2. Summary of Activities, 1997-2000
5. The Road Ahea challenges for 2000-2003
ANNEX 1 : Balance Sheet as at 31 December 1999
ANNEX 2: SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COMPETITIONS (SSRC): PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED, 1997-1999
ANNEX 3 : GENDER ISSUES RESEARCH COMPETITIONS (GIRC): PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED, 1997-1999
ANNEX 5 : TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE AFRICAN DRYLANDS PROJECT
ANNEX 6 : TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE PASTORAL RESOURCE COMPETITION PROJECT
ANNEX 7: TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE BASIS-OSSREA RESEARCH COLLABORATION PROGRAM
During the past twenty years of its existence, OSSREA has been involved in capacity building and retention of social science researchers in the sub-region of Eastern and Southern Africa. During this period, it has passed through three overlapping phases. Initially, OSSREA took stock of the state of the art in the social sciences particularly in higher education institutions in East Africa. During this phase, discipline-focused workshops and conferences enabled OSSREA to assess the needs in this area and address them within the limits of its capacity.
This activity led to the second phase, during which OSSREA extensively involved itself in capacity building. The small-grant social science and gender issues competitions program was the vehicle that it used to build research capacity. OSSREA's publications served as the medium for disseminating the research results of the young scholars to students, other researchers and policy-makers.
During the third phase, attempts were made to address the issue of retaining this research capacity once it is built and facilitating the utilization of the human capital built and the knowledge generated by these trained researchers. At this point, it is important to underscore the fact that these phases are overlapping and all of them remain the major concern of OSSREA up until now.
OSSREA's efforts to promote the study of and research in the social sciences are a product of its realization that higher education institutions and research departments of governmental and non-governmental organizations in most countries of the sub-region face a number of constraints.
The constraints that are facing social scientists in our sub-region range from those related to the personal aspect of their career to those related to the work environment. At the personal level, researchers face difficulties such as intellectual isolation and limited opportunities for personal advancement in terms of professional growth, adequate remuneration, training and research opportunities. At the level of the work environment, social scientists lack access to information; inadequate support staff; institutional instability and weak facilities for acquiring research funds. These limitations have impacted negatively on the quality of the research produced. At the national level, social scientists face a lack of demand for research by decision-makers; a lack of scientific culture; obstacles posed by bureaucratic rigidity and political instability.
These constraints have led the highly trained human capital in the countries of the sub-region to flow to a more accommodating working environment outside the continent. They have also tempted graduate students to stay in the scholarship offering countries of the North for as long as possible. This process of brain-drain stands as a witness to the depleted research capacity of the countries in the sub-region and in Africa as a whole.
It is to remedy this situation that OSSREA adopted research capacity-building at various levels as one of its missions. The continuation of the small-grant research competitions, the support of national workshops, the launching of the research methodology institute for young researchers, and the dissemination of research outputs through various OSSREA publications have all been geared towards capacity building, and have so far made a significant contribution in this respect.
However, OSSREA also realized that it is not enough to build capacity unless the capacity built can be retained. Over the last three years, therefore, OSSREA has undertaken a number initiatives which will hopefully help to retain the capacity built. Such initiatives include the launching of the distinguished visiting scholars program, the launching of a support scheme for selected centers of excellence, and the establishment of a research fund for senior scholars. The ultimate goal of these measures is to realize the strategic objective of creating an African research tradition. The achievement of such an objective can only take place through the promotion and support of the sub-region's intellectual elite who are in a position to make original contributions to knowledge locally, regionally and globally.
The steps taken so far in this direction could not have happened without the generous support of a number of donors. The major ones among these are Ford Foundation, International Development Research Center (IDRC), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida/SAREC), The Netherlands government, Norwegian Council of Universities (NUFU), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The 6th Congress itself would not have been possible without the generous support of these donors as well as of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) who made it possible for a number of participants to attend. The UNECA has come up with this support in the context of strengthening its links and partnership with OSSREA and similar networks, which is a welcome initiative. OSSREA is indebted to all these donors.
The following sections of the report will give an account of OSSREA's activities since the 1996 Congress and propose the way forward. Also a highlight of the outcome of the external evaluations of OSSREA by some of its donors is provided.
2. Summary of Activities, 1997-2000
2.1 Research Competitions for Young Scholars
OSSREA has continued with its annual research competitions in the social science topics and gender issues. The program primarily aims at addressing the problem of securing research funds, which young scholars in the sub-region constantly face. OSSREA pursues a policy of encouraging women scholars to apply for the competitions. The minimum educational requirement for female applicants is a bachelor's degree whereas it is a master's degree for male applicants. This program also includes winners workshops through which the selected researchers get comments and suggestions from the OSSREA jury and other resource persons for improving their research proposal. The OSSREA jury is drawn from various countries and disciplines to match the geographical and methodological diversity of the proposals.
OSSREA intends to continue with these research competitions because they have resulted in good quality research that could serve as the basis for the development of teaching materials as well as provide deeper insights to policy-makers on various development problems and possible solutions. In addition to the contribution of the research findings to the body of knowledge in the particular field, the fact that the research competitions enable the winners to gain extensive experience in field research contributes to building the research capacity of their respective institutions in terms of upgrading the quality of their human resources.
During the 1997-2000 period, OSSREA announced the 11th, 12th and 13th social science research competitions and the 9th, 10th and 11th Gender Issues Research Competitions. A total of 319 proposals were received from Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
2.1.1 Social Science Research Competitions
Under this program, research proposals are received annually from a wide range of social science disciplines. Priorities are often given to proposals focusing on Environment, Conflict, and Regional Economic Integration. During the period 1997-1999, OSSREA received a total of 141 proposals for the 11th, 12th and 13th Social Science Research Competitions. Thirty-three applicants (23%) were women and 108 applicants (77%) were men. Out of the 141 applicants, OSSREA approved and awarded funds to 33 of the applicants. Out of these winners, 12 have completed and submitted their research reports; 19 are on schedule and 2 are behind schedule. (See Annex 2 for details).
