The purpose of this research is to describe the role of human rights lawyers in a rights based approach to poverty reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective is to inform these role players of their proper functions and powers in using human rights regime to fight poverty in the region. / Mini Dissertation (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervison of Dr Christopher Mbazira, of the Community Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

"The interest in food and its impact on, and relationship with, overall development only came in the late 1990s with the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996. It was only in this period that "food insecurity" was pinpointed as the root cause of underdevelopment-related problems. The causes for "food insecurity" themselves were identified and lack of food as such was not among the first problems: discrimination, misconceived policies and many others were. Even then food security issues were linked with poverty reduction and development as a whole, making food mainly a development issue and thus considering that dealing with one meant dealing with the other. This led to the adoption of what we now call Poverty Reducation Strategy Papers, ideas that first were initiated in the late 1990s. The adoption of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers came about as a result of the growing need for a concise, target-oriented and country-specific policy for development. They have as a key objective to "develop and implement more effective strategies to fight poverty". Still, these PRSPs are a result of long studies on "effective strategies" that stretch along many years. The what, why and when of PRSPs will be seen in detail in the following sections of this paper. One of the major areas in which most of the PRSPs focus upon, is the reduction of food insecurity. The objective of this paper is to assess just how effective these papers have been in doing so and what is the future, immediate and long term, of these papers. Is it enough to address food security issues along with poverty reduction strategies when the effectiveness of the strategies themselves is still in doubt? The paper seeks to answer this question. To this effect, the history of the right to food in the United Nations human rights system, as well as the African human right system, is outlined in greater datail. The right to food as it stands now and the current understanding of "right to food" is then set out. In order to show the relationship between food, poverty and poverty reduction strategy papers, the reasons and events preceding the creation of PRSPs will be summarized. The next step is to analyze whether PRSPs properly integrates the "current understanding" of food, food insecurity and right to food (why/why not?). In particular two examples of approaches to the right to food will be examined: the Ethiopian and the South African examples, in order to provide a comparison of two different approaches towards the implementation of the right to food: the PRSP approach as is the case in the Ethiopian example, and the monitoring, justiciability and human rights approach as in South Africa." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2003. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Non-formal adult education and training (NFET) in South Africa was adopted in 1990 with the aim to respond to the learning needs of adults who do not have access to formal education; to increase their employment opportunities; to reduce the high rates of poverty in the country and to enhance social inclusion (Aitchison, 2007:2-4). The study was informed by a concern that graduates from NFET centres in KwaZulu-Natal continue being unemployed and excluded from the labour market. The goal of the study was to assess the enabling environments (internal and external) of non-formal adult education and training centres in enabling trainees’ employment and poverty reduction in KwaZulu-Natal. The researcher used the mixed methods research approach in conducting the study. Quantitative data was gathered through a survey and qualitative data by means of multiple-case studies and interviews. A total sample of 472 participants was drawn from 21 centres in four districts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study’s findings indicate that at micro-level, the internal training delivery environments are significantly effective in contributing to technical and business skills acquisition. At macro-level, the policies, regulations and institutional environments create external enabling environments to foster skills utilisation in the labour market. However, at meso-level (centre level), the weak institutional centre linkages result in graduates not having access to essential post-training support, community resources, public goods and services which could enable them to access employment in KwaZulu-Natal. The study concludes that NFET programmes can foster adult trainees’ employment if the centres create adequate linkages with external enabling environments for skills utilisation in the labour market in KwaZulu-Natal. Adult centres that focus on self-employment in income-generating activities are more likely to create external enabling environments in terms of formal and informal linkages with other stakeholders who provide post-training support to graduates. The study proposes an integrated framework for NFET centres to create the internal and external enabling environments for wage-employment and/or self-employment of NFET graduates in KwaZulu-Natal. To ensure that the adult NFET programmes lead to employment, a key recommendation from the study is that centre managers should establish strong institutional linkages with community leaders, public agencies and private sectors from the beginning of the training programmes. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Social Work and Criminology / PhD / Unrestricted

