The Political Crisis of March 2009 in Madagascar

The Political Crisis of March 2009 in Madagascar
Author: Adrien M. Ratsimbaharison
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2017-07-25
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1442272368

Since Independence in 1960, Madagascar has faced several periods of instability and crisis, as well as the threat of civil war. These periods were cyclical: each time the country made some significant economic and social progress, an unexpected crisis would occur to bring it to a halt. The book focuses on the crisis of March 2009, showing how a brewing conflict between the government of Marc Ravalomanana and the opposition led by Andry Rajoelina escalated and using it as a case for the study of further crises in Madagascar or other African countries. The book adopts a conflict approach to the study of crisis. Instead of focusing on external symptoms (street protests, violence, looting, massacre of protesters, military mutiny, etc.), or condemning it as a “coup d’état,” it analyzes the crisis of March 2009 as part of an ongoing conflict between the government and the opposition. It uncovers the causal mechanisms of the crisis as well as the process of crisis management and de-escalation, examining such factors as the context of the crisis, the major actors, the triggers, and the management of the crisis by national and international mediators. In addition, the book explains how a civil war was averted and who benefited as a result of this political crisis.

How Latvia Came Through the Financial Crisis

How Latvia Came Through the Financial Crisis
Author: Anders Åslund
Publisher: Peterson Institute
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2011
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 088132602X

Latvia stands out as the East European country hardest hit by the global financial crisis; it lost approximately 25 percent of its GDP between 2008 and 2010. It was also the most overheated economy before the crisis. But in the second half of 2010, Latvia returned to economic growth. How did this happen so quickly? Current Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, who shepherded Latvia through the crisis, and renowned author Anders slund discuss why the Latvian economy became so overheated; why an IMF and European Union stabilization program was needed; what the Latvian government did to resolve the financial crisis and why it made these choices; and what the outcome has been. This book offers a rare insider's look at how a national government responded to a global financial crisis, made tough choices, and led the country back to economic growth.

World Protests

World Protests
Author: Isabel Ortiz
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2021-11-03
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030885135

This is an open access book. The start of the 21st century has seen the world shaken by protests, from the Arab Spring to the Yellow Vests, from the Occupy movement to the social uprisings in Latin America. There are periods in history when large numbers of people have rebelled against the way things are, demanding change, such as in 1848, 1917, and 1968. Today we are living in another time of outrage and discontent, a time that has already produced some of the largest protests in world history. This book analyzes almost three thousand protests that occurred between 2006 and 2020 in 101 countries covering over 93 per cent of the world population. The study focuses on the major demands driving world protests, such as those for real democracy, jobs, public services, social protection, civil rights, global justice, and those against austerity and corruption. It also analyzes who was demonstrating in each protest; what protest methods they used; who the protestors opposed; what was achieved; whether protests were repressed; and trends such as inequality and the rise of women’s and radical right protests. The book concludes that the demands of protestors in most of the protests surveyed are in full accordance with human rights and internationally agreed-upon UN development goals. The book calls for policy-makers to listen and act on these demands.

The African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU)
Author: Konstantinos D. Magliveras
Publisher: Kluwer Law International B.V.
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2018-02-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9041195882

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this practical analysis of the structure, competence, and management of The African Union (AU) provides substantial and readily accessible information for lawyers, academics, and policymakers likely to have dealings with its activities and data. No other book gives such a clear, uncomplicated description of the organization’s role, its rules and how they are applied, its place in the framework of international law, or its relations with other organizations. The monograph proceeds logically from the organization’s genesis and historical development to the structure of its membership, its various organs and their mandates, its role in intergovernmental cooperation, and its interaction with decisions taken at the national level. Its competence, its financial management, and the nature and applicability of its data and publications are fully described. Systematic in presentation, this valuable time-saving resource offers the quickest, easiest way to acquire a sound understanding of the workings of The African Union (AU) for all interested parties. Students and teachers of international law will find it especially valuable as an essential component of the rapidly growing and changing global legal milieu.