2.1.2 Gender Issues Research Competitions
Under this program OSSREA awards small grants annually to gender-focused researches. During the period 1997-1999, the 9th, 10th and 11th Gender Issues Research Competitions were announced and a total of 178 proposals were received. Eighty-eight of the applicants or 49.4% were women and 90 applicants or 49.6% were men. The participation of women researchers has shown an improvement in this competition than in the Social Science Research Competition. Out of the total of 178 applications, OSSREA approved and awarded funds to 42 of them. Out of the total approved and funded researches, 19 have been completed and submitted; 22 are on schedule and only one is behind schedule. (See Annex 3 for details).
2.2 Research Grants for Senior Scholars
The objective of this program is to provide senior scholars with an opportunity to carry out high level research that is on a par with international standards. This program has been initiated to retain the capacity built in programs designed for young scholars in the last two decades and to give other senior scholars within the OSSREA network an opportunity to do serious research rather than be caught by the consultancy trap. The initiative for such a grant was prompted by the fact that research funds in educational institutions in our region are either scarce or unavailable. Even with the small amount that may be found, the share of the social sciences is minimal. It was to fill this gap that the senior scholars fund was initiated. Presently, `planning funds' have been received from NORAD. A planning committee of senior scholars will meet by August to determine the mechanism for operationalizing the Fund.
2.3 Research Methodology Training
This program was established after reviewing the weaknesses observed in OSSREA's research competitions program. OSSREA recognized that there is a gap in methodological approach for conducting research. The training program is part of OSSREA's effort to upgrade the research skills of staff in various research and teaching institutions of the sub-region. The program was initially aimed at research methodology instructors in the universities. However, it has now been decided to extend it to young researchers working for government institutions and NGOs.
The training modules were prepared by a consultative group comprising senior scholars who are well-versed in research methodologies in the social sciences. The modules included sections on philosophical issues in social science research, proposal writing, and qualitative as well as quantitative research. After the consultative group finalized the preparations, a review workshop was held. The workshop brought together research methodology instructors from the University of Botswana, Addis Ababa University, Egerton University, University of Khartoum, Kenyatta University, National University of Rwanda, University of Swaziland, University of Dar es Salaam, Makerere University and University of Zimbabwe. The first summer school training will start this year.
2.4 Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program
This program is aimed at allowing scholars in the sub-region to visit various universities and research institutions. The specific objectives of the program are the following.
· To create a network of direct contacts between distinguished scholars in the universities of the sub-region;
· To give a chance to African scholars to discuss their new ideas with colleagues, students and policy-makers in various countries before committing them to publications that in most cases circulate outside the sub-region and do not reach the source country.
To start the implementation of this program, OSSREA has recently established a jury that will select the most eligible candidates. So far, the response to the announcement of the program has been encouraging and a long list of applicants will be considered by the jury in early June 2000.
2.5 The OSSREA Environmental Forum
The Forum was created by the researchers who did the evaluation of the environmental plans in the regions of Eastern and Southern Africa. Upon accomplishing their mission of evaluating the plans, which resulted in an international publication and eight other reports to be published by the OSSREA Secretariat, this group decided to establish the Environment Forum as a follow up to their activities. The Forum plans to pursue research on the following issues:
i) Environmental Strategies, Policies, Laws and Regulations;
ii) Environmental Education/Awareness in Eastern and Southern Africa; and
iii) Local/Indigenous Knowledge in Natural Resource Management.
The forum provides an opportunity to social scientists to work with natural scientists. The ongoing specialized research projects of OSSREA largely focus on environment and sustainable development.
2.6 Activities of OSSREA National Chapters
During the reporting period, OSSREA has given much emphasis to decentralized activities at the country level. This has been done following the recommendations of external evaluators who pointed out that OSSREA's decentralized activities were limited. In response to this suggestion, OSSREA has undertaken several activities, including the opening of additional chapter offices, the strengthening of already created national chapters, and the increase of contacts between the Secretariat and the liaison officers.
Currently, OSSREA has national chapters in 12 countries, namely, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. OSSREA's liaison officers in these countries organize national workshops where research papers on topics of relevance to the member country are presented and discussed by a wide spectrum of interested researchers, academics and policy-makers. During the 1997-1999 period, OSSREA's chapters organized national workshops in seven member countries under the following themes.
1. Indigenous Knowledge System in Ethiopia. 4 March 2000, Graduate School Hall, Addis Ababa University.
2. The Role of Research in Social, Economic and Political Transformation in Kenya. 13-14 November 1998.
3. Economy, Poverty, Banking, Development and Environment in Rwanda. 8-10 September 1999, Rwanda.
4. Privatization in the Sudan. November 1997, Sudan.
5. Socio-Economic Aspects of Health Services in the Sudan. 28-29 April 1999, Khartoum, Sudan.
6. Issues in the Economy and Politics of Swaziland since 1968. 24-25 April 1997.
7. Poverty Alleviation in Tanzania. 17 April 1997, Tanzania.
8. Development Issues and Structural Adjustment in Tanzania. 26 February 1999, Tanzania.
9. Poverty and Environment in Uganda. 27 January 1999, St. Augustine Students Center, Uganda.
10. Environmental, Social and Economic Development Issues in Zambia's Third Republic. 26 August 1998.
11. Popular Participation in Development. 15 September 1998, Zimbabwe.
Some of the chapters have already institutionalized an annual day for OSSREA where publicity is given to the organization's activities. However, planning for more support to the liaison offices is underway. The annual meeting of the liaison officers has been a good opportunity for exchanging views and proposing new activities.
