Panel Session and Roundtable at International Conference on Africa-Asia

IDE-JETRO jointly organizes a Roundtable and Panel Session with African Studies Center – Tokyo University of Foreign Studies at "AFRICA-ASIA – A NEW AXIS OF KNOWLEDGE 2".

Date&time:

September 20, 2018 (Thursday)

1. Roundtable 13:45-15:30 /Session 1
2. Panel Session 16:00-17:45/ Session 2

Venue:

1. Roundtable

Title："Resource Management and Political Power: Comparison between Africa and Asia"

• Convener: Shinichi Takeuchi (ASC-TUFS / IDE-JETRO)

Roundtable abstract : The resource has a close but ambiguous linkage with the development. Although development obviously needs resources, either physical or human, their abundance is never a sufficient condition for development. The term "resource curse" indicates a paradoxical relationship between the two. One of reasons of this complex relation can be attributed to the roles of political power. In fact, political power is inseparable with resources. It constantly intervenes in resource management for its own benefit, since resources can make power. On the other hand, political power can make resources through enhancement of new technologies and implementation of new policies. In sum, clarifying the complex relations between political power and resource management is critical for exploring sustainable development strategies.
Both of Asia and Africa are regions where resources have played significant roles for development. Not only the regions have been abundant in resources, to which political power have attempted the interventions, but also politics of resource management in these regions has been salient in national as well as global context. In this roundtable, participants present several cases indicating various relations between political power and resource management, compare their similarities and differences among them, and explore new ideas about this topic.
This roundtable is derived from the panel titled "Resource management and political power in rural Africa", which focuses exclusively cases in rural Africa. In this roundtable, we aims at broadening the focus in terms of regions and topics for the purpose of enhancing new encounters. Participants, coming both from Asian and African countries, examine various types of relationship between resource management and political power. We understand the concept of a resource in a broad sense so as to include not only natural resources, but also products made by human beings such as agricultural products as well as social constructs like a "traditional" culture.
Shedding lights on the complex interactions between political power and resource management, this roundtable will play a role of catalysts for designing new research projects as well as building networks among related researchers. We believe that these activities will contribute to better policy makings, and finally to the sustainable development in Asia and Africa

2. Panel Session

Title : "Resource Management and Political Power in Rural Africa"

• Convener : Shinichi Takeuchi (African Studies Center – Tokyo University of Foreign Studies / Institute of Developing Economies – Japan External Trade Organization. ASC-TUFS/IDE-JETRO)
• Discussant : Denis Jean Sonwa (Senior Scientist, CIFOR / IITA, Cameroon)

Panelists and Titles

• Akiyo Aminaka (Research Fellow, Institute of Developing Economies – JETRO, Japan)
  "Implementation of Land Law and Political Dynamics in Mozambique"
• Horman Chitonge (Associate Professor, University of Cape Town, South Africa)
  "Management of Land in Africa: The State, Traditional Authorities and the Contest for Control"
• Chizuko Sato (Research Fellow, Institute of Developing Economies – JETRO, Japan)
  "Land Tenure Reform in South Africa: Traditional Leadership, CLaRA, and ‘Living’ Customary Law"
• Gloriose Umuziranenge (Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Management, Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences, Rwanda)
• Jacqueline Muhawenayo (Head of the Department of Business Studies, Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS), Rwanda)
  "A Gender Perspective on Environmental Justice in Rwanda: Case Study of Protected Areas of Nyungwe National Park"

Panel Abstract : As Africa has seen increasingly severe constraints of its various resources in the context of rapid population growth, designing ways for their proper and effective management is one of the most important development agendas today. The importance of rural areas cannot be exaggerated, as they make up a significant portion of Africa in terms of landmass as well as population.
This panel examines the policies and practices of resource management in rural Africa by focusing the roles of political power. Although various actors with political power including states, traditional authorities, donors, and multinational companies, have played critical roles in the resource management, the analysis from this perspective have been relatively scarce. This project clarifies the relationship between such political actors and resource management historically as well as synchronically, thus in a long run contributing to designing effective policies for resource management in Africa.
We understand the concept of resources in a broad sense so as to include not only natural resources, but also products made by human beings such as agricultural products as well as social constructs like a "traditional" culture. It means that this research project targets at a wide range of resource management in rural Africa from natural resources such as land, forest and water to cultural resources such as touristic events.
Nothing can be a resource as it is. Instead, they become resources when they are regarded as such due to reasons including scarcity, discovery of new technologies, and implementation of new policies. In this sense, political power plays a crucial role in creating resources. In addition, characteristics of political power are often reflected on related policies of resource management. As the power holders tend to formulate policies that are advantageous for themselves, the nature of political power can be detected through the policy analysis.
In this panel, the topic will be examined through case studies based on intensive field research in Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa, and Rwanda. Through these in-depth analyses, meaningful comparison will be possible, thus enabling to make reflection on the role of political power on resource management in Africa and beyond.

https://icas.asia/en/africa-asia-new-axis-knowledge-second-edition