Suchergebnisse

This study asks why Kenya, during the 1970s, experienced relative political stability in spite of sharp and salient ethnic and regional divisions. It then considers the sources of recent instability and of perceived changes in the character of state-society relationships. The study is based on research carried out in the United States and in the Republic of Kenya between 1984 and 1986

Real, sustained efforts are being made across the continent to deepen democracy and reap the benefits of accountable governance. The success of these efforts has been mixed, but it is far too soon to write them off as failures.

Over 1975-2003 nearly 200 new constitutions were drawn up in countries at risk of conflict, as part of peace processes and the adoption of multiparty political systems. The process of writing constitutions is considered to be very important to the chances of sustaining peace, and The Commonwealth and the US Institute for Peace have developed good practice guidelines in this area. These emphasize consultation, openness to diverse points of view and representative ratification procedures. But assessing the impact of constitution-writing processes on violence is methodologically difficult, since there are many channels of influence in the relationship. This paper reports on preliminary findings from an ongoing research project into the effects of processes in constitution-writing. Regression analysis is used to control for important contextual features such as differences in income levels and ethnic diversity across countries. A key finding is that differences in the degree of participation in the drafting of constitutions has no major effect on post-ratification levels of violence in some parts of the world, such as Europe, but does make a difference in Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific together. – constitutions ; Commonwealth ; democracy ; governance

The final paper of a symposium, "Ten Years from Now," addresses what the status of human development will be in sub-Saharan Africa where dire poverty, economic stagnation, & AIDS have reached crisis proportions in spite of such glimmers of hope as slight improvement in levels of under-age-five mortality. Consideration is given to why the standard growth approach is inadequate for predicting human development in sub-Saharan Africa. Difficulties involved in trying to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS on income & welfare are pointed out. Although it is impossible to offer precise projections, it is suggested that conflict & HIV/AIDS are likely to further depress human development indicators in most places of sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade. In addition, the high cost of oil will have an adverse effect; excessive HIV-induced turnover in the civil service will hinder efforts to improve public sector performance; & competition for oil may undercut pressure for better government performance. Doubt is expressed about the helpfulness of a massive infusion of aid. 9 References. J. Lindroth