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Africa Research Institute

Africa Research Institute aims to reflect, understand and build on the dynamism in Africa today. We are a London-based think-tank which looks for practical examples of achievement – by listening to the people who have created that success, often in adversity, and by communicating that experience to organisations, companies and policymakers. We are not guided by ideology and are strictly non-partisan.

These podcasts, from our Counterpoints series, present critical accounts of defining ideas, in and about Africa. The scope is broad, from international development policy to popular perceptions of the continent. They address big picture questions, without constraints of prevailing orthodoxy. The arguments are forward looking but not speculative, informed by the present but concerned with the future.

Latest Episodes:

How Rwanda judged its genocide May 09, 2012

Since 2001, the gacaca community courts have been the centrepiece of Rwanda’s justice and reconciliation process. Nearly every adult Rwandan has participated in the trials, but lawyers are banned from any official involvement. Human rights organisations fiercely opposed the use of gacaca for trying genocide cases, on the grounds that it fell short of international legal standards of fairness. Much criticism reflects legal rigidity towards the unprecedented challenges confronting post-genocide Rwanda - and a limited understanding of the aims of the community courts. Gacaca was inevitably imperfect, but also highly ambitious and innovative. While the full impact of the process will not be apparent for many years, gacaca has delivered benefits to Rwandans in the spheres of justice, truth and democratic participation. Other societies confronting the aftermath of mass conflict could learn much from Rwanda’s approach to local justice. Read by Edward Paice - Director, Africa Research Institute

Whatever happened to Africa's rapid urbanisation? May 09, 2012

It is widely believed that urbanisation is occurring faster in sub-Saharan Africa than anywhere else in the world, as migrants move from rural to urban settlements. This is a fallacy. While the populations of numerous urban areas are growing rapidly, the urbanisation levels of many countries are increasing slowly - if at all. Natural increase, rather than net in-migration, is the predominant growth factor in most urban populations. African governments, policymakers and international donors need to acknowledge fundamental changes in urbanisation trends, and respond to the irrefutable messages these impart about urban employment, incomes and economic development. Read by Edward Paice - Director, Africa Research Institute

Voices of disquiet on the Malawian airwaves Mar 05, 2012

Human Rights NGOs are considered vanguards in the struggle against injustice and authoritarianism in Africa. But their narrow focus on civil and political rights neglects widely held economic grievances. In Malawi, an audience-driven radio programme - Nkhani Zam’maboma or "News from Districts" - has captivated the nation by exposing everyday injustices experienced by Malawians. Grievances are articulated through local idioms and proverbs that have little in common with the individual freedoms espoused by human rights activists. Never before has it been possible for Malawians to share experiences of injustice so publically. Read by Edward Paice - Director, Africa Research Institute

Why Africa can make it big in agriculture Feb 06, 2012

Self-sufficiency in food production is the new mantra of donors and policymakers in Africa. But farmers, large and small, can be much more ambitious. Agriculture is the continent’s most neglected - and important - potential competitive advantage. It is Africa’s best answer to globalisation. Until farming is commercially viable, there will always be hunger in Africa. Read by Edward Paice - Director, Africa Research Institute

How intellectuals made history in Zimbabwe Jan 02, 2012

The history of Zimbabwe has been revised in the service of the governing ZANU-PF party. A ‘patriotic’ version of history, disseminated by public intellectuals and state media, has distorted legitimate grievances. Critics of patriotic history, including opposition politicians, underestimated or misunderstood its appeal. Corruption of the intelligentsia will prolong an ongoing crisis in political and intellectual values. Read by Edward Paice - Director, Africa Research Institute

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