OIL, LAND, LEMURS, AND AFRICAN POLITICS Africa’s Natural Wealth Is Immense Puzzle: Rich Continent, Poor People Explanations Distribution Human Pressures Politics Conclusions

OIL

AFRICA’S OIL 3.8 m barrels per day (2005) 38% US and Canada 35% Asia-Pacific 20% Europe 5% Latin America 2% Africa

FORESTS

Africa’s Forests: Significance Fuel wood Building Materials Income Agricultural land Medicine Spirituality and Cultural Survival Biodiversity Recreation Carbon Sequestration Climate Regulation

Biodiversity Hotspots & Environmental Services

DEVELOPMENT POLITICS: POLITICS OF ALIENATION Welfare (Security, Prosperity) Foreign Actors State (Governments) Policies Polity Legitimacy Compliance with the laws of the land Resources (Human + Financial) Natural Resources Taxes

THE POLITICS OF PREDATION, DEPRIVATION, & VIOLENCE Foreign Interests Policies Polity Natural Resources State (Governments) Rebels/Warlords Neighboring States CONFLICTS

Will Reno on Warlordism: One of the unpleasant realities of contemporary conflicts is that in many parts of the third world, wars are no longer being fought to win, but rather are fought to create and maintain environments of lawlessness and violence from which certain groups and individuals profiteer. Over the course of the 1990s, this phenomenon has come to be called “warlordism.” In Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Colombia, Angola, Somalia, Sudan, and elsewhere, war is waged mainly to enable the protagonists on all sides to loot and profit from extralegal control of trade in everything from diamonds to timber to diverted food relief. The key to these protracted armed conflicts is that, despite public appearances, neither rebel nor “government” forces have an interest in ending the war, and even less of an interest in a return to rule of law. In some instances governments and rebels even collude to perpetuate the wars from which they profit.

SS AFRICA’S REGIONAL CONFLICTS

CONFLICTS & BLOOD DIAMONDS http://www.cnn.com/interactive/specials/0009/yourbusiness/conflicts.popup/ybyw.map.africa.gif

(… and the African people?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d3vFI5UpIc

Deforestation: State Actors’ Perspective Community Actors Forests The state has “rational” goals: Revenue generation Economic development Biodiversity conservation (scientific research + aid) Communities are a hindrance because of Poverty Population growth Ignorance are not used in a sustainable manner (deforestation)

Deforestation: Communities’ Perspective Forests State Actors Communities are a hindrance because of Rules poorly enforced (no consistency) Abuse of power (no arguments) Corruption (no transparency; unpredictable) Lies/betrayal (not trustworthy) Permits to loggers (playing favorites) have legitimate need for forests: Subsistence Preservation of identity (production systems and fomba) are taken away Rules and state’s authority illegitimate