African People Research Articles

Prosperity theology versus theology of sharing approach

Theologians are split into two groups: those who embrace prosperity theology and those who oppose it; both sides on scriptural grounds. Those criticising it embrace cessationism in its diversity, while its supporters are mainly found among Pentecostals and Charismatics, who are continuationists. Continuationists believe and teach that all gifts of the Spirit are still available to the church today, therefore should be practised by the church just as they were operative during the apostolic era. Therefore, it is clear that prosperity preachers are continuationists. They believe and practice healing and miracle gifts today. A review of the literature, biblical texts, historical teachings, and Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal (also referred to as charismatic and neo-charismatic) form the basis of this article. It addresses the positive features of prosperity teachers’ beliefs and methods as well as how they exploit the dreams, fears, and aspirations of people living in poverty. The theology of sharing, as articulated by Nicholas B.H. Bhengu, is proposed as a solution to creating parity between the rich and the poor.Contribution: This article seeks to balance opposing theological approaches with the prosperity gospel. It does this by introducing a theology of sharing as taught by Nicholas Bhengu based on the philosophy of Ubuntu, a way of life among African people. The challenge for theologians on both sides of the argument is finding a way to accommodate the other side’s contributions.

The effectiveness of Grade 3 teachers’ implementation of poetry through play pedagogies

Background: Poetry predates all other genres of literature, and it has been argued that the relationship between poetry and language is inextricable. The ability of African people to articulate their own stories was largely silenced by colonialism. Poems and lyrics have been known to create a bridge between individuals in meaningful words and songs.Aim: This article explores Grade 3 teachers’ experiences of teaching poetry and their utilisation of play pedagogies to enhance learning and make it pleasurable.Setting: Three schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were purposively selected because of their rural location. The sample comprised six Grade 3 teachers who worked in these three rural primary schools. The learners in the study were using isiZulu as a language of learning and teaching.Methods: Semi-structured interviews, document analysis and non-participant observations were employed to generate the data.Results: Regardless, Grade 1 teachers know their knowledge of the value of play pedagogies in the development of young children.Conclusion: Researchers suggest that Grade 3 teachers need to align their practice and lesson plans with Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) proposals and guidelines. Moreover, play pedagogies need to be implemented and these need to be realistically aligned with allocated time frames and available resources to mitigate the severe restraints that impede effective poetry teaching as a tool for facilitating learning.Contribution: To ensure the success of all Grade 3 learners in the realm of poetry understanding and writing, it is imperative that Foundation Phase (FP) teachers align their teaching to the CAPS pedagogies to expose learners to various forms of poetry.

African Approaches to the Protection and Conservation of the Environment: The Role of African Traditional Religions

Abstract In Africa the environment is sacrosanct and treated with great respect, particularly in communities where traditional beliefs and practices prevail. The sacredness of the environment is based on the African people’s fundamental belief that the spiritual and the secular worlds are two sides of the same coin endowed with divine power and presence. As a result, the line of demarcation between the two worlds is blurred. They complement each other in the sense that each derives its meaning, significance and importance from the other. Since the natural world is imbued with the divine, it is considered an extension of the supernatural world. In the absence of written legal frameworks, the environment, in indigenous communities, is protected through religious beliefs and practices. This article analyses the basic approaches of the African people towards nature and their fundamental belief that the environment is an integral part of God’s creation and must therefore be preserved and conserved for future generations. The article notes that in contemporary Africa the emphasis on material values is leading towards the total destruction of the environment, thus putting humanity at the intersection of self-destruction – something that needs to be avoided at all costs.

African women and young people as agriculture service providers—business models, benefits, gaps and opportunities

We use a combination of a global desk review of the literature with information from an on-going action research in Kenya to provide insights into the main characteristics, benefits and shortfalls of business models for engaging women and young people in agricultural service provision in Africa. The findings demonstrate that the engagement of African women and young people in agricultural service provision is not a panacea to the challenges they face. However various business models have been successful in contributing to economic empowerment, to increasing entrepreneurial activities and to upskilling of women and young people engaged as service providers. Business models that are successful are place-based and people-focused, market-driven and focused on value chains. Challenges however abound due to various factors, hence for sustainability there is need for multi-sectoral inter-institutional collaboration that pulls in funding and which makes a case for private sector buy-in. Future research should focus on increasing the evidence base to understand if successes with inclusion of women and young people in agricultural service provision has an influence on emerging agricultural policy. Research should also rigorously assess the extent to which successful agricultural service provision business models are engendered, provide sufficient levels of renumeration and the extent to which they impact farmer outcomes.

