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AIDS and the State Perspectives on Rhetoric, Politics and Management of AIDS in Africa
Project Started : April 2007
Project Ends : December 2009
Lead Researcher : Tim Quinlan
Project Donor : JFA
Overview
This is the working title of a project to record African perspectives on global, regional and national responses to the pandemic. Africa is the focus of intensive interventions by a vast array of different agencies, amidst which there are numerous agendas on how best to overcome the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
Increasingly, critical voices are to be heard at conferences and amongst African scientists, governments and NGOs, but rarely in the foreground of debates of policymaking and development strategies. Following up on an idea by the African Association of Rhetoric's chair, Dr Segun Ige, HEARD organised a small symposium with senior African scientists from across the continent, to explore the possibility of producing a book that would "read between the lines" of debates and concerns about HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The outcome was a plan and structure for the book. The expectation is for publication in 2009. One theme of the book, and the reason for reference to 'the State', is a critical assessment of the apparent ambiguity of African governments around protecting "the right to life".
Research Questions
- Critique Africa’s position in the global epidemic situation
- Propose ways that enhance theorising and aids policy formulation
- Broach new debates around HIV/AIDS that are of relevance to Africa
- Document in one edited volume African critical perspectives on global responses to AIDS
Strategic Questions
Enhance the capacity of leaders to think creatively and systematically
Expected Knock-On
Project outcome: production of a collection of articles that address the responses of African states to the pandemic. The work embraces both theory and praxis in states' leadership attempt to deal with the epidemic. Applicable theories include those of Rhetoric, Politics, Nationalism, Civil Society, Research Methods and Interpretation, Anthropology. The cross-disciplinary approach is at the moment gaining currency and is being promoted by major research institutions.
Project Impact
First, it is an integrated approach to understanding states' responses beyond the normal conventional policy formulation, implementation and analysis. Secondly, it opens up debates and raises questions in a non polemic way, but at the same time, attempts to articulate the potential of the states in dealing with epidemics of biblical proportion, not only with AIDS but other major plagues. This project attempts to identify the potential of the state to deal with the epidemics and to reinforce that with recommendations that enhance creative leadership in health matters. The intended project impact is that African leaders learn from the different country experiences and that the book becomes referenced by scholars and graduate students of rhetoric, politics, medical sociology and anthropology, leadership and policy studies. We also hope that this project will result in other major projects.
Brief Description
The project is a critique of African states' responses to the epidemic. The project seeks to invite dialogue from different stakeholders and present a non-polemic critical discourse of states' responses to the pandemic. The project has so far identified some major scholars in Rhetoric, Politics, Medical Anthropology, Political Economy, Public Health and the NGO sector who can competently reflect critically on pertinent issues and articulate issues that emerge in a way that is understandable to African leadership.
Key Phases
| Started | Completed | Description |
|---|---|---|
| September 2009 | Ongoing | Phase 1
|
| September 2009 | Ongoing | Phase 2
|
Outputs and Activities
-
A Book having the same title as the project:
AIDS and that State
Perspectives on Rhetoric, Politics and Management of AIDS in Africa.
Workshops & Training
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