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The Ethiopian Borderlands

Historians of Ethiopia have rich sets of materials to work with from the empires of the highlands, however the relative abundance of literature from the highlands results in comparatively limited literature on the the other areas (that would become part) of Ethiopia. Pankhurst writes: “Historical studies of Ethiopia, like those of other countries, often tend […]

Thought Provokers

No Fist is Big Enough to Hide the Sky

Decolonization struggles against the Portuguese are often thought about as Angola and Mozambique, far less does one hear about Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. Basil Davidson brings first-hand experience of that struggle, for which he was praised by none other than Amilcar Cabral himself in the Preface. The book, “No Fist is Big Enough to Hide […]

Thought Provokers

New Publication: Does diversification enhance community resilience? A critical perspective

Cochrane, L. and Cafer, A. (2018) Does Diversification Enhance Community Resilience? A Critical Perspective. Resilience. https://doi.org/10.1080/21693293.2017.1406849 Abstract: Resilience has become a key component of how practitioners and scholars conceptualize sustainable communities. Given sustainability’s focal role in shaping international development funding, policies and programming it is imperative that we critically engage with the concepts embedded within the […]

Research

Rules for Revolutionaries

Want a post-internet, post-elitist update to Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals“? Here it is: “Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything” (2016) by Becky Bond and Zack Exley. The book is about ‘big organizing’ which the authors say “isn’t just about the effective use of the newest technology to scale participation in politics. As […]

Thought Provokers

State and Land in Ethiopian History

Richard Pankhurst (1927-2017) is one of the most prolific historians of Ethiopia, described by the Foreign Minister as “one of Ethiopia’s greatest friends.” One of his earlier works is “State and Land in Ethiopian History” (1966). As expected from those familiar with Richard Pankhurst, the book offers insight into history that appears otherwise to be […]

Thought Provokers

New Publication: Soil and Water Conservation in Ethiopia

Zerihun N., Tsunekawa, A., Nigussie H., Enyew A., Cochrane, L. and Floquet, A. and Abele, S. (2018). Applying Ostom’s Institutional Analysis and Development to Soil and Water Conservation in Ethiopia. Land Use Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.11.039 Abstract: Sustainable land management is of utmost importance in Ethiopia and relies on Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) measures collectively implemented by […]

Research

Civil Wars in Africa: Roots and Resolutions

For some period in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a trend in conflict studies that suggested civil war in Africa was externally caused and driven. To counter that narrative, a group of scholars came together to explore the internal, domestic aspects of civil war in Africa (without neglecting the external factors). The result was […]

Thought Provokers

New Publication: Designing the Next Generation of Climate Adaptation Research for Development

Jones, L., Harvey, C., Cochrane, L., Cantin, B., Conway, D., Cornforth, R. J., De Souza, K. and Kirbyshire, A. (2018) Designing the Next Generation of Climate Adaptation Research for Development. Regional Environmental Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1254-x Abstract: Adaptation research has changed significantly in recent years as funders and researchers seek to encourage greater impact, ensure value for money […]

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The Battle for Afghanistan

The way war is waged has significantly changed since the 1800s. One might assume the lessons for contemporary times from such a period would be limited as a result. William Dalrymple’s telling of the British attempt to conquer Afghanistan in 1839-1842 convincingly show the opposite. In “Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan” (2013), […]

Thought Provokers

Ethiopian Migration to the Middle East and South Africa

There are reports of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian women working in the Middle East, and stories of dangerous travel across the continent of those trying to reach South Africa. However, little is known about the actual trends, policies, and pushes/pulls. A 2015 publication by the Ethiopian Forum for Social Studies addressed this topic in […]

Thought Provokers