Aid is all very well but fair exchange and self awareness may matter more
by Dr Mia Perry
If you have £10 in your pocket and you want to do some good for the world, what is the best way to spend the money? Is it more helpful to donate to an international charity, or pay steep prices for local produce over cheaper, often more accessible products, that have been imported from Africa?
I ask myself this question frequently. My work takes me to places far removed from my home to ‘help,’ to ‘develop,’ to ‘solve problems.’ What makes me think that my good intentions, my money, my version of developed/sustainable/happy have any relevance to communities in Malawi or Uganda? How can I make choices at home that create a positive impact?
In the name of “development” and “aid” billions of pounds have been spent from the Global North on challenges materialising in the Global South: from poverty to environmental protection, from gender equality to health. Countless academics, development workers, and administrators have focused on innovation, intervention, programmes and practices on supporting development in the “developing world”.
In the name of #Development #GCRF @SF_Africa https://t.co/mjDU1uvtz1
— Molly Gilmour (@MVGilmour) April 12, 2018
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The Sustainable Futures in Africa Network (sustainablefuturesglobal.org), a consortium I lead,
is a collective of researchers, educators, development workers, and communities that spans the UK (primarily the University of Glasgow) and countries across Africa (Malawi, Uganda, Botswana, and Nigeria in particular).
We work across diverse areas of expertise, sectors, and geographies to address the social, cultural, and ecological aspects of sustainable development. Together, we focus on questions about how to rethink the development research status quo for more positive future outcomes.
The flow of aid money and resources, coupled with increasing global morality and mobility is broadening pipelines between the Global North and South, yet there is an unsettling current to development trends.
In reality, the Global North (albeit an ever-decreasing section of the Global North) becomes ever more powerful and prosperous, and more resilient to climate change; while the Global South addresses an ever-decreasing area of fertile land, a growing population of people living in poverty, and an increasing threat of food security. For all of our good intentions and promises of funding and expertise, global inequalities and development challenges persist – in many areas increase.
The Sustainable Futures in Africa Network has grown out of questioning this type of development and development-related research.
The Sustainable Futures in Africa Network has grown out of questioning this type of development and development-related research. We are convinced that there are fundamental oversights in the practices, processes and natures of collaborations.
Unless we make decisive changes to the ways we collaborate, across the vastly different settings of our homes, cultures, and disciplines then substantial resources will continue to be spent at a rapid pace; but the trajectory of change and development in the world will remain consistent with that of the past 50 years. The north gets richer, the south gets poorer. Why would we expect anything different if we continue as normal?
Global challenges relating to poverty and environmental sustainability in the Global South require engagement with multiple disciplines, knowledge, and stakeholders.
The challenge goes beyond working across science, society, and culture. It encompasses working across very different perspectives and lived experiences.
We cannot genuinely support positive change or sustainability without ways to communicate and collaborate across these differences. As we do so, we find that no one alone has the solution, no one knows ‘best,’ but together we discover directions and possibilities that make sense (and often surprise) all involved.
As I give, donate, or purchase to create positive change, I am making a difference to others and also to myself. I am accountable for the giving, but also for the impact of the giving. I am mindful of the consequences of my donation or contribution; conscious that I do not want to contribute to the same systems of global inequality that I am trying to alleviate.
So, I choose to spend my £10... in exchange for a product or cause that I am engaged with and understand. This might look like a fair-trade purchase from a market in my neighbourhood instead of a cheaper version at the large chain supermarket, or choosing to purchase a locally produced or second-hand shirt rather than the cheaper new one from a brand-name company who source labour and materials from resource-poor countries such as Bangladesh. Positive influence in the world must be based on fair exchange and self-awareness, not simply good intention or aid.
For More Information:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/mia-perry-aid-is-all-very-well-but-fair-exchange-and-self-awareness-may-matter-more-1-4718285
Art and Development walking hand in hand
by Stewart Paul
I was fortunate to be amongst those who helped organize and participate at the workshop on “Exploring the role of Arts in Development Projects” held in Lilongwe at the beautiful Child Legacy International premises on 17th of January this year. As part of the Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) network, this workshop was amongst the many activities done in Uganda, Malawi, Botswana and Nigeria where SFA members are based. For Malawi, I felt it was high time that artists and development practitioners work together on sustainability issues. This will help them to think out-of-the-box and come up with new and creative ideas to solve sustainability challenges. As part of Abundance, I attended the workshop with Abundance’s Director, Ruth Mumba and felt that it was very well organized and participants appreciated this endeavor. Initially, we had no clue what the workshop outcomes would be as it was such a novel concept. But after the workshop ended and when we reflected on it, we have realized that it was indeed an enriching experience.