2.7 Publications
The principal outreach instruments of OSSREA are its publications. The publications produced by OSSREA are of the following type. (See Annex 4 for outputs during the period 1996-99).
· Books
· Biannual journal (Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review)
· Social Science Research Report Series
· Gender Issues Research Report Series
· Environmental Forum Publications Series
· Dryland Husbandry Publications Series
· National Workshop Reports
· Workshop Proceedings
· The OSSREA Newsletter.
By April 2000, there were about 35 institutional subscribers and 350 members who regularly received the Eastern African Social Science Research Review. Most of these institutional subscribers and members are found in Africa, Europe and North America. In addition, complementary copies of the journal are sent to about 25 universities in Eastern and Southern Africa. Research reports of specialized research programs are distributed within their respective network. For instance, DHP-publications are primarily distributed to academic institutions, government and non-government agencies under the DHP Network, collaborating institutions such as Environmental Policy and Society, Sweden; Pastoral Information Network Program, University of Nairobi; and participating countries, i.e., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Complementary copies of OSSREA Newsletter are regularly sent to all subscribers and members. Each issue of the Newsletter also presents the latest publications of OSSREA. Copies of all publications are sent to donors, and an acknowledgement of the donors' support is always included in each publication.
OSSREA participated in the Zimbabwe International Book Fair held in 1998 and 1999. Copies of all publications of the Organization were displayed at the Fair. Similarly, some of OSSREA's publications were also displayed during the African Studies Association meeting in USA in 1999. This effort was made in order to promote the dissemination of the publications, a task which still requires a lot to be done. Efforts to link up with international distribution networks are underway. The OSSREA web site carries the full content of the newsletter and abstracts of the articles in the journal; it also announces new publications. Further efforts are underway to improve the information available on this web site.
2.8 Specialized Research Programs and Collaborations
2.8.1 Dryland Husbandry Project (DHP)
DHP is a decentralized project coordinated by OSSREA within the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) sub-region. The DHP Project is financed by Sida/SAREC. The objective of this project is to address the crises of livelihoods in the drylands - pastoral and agro-pastoral areas - of East Africa in the 1990s and beyond. The implementation of the Project began in 1995 and it is now in its second phase. DHP activities include capacity building at the community level, participatory action-oriented research, indigenous knowledge, networking and policy dialogue. Participating countries include Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. Attempts are also being made to expand DHP activities to Djibouti, Somalia and Tanzania.
At the international level, DHP complements with the Pastoral Information Network Program (PINEP), University of Nairobi, Kenya, and Environmental Policy and Society (EPOS), Linköping University, Sweden. PINEP is a M.Sc training program in Range Management. EPOS represents SIDA and is giving backstopping in the DHP action-oriented research and in the training program. In 1999, DHP, PINEP and EPOS initiated a framework called the "Regional Dryland Program in Eastern Africa: Training and Research for Sustainable Livelihoods" (REDPA), to create a stronger link, synergy and synchronization in their project activities.
It has invariably been recognized that government policies in the IGAD countries have marginalized pastoral and agro-pastoral areas. One of the objectives of DHP is to sensitize and involve government experts in dialogue with pastoralists at the grassroots level through local and regional workshops. The trend in this direction is encouraging. The other objective is to work with pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in building competence for sustainable livelihoods. This is being realized with the training of paravets from amongst pastoralists and the introduction of animal feed at the community and household levels. Attempts are also being made to use indigenous knowledge in water conservation and use in the dryland areas. Various gender-related issues have been discussed in the country-project areas. In general, DHP's attempt to help pastoralists and agro-pastoralists to be sustainable on the one hand and for the formal structures such as governments or NGOs to create mechanisms for policy support and for viable services, though small, are showing encouraging signs.
This project is working in harmony with the other OSSREA projects dealing with issues of natural resources management.
2.8.2 African Drylands Project
The objective of this project is to understand natural resources management in arid and semi-arid environments and various dynamics in the drylands of some African countries such as Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Prior to its transfer to OSSREA, the project was concerned with facilitating the Khartoum Network and the Red Sea Research Program of the Khartoum-Bergen University Collaboration. The project is financed by the Norwegian Council of Universities (NUFU) and is run in collaboration with the Center for Development Studies (CDS) in the University of Bergen.
This project is now in its final stage. The preparation of a proposal for a new phase is underway. Two publications comprising proceedings of the workshops are being prepared and should be out soon. A third publication is due later this year. Topics of researches conducted under this program are presented in Annex 5. In addition to knowledge generated on resource management in the Drylands, the project has paid special attention to capacity building by providing opportunities for training of young scholars.
2.8.3 Pastoralism and Resource Competition Project
This is a capacity-building project aimed at conducting research by East African scientists on pastoralism and resource competition, the latter of which generates conflicts between pastoral and non-pastoral land users under conditions of increasing scarcity of resources. This project is a collaborative research between OSSREA and the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Netherlands. OSSREA's interest in this research is in line with its mission of promoting African generated research. Countries covered under this research program include Botswana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.
The project has now been completed and monographs presenting the research results are being published. One of the most interesting experiences of the project is the closing conference which brought face to face the researchers, policy-makers, leaders of institutions in the project countries, and pastoralists. Over five languages had to be used in order to give the pastoralists the opportunity to react to the research results. During this meeting, pastoralists from Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda met and decided to seek the support of OSSREA in creating their own network. The OSSREA Secretariat will accept any help in this direction. Also some gray areas have been identified and efforts will be made to address them.
2.8.4 BASIS-OSSREA Research Collaboration
OSSREA has been coordinating two research projects in collaboration with the Broadening Access and Strengthening Input Market Systems (BASIS) since 1997. These are Cross-Border Trade and Food Security in the Horn of Africa and Comparative Water Management Study in East Africa. At the international level, a consortium of various research and donor institutions, of which OSSREA is a member, manages this research collaboration. OSSREA is represented on the Board of Directors of BASIS and has regularly contributed to the discussion at the Board meeting.
