Spring 2007, Volume 3
Dear Readers,
When we made the decision to publish two volumes this year (Fall 2006 and Spring 2007), we did not realize what a colossal undertaking it would entail, but also the outpouring of support we would have from contributors, staff and alumni. At the time of each Call for Papers, it was both surprising and heartwarming to see the high number of submissions, clearly confirming our views that the Africa Policy Journal (APJ) is filling a void: to publish scholarly articles focusing on Africa policy. The continued positive response bears testament to the enthusiasm and dedication for Africa’s development and the need for sound policies to continually emerge. It is with these thoughts that we are honored to present to you the third volume of the Africa Policy Journal.
As a nascent journal at Harvard, this third volume is a reflection of APJ cementing its reputation, status and, ultimately, its presence in Africa policy circles. As editors, one of the highlights was to sift through the high-quality submissions for each volume; however, this also made our work doubly difficult. Setting the standard from its inception, the committee’s selection process remains the same: relevance, timeliness, strength of arguments, quality of writing, and geographic diversity.
The Spring 2007 issue commences with a co-authored commentary from three professors at the University of Richmond, examining the emotive words in the genetically modified (GM) food debate. Using Zambia as a prime example of how the ‘emotional rhetoric’ affected the policy outcome, they state the case for a ‘hyperbole-free’ US policy. Frances Williams comments on the importance of ‘Africans Saving Africa,’ specifically the power of the Diaspora to ‘awaken Africa.’
Patrick Awuah, founder of Ashesi University in Ghana, is a prime example of Africans saving Africa. In our interview with him, he imparts his vision for Ashesi University and what prompted him to quit working at Microsoft Corporation and move back home to play his part. He also explains the kind of contribution that Ashesi is making in Ghana for both the individuals in the program and those hiring them. In our second interview, Ishmael Beah, former child solider in Sierra Leone sheds light on how he became a child soldier, the effects of the decade long war on his life and how fortunate he is to be able to talk about it in his New York Times bestseller.
The four core articles in this volume consist of a diverse range of themes, including girls’ education in Malawi, Sudan’s legal system, security in the Horn of Africa, and the crises in the Gacaca Courts in Rwanda. The first piece, by Hepner and Fredriksson, examines the intertwining issues of US policy, human rights and regional politics in the Horn of Africa, or more specifically, in Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea. In light of their analysis, they propose a set of recommendations to advance human rights in the region.
The next two articles focus on the legal system – one piece by Tiernan reviews Southern Sudan’s current judicial system and proposes a system of legal pluralism to shape the Southern Sudan legal framework. Hornberger’s piece assesses whether Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts should be reformed to include a formal judicial review process, as part of the institutional frameworks for social and economic policy.
Malawi having almost accomplished a 100 percent primary school enrollment for all children, Xanthe Scharff proposes a campaign to promote secondary education for girls, with an end goal to a more productive Malawian society.
In our continued effort to cover diverse perspectives on Africa, APJ staff reviews Africa through popular media, specifically films and books. The Spring 2007 volume reviews one film and three books. The film, “Lost of Boys of Sudan” follows the story of two boys in the US. Our book reviews are of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s first novel in two decades, “The Wizard of the Crow;” Eugenie Mujawiyera’s “The Rwandan Tutsis” and Dave Eggers’ new book, “What is the What.”
On other fronts, APJ organizes events in pursuit of our mission: better policymaking in Africa. At the annual Africa Business Conference in February at the Harvard Business School, APJ again co-sponsored the panel, “Social Entrepreneurship: Experiences and Lessons for Africa.” In recognition of fifty years of the spark of the independence movement in Sub-Saharan Africa, the APJ co-sponsored a public panel discussion dubbed “Africa: The Next 50 Years.” Panelists included historians and World Bank economists.
At the end of the day, this journal would not be possible without the commitment and passion of volunteer students—Africans and non-Africans alike—devoted to the development of the Continent. We thank the authors whose submissions make production and editing possible. We also thank our faculty advisory board for continuing to direct us. Special thanks to Timothy Reid for his financial support, and to the former Co-Chief Editors for their continued moral support throughout the year – Mutsa Chironga, Nishan Degnarain and Ijeoma Anusionwu. Finally, a heartfelt thank you for continuing to read the journal.
Please keep visiting us at www.africapolicyjournal.com as we transition the new leadership and join us in welcoming Curtis Valentine and Dalia Rahman as the new Co-Chief Editors of the Africa Policy Journal. Though change does not happen overnight, we hope that by reaching out to policymakers, Africanists, decision-makers, other leading politicians, and future leaders, the articles APJ publishes will provide them with tools to conduct better policy and in due course, effect change towards a brighter Africa. In short, our role is to promote the most relevant, informed and analytically rigorous ideas, with a vision for better policymaking in Africa.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Kobina Aidoo
Ms. Heidy Servin-Baez
Co-Chief Editors, Africa Policy Journal