AJF:Newsletter[quarterly]"Africa NOW" No.83

Africa Japan Forum (AJF) works with African People for African People's better life.

Africa NOW No.83

Issued on January 31, 2009 by Africa Japan Forum (AJF)

Special Topic: Challenges of democratization in Africa

The international society intervened in a dispute between the ruling and opposition parties to stop expansion of violence arising out of presidential election in Kenya and Zimbabwe, which got into the news in 2008.It could also show much attention from the public as a step to think about a fresh perspective for democracy in Africa. However, the TICAD IV (Forth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) held in last May faced a criticism from African and Japanese NGOs for not having earnestly addressed issues of peace and democracy firmly in place in Africa. This specific topic checks what challenges are or what type of democracy should be essential to democratize Africa.

p.3-9 Peace-building and democratization in Africa , Interview with TAKEUCHI Shinichi
What issues are being raised for post-conflict peace-building and democratization in Africa? How has the international intervention to stop conflict affected democratization in post-conflict Africa? TAKEUCHI Shinichi, compiler of "Between War and Peace: The International Society in African Peace Process" published by IDE-JETRO, talked about those issues.

p.10-12 Kenya: Special tribunal with the mandate to prosecute post-election violence to be established , Interview with NAGAOKA Hiroaki
Violence erupted and expanded all over the land of Kenya immediately after presidential election at the end of 2007, leading to many casualties and internally displaced persons. In October of 2008, Report of the Commission Inquiry into Post-Election Violence was published on the situation. In December of 2008, presidential candidates at odds agreed to form Special Tribunal with the mandate to prosecute post-election violence. NAGAOKA Hiroaki representing CanDo, an NGO working in rural areas in Kenya talked about the significance of establishment of the said special tribunal.

p.13-15 Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Post-Election Violence (Executive Summary) / English original and its Japanese translation
Here's the Summary carried at the front of "Report of the Commission Inquiry into Post-Election Violence" released in October of 2008. The Summary reports the situation and its background story of expansion of violence immediately after the result of the presidential election was declared at the end of 2007.

p.16-19 On the spot in Africa: Activities for disabled people's social participation in Ghana , written by NANKO Mika
NANKO Mika reports activities for disabled persons' social participation in Ghana. She stayed as a member of JOCV to combat HIV/AIDS from September of 2006 to September of 2008 in Ghana. She talked about how the activities were going, including disabled persons' participation as a dancing team in Ghana YOSAKOI Festival and International Day of Disabled Persons.

p.20-21 Report: "POP AFRICA" , written by MOZUMI Mamoru
In the event called "POP AFRICA", cultural anthropologists and journalists made various presentations of current popular culture in Africa. MOZUMI Mamoru, editor of Africa NOW wrote down what he felt through his participation in it.

p.22-23 Film "Entangled in Tokyo Part1: The rewards of sin" , written by KAWADA Kaoru
The film was produced in Nigeria and Japan by UdyFrank as a director. KAWADA Kaoru, a researcher of African residents in Japan, describes the film, based on her interview with the Nigerian director.

4th cover To readers ("Hitotsu no musubime toshite" in Japanese) and daily report
Information from the secretariat of AJF to readers.

Index

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