With this edition of Perspectives, the Heinrich Böll Foundation seeks to unpack some of the underlying tensions and challenges facing the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights on Africa.
This report summarises the discussions at the "African Civil Society Winter School on the 2015 Climate Agreement: Re-strategizing and Re-thinking African Climate Action" which was hosted jointly by the Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Pan African Climate and Environmental Justice Alliance in September 2015.
This study aims to assess the proposed dams under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and their prospects for success, and to inform discussions about how best to allocate scarce development funds.
For decades, the world of development banking was dominated by a few multilateral actors, foremost the World Bank Group as well as regional development banks. In recent years, some established banks have much expanded their scope of operation, while new actors and interests are moving in. A number of national development banks, for example from China and Brazil, have entered the international arena in a big way, often operating far outside of their respective home countries and becoming truly global actors.
Some claim that the biggest obstacle to boosting investment levels and reviving the global economy as the absence of regional "pipelines of bankable projects". In this paper, Nora Rohde describes the "solution" --Project Preparation Facilities (PPFs) to accelerate the launch of (mega)projects.
Dr. Mzukisi Qobo describes PIDA's plan to double levels of investment in energy, water, and transportation mega-projects in Africa and the opportunities and risks these projects present for infrastructure investors and, especially, for Africans. He cites six categories of risk (political; social and environmental; fiscal; security; institutional; and technical) and asks the big question: will PIDA accelerate the colonial patterns of resource extraction or foster the economic diversification required for Africa to prosper and expand job opportunities.
This publication provides a snapshot of some of the challenges African CSOs have faced over the years in advocating and lobbying for urgent and enhanced action to address the climate change crisis on the continent in line with countries’ development priorities.
Since June 2015, activists from community based organisation the Unemployed People's Movement (UPM) have began a capacity building programme that includes research into and writing about the most pressing problems facing impoverished communities in Grahamstown and surrounds. 'But Still We Rise' is their first report from this process, and exposes the daily realities of violence faced by women across South Africa. The report is the creation of Siyasanga Bentele, Linda Gagayi, Siyamthanda Dyanti, Unathi Class and Ayanda Kota.
Given the growing interest in nuclear energy generation from Africa countries, this study takes a closer look at nuclear energy from an African perspective and considers the emerging information in relation to nuclear energy supply in the countries that have advanced plans for nuclear- South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
The articles gathered in this edition of Perspectives capture the complex and plural ways in which Africans are attempting to use ICTs to democratise democracy on the continent, the challenges they face, and the valuable lessons learned.