The objective of the cross-border trade and food security research is to identify market options for people living in the border areas of some Horn of Africa countries. The research also has the objective of analyzing the situation to determine how the available market options influence food security in these borderlands. A background for this inquiry is the fact that people in the borderlands of the Horn of Africa are more integrated culturally, socially and economically to each other than to other people found in the central areas in their respective countries.
Since the start of this program, OSSREA has finalized a research report on Cross-border Livestock Trade and Food Security in the Southern and South-Eastern Borderlands of Ethiopia. The report addressed cross-border trade issues from Ethiopia to Kenya and partly to Southern Somalia. A similar research on Ethiopia-Djibouti and Ethiopia-Northern Somalia borderlands is also in progress. In addition, OSSREA is discussing with BASIS the issue of considering other border sites.
The African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) is another BASIS partner under the BASIS-OSSREA program. ACTS is now undertaking a research on "Changing Tenure Patterns, Policy and Institutional Responses to Water Management in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Kenya and Tanzania".
2.8.5 IDRC-OSSREA Research Collaboration
The IDRC has provided OSSREA with funds for a project titled "Capacity Building, Evaluation and Social Analysis in Resource Management". The primary objective of the project is for OSSREA to assist in improving the quality of delivery of projects funded by IDRC through its "People Land and Water (PLaW)" program. Project activities include review of project proposals submitted to IDRC for funding, monitoring and evaluation of research projects, and assisting in training of project staff in participatory research, socio-economic and gender-based approaches as well as inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches to study various problems. The program covers Africa and the Middle East. To date, two proposals, submitted from Sudan and Yemen, have been reviewed through OSSREA. The project coordinator has visited Yemen and helped IDRC researchers there to develop a project proposal. He also attended a meeting of IDRC project leaders in Syria. At present, preparation is underway for a research methodology workshop to be attended by IDRC project staff in Africa. This will take place later this year at the headquarters of the OSSREA Secretariat in Addis Ababa.
2.8.6 Supporting Centers of Excellence
In collaboration with the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen, Norway, OSSREA supports the MA program in Anthropology within the Sociology Department of Addis Ababa University. During the reporting period, one professor completed his terms of two academic years and another professor is now in his second year. Several countries in the Horn and Eastern Africa have no graduate training program in Social Anthropology. Therefore, OSSREA is currently undertaking a study to upgrade this program into a sub-regional MA program. OSSREA also provides support to the masters program of the Pastoral Information Network Program, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
With the aim of building capacity in teaching and research institutions in the sub-region, OSSREA will continue to reinforce this experience and raise the necessary resources to support such centers. This activity shall be closely linked to the senior scholars program and the distinguished visiting scholars program.
2.8.7 Strengthening African Studies
This project is managed by the University of Illinois while OSSREA collaborates as a sub-grantee. The objective of the project is to strengthen African studies. The project has three sets of activities:
i) Student training, research and internship, which involve both University of Illinois's students and African students as well as junior faculty;
ii) Collaborative research between faculty and their counterparts connected to the OSSREA network; and
iii) Collaborative activities involving joint symposium, publication of the proceedings of the symposium, and electronic communication and training.
This project has been very slow in progress and the Secretariat will be reconsidering its performance and make the necessary arrangement to improve it.
2.8.8 The New Africa Initiative Program
The objective of this program is to help create and foster a tolerant and democratic culture in the younger sections of the populations of East Africa, namely, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The program comprises Uongozi School, Kituo Cha Katiba or the East African Center for Constitutional Development (EACODEV), the Series on Alternative Research in East Africa Trust (SAREAT), Development Through Media (DTM) and the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). OSSREA organized two workshops in 1997 and 1998 under the theme of `New Africa Initiative: Working for Synergy'.
OSSREA's role has been that of a facilitator so far. The Ford Foundation has provided OSSREA with funds to bring together the various actors in the project so as to review its activities and plan its future. This task shall be accomplished before the end of this year.
2.8.9 Land Tenure Network for Sub-Saharan Africa
OSSREA collaborates with the Department for International Development (DFID) for the establishment of a land tenure network for Sub-Saharan Africa. For this purpose a workshop was held in January 2000 in Addis Ababa. The purpose of the Workshop was to develop a practical framework for a program of African-driven network activities on land tenure and land policy for continued learning, information exchange, collaborative research and capacity building for policy debate and practical implementation, involving governments and civil society.
The workshop was attended by participants from 18 African countries, namely, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In addition, regional, bilateral and multilateral institutions such as Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), DFID, FAO, GTZ, IFAD, IIED, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural Resources Institute (Greenwich University, U.K.), OXFAM, SIDA, UNECA and the World Bank have also participated.
OSSREA was unanimously selected to assume the responsibility of coordinating the sub-regional networks during the interim period of one to two years. OSSREA was also selected to act as a lead institution that would undertake a regional networking study for the Horn of Africa.
2.9 Workshops, Conferences and Seminars Attended
OSSREA has frequently been invited by several institutions to participate in international and regional workshops, conferences and seminars. The following are some of the themes of meetings attended during the 1997-1999 period.
· The Agenda for Policy Oriented Research: Priorities for African Development, organized by the Organization of African Unity, Nairobi, Kenya.
· NGO Working Groups on the World Bank, Fourth Africa Regional Meeting, 4-7 August 1997, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
· Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales, XVIII General Assembly and 30th Anniversary, 24-28 November 1997, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
· The Promotion of Rational Use of Rangelands and Development of Fodder Crops in the Context of Regional Action Program to Combat Desertification in Africa, organized by UNCCD, 4-7 August 1998, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
· A Network for the Integrated Management of International River, Lake and Hydrological Basins in Africa in the Context of the Regional Action Program to Combat Desertification in Africa, organized by the UNCCD, 29 September-2 October, 1998, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
· Upscalling and Mainstreaming Participation of Primary Stakeholders: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward, 19-20 Nov. 1998, Washington, D.C.
