3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item European Union and democratization of Africa: the case of Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Morocco (1990-2010)(2015-08-27) Chirisa, NeverIn the early 1990s, issues of democracy, good governance, security and human rights became more prominent in the international system and attained space in various policy documents. The period has been characterized by massive waves of transitions from one-party to multi-party political systems, which can be described as global democratic revolutions. Such democratic revolutions or movement towards democracy was not confined to one territory; rather it was a worldwide phenomenon that reached many parts of the world such as Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It involved radical political transitions due to pressure to promote political liberalization and foster democratic reforms in most of these countries. The push for democratization was led by various democratic actors such as the European Union, United States of America, Britain, Norway, Canada and institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank among others. The waves and calls for democratization by these actors have resulted in various democratic transition outcomes in which some of the recipient countries of external democratic support are left stuck in the process while some of them have completely failed and reverted back to authoritarian or oppressive regimes. Countries that have failed in the democratization process experience various consequences such as limited access to the media, fragmented opposition political parties, fraudulent electoral activities, violence and poor citizen participation. These shortfalls reflect gaps or inconsistencies in the outcomes of the democratization process that needs to be investigated. This study looks at the factors causing inconsistencies in the outcomes of the process.Item Agency, imagination and resilience: facilitating social change through the visual arts in South Africa(2009-10-15T11:31:39Z) Berman, Kim ShelleyABSTRACT This thesis presents case studies of five projects that use the visual arts to effect social change in post-apartheid South Africa. Artist Proof Studio, Paper Prayers, Phumani Paper, Community Engagement at the University of Johannesburg and the AIDS Action Intervention exemplify a range of approaches to social activism through the arts that parallels the political transformation to democracy. The first case study traces the history of the community printmaking studio, Artist Proof Studio, from 1991 to 2008 in three phases: redress, reconciliation and rebuilding. Artist Proof Studio was founded in 1992 to provide visual arts training to highly creative, but previously disadvantaged individuals. The Paper Prayers for AIDS Awareness initiative was implemented as a program of the studio in 1998. Originally funded by government, the campaign reached thousands of people nationwide. Phumani Paper, a national hand papermaking programme for job creation, was founded in response to a state directive to higher education institutions to implement technology transfer and poverty alleviation initiatives. The Papermaking Research and Development Unit was established at the University of Johannesburg in 1996. The principles and approaches established through these programs are analysed in the fifth case study, the AIDS Action Intervention. This three-year intervention brings all the initiatives together in a multi-disciplinary program that applies participatory action research as well as visual arts methodologies that help catalyse meaningful social action. There are common elements running through each of the case studies that derive from the fact that each intervention was based on the democratic values of human rights and equity. Further, the methodology throughout is dialogical, consultative, and designed to facilitate participants recognizing their own voices. The idea is that practice leads to understanding and stems from a fundamental ethical principle or ideal that all human beings have the capacity to realize their potential in their own way. The central argument of these case studies is that the projects continue to survive, against significant odds, because of the power of imagination, aspiration and dreaming. I interrogate the projects’ foundational premise that participants are empowered by the creative process, which promotes a sense of pride, and generates leadership as well as income. In addition, I argue that grass-roots visual arts projects, which ordinarily go un-analysed in any systematic way, can offer a model for transforming knowledge-creation through their non-hierarchical and participatory methodologies. In sum, this thesis documents and analyses eighteen years of arts activism; it assesses the actual outcomes of the interventions against the idealistic aims on which the projects were founded, and provides a resource guide for cultural activism in South Africa. It demonstrates the dynamic possibilities that exist in the domain of development and arts education.Item Do donor agencies address the question of the empowerment and sustainable development of poor black women?(2009-03-09T11:24:05Z) Thompson, AshleighAbstract Women globally are faced with many challenges and obstacles which include poverty, disease, violence and inequality. Over the years, women through their own initiative, have organised themselves nationally and internationally to have their agendas taken seriously by governments. Donor agencies did not come to supporting women due to their own conscientiousness – rather it was because of the concerted will and commitment of the international women’s movement that brought attention to the need for assistance for women. In South Africa there are many donor agencies that provide funding for programmes and initiatives that address the challenges faced by women of lower socio-economic groupings. The arising question is how effective these initiatives have been in addressing poverty and inequality of women. This pilot study attempted to investigate how select donors and non-governmental organisations have fared in relation to their target group – ‘poor black women’. The study addressed the issues of empowerment and sustainable development of ‘poor black women’ through an analysis of the work of non-governmental organisations supported by donor agencies. The findings were that donors do attempt to address the empowerment and sustainable development of ‘poor black women’ through the funding that they provide.Item Item Strategies for sustainable rural development in Mozambique: a case study of the Chimani Transfrontier Conservation Area Project(2008-04-14T10:47:39Z) Lopes, Paulo JoseThis study examines the process and implementation of a conservation project in Chimanimani locality, a remote rural area located in Sussundenga district in the central province of Manica. The Chimanimani Transfrontier Conservation Area Project, as the Project became known, was one of the conservation area projects established in three provinces of Mozambique (Maputo, Gaza and Manica1) in the years following the civil conflict. In essence the Chimanimani Project was framed to enhance environmental sustainability of the targeted areas and contribute to poverty reduction through sustainable use of local natural resources. Accordingly, it was seen as a way of improving the overall quality of life of the targeted communities. The study analyses the Project efforts of utilizing the synergies between conservation and community development in rural areas where income-earning opportunities are limited. The research has focused on two of the five Chimanimani communities (Nhaedzi and Moribane) and brings to the fore evidences of the factors that have affected either positively or negatively the success of the Project.Item An evaluation of the Impact of Environmental Management Systems on the Economic Performance of Business Enterprises in South Africa(2006-10-31T07:02:16Z) Khuto, MotsekiThis research report focuses on the impact of environmental management systems (EMS) on the economic performance of business enterprises with respect to the three research variables, namely water, energy and raw materials. A systematic sampling technique with a random start and the K-Value sampling interval were employed to draw a sample size of 30 enterprises from a list of 240 EMS certified enterprises. However, the response rate ultimately turned out to be only 30 % of the sample size. The research discovered that EMS programmes that are practised by enterprises under study in South Africa are inefficient, as strategies adopted to cut down on the consumption of the research variables are inefficient. It has further been found that due to unavailability of data, business enterprises failed to consistently and convincingly provide data pertaining to the costs of EMS adoption. Inefficient strategies in cutting down consumption of research variables are concluded to have led to minimal savings and revenue accruing to the enterprises. This is observed to be a result of the following factors: not undertaking some research ahead of any action to shed light on the nature and magnitude of responsive measures required for specific problem areas; costly EMS technology and infrastructure; lack of innovativeness in exhausting the full potential value of the research variables; poor EMS practice etc. Failure to provide data by enterprises is observed to be a result of little value, which enterprises attached to information storage and documentation as well as environmental accounting system, yet they are such crucial components of EMS. This has therefore made impossible to weigh gains against costs to establish whether business enterprises are gaining or losing in their EMS projects. On the basis of the observed shortcomings, enterprises are advised to have in place a comprehensive EMS database and to conduct some research ahead of any responsive action. The South African government is recommended to intervene by providing an enabling environment for EMS by implementing EMS supporting policies and promoting awareness campaigns. Furthermore, research into the observed problem areas has been recommended in order to get to the bottom of EMS problems in South Africa.