The Struggle for Human Rights in Africa

This article seeks to explore the recent changes that have occurred in Africa’s human rights landscape. It argues that struggles for, recognition of, and the practice of human rights have grown and expanded in recent years in the midst of continuing challenges and widespread human rights violations by both state and civil society actors. The complex and contradictory tapestry and trajectory of human rights is analyzed in the shifting contexts of democratization, globalization, regionalization, and militarization, which collectively have structured African political economies since the 1990s. The question of human rights discourse in Africa is also examined by revisiting some of the debates about the generations and hierarchy of rights. Furthermore, the article looks at the role of the state and society in developing or undermining human rights norms.     

Do African Manufacturing Firms Learn from Exporting?

We use firm-level panel data for the manufacturing sector in four African countries to investigate whether exporting impacts on efficiency, and whether efficient firms self-select into the export market. Based on simultaneous estimation of a production function and an export regression, our preferred results indicate significant efficiency gains from exporting, which can be interpreted as learning by exporting. We show that modelling unobserved heterogeneity by a flexible approach is important for deriving this conclusion. A policy implication of our results is that Africa would gain from orientating its manufacturing sector towards exporting.     

Other publications received

Raw Materials and International Control. By H. R. G. Greaves. Pp. vi. +166. London: Methuen. 5s.

Soviet Money and Finance. By L.E.Hubbard. 8? × /3/4>”. Pp. xx+339. Macmillan. 1936. 12s. 6d.

Big Horse's Flight. By Sven Hedin. Translated by F. H. Lyon. Pp. 248. Illustrations and map. London: Macmillan and Co. 1936. 21s.

South to Samarkand. By Ethel Mannin. Pp. 355, 20 illustrations and sketch maps. London: Jarrolds. 1936. Price 12s. 6d.

Sven Hedin's Archæological Collections from Khotan. By Gösta Montell. Reprinted from the Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, No. 7. Stockholm. 1936.

The Quest for Cathay. By Brigadier‐General Sir Percy Sykes, K.C.I.E., C.B., C.M.G. Pp. xii+280. A. and C. Black. 15s.

Tamerlane or Timur the Great Amir. Translated by J. H. Sanders, from the Arabic Life by Ahmed ibn Arabshah. 8vo. Pp. xvii + 341. With a map and a frontispiece. Luzac and Co. 1936. 12s. 6d. net.

Cronica de Dom João de Castro. By Leonardo Nunes. Edited with an Introduction by Professor J. D. M. Ford. Demi‐oct. Pp. xxviii+241. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 1936. 10s. 6d.

The Making of Modern Turkey. By Sir Harry Luke, C.M.G. 8/1/2>” × 6”. Pp. viii + 248. Frontispiece. Macmillan. 1936. 10s. 6d.

Quinze Ans de Mandat; I'?uvre Francaise en Syrie et au Liban. Anonymous. Pp. 69.

Euphrates Exile. By A. D. Macdonald. 7/3/4>" × 5/1/4>”. Pp. 301. Illustrated. G. Bell and Sons, Ltd. 7s. 6d.

Richard Burton, Explorer. By Hugh J. Schonfield. 8/3/4>” × 5/3/4>”. Pp. 303. Frontispiece. London: H. Joseph. 1936. 15s.

Hebrew Origins. By Th. J. Meek. The Haskell Lectures for 1933–1934. Pp. viii+219. New York: Harper and Brothers. 1936. $2.

Thy Neighbour. By Lord Melchett. 7/3/4> × 5. Pp.284. 2 illustrations and 2 maps. London: Muller. 1936. 7s. 6d.

A Plan for Lasting Peace in Palestine. By Nevill Barbour. Jerusalem. 1936. Equivalent 1s.

A Palestinian Kaleidoscope, “ Palestine on the Eve.” By Ladislas Farago. Two maps. Sixty‐three illustrations. Putnam. 10s. 6d.

New Zionist Publications—No. 2. New Zionist Press, 47, Finchley Road, London, N.W. 8. 1s.

From Alexander Burnes to Frederick Roberts. A Survey of Imperial Frontier Policy. By J. L. Morison.

The 1st Battalion Duchess of Connaught's Own (late 124th D.C.O. Baluchistan Infantry) and the 10th Battalion (late 2/124th Baluchistan Infantry), the 10th Baluchistan Regiment. By O. A. Chaldecott. 8/3/4>” × 5?”. Pp. xiv+250. Eleven maps, two portraits. (Lieut.‐Col. J. N. Soden, Baluchistan Regiment, Karachi.)

Diamonds and Dust; India through French Eyes. By Baron Jean Pellenc. 9” × 6”. Pp. 306. Illustrations and map. London: Murray. 1936. 10s. 6d.

The Tiger Hunters. By Brigadier‐General R. G. Burton. 8¾> × 5¾>. Pp. xvi+225+xxxii. 16 illustrations. Hutchinson. 12s. 6d.

Honoria Lawrence : A Fragment of Indian History. By Maud Diver. Pp. 524. John Murray. 16s.

