Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa

Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 673
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780192585035
ISBN-13 : 0192585037
Rating : 4/5 (35 Downloads)

Synopsis Decentralization and Constitutionalism in Africa by : Charles M. Fombad

This collection of essays assesses the efforts of African governments to constitutionalise decentralisation, be it in the form of federalism, local government or traditional authorities. Since the end of the Cold War jurisdictions across Africa have witnessed an ostensible return to multi-party democracy within the paradigm of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Linked to the democratisation process, many countries took steps to decentralize power by departing from the heavily centralized systems inherited from colonial regimes. The centralization of power, typically characterized by the personalization and concentration of power in the hands of leaders and privileged elites in capital cities, mostly resulted in repressive regimes and fragile states. As decentralisation is a response to these challenges, this volume analyses the dynamic relationship between the efforts to implement decentralization and presence or absence of constitutionalism. This volume examines a variety of forms and degrees of decentralization found across Africa. It advances a new understanding of trends and patterns and facilitates the exchange of ideas among African governments and scholars about the critical role that decentralisation may play in democratization of and constitutionalism in Africa.

Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa

Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages : 401
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781527525825
ISBN-13 : 1527525821
Rating : 4/5 (25 Downloads)

Synopsis Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa by : Ernest E. Uwazie

This publication is the product of the 25th Annual Africa and Diaspora Conference in 2016, organized by the Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution at California State University, Sacramento, on the theme of “Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa 25 Years Later: Lessons, Best Practices and Opportunities”. It brings together reflections on both historical and contemporary or recurring conflicts in Africa, especially on issues of ethno-religious conflicts, corruption, land, and leadership. The chapters include case studies and some theoretical perspectives on the persistent search for the right size and scope of visioning and programming on peace and conflict resolution in Africa. Understandably, this collection of ideas, thoughts and proposals will resonate with the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. Arguably, Africa is “rising” in the 21st century, with declining violent conflicts and an increase in stable democracies and economies. However, there are still the significant challenges of extremism, climate change, poor governance, ineffective leadership, widening wealth gaps, and weak institutions of moderation. The essays collected here also document areas of progress in legitimizing democracy and conceptualizing social justice, and suggest the need for building the next generation of peace leaders in Africa.

Animating Devolution in Kenya

Animating Devolution in Kenya
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 339
Release :
ISBN-10 : 8896155169
ISBN-13 : 9788896155165
Rating : 4/5 (69 Downloads)

Synopsis Animating Devolution in Kenya by : Conrad Bosire

Federalism and the Courts in Africa

Federalism and the Courts in Africa
Author :
Publisher : Routledge
Total Pages : 185
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781000042245
ISBN-13 : 1000042243
Rating : 4/5 (45 Downloads)

Synopsis Federalism and the Courts in Africa by : Yonatan T. Fessha

This volume examines the design and impact of courts in African federal systems from a comparative perspective. Recent developments indicate that the previously stymied idea of federalism is now being revived in the constitutional arrangements of several African countries. A number of them jumped on the bandwagon of federalism in the early 1990s because it came to be seen as a means to facilitate development, to counter the concentration of power in a single governmental actor and to manage communal tensions. An important part of the move towards federalism is the establishment of courts that are empowered to umpire intergovernmental disputes. This edited volume brings together contributions that first discuss questions of design by focusing, in particular, on the organization of the judiciary and the appointment of judges in African federal systems. They then examine whether courts have had a rather centralizing or decentralizing impact on the operation of African federal systems. The book will be of interest to researchers and policy-makers in the areas of comparative constitutional law and comparative politics.

The Palgrave Handbook of Agricultural and Rural Development in Africa

The Palgrave Handbook of Agricultural and Rural Development in Africa
Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
Total Pages : 670
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9783030415136
ISBN-13 : 3030415139
Rating : 4/5 (36 Downloads)

Synopsis The Palgrave Handbook of Agricultural and Rural Development in Africa by : Evans S. Osabuohien

This handbook examines agricultural and rural development in Africa from theoretical, empirical and policy stand points. It discusses the challenges of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assesses how poverty and other development concerns can be addressed in rural communities through agricultural transformation. Additionally, the handbook extends the Post-2015 Development Agenda and it emphasizes the importance of the agricultural sector as it is closely related to the issues of food sustainability, poverty reduction, and employment creation. The contributors suggest multiple evidence-based policies to develop the rural areas through the transformation of the agricultural sector which can significantly benefit the African continent.

Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments

Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 471
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781108246361
ISBN-13 : 1108246362
Rating : 4/5 (61 Downloads)

Synopsis Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments by : Rosalind Dixon

The 1996 South African Constitution was promulgated on 18th December 1996 and came into effect on 4th February 1997. Its aspirational provisions promised to transform South Africa's economy and society along non-racial and egalitarian lines. Following the twentieth anniversary of its enactment, this book, co-edited by Rosalind Dixon and Theunis Roux, examines the triumphs and disappointments of the Constitution. It explains the arguments in favor of the Constitution being replaced with a more authentically African document, untainted by the necessity to compromise with ruling interests predominant at the end of apartheid. Others believe it remains a landmark attempt to create a society based on social, economic, and political rights for all citizens, and that its true implementation has yet to be achieved. This volume considers whether the problems South Africa now faces are of constitutional design or implementation, and analyses the Constitution's external influence on constitutionalism in other parts of the world.

A Research Agenda for Federalism Studies

A Research Agenda for Federalism Studies
Author :
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages : 231
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781788112970
ISBN-13 : 1788112970
Rating : 4/5 (70 Downloads)

Synopsis A Research Agenda for Federalism Studies by : John Kincaid

In this forward-thinking book, fifteen leading scholars set forth cutting-edge agendas for research on significant facets of federalism, including basic theory, comparative studies, national and subnational constitutionalism, courts, self-rule and shared rule, centralization and decentralization, nationalism and diversity, conflict resolution, gender equity, and federalism challenges in Africa, Asia, and the European Union. More than 40 percent of the world’s population lives under federal arrangements, making federalism not only a major research subject but also a vital political issue worldwide.

Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments

Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 471
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781108415330
ISBN-13 : 1108415334
Rating : 4/5 (30 Downloads)

Synopsis Constitutional Triumphs, Constitutional Disappointments by : Rosalind Dixon

Evaluates the successes and failures of the 1996 South African Constitution following the twentieth anniversary of its enactment.

Concurrent Powers in Federal Systems

Concurrent Powers in Federal Systems
Author :
Publisher : BRILL
Total Pages : 378
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9789004337572
ISBN-13 : 9004337571
Rating : 4/5 (72 Downloads)

Synopsis Concurrent Powers in Federal Systems by : Nico Steytler

Concurrency of powers – the exercise of jurisdiction by federal governments and constituent units in the same policy areas – is a key, if not the central, mode of governance in most federal systems today. Moreover, the experience has been that federal governments dominate the concurrent space giving rise to contestation. This volume, Concurrent Powers in Federal Systems: Meaning, Making and Managing, edited by Professor Nico Steytler, is the first to examine from a comparative perspective this crucial issue confronting both established and emerging federations. Case studies of 16 countries on five continents dissect the various manifestations of concurrency, analyse what drives this modern governance mode, and review management strategies that seek to guard against central dominance of concurrent areas.

Devolution in Kenya's New Constitution

Devolution in Kenya's New Constitution
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 35
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9966029036
ISBN-13 : 9789966029034
Rating : 4/5 (36 Downloads)

Synopsis Devolution in Kenya's New Constitution by : Othieno Nyanjom