‘A Necessary Evil?’: (Southern) Rhodesia’s Diplomatic and Economic Relations with Zambia, 1963 to 1973

This paper historicises the diplomatic and economic relations of Southern Rhodesia and Zambia between 1963 and 1973. While there has been comprehensive scholarship delineating the relations between, for instance, Zimbabwe and South Africa over the years, neighbouring Zambia has hitherto been given little attention by historians. Where the relations of Zimbabwe and Zambia have been examined, this has been in the context of political and military connections between Zambia’s United National Independence Party-led government and the Zimbabwean liberation movements the Zimbabwe African National Union and the Zimbabwe African People’s Union. In terms of Zambia–Rhodesia economic and diplomatic interactions, much has been written on how Zambia fared against the backdrop of Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence and the sanctions that followed, from the point of view of Zambia. We shift the focus because there is very little scholarship on the Rhodesian point of view, particularly its relations with Zambia in the period covered by this article. Using archival sources, newspapers and secondary literature, we contend that until the closure of the Rhodesia–Zambia border, the connection between the two countries was characterised by a cautious partnership marked by both covert and overt hostility, which escalated to an outright breakdown of border relations in 1973. Essentially, economic diplomacy became a critical tool deployed by Rhodesia towards Zambia to survive times of financial challenges precipitated by sanctions imposed by Britain and the United Nations, as well as the context of wars of liberation waged in Rhodesia since 1966.

Ghana’s demand for restitution of material artifacts: a decolonial reflection

ABSTRACT This paper incisively engages with the ways in which African leaders are not assertively demanding restitution of their material artifacts dispossessed in the eras of enslavement and colonization. It questions indigenous people’s struggles for restitution of materialities colonially dispossessed beyond a simplistic view of decentering their hierarchy and ownership. Besides, the paper critically interrogates why Euro-America scholarship generously offers resilience discourse as perhaps the most important conceptual addition to international policy making in the last few decades to Africa, but it ironically does not care to restitute dispossessed material artifacts back to indigenous African peoples. The paper argues that colonial dispossession is about recentering indigenous people as masters and owners of material artifacts via restitution. Using coloniality of dispossession/theft this paper proposes a framework of restitution that aims to address resilient colonial dispossession enacted by the West. It is pointed out that decolonization will be achievable through restitution of indigenous material artifacts. I engage in the topic of restitution of material artifacts, particularly in the context of Asante people of Ghana. The paper contends that restitution of dispossessed material artifacts would empower indigenous peoples in Africa and strategically position them in global geopolitics.

The State of Urbanization, Demographic Changes, and Family Dynamics in Africa

Rapid urbanization and population growth in Africa, coupled with the complex interplay between changing demographics, have resulted in significant implications for families. Using secondary sources, this desk review explores macro-level population dynamics and demographic shifts surrounding family size, intergenerational solidarity, housing, care for the elderly, marital relationships, declining marriage rates, and rising divorce rates. It draws from the demographic transition theory to underscore the impact of social and cultural factors on fertility rates and family dynamics. This article further underscores the significance of these dynamics in the context of North African societies and the broader African continent, offering insights into the evolving role of families and their unique challenges. It then discusses the missed opportunities associated with the demographic dividend and youth bulge, and the measures necessary to unlock the region’s full potential for sustainable economic growth and social development. The article concludes with policy recommendations for strategic development planning, investments in human capital, rural development, and research to navigate the complex connections between urbanization, demographics, and family dynamics.

Advancing Local US Transitional Justice Initiatives: A University Partnership Alongside Descendant Communities

ABSTRACT This article suggests that the ongoing denial by the USA federal government of historical human rights infractions against African Americans and people of African descent led to a proliferation of local transitional justice efforts. Drawing from a university-driven transitional justice project, this article offers an analysis of local initiatives and highlights one of its six transitional justice collaborations. The university project sought to decolonize its structure and approach, drawing on methods of cultural humility, desire-based research and deep listening. This article responds to the success and challenges of decolonizing a transitional justice project within academia. Findings suggested that local initiatives face obstacles due to enduring legacies of harms and silenced histories, necessitating communities to substantiate their claims. Capacity issues and funding are challenged due to centuries of disinvestment. The article offers lessons learned for potential ally organizations who seek to advance transitional justice where government-sponsored redress continues to be denied.

