Perspectives is a publication of the regional office of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Africa. With this new publication, we intend to let experts from Africa express their views about current political issues on the continent. more»

July 29, 2010 - The paper examines whether democracy at the country level and global climate change matter for another. It raises the question of how to support democracy’s advance in the face of multiple challenges that include the adverse effects of global warming and extreme weather events merits much more attention than it has received so far. By Peter Burnell more»

Flawed assumptions will give SA a 'dinosaur economy' – July 12, 2010 - Parliament's portfolio committee on energy has less than a fortnight in which to intervene on the public’s behalf, before SA gets locked into an energy policy that could turn it into an economic dinosaur. The consequences of this could be soaring inflation, burdensome carbon taxes, loss of “green” job creation opportunities, and growth of an energy intensive economy at a time when much of the globe is steering away from this technology. By Leonie Joubert more»

We can't afford not to - Costing the provision of functional school – March 5, 2010 - This paper pursues three closely related objectives: to review the field of international and local research which, particularly over the past two decades, has pointed to the positive causal relationship between functional school libraries and improved learner outcomes; to contextualize the current state of affairs in South African schools; and lastly, to provide detailed cost estimates which can be used as the basis for a comprehensive implementation plan. more»

The Ministry of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities: A Cure All for All Kinds of Inequalities? – February 25, 2010 - While the issue of a Women’s Ministry was raised during the transitional phase it was never considered a viable option for the following reasons: limited success in terms of policy impact both in the West and in developing countries, and a dumping ground for all issues dealing with women. By Amanda Gouws more»

Women in the executive: Can women's ministries make a difference? – February 2, 2010 - This article attempts an analysis of Women’s Ministries (structures on the level of the executive) that are normally tasked with the implementation of policy and legislation. It does so by looking at the experience of Women’s Ministries in the north, as well as in Africa. It also reflects on the more recent histories in the north of the dismantling of gender machineries as a consequence of gender mainstreaming. By Amanda Gouws more»

Nambia's Elections 2009: Democracy without Democrats? – December 14, 2009 - In his article Henning Melber gives an overall assessment of Namibia’s probably most turbulent elections twenty years into democracy. Sections of this article will form part of an upcoming issue of Perspectives providing detailed analysis on some of the key issues around Namibia’s 2009 election. more»

Watchdogs need citizens to watch over them – December 1, 2009 - If we want institutions that watch over our rights, we ought to do more to watch over them. The appointment of a new Human Rights Commission (HRC) a few weeks ago should have been controversial. The new chair, former public protector Lawrence Mushwana, has been criticised by some for a perceived unwillingness to tackle political power-holders. Half the commissioners are former African National Congress (ANC) MPs, while respected figures with no ties to the ANC were ignored. By Steven Friedman more»

Civil society and the post-Polokwane South African state: assessing civil society’s prospects of improved policy engagement – November 10, 2009 - Citizens' organisations in South Africa may have more influence than they believe - but only if they think more strategically and try harder to represent people at the grassroots. This is the key finding of this study of civil society organisations undertaken by the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Rhodes University and the University of Johannesburg and funded by the Heinrich Boell Foundation. more»

Polokwane – Taking women one step forward or two steps back? – August 14, 2009 - Historically, women have been excluded from public life and still occupy largely peripheral and powerless positions when they do enter that realm. For this reason, women have developed a different voice, which can be described as a “submerged discourse”. This paper will engage with the extent to which the ANC, through the resolutions adopted at Polokwane in 2007, has attempted to create a policy framework within which the new government seeks to render women’s “submerged discourses” visible. By Joy Watson more»

Fix the gender machine – May 25, 2009 - The creation of another structure in the form of a ministry to promote the rights of women, this time alongside other disempowered groups, is ill-considered. A more worthwhile effort would have been to fix the problems plaguing the existing gender structures, rather than creating a whole new bureaucracy. By Christi van der Westhuizen more»

South Africa's 2009 Elections – There is no doubt that the 2009 elections were the most competitive and important since 1994. In putting to the test several features of the country’s political landscape their outcomes will play a key role in shaping the nation’s futures. With this dossier we hope to provide an accessible survey of the issues which shaped South Africa’s 2009 elections. more»