· International Workshop on Strategies for Sustainable Development in Dryland Areas of East Africa, 9-12 Nov. 1998, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
· Cross-Regional Networks in Africa: Towards a Strategic Framework, organized by Social Science Research Council and the Association of African Universities, 9-10 April 1999, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
· Capacity Building and the Promotion of an Enabling Environment within the Context of the Regional Action Program to Combat Desertification in Africa, organized by the UNCCD, 20-23 July 1999, Harare, Zimbabwe.
· Internationalization and the Social Sciences in Africa, organized by Social Science Research Council and the Association of African Universities, 2-3 August 1999, Cape Town, South Africa.
· Europe and the South in the 21st Century, 9th EADI General Conference, European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes, 22-25 September 1999, Paris, France.
· Africa in the Third Millennium: Trade and Growth with Equity, All Africa Conference, 18-20 October 1999, Gaborone, Botswana.
· 42nd Meeting of the African Studies Association on `Listening to' and `Interpreting' Africa for the New Millennium, 11-14 November 1999, Philadelphia, USA.
3.1 Administration
Executive Committee Meetings: The OSSREA Executive Committee is the highest decision-making organ next to the Congress. It is responsible for managing all operations of OSSREA. It ensures that the objectives and planned activities are effectively implemented. Since its election in the last Congress, the Executive Committee has met six times at the Secretariat's headquarters. The Committee's regular evaluations of OSSREA's activities have been vital to the overall management of the organization. The following summary shows the meeting dates and agenda.
Meeting Date |
Agenda |
1-4 April 1997 |
Program of activities for 1997-1999 and measures to strengthen OSSREA |
8 September 1997 |
OSSREA activities |
30 March 98 |
OSSREA activities |
2-3 September 1999 |
OSSREA activities and preparation of Sixth Congress |
29 April 1999 |
OSSREA activities and progress in the preparation of Sixth Congress |
01-02 February 2000 |
OSSREA activities and progress in the preparation of Sixth Congress |
Personnel: Since the last Congress (1996), OSSREA's staff at the Secretariat have been increasing steadily. Currently (April 2000), OSSREA has a total of 19 staff members. The Executive Secretary, who is also a member of the OSSREA Executive Committee, is the head of the Secretariat's office in Addis Ababa. The rest of the staff includes one regional project coordinator for Dryland Husbandry Project, one publications officer, one project coordinator for IDRC-OSSREA Research Collaboration (part-time), two program officers, one administrative assistant, three secretaries, two accountants, one librarian, one store-keeper and five office assistants. The 12 liaison officers also manage decentralized activities of OSSREA in their respective countries. Some of the liaison officers are assisted by a small committee to run the activities of the chapter at the national level.
Infrastructure: OSSREA's three-story building was inaugurated in September 1997. This is a considerable achievement for the organization in terms of infrastructure facility. It is now contributing a lot in facilitating the organization's activities at the Secretariat's office in Addis Ababa. There have also been improvements in communication infrastructure. The organization is now accessible on the Internet under an independent web page (http://www.ossrea.org). Other communication facilities such as telephone and e-mail have also been expanded.
3.2 Finance
During the 1997-1999 period, OSSREA received core and project support funds from a number of donors. Its expenditures comprise research grant awards, research workshops and a core support expenditure. OSSREA has a general fund generated from the overhead and other activities undertaken on behalf of some sectors of its constituency. (See balance sheet in Annex 1). Negotiations with some international banks is underway for investing this fund as an interest-generating reserve fund.
OSSREA's annual revenues and budget for research purposes have significantly increased over the years. These increases have necessitated putting in place a financial policy and procedure. Therefore, in the reporting period the OSSREA finance policy and regulation was developed by a group of consultants and endorsed by the Executive Committee in its meeting of 1-2 February 2000. Currently all OSSREA's financial transactions are carried out in accordance with the newly established policy and procedure.
With the aim of modernizing the accounting process, which used to be manually operated, OSSREA introduced a double entry financial system called Peachtree Accounting System. To orient the finance unit staff with the new system, a 40-hour training was given to two members of the unit at Logitron International-Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. During the current transitional phase, the manual system is being gradually phased out while the computerized system is being implemented by stages.
Various funding and collaborating institutions evaluated OSSREA during the past three years. These evaluations were carried out by Ford Foundation, IDRC, NORAD and Sida/SAREC. These evaluations made comparative assessments of output quality and operational efficiency. OSSREA appreciates and uses the comments and recommendations coming from these evaluations. Earlier evaluations (e.g., in 1994) recognized that OSSREA had lived up to its original objectives by achieving a great deal of its targets. During the reporting period, two evaluations of OSSREA were made: one by Sida/SAREC in 1997 and the other by NORAD in 1998. These evaluations were carried out by independent consultants assigned by the respective organizations.
The evaluation by Sida/SAREC is based on the reading of OSSREA's research outputs. The study reviewed the following: (i) 8 research reports derived from the OSSREA Social Science Research Competition, (ii) 2 publications resulting from Gender Issues Research Competition, and (iii) 7 issues of Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review. The assessment appreciated the work of OSSREA and expressed its judgement in the following terms:
Considering the three clusters of OSSREA publications reviewed in this report ... one would be justified in concluding that this organization has done a commendable job, not just by local standards but even in comparison with similar international social science research centers. (SIDA, September-October, 1997, p. 31).