Scott of the Shan Hills: Orders and Impressions. Edited by G. E. Mitton (Lady Scott). 9 × 6. Pp. 333. Illustrations and maps. London: John Murray. 15s.

Return to Malaya. By R. H. Bruce Lockhart. Pp. i+426. Putnam. 10s. 6d.

Far East in Ferment. By Guenther Stein. Methuen. 10s. 6d.

Key Economic Areas in Chinese History. By Ch'ao‐ting Chi, Ph.D. George Allen and Unwin, Ltd.

China's Red Army Marches. By Agnes Smedley. 8? × 5/1/2>? Pp. xxii+311. London: Lawrence and Wishart, Ltd. 5s.

"Living China”: Modern Chinese Short Stories. Compiled and edited by Edgar Snow. With an Introduction by the Editor and an Essay on Modern Chinese Literature by Nym Wales. 8? × 5”. Pp. 355. Frontispiece. London: Harrap. 1936. 8s.

River of Golden Sand. By Thomas Woodroofe. 8/3/4>” × 5/1/2>”. Pp.325. Faber and Faber, Ltd. 8s. 6d. net.

Manchoukuo: Jewel of Asia. By D. M. B. Collier and Lieut.‐Colonel C. L. E. Malone. 8/3/4> × 5/3/4>”. Pp. iv+267. Sixteen photographs. Allen and Unwin, Ltd. 12s. 6d. net.

When Japan Goes to War. By O. Tanin and E. Yohan. 8/1/4>” × 5/1/2>”. Pp. 271. London: Lawrence and Wishart. 1936. 5s.

Japan : Recollections and Impressions. By Grace James. Pp. 285. Illustrated. George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. 1936.

Militarism and Foreign Policy in Japan. By E. E. N. Causton. George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. 7s. 6d.

Stalking in the Himalayas and Northern India. By Lieut.‐Colonel C. E. Stockley, D.S.O. Pp. 250. Illustrated. Herbert Jenkins. 15s.     

Kuwait's economy,the economic status of the GCC in general and bilateral relations between the GCC and SADC

Focusing more on South Africa's international cultural‐political‐economic strengths and weaknesses than on current domestic affairs, as it moves away from apartheid, this article examines the new South Africa's chances for ascent (development) or descent (underdevelopment) within the world system. Politically, the State will remain weak by international standards. Economically, it is in decline, largely because it is uncompetitive internationally; and these negative trends well pre‐date the unrest and sanctions of the mid‐1980s. It is concluded that the new South Africa will be fortunate to maintain its present position in the medium‐term.     

Nepad: Questions of ownership

Is Nepad doing enough to ensure the buy in of the people whose support it needs to succeed?     

An interpretation of argentine economic growth since 1930∗Part I

This study uses pairing of Mexican‐owned manufacturing firms and firms with direct United States investment, to examine the effects of ownership structure on firms’ performance and sources of technology. Results suggest that in terms of profitability, growth and export performance the Mexican firms were competing successfully during the period 1966–73. Furthermore, the basis for this strong posture by the Mexican manufacturers was not due to a heavy reliance on foreign technology imported through formal channels, but rather is linked with internal innovative activity and the use of domestic consultants.     

Capital formation and government capital policy in developing economies

Readings in the History of Economic Growth. By E. M. Falkus. Oxford University Press, Nairobi. 1968. Pp. 391. U.K. price 40s.

Economic Growth in Japan and the U.S.S.R. By Angus Maddison. George Allen and Unwin, London. 1969. Pp. 174. 35s, paper 18s.

Economic Growth: The Japanese Experience since the Meiji Era. By Lawrence Klein and Kazushi Ohkawa. (Publication of the Economic Growth Centre, Yale University.) Richard D. Irwin, Inc., Homewood, III. 1968. Pp. 424. $8.50.

Stratagems and Spoils. A Social Anthropology of Politics. By F. G. Bailey. Basil Blackwell, Oxford. 1969. Pp. xiv, 240. 36s. (18s. paperback.)

Issues in the Future of Asia. Ed. by Richard Lowenthal. Praeger, London. 1969. Pp. xi, 177. No index. 50s.

District Voting Trends in India‐a Research Tool. By Craig Baxter. Southern Asian Institute, School of International Affairs, Columbia University, New York. 1969. Pp. 378. 50s.

History of Kenya's Trade Union Movement to 1952. By Makhan Singh. East African Publishing House, Nairobi. 1969. Pp. 320. Index. EASh 56.00.

Toward ‘Uhuru’ in Tanzania: The Politics of Participation. By G. Andrew Maguire. Cambridge University Press. 1969. Pp. xxix, 403. £4.50.

Political Development in Rural Tanzania: A West Lake Study. By Goran Hyden. East African Publishing House. 1969. Pp. 282. Limp, E.A. sh.2l.00, $3 or £1 8s. Cased, E.A. sh.42.00, 57 or £2 10s.

Portrait of a Nationalist: The Life of Ali Migeyo as told to G. R. Mutahaba. Historical Association of Tanzania Paper No. 6. East African Publishing House. 1969. Pp. 28. E.A. sh.2.50.

