The African Crisis

The goal of this book is to provide practical solutions to save Africa and its people from an "African crisis" that is threatening to destroy the nation and eliminate human survival. The author, an African himself, argues that this crisis is manifesting itself in the form of social, political, and economic upheavals. He discusses major issues such as unemployment, famine, hunger, malnutrition, overpopulation, ethnic wars, power struggles, debt, democracy, colonialism, and corruption. He argues that Africa suffers from the exploitation of outsiders. Based on this argument, Muriithi develops a strategic approach for developing Africa and bringing hope to its people. The study promotes that the three key determinants of African development are positive change in its society and culture, its demography, and its economy. The author suggests that through organization, discipline, education, and coalition, such changes can be made. African Crisis: Is There Hope? will serve as an appropriate text in African Studies courses focusing on the nation's problems, development, economy, and third world crises. This detailed and reflective work will also appeal to students and scholars alike, politicians, African development agents, donors, and world leaders.

" The publication looks at the most recent turn in the United States' policy in Africa. The so-called ACRI-African Crisis Response Initiative-defines the new policy outlook that restores the U.S. as the major player in Africa's political games. Backing from local client states combines with military elements and both seem to promise earliest possible intervention in emerging socio-political crises that-if unimpeded-might easily threatened international politics and American global leadership. The author is reader in sociology and co-director of ikoplan, a research network of economics and social science at the University of Paderborn. "

Revisiting long-standing debates to shed new light on the transition from apartheid, Hart provides an innovative analysis of the ongoing, unstable, and unresolved crisis in South Africa today and suggests how Antonio Gramsci's concept of passive revolution can do useful analytical and political work in South Africa and beyond.

This Book explains why African countries have remained mired in a disastrous economic crisis since the late 1970s. It shows that dynamics internal to African state structures largely explain this failure to overcome economic difficulties rather than external pressures on these same structures as is often argued. Far from being prevented from undertaking reforms by societal interest and pressure groups, clientelism within the state elite, ideological factors and low state capacity have resulted in some limited reform, but much prevarication and manipulation of the reform process, by governments which do not really believe that reform will be effective.

Thirteen chapters examine contemporary political and economic problems in Africa, analyzing causes and suggesting alternatives. Presented by editors from the U. of Central Lancashire (UK), the articles reject much of the self-serving explanations proffered by Western corporate elites and African autocrats for African problems, locating the root causes in lack of democracy at both national and international levels. Specific topics include international donors and civil society in Zimbabwe, implications for African export policies of misconceptions about the "world market," French foreign policy towards Africa, imperialism and Sub-Saharan Africa, and multinational peacekeeping operations in Africa. Distributed by Stylus. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR