TAFAHEL75U Optional course: Helping Africa?

In the current debate about Africa two extreme perspectives can be identified. An Afro-optimistic approach illustrated by statements as the following from business and government leaders during the closing session of the 21st World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, May 2011: ‘African countries should now focus on converting optimism in the continent's future into action’.
The other is the Afro-pessimism approach illustrated by the following statement: ‘The basket-case African continent, mired in strange pathologies such as "resource curses," "poverty traps," and "blood diamonds" which hasn't changed much since the 1960s’.

This course aims to problematize recent "development" initiatives on the African continent. Looking into specific African as well as external development initiatives and there implications for Africa and the Africans with special focus on poverty reduction.

One of the elements in the course is to critically discuss actors in Africa's development, such as: The African Union, African States, externals donors (including China and India), non-states actors including the private sector, and the role they are playing in achieving poverty alleviation in Africa.

Another element will be to discuss and reflect on specific initiatives such as: Development aid, Post-2015 Development Goals and African development initiatives such as NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development) and the role of The African Union. We will also discuss Africa's role on the international scene focusing on issues related to “security and coping with radicalisation linked to the war on terror”. Another topic in focus will be issues linked to natural resources management including climate change (both mitigation and adaptation issues) including focus on the COP-21 event in Paris and possible implications on the continent.

The course will also look into the role of the private sector with detailed study and critical discussion of specific poverty-related business activities in Africa. The business activities that are chosen will reflect a variety of contexts and types of business, illustrating the possibilities and challenges for business and the activities effects on the African people and poverty reduction. The chosen contexts of the specific poverty-related business activities are microfinance, entrepreneurship, Brand Aid, tourism and innovation-based development.