“Catachresis at the Origin”: Names and Power in Toni Morrison’s Fiction

Abstract: Toni Morrison’s fiction is replete with characters who carry nicknames, who rename themselves, or are renamed by others. Some misnamings carry the stories of histories of marginalization and oppression—as with the “drunken yankee” responsible for the naming of Macon Dead in Song of Solomon . Morrison’s characters also rename themselves to resist the legacy of American slavery and institutionalized racism. What ties Morrison’s namings, misnamings, and renamings together is the sense that there is no path to the recovery of true names for many African American people. The consequence is not powerlessness; rather, the “catachresis at the origin” that Gayatri Spivak refers to is intuited organically by many Morrison characters, who embrace misnaming and rename themselves as a mode of claiming self-ownership. Catachresis may begin as rhetorical violence imposed from without, but in Toni Morrison’s fiction, it can end as an opportunity to assert power, autonomy, and a boundless creativity.

When the Rainbow is Bittersweet: Reflections on Being Queer and Indian in Durban

South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa that no longer criminalises same-sex sexual activity, and the only one to recognise same-sex marriage under the legal system. Yet, at the same time, several groups in the country practice a conservatism that discourages people from being themselves, be it in professing their gender or their sexuality. This article explores the trials and tribulations of making a documentary film with a minority population within one such minority population – Queer and Indian – in Durban, the site of the largest number of Indians outside India. Written in a reflective style that frames the positioning of the authors, a key question posed is: what are the daily issues that queer South African people deal with? Battling with conservatism while trying to find one’s queer voice is just one of them. The film engages with a few people who were generous to allow us to use their experiences with the state, the society, and healthcare. How does one reconcile the Rainbow Nation, the promise of constitutional equality with the insularity that people face on a regular basis? This article aims to be the start of a much larger conversation that needs to be had.

READING ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART FROM CÉSAIRE’S PERSPECTIVE ON ANTICOLONIALISM

This research aims to obtain a deep notion of what stands beyond one of Achebe’s prominent African trilogies – Things Fall Apart – from the concept of anticolonialism promoted by Aimé Césaire. It examines two main subject matters i.e.; the reason why African people struggle so hard to oppose the oppression of the colonizers and what efforts they develop to react to the bad treatment. The harassment of human values - what Césaire called "thingification", trampled culture, damaged socio-cultural foundations, destroyed native religions, and confiscated ancestral inherited lands have apparently become the trigger for the struggle against colonialism. Meanwhile, the real way and effort made to fight the arrogance of the colonialists was to strengthen cultural identity and maintain the noble values that had united all tribes. In this way, the Igbo tribe and the Nigerian people finally gained their independence on October 1, 1960 - 2 (two) years after the novel Things Fall Apart was published.

CULTURAL MEMORY: AN ANALYSIS OF MYTHS AND BELIEFS IN AMINATTA FORNA’S ANCESTOR STONES

African countries are known for their multilayered cultures and practices. The African continent, which is addressed as a tribal continent of 54 countries which are divided as North Africa, Central or Middle Africa, South Africa, East Africa and West Africa. Each African country is unique in following and practicing their own traditional rules and customs. African people have different kinds of beliefs and lifestyles which are connected with cultural memory. Cultural memory explores how memory is formulated, portrayed, and implemented through cultural practices, ceremonies, narratives, and signs. Aminatta Forna’s Ancestor Stones (2006) highlights the lifestyle of a particular community of Rofthane village from West Africa. West Africa is known for its folktales, which are shared by the people from generation to generation. The folktales are known them as stories and myths which are the cultural part of their society. In the novel, Aminatta Forna highlights the storytelling of real-life incidents by exposing the rituals, traditional practices, and customs. The author, through her debut fiction, Ancestor Stones showcases the life style rituals of the Rofthane by focusing on the family of the village head Gibril Umaru Kholifa. Though she shares the story of a particular family, it covers the history of the whole families of African society. The novel revolves around the memories of four protagonists, who are sharing their experiences to their niece, Abie. The paper not only showcases the traditional customs and myths of African people but also their anxiety and sufferings, and the cultural evolution from the memories of different generations.

Social exclusion concepts, measurement, and a global estimate.

Multiple estimates exist of global monetary and multidimensional poverty, but populations at risk of social exclusion still lack a worldwide estimate. This paper fills this gap by providing the first estimates of the share and number of populations at risk of social exclusion worldwide. The paper contributes to the literature in three important respects. First, it develops a conceptual framework of social exclusion that emphasizes the relative, multidimensional, and dynamic features of exclusion. Second, it proposes a macro-counting methodology that allows measuring populations at risk of exclusion based on identity, circumstances, and socioeconomic conditions, while advancing a protocol to avoid double counting of individuals at risk of social exclusion. Third, the empirical strategy provides to the best of our knowledge, the first estimates of populations at risk of social exclusion by dimensions of exclusion on a global and regional scale. Overall, we estimate that between 2.33 and 2.43 billion people-roughly 32 per cent of the global population-are at risk of social exclusion. The South Asia and East Asia and Pacific regions contain 1.3 billion such people, with India and China alone home to 840 million of them. Meanwhile, 52 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa's population is vulnerable to exclusion, the greatest share of any region. Our findings have important policy implications. While antipoverty policies can support household consumption and smooth its volatility among the poor, they are unlikely to address social exclusion stemming from ethnic, racial, or gender discrimination. Therefore, addressing exclusion necessitates a suite of multiple interventions tailored to distinct groups and sustained over time.