Zimbabwe Elections 2008 – With a combination of background articles and opinion pieces the Zimbabwe Elections 2008 Dossier aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the events around the 2008 elections in Zimbabwe. more»

May 20, 2010 - Significant attention has been given to improving our understanding of the real and imminent impacts of climate change. It is accepted that rising temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, extreme weather events, changes in sea levels and changes in biodiversity will have significant consequences on the world economy, rural livelihoods and development in general. Africa in particular will be hardest hit by climate change yet its adaptive capacity remains low. By Masego Madzwamuse more»

The next step in the road – an evaluation of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference – April 15, 2010 - After the bewildering disappointment of the United Nations climate summit held in Copenhagen last December, civil society must set its eyes on the road ahead and ask “where to from here?” as the climate crisis continues apace. Leonie Joubert sat in on a round-table discussion held in Cape Town in the aftermath of the summit. more»

Gender and Climate Change in Southern Africa – April 14, 2010 - Although various studies have focused on climate change impacts and adaptation opportunities in Africa, few have focused on the household level and in particular on gender differentiated impacts of climate change. This study, commissioned by Heinrich Böll Stiftung, provides an analysis and summary of the findings of eight case studies carried out in four southern African countries. Furthermore, the study aims to identify various policies, programmes and activities that could address these issues. more»

On the road to Copenhagen – From 7 to 18 December the UN climate change conference 2009 took place. With this Dossier the Heinrich Böll Foundation aimed to provide accessible analysis from a South African perspective and a wider range of background information on the road to Copenhagen. more»

Toward a Transatlantic Green New Deal: Tackling the Climate and Economic Crisis – The grave financial and economic crisis that broke into full view in the fall of 2008 has dominated not only headlines but also government and business deliberations. Bailout efforts and stimulus packages of unprecedented scope have taken center stage, as attempts to stave off the specter of a second Great Depression unfold. In sharp contrast with the laissez-faire attitude of the past three decades, the question now is not whether government can play a useful and central role, but what the specifics of government action should be. more»

"Boiling Point" - the Impact of Climate Change in South Africa – Leonie Joubert, a renowned journalist and photographer, reports on the impact of climate change in South Africa. Her essay is accompanied by striking photographs of  South Africa’s vulnerable landscapes and of the people depending on them for their livelihoods. more»

Climate Justice for Africa! – Africa speaks up on Climate Change is an appeal about the threat climate change poses to Africa. Immediate political action is needed. The film Hotspot Africa shows how severe the problems really are. more»

May 20, 2010 - Violence against foreigners and violence against women are two forms of violence that are viewed with horror by the general public and outside world but are, in fact, normalised ways in which South African society interacts with minority and vulnerable groups. The double jeopardy that faces foreign women is just that: they are at the intersection of these two groups that are so vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and violence. By Romi Sigsworth more»

Demons and Democracy: Positive Values and the Politics of Outsiderness in Contemporary South Africa – May 20, 2010 - While xenophobia may seem far removed from racial tensions, poverty, and public protest, how we understand and address these concerns is inseparable from the bias and violence against outsiders. At the root of these tensions is a discourse of citizenship and transformation that insists – often implicitly – on the categorization of people into a relatively homogenous, entitled majority and those for whom, by virtue of their experience, origins, or occupation, political recognition comes only by demonstrating their utility to a true and deserving political community. By Loren Landau more»

Gender Politics Makes A Difference: experiences of the Heinrich Böll Foundation across the world – February 5, 2010 - In this publication, the Heinrich Böll Foundation presents some of its experiences, both setbacks and successes. It is just a small sample of HBS' work all over the world.  HBS is very much aware that its political and financial contributions are often only part of a larger network; yet its work does make a difference – for more gender justice. more»

Towards the adoption of reporting guidelines under the African Women’s Protocol – August 6, 2009 - The need to develop guidelines on reporting under the Women’s Protocol is urgent. In developing these guidelines, lessons from the exiting guidelines should be incorporated. Emphasis should be placed on a workable set of guidelines that do not overburden states, and take into account their existing reporting obligations. more»