This thesis focuses on the phenomenon of remittances (money or products sent by migrants to their countries of origin) and their relation to current development discourse. The volumes of remittances are still growing and this revenue has become especially significant for developing countries. This thesis, therefore, does not only focus on the economic contribution of remittances but analyses them in a broader context. Its aim is to find whether and how do remittances contribute to the overall development of poor countries. This thesis offers a historical overview of developmental discourse and followed by specification of four key concepts of current development (empowerment, ownership, good governance and sustainable development), whereby this thesis constitutes a framework for further analysis. Remittances are substantially connected to the concepts of empowerment and ownership. They enable the recipients to meet their needs more freely and decide how to invest their money. From the point of views of good government concept, it is important, that remittances can help to put more pressure on the democratization of developing countries. Fulfilment of these concepts, as well as the stability of remittances, implies, that this revenue supports sustainable development in poor countries. This thesis is...

The role and impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs) towards enabling socio-economic development in small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) has received attention from various scholars. South Africa as a lower middle-income developing country has a number of development priorities which include the urgent need to expand the economy and ultimately to eradicate poverty and unemployment. Based on evidence from more advanced economies, expanded access and usage of ICTs in SMMEs is considered an imperative to enable the acceleration of development goals. This study sets out to advance understanding of the role and impact of ICT usage by SMMEs on poverty reduction from a South African perspective. A systematic literature review methodology was applied to analyse previous theoretical and empirical studies conducted on the interplay between ICTs, SMMEs and poverty reduction. Empirical data was gathered from SMMEs through semi structured interviews and observations. A purposively selected case study was also carried out serving to enhance contextual insight into the role of ICTs in an SMME context. The thematic analysis method, Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and Sustainable Livelihood framework (SL) were applied as the data analysis methods. The combination of ANT and the SL framework for expanded analysis has not been applied before by similar studies that examine the interplay between ICT, SMMEs and poverty reduction. The process of triangulation was applied on the empirical findings in order to reduce bias and to construct a conceptual model. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a conceptual model that frames the role and impact of ICT usage by SMMEs towards improving their livelihoods and reducing poverty. Methodologically it offers an example of how method pluralism can be applied to gain a better understanding of the research phenomena. From a practical perspective, this study addresses real life challenges resulting in the suggestion of practical guidelines to ensure that the use of ICTs by SMMEs results in improvements in their financial and non-financial well-being. The findings of this study indicate that the relationship between ICT usage and poverty reduction is neither simple nor linear. Effective use of ICTs could result in SMMEs leveraging more benefits and thus improving their human capabilities as well as social and economic well-being resulting in poverty reduction. / Thesis (PhD) University of Pretoria, 2017. / Informatics / PhD / Unrestricted

