AJF:Newsletter[quarterly]"Africa NOW" No.90

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

Africa NOW No.90

Issued on January 31, 2011 by Africa Japan Forum (AJF)

Special Topic: The Studies on African Childhood

pp.2-19 People under the age of 15 make up a large proportion of Africa's population. Thus, it is important to understand African children's daily life. Although there are news of child labor, child soldier or starving children, there is little information on what the children do on ordinary days, what they think of this world and what they want. In this issue, we propose studies on African childhood - which will focus on understanding African children’s daily life by interacting with them.

p.3 A new concept in the Studies on African Childhood, written by KAMEI Nobutaka
Kamei proposes a new concept, "Studies on African Childhood" which puts emphasis on children in Africa where half of the population is under the age of 15. This new approach focuses on the importance of understanding African children's daily life by interacting with them. He believes that this approach is one of the largest pillars in African Studies and practice in order to increase understanding and support to children in Africa.

pp.4-10 KAMEI Nobutaka’s Talk: Thinking about the Studies on African Childhood by tracing "Little "Hunters" in the Forest"
The editor of "Africa Now" conducted in interview with Kamei to ask the origin of the Studies on African Childhood in Japan, his research methodologies and standpoint, and his field research experiences in hunter-gatherer societies in Cameroon. He sees three potentials in the study of African childhood: an approach to human evolution, cultural diversity from anthropological and ethnological studies and health and education for African children from viewpoints of international development and African studies.

pp.11-15 Educational development: Current situation and challenges - Discussions about "International cooperation and Schooling" authored by YAMADA Shoko
After reading the book "International cooperation and Schooling", a student from China, Li Hao asked a few questions to the author, reflecting on her unique educational background. Li experienced 5 years of education in the Japanese school system. Before finishing high school in Japan, she transferred to a high school in Canada where she experienced different educational approaches such as logical expression of ideas, subjective analysis and objective comparison of different perspectives. Yamada discusses educational development in developing countries by answering the questions.

p.16-17 Children I met in Botswana, written by NOZAWA Chieko
Nozawa Chieko who spent two years (2008-2010) in Botswana as a member of Japanese Oversees Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV) writes about her interactions with local children through the "terakoya" project-community education project implemented by JOCV. She elaborates on the active and energetic local children.

pp.18-19 "Nelson-The Little Brown of South Africa" / from "AFRICA - THE RIGHT TO CHILDHOOD",translatde by INOUE Yasuko
The story illustrates a little boy of post-Apartheid generation in South Africa who experiences the remnants of apartheid in his daily life for the first time. It is translated by INOUE Yasuko who has deep understanding on the racial discrimination that remains in mind of the previous generation, overlapping the conversation with her mother.

pp.20-21 20 years later, I dreamed in Kenya… ,written by SHIRAIWA Yoshiko
SHIRAIWA Yoshiko has been dedicating herself to community activities in Japan by disseminating cultural aspects of Kenya through Kenyan music and food since her first child was born in Kenya. She also acquired deep understanding of the needs of disabled people as a care worker and by raising her second child with disabilities. She elaborates on her wish to give dreams to children, a wish she realized during her trip to Kenya by watching disabled people. She began to step forward to make her wish come true.

pp.22-27 Money talks: Shadows of aid, written by Willy Lukebana Toko
In Japan, a person that has visited one area in a country in Africa is treated as an expert of that entire country and that person's words are given much emphasis in decision-making situations of that country. Toko calls such words into question, especially when it comes to aid.

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

Index

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