Supranational Institutions and Peacebuilding in Africa

Supranational Institutions and Peacebuilding in Africa
Author: Redie Bereketeab
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2024-09-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1040127827

This book analyses the role of the African Union and regional economic communities in contributing to peacebuilding in Africa. Big and small conflicts rage across the African continent, and this book argues that the African Union and the five regional economic communities have the potential to greatly contribute to peace and peacebuilding In Africa. Looking across the African Union and the five regional economic communities (the AMU, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, and SADC), the book considers in detail the organizations’ programmes, engagement, endeavours, success and failure of activities of peacebuilding in their respective regions. Overall, the book argues that an institutionalised and formalised relationship between the African Union and the regional economic communities would not only be decisive for the prospects for peace in the region but would also serve to strengthen the continent’s role on the global stage through asserting its agency, owning its agenda, and designing its own solutions and mechanisms for addressing problems. Drawing together an international team of prominent experts, this book will be of interest to researchers, policymakers, NGOs, activists, and regional and international actors working on African politics, security, governance, and economics.

Madagascar (Travel Companion)

Madagascar (Travel Companion)
Author: Sara LeHoullier
Publisher: Other Places Publishing
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2010-08-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 0982261950

Why should you visit Madagascar? Sara LeHoullier is itching to tell you. Armed with a love of rice with ambiguous meat chunks, a stomach of steel, a firm grasp on multiple dialects of the Malagasy language, and lots of mosquito repellent, Sara explores both on and off the beaten path revealing a truly unique side on the world's 4th largest island. Sara not only makes friends with the lemurs and chameleons, but treks through the national parks, tries to decide which beach is the prettiest (not an easy task), and most importantly, talks to as many people as possible, collecting proverbs, stories, and always friends. In this fantastic hybrid between a travel guide and a travelogue, follow Sara as she transverses the country where she lived for nearly three years and discover hidden places, intriguing characters, and insight into traveling through Madagascar.

Undoing Coups

Undoing Coups
Author: Antonia Witt
Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2020-09-17
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1786996855

Since the beginnings of independence, a number of African nations have been plagued by repeated coup d'états. Within the African Union (AU), there has been a concerted effort to break this cycle through the official adoption of an ‘anti-coup norm’, by which the AU is mandated to suspend a member state and restore constitutional order following a coup. Supporters of this stance see it as strengthening democracy in Africa, while critics argue that it has served to prop up existing regimes. But there has been little analysis of what the AU’s attempts to ‘restore constitutional order’ have meant for individual African states. In this book, Antonia Witt looks at the legacy of the AU’s intervention in Madagascar following the 2009 ‘Malagasy crisis’, one of the increasingly relevant yet under-researched cases of non-Western intervention in Africa. The book looks at the ways in which international intervention reconfigured the political order in Madagascar, how it facilitated the power struggle within the Madagascan elite and prevented more profound political change. It also considers what the example set by the Madagascan intervention means for the wider international order in Africa and the powers attributed to African international actors such as the AU.

Water for the Poor

Water for the Poor
Author: Barry Leonard
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2010-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1437938191

The Sen. Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 requires the Sec. of State, in consultation with USAID and other U.S. Gov¿t. agencies, to develop and implement a strategy to increase affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation within the context of sound water resources management in developing countries. This report represents one point in an evolving process to strengthen the U.S.¿s response to these issues. Contents: Intro.; The Challenge; U.S. Strategy; U.S. Support for Water and Sanitation in FY 2009: Bilateral Assist.; Support to Multilateral Development Banks and International Org.; Activities and Results: Evidence of Aid Effectiveness; U.S. Gov¿t. Assistance in FY 2009; Country Reports. Illustrations

Development-induced Displacement and Human Rights in Africa

Development-induced Displacement and Human Rights in Africa
Author: Romola Adeola
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2020-09-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1351591681

Within the context of the 2009 Kampala Convention, this book examines how a balance can be struck between the imperative of development projects and the rights of persons likely to be displaced in Africa. Following independence, many African states embarked on large-scale development projects such as dams, urban renewal and extraction of natural resources and have had to grapple with how to protect displaced communities while implementing development projects. These projects were considered a panacea for Africa’s development and the economic interests of the majority were often considered over and above the interests of the minority of people who were displaced by these projects .This book examines how a balance can be struck between the imperative of development and the rights of displaced persons within the context of the African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (the Kampala Convention). Romola Adeola analyses the obligations that are placed on African states by the Kampala Convention in the context of development-induced displacement. This book will be of interest to scholars of human rights law, forced migration, African Studies and development.