The other evaluation by the Research Council of Norway undertaken in 1998 on behalf of NORAD considered research outputs as well as administration and mode of operation of the organization. This evaluation indicated that the publications are of high international standards and that OSSREA has a good track record in financial accountability in which it has proved its priority to research over administration. The evaluators concluded by saying:
The review team considers OSSREA to be an efficient and effective organization. It has a good track record in terms of accountability and research quality. (The Research Council of Norway, November 1998, p. 65).
Both evaluations indicated that despite the high quality of the outputs, their dissemination, with the exception of the Eastern African Social Science Research Review, was limited. While subscriptions are still limited to this journal and some books, OSSREA has tried to alleviate the problem of dissemination by publicizing its publications on its web page and by informing individuals and institutions in its network through the OSSREA Newsletter.
The evaluations also observed that the organization's decentralized activities were limited. This, therefore, has been an issue that was given emphasis during the reporting period. In addition to strengthening national chapters, activities at the national level were promoted through specialized research projects. Some of these research programs are decentralized activities coordinated from the headquarters and implemented under the supervision of national institutions.
Both evaluations recommended that support to OSSREA, whether in the form of core support or funding for specialized activities, should be continued. The report to NORAD recommended that "NORAD should be willing to consider a contribution to an endowment fund in order to enhance the sustainability and autonomy of OSSREA." In fact it is on the basis of this evaluation that Sida/SAREC have continued and increased their support to OSSREA.
5. The Road Ahea challenges for 2000-2003
An important outcome of the Fifth Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, is the OSSREA Strategic Plan. The future direction of OSSREA is spelled out in this plan. The plan, among others, indicated OSSREA's resources, constraints, dilemmas, prospects and opportunities. Based on the assessment of these situations, the strategic plan identified the OSSREA Mission and Strategic Objectives.
In order to achieve the objectives, a number of activities that were mentioned in the annual reports and Executive Secretary's report were undertaken. One of the most important tasks accomplished by the Secretariat was raising funds to ensure the continuity of the research competitions, publications and implementation of the specialized programs. These activities were all geared toward building capacity in order to achieve the objective of creating an African research tradition and establishing an effective interface between policy and research. During this process, OSSREA has also improved its governance and structure, and put into effect specific rules and regulations applying to the activities at the Secretariat and the national chapters.
Building capacity by supporting and encouraging research and workshops, and producing publications were also major activities which OSSREA has been pursuing. Furthermore, networking among individual members, national institutions and collaborating institutions from the North has been an important channel of contact facilitated by the currently available information technology.
It was noted that our existing research competition program favors the young researchers. However, after twenty years of existence the young scholars of yesterday have become senior ones and unless they are catered for in OSSREA's activities they might not stay in research and teaching institutions, given the condition of these institutions in our part of the continent. That is why OSSREA, with the support of NORAD, is starting the research fund that will offer an opportunity for senior scholars to make major contributions to knowledge not only in their institutions and region but also beyond. The ultimate goal of the senior scholars program is to help promote an intellectual elite who will leave their finger prints in both the academic community and the society at large. A board will be established to govern this research fund and oversee its output.
More activities should be undertaken by the liaison officers and national chapters. The tradition of having an OSSREA Day and a national workshop should be strengthened. The head office will make all the necessary efforts to make the activities at the country level more extensive and ensure the visibility of OSSREA in the region. Collaboration with research and educational institutions shall be strengthened between now and the Seventh Congress.
Among the major activities that the Secretariat will undertake is the revisit to the discipline workshops. It has been over 15 years since the first workshop assessing the state of art in the social sciences took place. Many changes have taken place since then and it is high time that we reassessed the relevance of what has been produced by scholars from the sub-region, what they teach and the relevance of this to the development process in the sub-region and within the context of the global system. Out of this assessment, centers of excellence can be identified and OSSREA shall make all efforts to support them based on the experience it has already gained. Also workshops and conferences on topics of significance such as conflict resolution and prevention, poverty and AIDS, shall be included in the next three years' plan of our activities. The accumulation of knowledge on these topics will be of significance to the academic circles as well as to the policy- and decision-makers.
Visibility as well as expansion of both activities and membership shall be among the major tasks for the future. Use shall be made of communication technology. All materials in the present data bank and the publications shall be put on CD-ROM and made available to members, classrooms, policy-makers and relevant organizations in the international community. The issue of sustainability shall always be a major concern to OSSREA and we shall work hard toward the achievement of this goal.
