Panel Event: Moving towards a new approach to development-related research
From the 26th to the 28th March 2018 the Sustainable Futures in Africa Hub Coordinators and Administrators from Scotland, Malawi, Nigeria and Botswana met at the University of Glasgow.
The following items were on the agenda:
- Successes and Challenges of running the administration/infrastructure of the SFA Network Hubs
- Open Panel Presentation at the University of Glasgow
- Harmonization of Administrative Structures of the Network
- Strategic Needs and Direction for the Network
For more information you can read the report: Report SFA Hub Coordinators and Administrator Meeting April 2018
- SFA Hub Coordinators and Administrators, University of Glasgow April 2018
Panel presentation
Sustainable Futures in Africa: Moving towards a new approach to development-related research
The Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) Network brings together researchers, practitioners, and communities from the Global North and Global South in one platform for learning, partnerships, and new approaches to research and development. Network hub coordinators from Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and Botswana join us for a panel discussion on the evolving practices of the SFA. In particular, the presentations and discussion will revolve around the challenges and possibilities of working across differences of discipline, sector, and geography. We promise a lively discussion, open to many perspectives, contexts, and questions.
- Date: Monday 26th March
- Time: 1pm – 4:30pm
- Location: Level 5 Sir Alwyn Williams Building
- Registation: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sf-in-africamoving-towards-a-new-approach-to-development-related-research-tickets-43985465712
Prioritizing the Challenges to the Development of Mining Communities in Nigeria
Prioritizing the Challenges to the Development of Mining Communities in Nigeria.
Sustainable Futures in Africa researchers from Obafemi Awolowo University and Women Environmental Programme headed to Komu-Igbojaye-Babaode Mining Communities in Oyo State to experiment methodologically to uncover the socio-ecological impact of the mining on the local community.
You can find a snapshot of the trial below, where a drone was used to gather geographical information to support the data analysis.
A detailed report from our last research trial is here for more information: https://sustainablefuturesinafrica.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/itagunmodi.pdf
SFA researchers from Obafemi Awolowo University and Women Environmental Programme conducted field trials in the Isoya Community, Western Nigeria to explore the use of rituals in agriculture: the indigenous practice of using dead dogs to control termites in cocoa farmlands.
Cocoa is the leading agricultural export of Nigeria, the country is currently the world's fourth-largest producer of cocoa, yet termite control becomes the major challenge for the plant cultivation. Though existent agricultural practice provides a range of plant protection solutions, the Nigerian farmers prefer to employ native rituals.
Various beliefs guide the norm of ritual practice in Nigeria. The tradition of using the dead flesh in agriculture has been restricted in the country, yet farmers claim this method to be the most effective to prevent termites invasion and keep on practising this ritual through the restriction.
For the local farmers, this practice has a dual meaning: rational and spiritual. Rationally, they use decaying flesh to bring ants to the field in order to exterminate termites. For this, the farmers palm-oil dead dogs and bury animals on every corner of the field. Spiritually, the farmers believe in a mysterious connection between dogs and termites that adds particular significance to the practice.
An interdisciplinary analysis will be conducted on this data during the upcoming Symposium and results will be shared shortly.
Africa in Motion (AiM)
Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual African film festival, taking place in Scotland, consisting of film screenings and complementary events. It was founded by SFA partner Dr Lizelle Bisschoff. Now in its twelfth year, AiM brings the best of African cinema to Scotland—making it possible for Scottish audiences to engage with African stories and industry professionals from the continent. Our 2017 festival was a great success, attracting diverse audiences to events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We presented a varied programme with a range of genres and events, with over 80 films from 28 countries. The programme included a number of dine-and-view events that paired food with films from the continent, community screenings, films accompanied by panel discussions and Q&As, workshops and even a club night!
Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of Africa in Motion, and at the 2017 festival we further developed our efforts to create an inclusive festival programme. This is hugely important for AiM as 27% of our audiences come from a BAME background. Many of our events were free, and we offered free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers for paid screenings (in particular we partnered with the Unity Centre offering free screenings to their members). Our programme was also inclusive in terms of gender, with 18 of the films in the programme being F-rated, meaning they were directed by women and/or have a strong female focus.