The Gendered Nature of Xenophobia in South Africa – After the democratisation of South Africa in 1994, the influx of migrants from other African countries increased dramatically. Despite reconciliation initiatives, old patterns of racism (deeply rooted in the country’s apartheid past) combined with new forms of discrimination, such as xenophobia, have played out through the country’s period of political transition. By Romi Sigsworth, Collet Ngwane and Angelica Pino more»

Gender Mainstreaming – Possibilities and Limits of a Radical Social Concept – Gender Mainstreaming needs to be taken more seriously and a topic for society as a whole. Besides legal frameworks, we need bottom-up policies, a strengthening of initiatives that target equality and more men on board to fundamentally change the relationship between the genders. By Barbara Unmüßig more»

Interrogating the links between xenophobic attitudes, gender and male violence in Du Noon, Cape Town – The intention of this report is to discuss the links between xenophobic attitudes, gender and male violence by focusing on discussions held with both South African and migrant women and men living in Du Noon, Cape Town. By Nadia Sanger more»

Addressing Violence Against Foreign Nationals in South Africa – This report, commissioned by IOM and conducted by the Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at Wits University in Johannesburg, outlines the political economy of violence against outsiders and the immediate triggers and factors that helped translate xenophobic attitudes into the violent attacks witnessed in May 2008. more»

April 16, 2010 - South African companies are increasingly looking for investment opportunities in the wider SADC region in a bid to benefit from favourable international markets for minerals, in competition with western and Asian companies. These investments have social and environmental impacts on people working in, and living around, mines.  This book assesses South African mining and gas companies corporate governance and social responsibilities in five SADC countries. more»

Climate Change, Resources, Migration: Securing Africa in an uncertain climate – February 10, 2010 - This new publication presents the critical themes that informed the debates during the conference ‘Climate Change, Resources, Migration: Old and New Sources of Conflict in Africa?’ hosted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation on the 2nd and 3rd of August 2009 in Cape Town. The conference, while analysing the current state of Africa’s peace and security architecture, focused on the structural root causes of conflict in Africa and on the question of whether the security framework in place offers appropriate answers to deal with these challenges. more»

Mining in Tanzania: Status and Challenges – January 15, 2010 - Tanzania’s mining sector has grown rapidly in recent years. This study provides background information on the industry, its impacts, and the legal and political environment of its operation. It argues for a joint effort of all stakeholders to overcome typical challenges of the extractive resource industry in Africa, in order to make Tanzania the “best performer in her class”. more»

Eni´s Investment in Tar Sands and Palm Oil in the Congo Basin – November 9, 2009 - Eni, formerly the Italian state oil company,  is undertaking a new multi-billion dollar investment in Congo in developing tar sands, oil palm for food and bio-diesel and gas-fuelled electricity. Such investments have been heavily criticized for causing social and environmental damage, both locally and globally. The actual study gives background information about the plans. more»

The Global Financial Crisis and Emerging Economies: Role Model South Africa –  South Africa’s National Credit Act has attracted the attention of policymakers worldwide who are keen to prevent reckless lending practices. The NCR is already assisting neighbouring Namibia to develop similar legislation. By David Marrs more»

To Have and Have Not – To Have and Have Not – Resource Governance in the 21st Century incorporates cross-sectional and cross-regional perspectives. As a Green political foundation we promote a South-South dialogue and aspire to strengthen international networks. The memorandum attempts to turn such dialogues into a policy manifesto that – taking into account the different perspectives and approaches – tries to agree upon common principles and actions for fair, just, and ecological resource politics. more»

Rethinking Global Security: An African Perspective? – Today, environmental degradation, social conflict and social strife, poverty, HIV/AIDS, etc. – all of them resulting from or linked to bad governance – have become more of a security concern than the traditional military antagonisms that pitted nations against each other. The main threats to international peace and security are rooted in situations within states rather than between states, and this is especially prevalent in the African context. more»