Emergent Political Class in Africa - RL Vol IX No XII, CXXIII, MMXVII

Emergent Political Class in Africa

The Voiceless Majority, the Rise of Ethnicist Sectional élite rule & challenges to fostering Democratic Rules & Institutions

Public Lecture - RL Vol IX No XII, CXXIII, MMXVII

Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD

Professor of Public Policy, School of Graduate Studies,

College of Business and Economics, AAU

Abstract

           Gaetano Mosca in his work The Ruling Class (1896) developed the theory that claims that in all societies an organised minority will dominate and rule over the disorganised majority. Mosca claims that there are only two classes in society, the governing (the organised minority) and the governed (the disorganised majority). He claims that the organised nature of such a minority makes it irresistible to any individual of a disorganised community. Africa’s political class is depicted by more than 21 parties who have been in power since they oversaw decolonisation in Africa. Moreover, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gambia (until last month), Sudan and Zimbabwe have been ruled by the same person for over two decades, albeit using democratic elections except Eritrea. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance emphasises the significance of democracy, good governance, peace, security, popular participation, rule of law, human rights and the right to development. These are phrases that fall on deaf ears in the political class. The paper recommends development of political culture, building democratic rules and institutions, public policy transformation, alternatives framework for economic management, public diplomacy & martial action, certification of natural resources to stem resource plunder and leadership training and mentoring/ apprenticeship...

Key words: political class, ‘elected dictatorships’, democratic rules and institutions

See article here or  https://www.academia.edu/32381170/Emergent_Political_Class_in_Africa_The_Voiceless_Majority_the_Rise_of_Ethnicist_Sectional_%C3%A9lite_rule_and_challenges_to_fostering_Democratic_Rules_and_Institutions_-RL_Vol_IX_No_XII_CXXIII_MMXVII

Dying of Deprivation – The Coldblooded Extermination of the South Sudanese - RL Vol IX No XI, CXXI, MMXVII

Dying of Deprivation – The Coldblooded Extermination of the South Sudanese - Public Lecture - RL Vol IX No XI, CXXI, MMXVII - Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD, Professor of Public Policy, School of Graduate Studies, College of Business and Economics, AAU

Abstract

From ancient Rome to modern times, humankind has suffered devastating periods of hunger caused by drought, war or misguided politics. According to United Nations humanitarian criteria, even if there are food shortages with large numbers of people lacking nutrition, a famine is declared only when certain measures of mortality, malnutrition and hunger are met. The criteria are at least 20% of households in an area face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30% and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons. Recently, South Sudan was declared the site of the world's first famine in six years, affecting about 100,000 people While South Sudan is officially experiencing famine, the UN has warned that Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen are all on the verge of the classification, which could affect more than 20 million people. The common denominator is protracted armed conflict and its negative impact on access to food, farming and livestock production ... livelihoods, trade and, not least, humanitarian delivery.

Of the four famine alerts, only one - Somalia - is caused by drought, while the other three stem from conflicts. In South Sudan, people have gone through cycles of displacement over the past three years, which have driven many of them to hide in swamps, having lost their homes, crops and livestock. With nothing else available, they spend days foraging for wild foods such as water lily roots, fruit or fish. They also spend days walking in search of food aid through areas controlled by armed groups. They are extremely weak, hungry, and drink unsafe water from ponds and rivers. Cholera is a constant threat (Aljazeera, 2017).

See paper here or https://www.academia.edu/32334834/Dying_of_Deprivation_The_Coldblooded_Extermination_of_the_South_Sudanese_-_RL_Vol_IX_No_XI_CXXI_MMXVII.pdf