“Side by Side with Fighting Nations”: Making the New Culture of Pro-African Solidarity in the Campaigns of the Czechoslovak Committee for Solidarity with African and Asian Peoples

AbstractThe article analyses the solidarity campaigns organized by the Czechoslovak Committee for Solidarity with African and Asian Peoples between the 1960s and 1980s. It situates the Czechoslovak solidarity towards African countries in the wider framework of the solidarity politics of the Eastern bloc and points out differences as well as similarities. Although the Czechoslovak Solidarity Committee was one of the first such committees to be founded in Eastern Europe, in the 1960s its official as well as public commitment to internationalist principles was modest compared with those of solidarity movements elsewhere in the bloc. However, the solidarity campaigns with African liberation movements intensified in the early 1970s. The campaigns in this period were marked by strong national symbolism, which drew on historical parallels between the African and Czechoslovak struggles for independence. The everyday internationalism in this case filled the public space with images of shared suffering, inferiority, and occupation, through which Czechoslovak citizens made sense of their historical role in the world. The article argues that this “nationalization” of official solidarity campaigns helped to embed the victimization narratives that survived the Velvet Revolution and that, in the 1990s, became a basis for new Czech and Slovak political identification.

Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Rendahnya Minat Ibu terhadap Pemilihan Metode Kontrasepsi Jangka Panjang di Desa Kedaton Kecamatan Kedaton

Contraceptive users in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO) more than 100 million women use contraception which has effectiveness with hormonal contraceptive users more than and 25% using non-hormonal and contraceptive users in the world in 2019 reaching 89%. In 2020 the number of modern family planning users in urban areas will reach 58% while in rural areas reachs 57%. As many as 82% of Africa's population does not use contraception. Southeast Asia, South and West as much as 43% use contraception. MKJP is a contraceptive tool to delay, space out pregnancies and stop fertility that is used in the long term. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between knowledge, education and age with the low interest of mothers in choosing MKJP in Kedaton Village, OKU Regency in 2023. The research method used in this study was quantitative using an analytic survey with a cross sectional approach with the population were 454 mothers who were KB acceptors and the sample were 53 using the Acidental Sampling method. Data analysis used the Chi Square statistical test with a p-value <α = 0.05. The results of this study from 26 respondents with good knowledge 15 (57.7%) chose MKJP p.value = 0.003, from 28 respon Dent of higher education 16 (57.1%) chose MKJP p.value = 0.002, while from 26 respondents who were age of low risk 14 (53.8%) chose MKJP p.value = 0.018. Midwives are expected to educate mothers about the importance of using contraception to space births because it cold be affect the mother'shealth.

The Pulse of Africanness in African Drama: A Study of Selected Plays of Wole Soyinka and Tewfik Al-Hakim

Most African drama is built on the religion, myths and oral culture of the African people, depicting their traditional ways of life passed down through generations. African drama, like other forms of African art, reflects the unique cultural, social and political identity of the African continent and people. This serves as a vehicle to convey the experiences, struggles and triumphs of the African people. Various playwrights have emerged from the African continent and each of these playwrights highlight the uniqueness of Africa through different perspectives in their plays. This paper explores the striking features that define African consciousness in African drama. Hence, it examines the pulse of Africanness in African drama using textual illustrations from Wole Soyinka and Tewfik AlHakim’s plays as well as highlighting the similarities and differences in their methods of storytelling from the African perspective. Keywords: Africa, Culture, Oral Traditions, Socio-political identity, Drama

African Traditional Arts and Ornamentation in the Architecture of the Cultural Centre Ibadan