For more information, see: www.africa-in-motion.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/aimfilmfest/
https://twitter.com/AiMfilmfest
TRENDS2017 | Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities in Developing our Societies
Reflection on Conference Attendance
Conference Name: TRENDS2017
Location & Date: Pretoria, South Africa – October 17-19 2017
Paper Presented: A Cross-disciplinary Approach to Locating Human Wildlife Interaction in the Mmadinare Region of Botswana
Authors: Modise OM. Lekoko RN , Thakadu O & Mpotokwane M.; University of Botswana
Presenters: Profs. Modise & Lekoko
TRENDS2017 marked the 14th year of PASCAL International conference and the first to be held in South Africa. The theme of the conference was Between Cities and the Rural: The Role of Universities in Developing our Societies. Team Botswana was particularly attracted to the conferences strands that weaved around important areas of (i) the role of nation state versus the global economic power (ii) Cities would be like countries with global power and (iii) Rethinking the role of universities. The theme of interest for the Botswana team was the third strand because it wanted participants to dialogue about and gauge the present and future responsibilities of universities in collaborating with communities to address community or national development. Botswana’s paper on human-wildlife interactions fitted well in this strand calling universities to team up with communities to address local challenges using traditional community approaches such as Kgotla and story-telling thus connecting ‘with the old and modern African tradition’, as was one main theme of the conference. Proceedings were thus tailored to take a form of everyday life consultation and dialogue as used in “the Kgotla or Lekgotla in Botswana and South Africa”(TRENDS2017). To this respect, our paper was able to bring unique practical perspectives on the importance of using traditional indigenous community practices in dealing with human-wildlife conflict.
The paper we presented was enlightening, shedding light on how universities can make themselves valued by the communities. Like the Sustainable Futures Network, the Pascal 2017 Pretoria Statement stated that “Pascal’s Learning City Network must be sustained in order to provide a platform for inter-cultural, inter-disciplinary and international exchange between cities/regions”. It unpacked how worldwide perspectives generated through research in universities could be prolifically applied on local possibilities. This we believe echoes the sentiments expressed by the Sustainable Futures Network.
Our paper attracted constructive feedback:
Suggestions for improvement
Explore in detailed elephants migration routes
- Correlation analysis and comparison with experiences elsewhere may add value
- A broader geographical sampling (within Botswana) may be considered to allow comparison
- Construct a robust sampling of study site
- Collect more publicly available data e.g. through informal discussion of the villagers.
Commendation
- The use of familiar and non-traditional research techniques like community forum (Kgotla) and story-telling
- Cultural sensitivity of respecting community leaders (Dikgosi & elders) as principal investigators
- Approaching the study with an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary mind-set and respect for community members
- Robust data selection and analysis to bring out what conflict meant for the villagers
- Presenting the interviews with more authority from the voices of community members
With all these comments our study will continue to improve and advance into a more holistic exploration of this challenge of human-wildlife conflict.
The Research Team in Botswana would like to appreciate the support and thank Mia Perry (coordinator of University Court of University of Glasgow - Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for this opportunity to present at TRENDS2017 conference, which in our opinion is a giant step on a journey to Building Connections for Sustainable Futures in Africa.
The comments given will be taken into consideration as the research advances.
For more information please visit: http://pascalobservatory.org/ & http://cradall.org/resources/links/pascal-international-observatory
Tweets by obspascal https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
At Home with Social Science: SFA visits IKEA
The University of Glasgow hosted its College of Social Sciences Research Fair. As part of this, the Sustainable Futures in Africa team took part in their public engagement event at IKEA.
Written by SFA Intern and Ph.D. Candidate Samir Halliru
It was a great day at IKEA on Saturday the 4th of November 2017! The SFA team arrived at the venue at 8 am with the hopes of fruitful interaction with members of the public! After safety briefings, the SFA team displayed African costumes to reflect the regional focus and our interdisciplinary work. Two activities were conducted on the day; a multiple-choice quiz and a ‘Hans Haacke’ style voting poll, see below
- How Can We Best Help Global Inequality: ‘Hans Haacke’ voting poll
Perceptions of the event
‘It was really pleasing to see grannies, parents, and children really engaging in the activities you put on. I saw proud parents standing watching as their children showed off their knowledge of ‘what makes you healthy’, and of the barriers to inclusion and a range of literacies. - Professor Sally Wyke
Samir outlined how the event has triggered public curiosity and interest in the universities taking research outside the university through engagement with the actual beneficiaries (people) of the university researches. Events like these are some of the best ways to address social inequalities at the local, national and global levels.
