Africa, The Success Story

Michelle Sieff, Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai, Gordon Crawford, James Hamill | World Politics Review | 2010-01-08

Despite an enduring image of victimhood, Africans have made steady progress over the past 20 years in democracy, economic development and conflict resolution. Much remains to be accomplished, and many of the gains remain fragile. But the days of thinking of Africa as a continent-wide basket case are over. WPR examines, Africa, the Success Story.

Beyond Afro-Pessimism

By Michelle Sieff
The popular storyline of the basket-case African continent hasn't changed much since the 1960s. But the reality of Africa has changed dramatically, mostly since 1989, a milestone year in which the frozen political landscape was completely shattered, not only in Europe, but also in Africa. It is these changes that are obscured by the enduring myth of the African victim.

Is Ghana a Model for Africa?

By Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai and Gordon Crawford
In recent years, Ghana has made impressive progress with regards to socio-economic and political development, leading contemporary Western media and international donors to portray the country not merely as a success story, but as a model for Africa. But to what extent are these accolades true?

Assessing South Africa in All Its Dimensions

By James Hamill
In 1980, the controversial U.S. diplomat for Africa, Chester Crocker, memorably described South Africa as a "magnet for one-dimensional minds." The accuracy of that assertion has been confirmed over the course of the post-1994 democratic era, during which South Africa has been viewed from radically contrasting, but ultimately one-dimensional perspectives.

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