Sustainable Development in Africa: Issues and Challenges
SEMINAR and ROUND TABLE discussion organised by CROP/UiB with visiting professors Betty Mubangizi (UKZN) and Francisco Sozinho Matsinhe (CODESRIA)
Professors Betty Mubangizi from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa and Francisco Sozinho Matsinhe from the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) in Senegal were in Bergen for the start-up meeting of the SIU-funded UTFORSK project: "Partnership for Poverty and Sustainable Development Studies".
UN's Agenda 2030 outlines a series of ambitious goals for the coming years. Many African countries face some of the greatest challenges in meeting these. In addition, the prevalence of economic growth policies dominated by neo-liberal thoughts and presented in foreign languages may have the effect of alienating exactly those who should benefit from the Agenda 2030.
A factor that may explain the struggle towards poverty eradication in Africa is the insufficient funding of research on issues such as poverty and sustainable development. The task of monitoring progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is affected by a lack of sufficient information surveys and critical analysis carried out at regular intervals. It is also hampered by academic institutions, international organisations and governments that are unable or unwilling to share their knowledge which is necessary to achieve the ambitious SDGs.
The roundtable discussion moderated by CROP's Scientific Director Alberto Cimadamore, with its participants representing both one of the leading South African universities, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), as well as the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), explored challenges the knowledge communities in Africa face when addressing sustainable development and how their own institutions are trying to contribute. It also examined possibilities provided by international scientific collaboration. The panellists tried to answer the question what the challenges ahead for achieving a sustainable development in (Sub-Saharan) Africa are, particularly towards achieving Goal 1, to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere".
