Sustainable Development in Africa
The First Phase One Workshop: Zanzibar, Tanzania (2022)
Tanzania was selected for our first workshop because it symbolizes the challenges faced by local, LID communities that have been colonized and fought for their freedom, yet still struggle with having a voice in their future. As an important location on a network of caravan routes between western India, the Persian Gulf and East Africa, for over a millennia Stone Town has been influenced by explorers and immigrants from India, Persia and Oman. People of Zanzibar have been sequentially conquered and fought for their freedom, first from the Portuguese and later the British. Portuguese introduced the slave trade and the British later abolished it. Stone Town served as the theater in the Zanzibar Revolution of 1964, which won the population of Zanzibar their freedom. Given its rich history, Stone Town was included as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Many of the participants have worked in Tanzania or its neighboring countries and have direct experience working on ESIAs in this region that they will share at the workshop. The workshop will coincide with the PanAfrican Archaeological Association of Prehistory (PAAA) conference, hosted by the University of Dar es Salaam and State University of Zanzibar.
Map of Africa
Map of Zanzibar, East Africa
Zanzibar: Phase One Workshop Participants
In addition to ISDAf founders, the following researchers have confirmed their participation in the first Phase one workshop.
Menya Abdmagidu is a sociologist currently working with Mohan Energy Cooperation in Uganda. He has served as a community outreach officer/sociologist on a number ESIA studies in East Africa. He has also worked on research projects investigating how people from different backgrounds perceive / interpret research information. Mr. Abdmagidu brings expertise on how people can perceive the same information vastly differently and discuss how anthropologists can reduce bias in how they share information with community members, as well as how they interpret information that community members share.
Catherine Ajiambo is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Museums and Monuments in the Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities. Ms. Ajiambo’s department is responsible for the preservation, improvement and safekeeping of natural and other national historic sites and monuments. Ms. Ajiambo will discuss how information on LID communities could be presented in ESIAs to more strongly influence governmental decision-making processes related to preservation of heritage resources, and to facilitate access to natural and heritage resources important to LID communities.
Mannyangwa Belinda is a free-lance community development officer currently working with WSS Consulting services in Uganda. She has participated in several ESIA studies and different development projects, serving as a community engagement officer. Ms. Belinda will share information on development projects that have been met with resistance due to poor community engagement practices, as well as share information about projects where communities embraced the proposed development, because they were fully engaged in the ESIA process, very early on.
Thomas John Biginagwa, Ph.D., is an archaeologist with the University of Dar es Salaam. Dr. Biginagwa’s research investigates the consequences of the nineteenth-century caravan trade on human environment and subsistence strategies in East Africa. Dr. Biginagwa will provide insights to the interrelationship of natural resources and indigenous economies of eastern Africa.
Coert J Geldenhuys, Ph.D. has 50 years of experience working with rural communities in the sustainable management of natural forests throughout Africa. Coert will share how ESIAs can succeed through long-term engagement with communities in a region, working with them to identify their natural resource needs, and establishing programmes where these communities work together to sustainably manage forests and woodlands they rely upon for traditional resources.
Elgidius Ichumbaki, Ph.D. is a professor of archaeology and heritage studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Dr. Ichumbaki’s studies anthropological theory and methodology in cultural heritage studies on the decolonization of African countries. He has considerable experience working with governments and the public on citizen science projects, established as capacity building initiatives. Dr. Ichumbaki will represent the influence of anthropological theory on engagement with LID communities in East Africa.
Timpoko Helène Kienon-Kabore, Ph.D. is a professor at the Research of Human Society and Science Unit at the University Felix Houphouet-Boigny of Cocody in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. She is an advisor on archaeological heritage at the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie of Côte d’Ivoire. Dr. Kienon-Kabore brings the perspective of government ministries in the management of change in African communities.
James Kintu, M.A., MBA is Under-Secretary, Ministry of Local Government in Kampala, Uganda. Mr. Kintu’s expertise is in Global Governance, with special emphasis on mainstreaming human security in development programming and establishing a better understanding of drivers of human security issues that result in conflicts and migrations in Africa. Mr. Kintu will discuss how information on LID communities could be presented in ethnographic reports and ESIAs to more strongly influence governmental decision-making processes related to resettlement of these communities.
Okeny Charles Kinyera, Ph.D. is an anthropologist with Makerere University. For several years he has been actively involved in ESIAs in the Comoros Islands, Kenya, Rawanda, Tanzania and Uganda, providing cultural heritage awareness training, and relocating and restoring cultural heritage that will be affected by projects. As an ESIA consultant, Dr. Kinyera strives to create sustainable mutual coexistence between development projects and the cultural heritage of LID communities. He will share ethnographic methods h employs to ensure good communication between developers and LID communities.
Friedrich Lüth, Ph.D. is originally from Ghana and has a strong interest in protecting African heritage and ensuring project developers respect the interests of LID communities. He has worked throughout much of the world on issues of heritage preservation. Since 2006, he has been a Director of the German Archaeological Institute charged with cultural heritage. He brings the perspective of a major research institution that fosters capacity building as it funds archaeological and ethnographic studies in Africa.
Edwinus Lyaya, Ph.D. is a professor at the University of Dar es Salaam where he teaches archaeology, heritage and conservation science. Dr. Lyaya also co-manages a consultancy firm for ESIA studies and archaeology and cultural heritage impact assessments. He has worked extensively throughout Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, and is a Registered Environment Auditor. Dr. Lyaya’s will share his experiences as an environmental auditor, examining discrepancies between ESIA findings and how projects are implemented.
Dismas Ongwen, Mphil. is with Archeo-Heritage Consultancy in Uganda. Mr. Ongwen has consulted for ESIAs in East Africa for over 14 years. He has worked on ESIAs that resulted in conflict, because LID interests were ignored during project implementation and promises were not kept. Mr. Ongwen’s experiences provide an opportunity to explore the disconnect between stakeholder engagement following WBG or IFC standards and what happens when a project is built.
Jackson Ssebuyungo is with the Uganda National Museum, serving as consultant with LID communities on projects in Kenya and Uganda. He has witnessed projects in which LID communities’ lost access to natural resources they relied upon for food and medicine, became angry with and distrustful of local government and developers. Mr. Ssebuyungo’s experiences provide an opportunity to explore the disconnect between stakeholder engagement following WBG or IFC standards and what happens when a project is built.
Hilde van Vlaenderen, Ph.D. has more than 20 years of experience in conducting social impact assessments, resettlement planning, community development and associated stakeholder engagement. Much of her work has been in Sub-Saharan Africa where she has implemented a variety of strategies to enhance cross cultural communication within the constraints of the ESIA process. She has critically analyzed the various ethnographic methods she has employed on ESIA projects in East Africa and will share information on methods that were successful as well as methods that were not successful.