Dr. Daniel Koehn shared that 'It was surprisingly rewarding to talk to the variety of people wandering by, to answer their questions and to send groups of people off chatting and debating about charities and Africa. It was essential that Nigerian SFA Intern, Samir was there; otherwise, it’s just white people talking about Africa, which would not be very authentic.'
- Dr Daniel Koehn, UofG getting involved in the SFA Quiz
The trend of international development in the global south
People were interested, especially those with connections to the Global South through travel, jobs in the third sector and research. It was easier than I expected to engage people. For example, Molly reported the stories of two young students who shared and discussed their experiences of completing research in Uganda. It seems to the BA students who conducted the research that the development research seemed to benefit the Northern students more than the communities they researched.
One participant in the events reflected that to solve the issue of international development in the global south powerful countries should organize to dredge the surrounding sea and channel all the water to Africa – ‘there’s lots of water in the sea, and Africans need water – simple?!’
What should be done differently?
There were many ‘take homes’ and lessons learned, as this event served as a great ‘test-run’ for future events. For example, it was noted that there wasn’t a focus on the Global North’s role in International Development; I would like our local public engagement events to focus more on this in future events.
‘Rather than “curiosities” of the global south, I would like a stronger emphasis on our explicit roles and connections with the global conditions of inequality and plurality’ – Dr. Mia Perry.
Daniel noted that that the question for the bowl could have been selected better as the question confused people and there was a danger of leading people to our preferred answers through our explanation. The issues it seemed to raise for many people was the management of charity funding, rather than our own day-to-day lives and choices and their role in the overall global state of inequality. The following suggestions were noted for future events:
- A different question is needed – and this day was a very good way to develop an understanding of common perceptions and views;
- More interactive activities for the next event to gather more insights into people’s perfections
- The quiz was very successful yet we could create questions directly with the projects we are involved in;
- Storytelling would be a nice approach in the future, small movies made from the scoping trials. This could be an output from our new arts-based projects
- We need a hand out with the website URL, and some key images and information on the network. Leaflets will be of great help in future events
To Summarise …
IKEA is a big multinational company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories. IKEA in Braehead (Glasgow) was believed to have 8000 to 13000 people going through their doors every Saturday. The choice of the location for the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences Research Fair offered a great opportunity for listening to people’s voices and perceptions of international development. As noted by Molly a conservative estimate is that we reached 800 of them with our activities on the importance of social science and what we can offer. I think similar events might be good in partner countries: Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria and Malawi. Engaging the public through market places and festive events will offer great perspectives on the people's needs and concerns.
For More information: https://www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/socialsciences/research/esrcfestivalofsocialscience/festival2017/
- A Storyboard of Uganda's Research Trial
A 'No Method' Approach to Empowering Local Communities
Team Uganda carried out field trials in two distinctive communities namely; Kibanjwa Community in Hoima district, Western Uganda and Apala Community in Apala sub-Country, Alebtong district in Northern Uganda. The choice for Kibanjwa community was influenced by the recent discovery of oil in the area and the impacts that this has had on the communities surrounding the oil wells. The whole experience although challenging, was worthwhile and insightful as it delved into how the local people in Uganda view and interact with their environment. It was also a learning experience for the multi-disciplinary research team, as they worked together on an issue of common concern. People came in large numbers for community forums, especially in Alebtong due to the fact that it is served by Widows and Orphanage Centre (AWOC), a partner of the SFA network.
Apala community was chosen because of its native identity as a “healing community” recovering from a 20-year old insurgency that claimed so many lives, and left families in distress and brokenness. The field trial for each study site lasted four days. In Kibanjwa, the field trial was from the 10th June to the 13th June 2017, while in Alebtong it was from the 17th June to the 20th June 2017.
The team employed a “no method” approach in the two study sites, which was very much influenced by the desire to empower the local people to talk freely about their world. Data collection approaches used included observations, quasi-transects walks, community forums and home visits. The level of knowledgeability, open-mindedness and degree of freedom of expression portrayed by the community participants, made the process enjoyable, fruitful and offered a desirable degree of flexibility not restrictive to any specific method. The whole process was a mixture of compromises, surprises, breaking new ground and contestation, but eventually the team reached a common understanding.
