Browsing by Author "John, William"

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    Climate change discourse and the intensification of conflicts over access to land and water resources in Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2015) John, William
    This study sought to understand growing land and water use conflicts in Tanzania by empirically analyzing the extent to which climate change is a factor. Conducted in Rufiji and Kisarawe districts, the study employed a case study research design with detailed analysis and in-depth investigation of deepening social tensions from the point of view of key actors, such as pastoralists, peasant farmers, government officials and investors. Multiple qualitative methods, such as interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), document review and observation were employed to ensure a triangulation and validity of evidence. The study found, however, that as opposed to climate change-induced resource scarcities, the growing conflicts should be understood as products of increasing exclusions over access to resources. The exclusion ensues from a drastic increase in demand for resources due to two recent forces, notably forced displacements and land enclosure for biofuels and food production. Rufiji and Kisarawe are respectively hosting more than 110,000 and 55,000 livestock of more than 700 pastoral families arriving within the past ten years following their displacements from Ihefu and Kilombero wetlands. Concurrently, the districts are experiencing an unprecedented scramble for land by private investors and agencies of foreign governments. The two districts are thus placed in a twofold dilemma - they have to accommodate competing interests for land by inflowing investors and pastoralists and meet the same demands by peasant farmers. As a dominant global environmental discourse, climate change has, therefore, been scapegoated and taken hostage to legitimize resource control through forced displacements and land acquisitions for biofuels and food production. The findings are in line with the theory of access positing that resources are not necessarily scarce, but their command is negotiated and shaped by actors with different competing interests and 4bundles or webs of power’. Bundles of power in terms of capital, authority and knowledge, for example, allowed investors to mediate access to land and water resources through legal and illicit means, such as coercion, manipulation and threats. As such, excluded local communities having limited webs of power in terms of authority and capital counteracted the power of investors through non-violent civil disobedience and direct action attached to their social relations and identity webs of power. On the other hand, to negotiate access to resources, ecologically marginalized pastoralists use their financial power to ally with officials of government and the police. Threatened by webs of power employed by pastoralists to mediate access to resources, peasant farmers, whose access to capital is limited, at times responded violently through their social relations and identity power. Thus, it is not scarcity of resources that explains land and water use conflicts in Rufiji and Kisarawe, but dynamic webs of power held and employed by actors to mediate and maintain access to increasingly scarce resources due to forced displacements and land enclosure for biofuels and food production. Findings from this study suggest that the following policy interventions are needed: first, a separate and independent category of grazing land for pastoral communities should be established and lerally secured to serve livelihood alternatives of ecologically marginalized pastoral ins. Second, interventions through peace education are required to reconcile the broken relations between pastoral communities and peasant farmers. However, for any peace education program to succeed, the move towards addressing ecological marginalization of the two groups should be prioritized.
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    Determinants of community involvement in the implementation of educational programmes: the case of primary education development programme implementation in Karatu district, Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2011) John, William
    The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of community involvement in the implementation of educational programmes: The case of PEDP implementation in Karatu District. The study involved parents and teachers as part of community. School heads and school committee members were also involved because they play significant role of management of education at the school level. Two specific objectives guided the study, namely: examining the level of community involvement in PEDP implementation and identifying determinants (factors) of community involvement in PEDP implementation. Both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed to collect data from 170 respondents. Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used. Quantitative data were analysed by using SPSS programme, whereas thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The study revealed that the level of community involvement in PEDP implementation varied. Parents were highly involved in management of schools, meeting, PEDP information, enrolment of school aged children, constructions and rehabilitation of school infrastructures. However, parents were lowly involved in PEDP activities that aimed for academic improvement in schools. Although, it was revealed that teachers were highly involved in meetings, PEDP decisions and management bodies of the schools by school committees and VLA, their morale in PEDP implementation was very low. The study further revealed that variations of the levels of community involvement in PEDP implementation were influenced by poor government’s commitment to realise its part in PEDP, the extent to which the programme addresses actual problems of schools, geographical variations, pupils’ academic performances, poor involvement of community in programme development and implementation, transparency, awareness, and management style of community. The study concluded that such determinants/factors have influenced much the level of community involvement in PEDP implementation. Thus, the study recommends that the factors/determinants should not be underestimated during the implementation of subsequent educational programmes by embracing several recommendations provided in section 6.4 of this study.
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    Foreign direct investment and human rights in Tanzania the case of north Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2011) John, William
    The last decade witnessed growth in Foreign Direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania's mining sector, resulting from the government's opening up the doors for foreign capital. This study sought to examine whether Barrick Bulyanhulu and North Mara Gold Mines promote or diminish the rights to land Ownership and a clean, safe and healthy environment for people who live near the amines. Empirical evidence collected through document review, interviews observation, informal consultation. pair-wise ranking and focus group discussions suggest that Barrick Bulyanhulu and North Mara Gold Mines violate the rights to land ownership and a clean, healthy and safe environment for people residing near the mines. The study observed that government officials and mining company authorities employed force and threats to acquire land from people. For example, 23 (76.7%) and 7 (43.7%) of interviewees from Bulyanhulu and North Mara, respectively, claimed that they were not compensated when the mines took over their land or for the environmental degradation that has decreased the quality of life for villagers near the mines. Respondents of North Mara claimed that water pollution by Barrick Gold has caused the deaths of about 20 people and 700 to 1000 head of cattle. In contrast, neither the government nor Barrick Gold admits the claims of local communities. This study recommends that mining contracts should be open for public scrutiny and parliamentary approval in order to protect and promote local communities' rights, increase transparency, ensure checks and balance and lo avoid the possibility of government officials owning shares or bring bribed by mining companies.