The Agricultural Development of Argentina. A Policy and Development Perspective. By Darrell F. Fienup, Russell H. Brannon and Frank A. Fender. Praeger, New York. 1969. Pp. xxxvii, 437. No index. £7 6s.

An Introduction to Argentina. By Robert J. Alexander. Pall Mall Press, London. 1969. Pp. ix, 197. Index. £2 14s.

Planning and Productivity under Soviet Socialism. By Abram Bergson. Columbia University Press, New York and London. 1968. Pp. 95. No index. 36s.

Settlement Schemes in Tropical Africa. A Study of Organization and Development. By Robert Chambers. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London. 1969. Pp. xxv, 294. Index. 55s.

Fiscal Policy in Under‐developed Countries. By Raja J. Chelliah. George Allen and Unwin, London. 1969. Second edition. Pp. 216. 35s. (cloth) and 20s. (paper).

Capitalism, Primitive and Modern: Some Aspects of Tolai Economic Growth. By T. Scarlett Epstein. Manchester University Press. 1968. Pp. xxiv, 182. Index. Bibliography. 28 tables. 5 maps. Plates. 45s.

African Integration and Disintegration. Ed. by Arthur Hazlewood. Case Studies in Economic and Political Union. Oxford University Press, London. Pp. xii, 414. 75s.

Economic Integration among Developing Countries. By F. Kahnert, P. Richards, E. Stoutjesdijk and P. Thomopoulos. O.E.C.D. Development Centre, Paris. Pp. 162. 27s. 6d.

Turkey, the Challenge of Growth. By Z. Y. Hershlag. E. J. Brill, Leiden. 1968. Second edition. Pp. xviii, 406. Index. 86 guilders.

An Economic Profile of Mainland China. Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, with a Foreword by Senator William Proxmire. Praeger Special Studies in International Economics and Development. Praeger, New York. 1968. Pall Mall Press, London. 1969. Pp. 604. $18.50 and 155s.

The Spatial Economy of Communist China. By Tuan‐li Wu with H. C. Ling and Grace Hsiaolok. Published for the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, by Frederick A. Praeger, New York. Pall Mall Press, London. 1967. Pp. vii, 367. $10.

Capital Formation and Economic Development in Mexico. By Joseph S. La Cascia. Praeger, New York. 1969. Pp. xix, 191. No index. £6 5s.

Economic and Social Development Plan for Eastern Thrace (Turkey). By the Ministry of Reconstruction and Resettlement, Turkey, and the Association Bretonne de Géographie Appliquée, France. Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development, Paris. 1968. Pp. 165. No index. 20 maps and diagrams. Tables. $2.50.

Economic Planning in Turkey. By Z. Y. Hershlag. The Economic Research Foundation (P.O.B. 423, Beyoglu), Istanbul. 1968. Pp. 75, No index. $2.00.

Economic Policy‐Making and Development in Brazil 1947–1964. By Nathaniel H. Leff. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 1968. Pp. xi, 201. Tables. Index. $79.

Regional Economic Growth: Theory and Policy. By Horst Siebert. International Textbook Company. 1969.

The Soviet Economy. By Alec Nove. George Allen and Unwin, London. 1968. 3^rd revised edition. Pp. 373. Index. 28s. (paper).

The Soviet Economy. By Nicolas Spulber. W. W. Norton, New York. 1969. Revised edition. Pp. xiv, 329. Index. $8.95.

Evaluating the Results of Foreign Policy: Soviet and Amercian Efforts in India. By Richard L. Siegel. The Social Science Foundation and Graduate School of International Studies Monograph Series in World Affairs, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado. Volume 6, Monograph No. A—1968–69, Pp. 35.

Economic Development and Structural Change. Edited by I. G. Stewart. Edinburgh University Press. Pp. 193. 1969. 50s.

International Economics. By Sidney J. Wells. George Allen and Unwin, London. 1969. Pp. 332. 48s.     

The dilemmas of market socialism: Capital market reform in China ‐ part II: Shares

This two‐part article analyses the attempts to reform the socialist financial system in China by diversifying financial assets and introducing capital markets. The approach used is that of political economy, in the sense of elucidating the interplay between political and economic interests, actors and issues in the reform process.

Part I discusses the issue of bonds by governments and enterprises. Although the reform era has seen gradual progress towards something resembling a bond ‘market’ in terms of a diversification of bond types and growing competition between bond issues, there is no evidence that this has improved allocative efficiency in the economy. Rather, bonds have functioned as one instrument in a complex struggle for resources between political, institutional and economic actors in the context of a continuing ‘shortage economy’. This competitive system falls far short of a true ‘market'; rather it embodies powerful systemic factors reflecting the basic structural and institutional features of a semi‐reformed socialist economy.

One of these systemic factors is the institution of social ownership of the means of production which has been called into question by the emergence of shares and share markets, a process we discuss in Part II. Share issues have in the event been economically unimportant but politically important since they challenge the ideological and institutional underpinnings of a ‘socialist’ economy. The key to the future of this form of financial liberalisation depends not merely on further progress in complementary areas of economic reform policy, but also on a resolution of these fundamental political issues.