Unearthing the Dynamics of Human and Wildlife Interactions
On the 10th July 2017, the Batswana research team traveled well to Mmadinare, Botswana where they conducted field research. Goitse, SFA Botswana network partner shares her experience below:
We were well received by the village Chief and elders. The community also received us warmly and they positively shared information with us. They showed a high level of interest during discussions which enabled us to achieve the idea of a Kgotla forum. The positive attitude and response portrayed by the community guaranteed future cooperation. People were very balanced as to what they could also do as a contribution to the problem of human-wildlife interaction. They were familiar with the subject as it transpired that they had already made a proposal for a game reserve through the ‘Community Development Trust’, with the objective of both keeping elephants away from people and at the same time benefiting from them as a tourist attraction.
'This experience brought to the surface that the issue of human-wildlife interaction was not an imagined thing, but rather a reality.'
The venue was conducive for the community forum discussion, as it was a familiar and non-threatening environment. The team managed to achieve our goal because a smooth relationship was established right from the beginning. The community members participated fully and brought to the surface that the issue of human-wildlife interaction was not an imagined thing, but rather a reality.
The team presented itself in a manner that enhanced the reception that they received. There was a free flow of information and people were free to discuss issues and there was no evidence to suggest that they perceived the team as outsiders. They, in fact, felt that a collaborative relationship could be established where they could always consult the team should they need technical or professional assistance.
The harmonious process helped the forum to produce quality results as people shared relevant information.
The forum was focused in terms of identifying the realities of their lives. While they shared concerns relating to their interaction with wildlife, they indicate a desire to co-exist with elephants which demonstrated a high level of maturity, knowledge, and understanding of environmental issues. They even asked to be part of the next network meeting through a representative if it were possible. Overall, people showed eagerness to participate - an attitude that made the whole trip a success.
Scotland-Malawi Partnership: Further and Higher Education Forum
On Wednesday 20th September the Scotland Malawi Partner’s Further and Higher Education Forum met at the Edinburgh City Chambers. Here Dr Mia Perry shared the work that The Sustainable Futures in Africa Network is doing in Malawi including how both academics and NGOs from Malawi form part of this Network that is building capacity, infrastructure and research in socio-ecological sustainability in Africa. Dr Perry also represented colleagues from the University of Glasgow and shared information relating to MALBOP: Malawi – Biology of Parasitology, a interdisciplinary team based at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow. Their synergy arises from open flow of information and ideas, from high quality of training, and from close involvement in research communities in both the developed North and the developing South.
Attendees Included:
- Susan Flynn and Akuzike Kamwanja, Chifundo UK and Chanasa Malawi - Malawi Tuition Fees and funding for female university scholarships at public-funded universities in Malawi
- Mia Perry, University of Glasgow - The Sustainable Futures in Africa Network; MALBOP: Malawi – Biology of Parasitology
- Carol Clements, University of Strathclyde - IMMPAQKT: Impact on Malaria, Maternal health and the Prognosis for Aids by Quality Assurance
- Julie Struthers, University of St. Andrews - Enhancing Medical & Healthcare Training; Strengthening IT Capacity
- Alistair Tough, University of Glasgow - Health information management and medical record keeping systems in Malawi – a preliminary investigation
- Karl Magee, University of Stirling - The Peter Mackay Archive Project
Dr Perry described the event: “An interesting group of experienced scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders with long ties and connections, both personally and professionally in most cases, with Malawi. The delegates on this occasion were primarily rooted in health sciences, and discussion was largely focused on contributing aid, equipment, programme development to Malawi. Little conversation or project content related to a reciprocal relationship, except for that of cultural and historical ties. In contrast to many international development related networks, the historical and cultural connections of Scotland and Malawi are palpable in this community”
Now Mia Perry updating on a variety of Malawi links @UofGlasgow including #MALBOP2017 @WCMPGLASGOW @ScotlandMalawi
— Colin Reilly (@ColinFReilly) September 20, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBg06kOiHrE
For more information about the Scotland Malawi Partnership, visit: https://www.scotland-malawipartnership.org/
For more information about our partner Abundance, in Malawi - http://abundanceworldwide.weebly.com/malawi.html.
For more information about MALBOP: http://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/wtcmp/wellcometrustcentreforglobalhealthresearch/