Elson Kambalu, a visual artist who is also a film-maker introduced the workshop and talked about the need for artists and other partners in the development sector to work together and he explained his plan to produce a documentary of the workshop for the next SFA meeting which was to be held in Lagos, Nigeria. The ice-breaker session was interesting and Sharon Kalima got the participants to play games and get to know each other. I had a chance to present about the SFA network and share some views from the SFA meeting I attended in Botswana last year.
Helen Todd of Arts and Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo) introduced the World Café method of participants working together and developing ideas. We all sat in mixed groups of artists, development practitioners and academicians and brainstormed on sustainability topics and how arts can play a role in such work. Some of the ideas that emanated were that Government should incorporate arts into basic education, introduce more art trainings and provide funds to artists. Organizations must include art through engaging creativity of artists into development projects, we felt.
One challenge discussed was that of how art could solve ecological and social challenges Malawi faces. Solutions aired by participants were many including composing traffic jingles for civic education, imparting knowledge through art on cultural heritage and importance of ecological sites, documenting cultural art and disseminating it through libraries, etc. Overall, participants agreed that artists must be included right from inception of any project, after all art is close to people and people can relate to art. We must promote arts as a platform for discussion of development issues. Local songs, dramas and creative messages can help advocate for sustainability issues such as promotion of renewable energy.
Ruth Mumba got a chance to present about Abundance’s work and Helen Todd presented about how ArtGlo had successfully incorporated art into development projects in Malawi. The participants were treated to a tour of the Child Legacy International premises which is a sustainably-built center. On our way back to our homes, we all felt that we made new friends and learnt a lot. I hope this is just a starting point and a lot of projects can be generated from the ideas generated from this workshop.
After Lagos: Reflections and New Horizons in the SFA
The line between the personal and the professional is one that is more defined for some than others - what we feel versus what we think, what we love versus what we do. The line between the past and future is also held (in the present moment) differently from person to person. For some, the present is contingent on the past, seen through the eyes of, and felt through the experiences of, the past. For others, the present is made up of what is seen around you now; and is a stance that is looking towards the future, able to see it best if looking directly at it, with one’s back to the past. As I reflect on my work in international contexts, with development and sustainability related projects and partners, and in particular with my colleagues across the Sustainable Futures in Africa Network over the past weeks and years, I realise that those lines between personal and professional, and between past and future, become ever harder to make out, ever more slippery. My personal, my history and inheritance, my instincts and emotions, my profession and my expertise seem entirely entangled. It is with this recognition that I share the following statement, taken in part from an opening address to our recent symposium, and in part from a period of reflection in the immediate aftermath.
Panel Event: Moving towards a new approach to development-related research
From the 26th to the 28th March 2018 the Sustainable Futures in Africa Hub Coordinators and Administrators from Scotland, Malawi, Nigeria and Botswana met at the University of Glasgow.
The following items were on the agenda:
- Successes and Challenges of running the administration/infrastructure of the SFA Network Hubs
- Open Panel Presentation at the University of Glasgow
- Harmonization of Administrative Structures of the Network
- Strategic Needs and Direction for the Network
For more information you can read the report: Report SFA Hub Coordinators and Administrator Meeting April 2018
- SFA Hub Coordinators and Administrators, University of Glasgow April 2018
Panel presentation
Sustainable Futures in Africa: Moving towards a new approach to development-related research
The Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) Network brings together researchers, practitioners, and communities from the Global North and Global South in one platform for learning, partnerships, and new approaches to research and development. Network hub coordinators from Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and Botswana join us for a panel discussion on the evolving practices of the SFA. In particular, the presentations and discussion will revolve around the challenges and possibilities of working across differences of discipline, sector, and geography. We promise a lively discussion, open to many perspectives, contexts, and questions.
- Date: Monday 26th March
- Time: 1pm – 4:30pm
- Location: Level 5 Sir Alwyn Williams Building
- Registation: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sf-in-africamoving-towards-a-new-approach-to-development-related-research-tickets-43985465712
Prioritizing the Challenges to the Development of Mining Communities in Nigeria
Prioritizing the Challenges to the Development of Mining Communities in Nigeria.
Sustainable Futures in Africa researchers from Obafemi Awolowo University and Women Environmental Programme headed to Komu-Igbojaye-Babaode Mining Communities in Oyo State to experiment methodologically to uncover the socio-ecological impact of the mining on the local community.
You can find a snapshot of the trial below, where a drone was used to gather geographical information to support the data analysis.
