Malawi: Economy, Society and Political Affairs

Description

Malawi is one of the poorest countries on the globe. Subsistence agriculture remains at the very heart of its social fabric, and also lies at the root of its tremendous poverty. Yet while Malawi is among the worst performers in terms of per capita income and infant mortality, it is also a surprising leader in other areas (such as freedom of the press), has enjoyed over fifty years of relative stability since independence, and still holds great potential for economic development. Bringing together some of the leading experts on the country, this collection offers a comprehensive introduction to contemporary Malawi, encompassing its economy, culture, and politics. An invaluable resource for scholars and development professionals alike, the book assesses the root causes of Malawi's impoverishment, and also offers insight into how the country might break out of its development impasse.

Matthias Rompel is teaching Development Studies as Honorary Professor at Giessen University, Germany. He has been working as a development professional in Africa for the last 20 years. He is the Head of the Southern Africa Division of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the German governments international cooperation agency. Reimer Gronemeyer is Professor of Sociology at Giessen University. He has researched and written on Africa for over forty years, and has worked as a consultant for agencies including GIZ and the Red Cross.

It is no small feat for a book to bring together the expertise of internationally renowned sociologists, economists, political scientists, and geographers, of specialists in fields like public administration and governance, public health, education, natural resource management, tourism, and development for the sake of compiling an in-depth analysis of the social, political, and economic conditions of a given country. The present volume accomplishes just that. Guided by deep concern for a perpetual state of poverty that is all-too-often underrepresented, the authors formulate new questions and offer new insights into the challenging past, present, and future of Malawi, one of the poorest countries in early 21st century Africa. * Arne S. Steinforth, York University, Toronto. * Despite peace, political stability and consistent support for democracy, a majority of Malawi's population continues to live in poverty. This excellent and timely volume provides a nuanced analysis of both challenges as well as opportunities for developing this small, landlocked and beautiful country. * Dan Banik, Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo * In a concise way, the contributions to this volume capture essentials of Malawi's post-colonial trajectory fifty years into Independence. The editors wonder at the beginning of their Introduction, "is writing a book about Malawi worth the effort?" - After reading the chapters that follow, the answer is clearly "yes". * Henning Melber, Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala *