Africa's means of escaping the poverty trap

D UAS academic concludes research project

The monograph just published by Prof. Dr. Walter Eberlei from the Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies at Düsseldorf UAS rounds off a research project which has extended over several years. His research analyses the backgrounds of socio-economic developments in Sub-Saharan Africa in the past ten years. Prof. Eberlei undertook field research in Ghana, Zambia und Ethiopia during the project, whilst he was also able to draw on insights from stays in other African countries (incl. Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique). The financing of the project was made possible by the German Research Society (DFG).
The book demonstrates that Africa's poverty trap is real. Numerous structural barriers hold back the continent's chances of development. Sub-Saharan Africa is and remains the poor house of the world. Yet Africa's means of escaping the poverty trap are just as tangible. Whilst some countries in the region are stagnating, or falling even further behind, others have made noticeable progress in the fight against poverty. This includes high yet sustainable economic growth, significant progress in the fight against poverty and advances in the field of human rights. Although the current global economic crisis has obviously not helped matters, it is forecast that it will not be an impediment over the long term.
Walter Eberlei analyses the backgrounds of change. He gives detailed evidence that social and economic progress are decisively influenced by the more disciplined political behaviour of a number of African governments. He believes that the new quality of state actions have their origins in improved democracy in many countries in the region. A critical political public nowadays creates an internal demand for policies oriented to development and increasingly puts pressure on those in power to act.
International development work can support this movement, particularly at times of crisis. However, not enough has been done to date to encourage democratic government and policies to tackle poverty in Africa. Reforms recently launched nevertheless help to raise the effectiveness of development work.

Prof. Dr. Walter Eberlei heads the development policy research office in the Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. He has dedicated himself to development policy in research, teaching and practice for more then twenty years now.

Further information on the project and the publication can be found at the Web site for the book:
www.eberlei.de/afrika/