ANNEX 1 : Balance Sheet as at 31 December 1999
Current Assets |
USD |
Cash at banks and on hand* |
1,827,338.48 |
Accounts Receivable** |
1,132.98 |
Total Current Assets |
1,828,471.46 |
| |
Less: Accounts Payable |
3,987.34 |
|
1,824,484.12 |
Represented by |
|
| |
Accumulated funds brought forward |
1,298,046.54 |
|
|
Ad Excess of income over expenditure |
|
From January 1st through December 31st 1999 |
526,437.58 |
Total (Includes funds committed for ongoing projects) |
1,824,484.12 |
* Cash at bank and on hand |
|
This consists of the following: |
|
FCY Dollar A/C |
1,825,509.77 |
NT Birr A/C |
960.24 |
Petty Cash |
868.47 |
|
1,827,338.48 |
**Accounts Receivable |
|
This represents staff travel and salary advance |
|
|
|
ANNEX 2: SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COMPETITIONS (SSRC): PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED, 1997-1999
Country |
1997 11th SSRC |
1998 12th SSRC |
1999 13th SSRC |
Total | |||
|
Submtd. |
Aprvd. |
Submtd. |
Aprvd. |
Submtd. |
Apprvd. |
|
Botswana |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Burundi |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
Ethiopia |
8 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
25 |
Kenya |
18 |
2 |
16 |
5 |
14 |
3 |
58 |
Lesotho |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Malawi |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
Rwanda |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
S/Africa |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
Sudan |
8 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
Swaziland |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Tanzania |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
Uganda |
16 |
3 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
- |
34 |
Zambia |
4 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
Zimbabwe |
4 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
Country not stated |
- |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
Total |
61 |
12 |
46 |
13 |
33 |
8 |
173 |
ANNEX 3 : GENDER ISSUES RESEARCH COMPETITIONS (GIRC): PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED, 1997-1999
Country |
1997 9th GIRC |
1998 10th GIRC |
1999 11th GIRC |
Total | |||
|
Submtd. |
Aprvd. |
Submtd. |
Aprvd. |
Submtd. |
Aprvd. |
|
Botswana |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
3 |
Burundi |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Ethiopia |
9 |
1 |
12 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
38 |
Kenya |
12 |
4 |
21 |
3 |
19 |
5 |
64 |
Lesotho |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Malawi |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
5 |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
Rwanda |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
S/Africa |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
- |
7 |
Sudan |
7 |
1 |
4 |
- |
1 |
- |
13 |
Swaziland |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
6 |
Tanzania |
1 |
1 |
5 |
- |
1 |
- |
8 |
Uganda |
31 |
6 |
12 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
56 |
Zambia |
2 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
Zimbabwe |
4 |
- |
3 |
1 |
3 |
- |
11 |
Country not stated |
- |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
Total |
71 |
15 |
66 |
15 |
42 |
12 |
221 |
Books
Ahmed, Abdel Ghaffar M., and Hassan A. Abdel Ati, ed. Managing Scarcity: Human Adaptation in East African Drylands. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1996.
Ahmed, Abdel Ghaffar M., and Wilfred Mlay, ed. Environment and Sustainable Development in Eastern and Southern Africa: Some Critical Issues. London: Macmillan, in Association with OSSREA, 1998.
Salih, M. A. Mohamed, and Shibru Tedla, ed. Environmental Planning, Policies and Politics in Eastern and Southern Africa. London: Macmillan, in Association with OSSREA, 1999.
Manger, Leif, and Abdel Ghaffar M. Ahmed, ed. Pastoralists and Environment: Experiences from the Greater Horn of Africa. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 2000.
Journal
Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review 13, no. 1 (January 1997) & no. 2 (June 1997).
Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review 14, no. 1 (January 1998) & no. 2 (June 1998).
Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review 15, no. 1 (January 1999) & no. 2 (June 1999).
Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review 16, no. 1 (January 2000)
Social Science Research Report Series
Samita, Zacharia W. Christian Crusades in Nairobi: An Analysis of Socio-Religious Factors Underlying Their Upsurge. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 9. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Suliman, Abdel Hameed Elias. The Impact of Structural Adjustment Programs on the Health Sector in the Sudan: A Case of Khartoum State. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 10. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1999.
Sahal, Ibrahim Mohamed G. Crossing the Poverty Line: The Destiny of Sudanese Middle-class Public Sector Employees. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 11. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1999.
Ibrahi, Abdel-Rahman A. The Development of the Livestock Sector in the Sudan: A Case Study of Public Policy Analysis. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 12. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1999.
Misana, Salome B. Deforestation in Tanzania: A Development Crisis? The Experience of Kahama District. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 13. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1999.
Mwafongo, Welbon M. K. An Exploratory Study of Land Use, Management and Degradation: West Malombe Catchment, Mangochi RDP, Malawi. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 14. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 2000.
Tegegne Gebre Egziabher. Non-farm Activities and Production Decisions of Farmers: The Cases of Damotgale and Kachabira Weredas in Southern Region of Ethiopia. Social Science Research Report Series, no. 15. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 2000.
Gender Issues Research Report Series
Fuuna, Peter. The Impact of Structural Adjustment Policy on the Energy Crisis and the Environment: A Gender Comparative Study of Rural and Urban Households. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 1. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1997.
Ongile, Grace. Determinants of Women's Participation in Industry and Service Sectors. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 2. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1997.
Sachikonye, L. M. Female Workers in Agribusiness in Zimbabwe. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 3. Addis Ababa: OSSRERA, 1997.
Nangendo, Stevie M. The Web of Poverty: Women and Sugarcane Farming in Bokoli Location, Bungoma District, Kenya. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 4. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Peace, Habomugisha. Organisational Commitment of Female Lecturers in Higher Institutions of Learning in Uganda: Its Nature and Determinant Factors, 1975-1993. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 5. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998 .
Mwai, Wangari. Song as a Protest Tool for the Women in the Swahili Speaking Muslim Community: A Case Study of Two Interior Settlements in Kisumu Municipality. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 6. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Simala, Inyani K. Sexist Overtones in Kiswahili Female Metaphors: A Critical Analysis. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 7. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Malunga, Jane Seruwagi. Women Employees in the Informal Sector Kampala, Uganda. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 8. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Rutashobya, Lettice Kinunda. Women Entrepreneurship in Tanzania: Entry and Performance Barriers. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 9. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
Pule, Neville, and Khabele Matlosa. The Impact of Retrenched Returnees on Gender Relations in Rural Lesotho. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 10. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 2000.
Mugambe, Beatrice. Women's Roles in Armed Conflict and Their Marginalization in the Governance of Post-conflict Society: The Case of Luwero Triangle. Gender Issues Research Report Series, no. 11. Addis Ababa: Commercial Printing Enterprise, 2000.
Environmental Forum Publications Series
Shibru Tedla and Kifle Lemma. Environmental Management in Ethiopia: Have the National Conservation Plans Worked? Environmental Forum Publications Series, no. 1. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1998.
DHP Publications Series
Tegegne Teka, ed. Dryland Husbandry in Kenya. DHP Publications Series, no. 2. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1997.