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Agriculture and livestock production were the mainstay of the economies of many sub-Saharan African countries, including of Cameroon, in the 1970s. Things began to change with the discovery of petroleum products and natural minerals, and the push to industrialise. This led to a shift from agricultural production to other more 'beneficial' sectors. In the 1990s there was an 'imposed' liberalisation of the agricultural sector. This liberalisation was marked by a disengagement of most governments in developing countries from assisting agriculture. In Cameroon, disengagement was achieved by the promulgation of law No. 92/006 of 14th August 1992 and its decree of application No. 92/455/PM of 23rd November. This law encouraged the creation of common initiative groups which could independently pool their resources to increase agricultural production. Although there has been a shift to non-agricultural sectors in many sub- Saharan countries, on the whole, however, many rural areas in these nations have remained essentially agro-pastoral. Unfortunately some rural areas, like Small Babanki in Cameroon, whose livelihoods are land-based are faced with soil erosion, population pressure and farmer/grazer conflicts which undermine the little economic gains made in these places. Rural-dwellers have resorted to several innovations to circumvent these constraints to agricultural production. Objectives of the research This research focused on an indigenous agricultural innovation called Cameroon. The innovation involves a partnership between farmers and grazers whereby farmers build paddocks around their farms, and cattle herders drive their herds into farms where they deposit their manure. The idea of the practice is that it enriches the soil of the farms, provides the herds access to good fodder, and reduces conflicts between crop farmers and grazers. The objective of the study was to investigate the role this agricultural innovation is playing in reducing poverty and farmer/grazer conflicts. The research focused on a community called Small Babanki located in the North-West Region of Cameroon. Research questions To gain accurate insight into the role played by NPM, answers were sought to the following questions: (i) What are the causes of farmer/grazer conflicts in Small Babanki and how are these conflicts manifested? (ii) What efforts have been made hitherto by stakeholders to resolve farmer/grazer conflicts and what were the outcomes of such interventions? (iii) What motivated the development of the NPM farming system and how does the system function? (iv) How has the introduction of NPM affected the occurrence of conflicts and the resolution of conflicts when they occur? (v) Has NPM contributed to increasing the output, income and the market value of the products of farmers and grazers? (vi) How have the asset bases of grazers and farmers changed and what additional livelihood options are available to them as a result of adopting NPM? (vii) What are the major constraints that hinder practitioners of the innovation from getting maximum returns from it? Data collection method The data collection method for this research involved a review of reports written on the innovation by NGOs promoting it. Within Small Babanki, a focus group discussion was held with farmers and an elaborate questionnaire was administered amongst 10 randomly selected farmer households and 10 randomly selected grazer households. Structured interviews were also held with key informants, such as local officials and traditional and religious leaders. Findings and conclusions The research supports the perception that, in Small Babakni, NPM benefits both crop farmer and grazer households by means of improving productivity, reducing poverty, and reducing conflict. Respondents indicated that generally speaking the asset base and livelihood options of practitioners of NPM are constantly improving. They also stressed that improvements in education, health, nutrition, land tenure and safety of shelter are indicative of the amelioration of their state of wellbeing, and this in large measure can be attributed to the adoption of NPM Measurement of poverty using the both the US$I/day and the national poverty line of 503.19 Cf'Azday revealed that cropping households are living on the fringes of poverty while grazing households tend to live just above the poverty line. However, going by information provided by respondents on their outputs, the proportion of what was consumed by the household, the proportion of what was sold and the proportion of what was retained enabled us to make an estimation of the cash and noncash incomes of both grazing and cropping households. It was discovered that at any point they seemed to have a significant noncash wealth reserve which could easily be converted into cash in order to meet daily expenses. Both the declarations of respondents and some official documentation suggest that NPM was contributing positively towards a reduction of conflicts between farmers and grazers in Small Babanki.

Access to land is vital for providing our basic needs. According to earlier research, private landtitles are a prerequisite for secure land rights and are vital for enabling sustainable economicgrowth and poverty reduction. In Malawi, where a majority of the land is customary, newlaws have been enacted, but not yet implemented. The new laws allow registration ofcustomary land into private land, i.e. land titling. This bachelor thesis investigates the possibleeconomic effects of land titling in Malawi based on earlier research and on the views ofMalawian stakeholders. It was found that the World Bank states that land titling will lead toincreased investments and improved productivity; increased credits access with lowerinterest rate; increased liquidity on transaction markets; increased access to rental market;increased mobility; increased gender equality and decentralization of power. Even though thecultural practices in Malawi partly collide with the privatization of customary land, thestakeholders generally agree with the effects described by the World Bank. It is difficult topredict the effects of the new laws as it depends on various factors. However, land titling willsurely lead to increased tenure security, which inherently is valuable for the landowners. / Tillgång till mark är nödvändigt för att kunna tillgodose våra grundläggande behov. Säkradäganderätt i form av ett landägarbevis är grundläggande för att möjliggöra ekonomisk tillväxtoch fattigdomsbekämpning. I Malawi är endast en minoritet av marken registrerad. Denstörsta andelen mark nyttjas gemensamt av bybor. På initiativ av Världsbanken har Malawiskamyndigheter tagit fram nya land lagar som ännu inte implementeras. De nya lagarnamöjliggör att genom registrering omvandla den mark som nyttjas till byborna till privategendom. Denna studie undersöker vilka ekonomiska effekter som härrör frånlandregistrering i Malawi baserat på tidigare forskning och lokala intressenters kunskap ocherfarenheter. Enligt Världsbanken leder landregistrering i utvecklingsländer till ökadeinvesteringar och ökad produktivitet, ökad kreditgivning med lägre ränta, ökad likviditet påtransaktionsmarknaden, växande hyresmarknad, ökad rörlighet, ökad jämställdhet ochdecentralisering av makt. Trots att de kulturella sedvanorna i Malawi till viss del motverkas avprivatisering av mark, stämmer intressenternas uppfattning överens med de effekter somVärldsbanken beskriver. Det går inte att med säkerhet avgöra vilka ekonomiska effekter somlandregistreringen kommer att resultera i, eftersom att de beror på flera okända faktorer.Landregisteringen kommer dock att säkra äganderätten, vilket i sig är värdefullt för de somnyttjar marken.

