Malawi : economy, society and political affairs

When the Bolshevik Revolution broke out in October 1917, much of Central Asia was still ruled by autonomous rulers such as the Emir of Bukhara and the Khan of Khiva. By 1920 the khanates had been transformed into People's Republics. In 1924, Stalin re-drew the frontiers of the region on ethno-linguistic lines creating, amongst other statelets, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan - the land of the Uzbeks. But the Turkic Uzbeks were not the only significant ethnic group within the new Uzbekistan's frontiers. The Persian-speaking Tajiks formed a considerable part of the population. This book describes how, often in the teeth of Uzbek opposition, the Tajiks gained, first an autonomous oblast (administrative region) within Uzbekistan, then an autonomous republic, and finally, in 1929, the status of a full Soviet Union Republic. Once the Tajiks had been granted a territory of their own, they began to strive for a national identity and to create national pride. Their new government had not only to survive the civil war that followed the revolution but then to build an entirely new country in an immensely inhospitable terrain. New frontiers had to be wrested from neighbours, and a new cultural identity, 'national in form but socialist in content', had to be created, which was to be an example to other Persian speakers in the region. Paul Bergne has produced the first documentation of how the idea of a Tajik state came into being and offers a vivid history of the birth of a nation. 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. 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. 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." 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. 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. 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" 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. The first comprehensive study of contemporary Malawi, providing insight into the origins of its present poverty