Fetenu Bekele. The Gender Dimension in Development Projects: Concepts, Approaches and Framework for Gender Analysis. DHP Publications Series, no. 3. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1997.
Abbas, Babiker. Ethnoveterinary Practices of Camel Pastoralists in Butana: North Eastern Sudan. DHP Publications Series, no. 4. Addis Ababa: OSSREA, 1997.
Newsletter
OSSREA Newsletter 15, no. 1 (February 1997), no. 2 (June 1997) & no. 3 (October 1997).
OSSREA Newsletter 16, no. 1 (February 1998), no. 2 (June 1998) & no. 3 (October 1998).
OSSREA Newsletter 17, no. 1 (February 1999), no. 2 (June 1999) & no. 3 (October 1999).
OSSREA Newsletter 18, no. 1 (February 2000).
ANNEX 5 : TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE AFRICAN DRYLANDS PROJECT
1. From Adaptation to Marginalization: The Political Ecology of Subsistence Crises among the Hadendawa Pastoralists of Eastern Sudan.
2. External Pressures on Indigenous Resource Management Systems: A Case from the Red Sea Area, Eastern Sudan.
3. Agriculture and Pastoralism in Karamoja: Competing or Complementary Forms of Resource Use.
4. Management of Aridity: Water Conservation and Procurement in Dar Hamar, Western Sudan.
5. Subsistence Economy, Environmental Awareness and Resource Management in Um Kaddada Province, Northern Darfur State.
6. Economic Strategies of Diversification among the Sedentary Afar of Wahdes, North Eastern Ethiopia.
7. Management of Scarce Resources: Dryland Pastoralism among the Zaghawa of Chad and Crisis of Eighties.
8. Resource Management in Eritrean Drylands: Case Studies from the Central Highlands and Eastern Lowlands.
9. Survival Strategies in the Ethiopian Drylands: The Case of the Afar Pastoralists of the Awash Valley.
10. State Policy and Pastoral Production Systems: The Integral Land Use Plan of Rawashda Forest, Eastern Sudan.
11. Land Tenure and Pastoral Planning in the Red Sea Hills.
12. Property and Social Relations in Turkana, Kenya.
13. An Overview of Root Causes of Problems That Currently Affect Borana Pastoralists of Southern Ethiopia.
14. Land Alienation in Borana: Some Land Tenure Issues in a Pastoral Context in Ethiopia.
15. Copping by Smuggling in the Horn of Africa.
16. Changing Resource Tenure among the Borana Oromo in Southern Ethiopia: The Dynamics of Resource Privatization.
17. Dry Farming in Sudan: Low Inputs and Low Sustainability.
18. Wisdom and Skills: How Traditional Farmers and Pstoralists Respond to Hazards in the Sahel.
19. Local Livelihoods and Society: Social and Cultural Factors in the Utilization of Natural Resources, the Case of Zeghe Peninsula in Northern Ethiopia.
20. Tumbak Production and Marketing in Sudan: Case Study of Kafoat, Northern Darfur.
21. Traditional Pastoralism along the Nile Belt in Northern Sudan and Prospects of the Future.
22. From Nomadism to Farming: The Case of Hawawir of Northern Sudan.
23. Studies of Pastoral Nomadism in the Sudan: An Overview.
24. Replacing the Pastoral Staff.
25. Pastoralism, Ownership of Resource and Management: The Status of the Nuer Women in Ethiopian Jikaw District, Ethiopia.
26. Survival under Stress: The Rufa'a Al-Hoi of the Southern Funj, Sudan.
27. De-stigmatizing Food-for-Work in Rural Public Works: Implications for Food Security and Rural Development.
ANNEX 6 : TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE PASTORAL RESOURCE COMPETITION PROJECT
1. Nomadic Pastoralism and a Frontier Zone: Political Constraints and Economic Marginalization.
2. Resource Competition among the Dankil of Eritrea.
3. The Civil War in Northern Somalia: Its Impact on Pastoralists with Special Reference to Women and Children.
4. Conflicts over Resources and the Decline of Somali Pastoralism.
5. The Restructuring of Government Sponsored Ranching Schemes and Pastoral Production in Uganda.
6. Pastoral Institutions and Development: The Karimojong Experience, Uganda.
7. Trends of Changes in the Pastoral Land Tenure and Resource Conflict: Afar Pastoralists, Amibara District, Northeastern Ethiopia.
8. Adaptation of Pastoralist Production Systems to Market Opportunities and the Changing Gender Roles.
9. From "Crisis in Survival" to "Survival in Crisis": Dar Hamar Pastoralism.
10. Survival under Pressure: The Case of Pastoralism after the Expansion of Rainfed Agriculture in Southeastern Sudan.
11. Resource Conflicts in Contemporary Africa.
12. Agricultural Policies and their Impact on Pastoralists in the Horn of Africa.
13. Action Research in Post-conflict Situations.
14. Immediate Needs Seen from a Distance.
15. Pastoral Commercialization: A Risky Business?
16. Resource Conflicts and Sustainable Development: The Case of Botswana.
17. Conflicts over Access to Natural Resources and Institutional Mechanisms for Their Resolution and Management: The Case of the Karrayu and Their Neighbors, Ethiopia.
ANNEX 7: TOPICS OF RESEARCHES CONDUCTED UNDER THE BASIS-OSSREA RESEARCH COLLABORATION PROGRAM
1. Research Methods on Cross-border Trade in the Horn of Africa: Further Observations.
2. Cross-border Livestock Trade and Food Security in Southern and South-Eastern Borderlands of Ethiopia.
3. Cross-border Trade and Food Security in the Ethiopia-Djibouti Borderlands (research in progress).
4. Changing Tenure Patterns, Policy and Institutional Responses to Water Management in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Kenya and Tanzania (research undertaken by the African Centre for Technology Studies).