The new philanthropy is increasingly seen as a panacea and an alternative source of global development finance for rural development, especially in developing countries. The theoretical underpinning of the new philanthropy entails the idea that the private sector, led by philanthropists and civil society organisations in social policy issues can lead to more effective outcomes through partnership. The existing literature on the new philanthropy mainly focuses on its economic or commercial impact. This is particularly the case in the rural parts of Ghana; there has been very little research on the new philanthropy’s impact on the livelihoods of the poorest segments of society. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of new philanthropy on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana in order to fill the gap. The study employed ethnographic research, utilising qualitative techniques involving 20 stakeholders in philanthropy and livelihood affairs and 100 smallholder farmers. The research findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between philanthropic sponsored interventions in Ghana and an increase in smallholder farmers’ yields. The few farmers who purchased improved seeds and other agricultural inputs registered significant increases. However, this study identified some bottlenecks inhibiting access to agricultural inputs by smallholder farmers. Majority of smallholder farmers revealed that they could not afford them (seeds, chemical fertilizer and other inputs) despite the subsidies. Furthermore, rainfall variability gives rise to fluctuating food production from one season to another; meanwhile, there is a lack of strategy from philanthropic practitioners to address the variability in rainfall. Through philanthropy, other methods of faming such as irrigation farming agroecology, and permaculture could be exploited to the benefits of smallholder farmers. The outcomes of this study have policy implications for philanthropic practitioners. This study shows that the failure to involve farmers directly in decisions that affect their livelihoods is a major cause of livelihood interventionist programme failures in Ghana. Thus, this study argues that understanding the socioeconomic dynamics in the Northern Region and amongst the farmers should be an important part of policy formulation for philanthropic involvements seeking to improve livelihood of smallholder farmers. Lastly, the study called for a separate policy framework for philanthropy that would have a key objective of mobilising private philanthropic resources to support steady economic growth and sustainable development, dealing directly with recipients. / Government of Ghana.

<p>In recent years child poverty has become a concern among poverty reduction advocates and social policy actors. This is evident in advocacy efforts of the National Campaign against Child Poverty (Campaign 2000), and the policies embedded within the National Children’s Agenda and the Ontario Government’s Child Poverty Reduction Strategy. In this current era of social policy, advocacy groups have changed the shape of their poverty reduction arguments to suit the current third way social policy approach (Dobrowosky and Jenson, 2004). In Hamilton a local multi-sector poverty reduction advocacy group formed in 2006, the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction (HRPR). Initially, this group chose to advocate for poverty reduction through a child centred framework. This research project examines what contributes to this social policy phenomenon as well as the potential consequences of a child focused policy response.</p> <p>The local advocacy effort of the HRPR to reduce poverty mirrors this larger trend in social policy. In the following chapters I will examine whether and how the HRPR is illustrative of this larger trend and the strengths and weakness of this advocacy approach. As well, I will explore what the implications are for women and other marginalized groups who live in poverty when social policies or programs focus solely on child poverty reduction.</p> / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Microfinance encompasses a broad range of financial services targeted at low income individuals seeking to build income and assets. There has been extensive research on the role of microfinance institutions (henceforth “MFIs”) in developing countries on poverty reduction, particularly for female clients. In contrast, research on MFIs operating within the United States is more limited. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature and is one the first to focus on the impact of an MFI on female clients in the US using data from a Philadelphia-based MFI. The study examined the factors affecting outcomes of female entrepreneurs as compared to their male counterparts measured by changes in financial capability, repayment history, household incomes, and sustainability. Although the study does not statistically support the existence of differences between the outcomes for female and male clients of the MFI, the data does indicate positive outcomes for the clients. The business survival rates on average are above national indicators. The personal credit scores for MFI clients reflect improvement subsequent to receiving loans. This study utilized survey instruments and a focus group study to identify barriers to the success of female entrepreneurs. Noted barriers such as lack of access to capital, lack of relevant business knowledge provide a foundation for future research study. / Business Administration/International Business Administration