civil Conflicts?......Page 198
4.1 The Roots and Long-Term Effects of Africa’s Wars and Civil Conflicts......Page 202
The tribal roots of civil conflicts......Page 204
Conflicts caused by deprivation and exclusion......Page 207
The tribal wars in the Great Lakes region......Page 215
The legacy of colonial borders......Page 223
Has poverty been the cause of conflicts and wars in Africa?......Page 229
4.2 The Impact of Wars and Civil Conflicts on Africa’s Growth and Poverty......Page 233
Africa’s missing billions......Page 235
The threat of rising inequalities......Page 237
Africa’s “fragile” and “failed” states......Page 241
Conditions for aid to fragile states......Page 245
Criteria of governance......Page 250
The role of state institutions......Page 253
Building the state institutions......Page 257
The deterioration of the African state institutions......Page 259
Does the public trust the public institutions?......Page 263
The impediments of the endemic corruption......Page 265
4.3 Will Democracy Settle or Intensify Civil Conflicts?......Page 271
The debate over Western-style democracy......Page 272
Countries’ experiences with the transition to democracy......Page 275
Africans’ mistrust in democracy......Page 279
Do elections intensify tribal conflicts?......Page 282
Reducing civil conflicts: external “nation building” interventions vs. internal public pressure......Page 287
Sierra Leone: mission accomplished—with external intervention......Page 296
Conclusion......Page 300
Notes......Page 301
Part V The Fourth Wave of Democratization: Will Democracy Cement the African Multiethnic Nation State?......Page 302
5.1 The Transition of the African Countries to Democracy......Page 304
The structure of the tribal society......Page 307
From the tribal society to the state......Page 311
Africa’s greatest curse: its autocratic leaders......Page 316
Ending the addiction to aid......Page 320
5.2 Can Democracy Help the African States to Cement Their Multiethnic Societies?......Page 321
Alternative scenarios of future political developments......Page 322
The shape of the democratic reforms in Africa......Page 326
The dubious significance of democratic elections......Page 328
Notes......Page 335
References......Page 337
Index......Page 342