New journal on Africa policy

Evy Jørgensen

Kennedy School Students launch Africa Policy Journal

Cambridge, MA (USA) - Students at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government today launched the school's first public policy journal focused solely on Africa. The Africa Policy Journal aims to provide rigorous analysis and practical solutions to some of Africa's most pressing policy challenges.

A student-led initiative, the online journal recognizes many policy challenges are specific to Africa and seeks to redress the lack of public policy research and publications on Africa among leading academic institutions. The Africa Policy Journal's vision is 'better policy-making in Africa.'

"We aim to provide a product that is useful to readers in organizations as diverse as African governments to the large multi-lateral aid agencies in DC" said co-chief editor Mutsa Chironga who comes fromZimbabwe. "The
enthusiasm and support from throughout the Kennedy School community has been terrific," he says. "One senses a real passion for African issues around the school."

The journal's staff of twenty seven includes graduate students from 8 African countries and the United States. Five distinguished professors in International Development at the Kennedy School and the Fletcher School of Diplomacy comprise the Africa Policy Journal's faculty advisory board.

Kennedy School of Government Dean, David Ellwood commends the journal for bridging the gap between academia and policy in his foreword to the Journal: "The Africa Policy Journal has the potential to be an excellent and productive forum between the Africa-focused activity at Harvard and the policy world."

The Africa Policy Journal's content is striking in its relevance to African current affairs. With the election of a Kennedy School alumnus, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, as President of Liberia and the first African female head of state, the Journal's first edition features an article discussing the foreign and security policy challenges facing post-war Liberia

The inaugural issue of the Africa Policy Journal also contains an interview with 2004 Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the prize, and a commentary by distinguished Harvard University Professor Robert Rotberg on the central role that leadership plays in African countries' development.

Other articles tackle some of the continents' most pressing policy issues. Todd Moss and Stewart Patrick assess how to reconstruct Zimbabwe post Mugabe following what has been, over the last 6 years, one of the worst economic collapses in the world. Professor Eileen Stillwaggon presents new, innovative approaches to stemming the HIV pandemic in East Africa. Tim Reid offers a hard hitting analysis on Rwanda and Uganda's role in one of the most intractable conflicts in the world in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The journal also offers a window into the rich world of Africa at Harvard. It features Africa-focused publications and other events hosted by Harvard University over the past 12 months, such as the Africa Business Conference held at Harvard Business School - one of the largest annual gatherings of African business leaders in the world. The Journal also publishes an address to Harvard faculty and students by the UN Special Coordinator on Internal Displacement Dennis McNamara.

In addition to tough public policy dilemmas, the Africa Policy Journal contains an African Art Review of books and films produced in Africa. "Given the international attention focused on Africa in the last 12 months, we see the Journal as reflecting a new dawn for Africa, containing articles that will highlight the change and optimism being experienced across the continent" said Mauritian co-chief editor Nishan Degnarain, commenting on the Journal's banner showing sunrise across an African landscape.

The idea for the Journal first began with Kennedy School graduate Sam Unom, a Nigerian, who raised the issue to the Kennedy School leadership 18 months ago. He felt it was vital to improving policymaking throughout Africa, as well as the image of Africa among key Western decision makers. The strong interest shown across the Kennedy School in the Africa Policy Journal looks set to ensure the Journal will continue to be a key institution for future students at the Kennedy School.

For contact information, please email: Mutsa Chironga or Nishan Degnarain (Co-Chief Editors) at
Africa_journal@ksg.harvard.edu

For contents and details for the Journal, visit:
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/kssgorg/apj/

(May 12, from Thor)

Updated: 15.05.06
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