Art and architecture have been intertwined throughout history. Art in its various forms has played a vital role in the lives of African people as evident in their architecture. The paper reviewed the African visual culture with respect to ornamentation in the built environment as well as the variations of cultural heritage in the anthropogenic sense. The study adopted a qualitative approach using the case study method with the selection of the Cultural Centre Ibadan. The 1977 Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC 77) held in Lagos, Nigeria inspired the architecture of the National Theatre in Lagos, and other cultural centres in other cities in Nigeria including the Cultural Centre, Ibadan which exemplified African arts and ornamentation in its façade and spaces. The Cultural Centre Ibadan is a significant masterpiece adorned with African traditional arts and ornamentation. It embodies a bold fusion of art and architecture evident in the intricate sculptural reliefs that beautify its walls, the wooden and metal ornamentation embellishing its halls and lobbies, the luscious blend of geometrical forms and shapes in its façade, its harmony with the undulating landscape and the concrete anthropomorphic sculptural pieces that welcome guests into the entrance quadrangle. The themes of the arts and ornamentation of the Cultural Centre Ibadan reflect traditional Yoruba cultural festivals, philosophical and religious motifs that has transformed the building into a cultural heritage. Artfully embellished architecture with symbolic meanings like the Cultural Centre Ibadan affords the dividends of cultural emancipation, cultural renaissance and cultural preservation. The interweaving of art and architecture in public buildings should be promoted.

Language Barriers on African Nationals in Morocco

Morocco has become a destination for many African people over the last few years. So, thousands of African nationals have arrived in Morocco, both to settle and create a social life or to prepare for migration to Europe. Obviously, the issue of language barriers is a problem for those foreigners. One of the major obstacles foreigners face in Moroccan every day life is the issue of communication. The language barrier is the most remarkable obstacle since it prevents to communicate with others, which is indispensable in day -to- day life. It might generate obstacles for national Africans, such as applying for a job, pursuing studies, obtaining medical treatment, acquiring housing, and generally surviving. With an increase in foreign mobility to Morocco, adaptation challenges and issues have become more common. Adaptation to a new culture occurs on a variety of levels, including social, psychological, academic, and environmental. Adapting properly to a new culture is critical for social and academic success. Adapting to a new culture and way of life, on the other hand, has never been easy. The present investigation is to highlight the various challenges faced by African nationals with language barrier.

The Russian Diaspora in Africa. History and Modernity

The article is devoted to the history of the Russian diaspora on the African continent. Russia is a country with a relatively long emigration tradition. Having taken on a massive scale at the end of the XIX century, emigration from Russia continues to this day, representing a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has always had a great impact on the life of Russian society, regardless of the position that the state authorities took in relation to it at one time or another in history. The article traces its formation at different stages – from its inception at the beginning of the twentieth century to the middle of the twentieth century, marked by the beginning of the national liberation struggle of African peoples for their independence. An independent section of the article is devoted to the current state of the Russian Diaspora in the countries of the African continent., which highlights the problems of the formation of the Russian Diaspora at the present stage, comprehensively analyzes the civil and socio–cultural characteristics of the female Russian contingent - the main source of replenishment of the Russian Diaspora in modern Africa, the specifics of this group of compatriots and their descendants from Afro- Russian marriages de jure and de facto, its role in the social and cultural life of recipient countries and relations with the historical homeland. the unique potential of the “soft power” of the Russian Federation, concluded in its interaction with Russian-speaking communities on the African continent.

Land cover changes and management effectiveness of protected areas in tropical coastal area of sub-Saharan Africa

Nature-based solutions to ecological challenges have continued to draw significant attention, and are connected to the increased establishment of protected areas as a means for climate and ecological crisis mitigation. This study presents an innovative approach that combines spatial and statistical analysis of land cover change and drivers to evaluate land use management and effectiveness of 22 designated protected areas (PAs) across the tropical coastal regions of sub-Saharan Africa. While the results provided insight into land use management and conservation priorities, it highlighted (1) the use of these protected areas for food production is prevalent, irrespective of its designation. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a decline in cropland in some of the protected areas, suggesting a shift in policy towards conservation land use. (2) The occurrence of forest loss suggests that conservation is weak in most of the protected areas, while wetland conservation efforts are stronger due to their land cover expansion. (3) Population density (human factor) is the most significant driver of land cover change in these protected areas, followed by elevation (natural environment), precipitation (climate), nighttime light (socio-economic), and slope (natural environment). (4) In terms of Ecosystem value, only 15 of the 22 protected areas exhibited an increase in their total ecosystem service value according to land cover change, indicating sustainable land use and measures effectiveness in these protected areas. However, based on an individual land cover assessment, most protected areas showed signs of loss, especially in forests. Given the projected population growth in Africa, a regular assessment of protected areas should be initiated to enable effective and timely management decisions. Additionally, policies to improve the management effectiveness of African protected areas through funding should be a top priority, while taking into consideration the livelihoods of the indigenous people in the area in order to find a sustainable balance.