A detailed report from our last research trial is here for more information: https://sustainablefuturesinafrica.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/itagunmodi.pdf
SFA researchers from Obafemi Awolowo University and Women Environmental Programme conducted field trials in the Isoya Community, Western Nigeria to explore the use of rituals in agriculture: the indigenous practice of using dead dogs to control termites in cocoa farmlands.
Cocoa is the leading agricultural export of Nigeria, the country is currently the world's fourth-largest producer of cocoa, yet termite control becomes the major challenge for the plant cultivation. Though existent agricultural practice provides a range of plant protection solutions, the Nigerian farmers prefer to employ native rituals.
Various beliefs guide the norm of ritual practice in Nigeria. The tradition of using the dead flesh in agriculture has been restricted in the country, yet farmers claim this method to be the most effective to prevent termites invasion and keep on practising this ritual through the restriction.
For the local farmers, this practice has a dual meaning: rational and spiritual. Rationally, they use decaying flesh to bring ants to the field in order to exterminate termites. For this, the farmers palm-oil dead dogs and bury animals on every corner of the field. Spiritually, the farmers believe in a mysterious connection between dogs and termites that adds particular significance to the practice.
An interdisciplinary analysis will be conducted on this data during the upcoming Symposium and results will be shared shortly.
Africa in Motion (AiM)
Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual African film festival, taking place in Scotland, consisting of film screenings and complementary events. It was founded by SFA partner Dr Lizelle Bisschoff. Now in its twelfth year, AiM brings the best of African cinema to Scotland—making it possible for Scottish audiences to engage with African stories and industry professionals from the continent. Our 2017 festival was a great success, attracting diverse audiences to events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We presented a varied programme with a range of genres and events, with over 80 films from 28 countries. The programme included a number of dine-and-view events that paired food with films from the continent, community screenings, films accompanied by panel discussions and Q&As, workshops and even a club night!
Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of Africa in Motion, and at the 2017 festival we further developed our efforts to create an inclusive festival programme. This is hugely important for AiM as 27% of our audiences come from a BAME background. Many of our events were free, and we offered free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers for paid screenings (in particular we partnered with the Unity Centre offering free screenings to their members). Our programme was also inclusive in terms of gender, with 18 of the films in the programme being F-rated, meaning they were directed by women and/or have a strong female focus.
For more information, see: www.africa-in-motion.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/aimfilmfest/
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TRENDS2017 | Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities in Developing our Societies
Reflection on Conference Attendance
Conference Name: TRENDS2017
Location & Date: Pretoria, South Africa – October 17-19 2017
Paper Presented: A Cross-disciplinary Approach to Locating Human Wildlife Interaction in the Mmadinare Region of Botswana
Authors: Modise OM. Lekoko RN , Thakadu O & Mpotokwane M.; University of Botswana
Presenters: Profs. Modise & Lekoko
TRENDS2017 marked the 14th year of PASCAL International conference and the first to be held in South Africa. The theme of the conference was Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities in Developing our Societies. Team Botswana was particularly attracted to the conferences strands that weaved around important areas of (i) the role of nation state versus the global economic power (ii) Cities would be like countries with global power and (iii) Rethinking the role of universities. The theme of interest for the Botswana team was the third strand because it wanted participants to dialogue about and gauge the present and future responsibilities of universities in collaborating with communities to address community or national development. Botswana’s paper on human-wildlife interactions fitted well in this strand calling universities to team up with communities to address local challenges using traditional community approaches such as Kgotla and story-telling thus connecting ‘with the old and modern African tradition’, as was one main theme of the conference. Proceedings were thus tailored to take a form of everyday life consultation and dialogue as used in “the Kgotla or Lekgotla in Botswana and South Africa”(TRENDS2017). To this respect, our paper was able to bring unique practical perspectives on the importance of using traditional indigenous community practices in dealing with human-wildlife conflict.
The paper we presented was enlightening, shedding light on how universities can make themselves valued by the communities. Like the Sustainable Futures Network, the Pascal 2017 Pretoria Statement stated that “Pascal’s Learning City Network must be sustained in order to provide a platform for inter-cultural, inter-disciplinary and international exchange between cities/regions”. It unpacked how worldwide perspectives generated through research in universities could be prolifically applied on local possibilities. This we believe echoes the sentiments expressed by the Sustainable Futures Network.
Our paper attracted constructive feedback:
Suggestions for improvement
Explore in detailed elephants migration routes
- Correlation analysis and comparison with experiences elsewhere may add value
- A broader geographical sampling (within Botswana) may be considered to allow comparison
- Construct a robust sampling of study site
- Collect more publicly available data e.g. through informal discussion of the villagers.
Commendation
- The use of familiar and non-traditional research techniques like community forum (Kgotla) and story-telling
- Cultural sensitivity of respecting community leaders (Dikgosi & elders) as principal investigators
- Approaching the study with an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary mind-set and respect for community members
- Robust data selection and analysis to bring out what conflict meant for the villagers
- Presenting the interviews with more authority from the voices of community members
With all these comments our study will continue to improve and advance into a more holistic exploration of this challenge of human-wildlife conflict.
The Research Team in Botswana would like to appreciate the support and thank Mia Perry (coordinator of University Court of University of Glasgow - Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for this opportunity to present at TRENDS2017 conference, which in our opinion is a giant step on a journey to Building Connections for Sustainable Futures in Africa.
The comments given will be taken into consideration as the research advances.
For more information please visit: http://pascalobservatory.org/ & http://cradall.org/resources/links/pascal-international-observatory
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At Home with Social Science: SFA visits IKEA
The University of Glasgow hosted its College of Social Sciences Research Fair. As part of this, the Sustainable Futures in Africa team took part in their public engagement event at IKEA.
Written by SFA Intern and Ph.D. Candidate Samir Halliru
It was a great day at IKEA on Saturday the 4th of November 2017! The SFA team arrived at the venue at 8 am with the hopes of fruitful interaction with members of the public! After safety briefings, the SFA team displayed African costumes to reflect the regional focus and our interdisciplinary work. Two activities were conducted on the day; a multiple-choice quiz and a ‘Hans Haacke’ style voting poll, see below
- How Can We Best Help Global Inequality: ‘Hans Haacke’ voting poll
Perceptions of the event
‘It was really pleasing to see grannies, parents, and children really engaging in the activities you put on. I saw proud parents standing watching as their children showed off their knowledge of ‘what makes you healthy’, and of the barriers to inclusion and a range of literacies. - Professor Sally Wyke
Samir outlined how the event has triggered public curiosity and interest in the universities taking research outside the university through engagement with the actual beneficiaries (people) of the university researches. Events like these are some of the best ways to address social inequalities at the local, national and global levels.
Dr. Daniel Koehn shared that 'It was surprisingly rewarding to talk to the variety of people wandering by, to answer their questions and to send groups of people off chatting and debating about charities and Africa. It was essential that Nigerian SFA Intern, Samir was there; otherwise, it’s just white people talking about Africa, which would not be very authentic.'
- Dr Daniel Koehn, UofG getting involved in the SFA Quiz
The trend of international development in the global south
People were interested, especially those with connections to the Global South through travel, jobs in the third sector and research. It was easier than I expected to engage people. For example, Molly reported the stories of two young students who shared and discussed their experiences of completing research in Uganda. It seems to the BA students who conducted the research that the development research seemed to benefit the Northern students more than the communities they researched.
One participant in the events reflected that to solve the issue of international development in the global south powerful countries should organize to dredge the surrounding sea and channel all the water to Africa – ‘there’s lots of water in the sea, and Africans need water – simple?!’
What should be done differently?
There were many ‘take homes’ and lessons learned, as this event served as a great ‘test-run’ for future events. For example, it was noted that there wasn’t a focus on the Global North’s role in International Development; I would like our local public engagement events to focus more on this in future events.
‘Rather than “curiosities” of the global south, I would like a stronger emphasis on our explicit roles and connections with the global conditions of inequality and plurality’ – Dr. Mia Perry.
Daniel noted that that the question for the bowl could have been selected better as the question confused people and there was a danger of leading people to our preferred answers through our explanation. The issues it seemed to raise for many people was the management of charity funding, rather than our own day-to-day lives and choices and their role in the overall global state of inequality. The following suggestions were noted for future events:
- A different question is needed – and this day was a very good way to develop an understanding of common perceptions and views;
- More interactive activities for the next event to gather more insights into people’s perfections
- The quiz was very successful yet we could create questions directly with the projects we are involved in;
- Storytelling would be a nice approach in the future, small movies made from the scoping trials. This could be an output from our new arts-based projects
- We need a hand out with the website URL, and some key images and information on the network. Leaflets will be of great help in future events
To Summarise …
IKEA is a big multinational company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories. IKEA in Braehead (Glasgow) was believed to have 8000 to 13000 people going through their doors every Saturday. The choice of the location for the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences Research Fair offered a great opportunity for listening to people’s voices and perceptions of international development. As noted by Molly a conservative estimate is that we reached 800 of them with our activities on the importance of social science and what we can offer. I think similar events might be good in partner countries: Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria and Malawi. Engaging the public through market places and festive events will offer great perspectives on the people's needs and concerns.
For More information: https://www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/socialsciences/research/esrcfestivalofsocialscience/festival2017/
- A Storyboard of Uganda's Research Trial