ANALYSIS René Brosius 23 July 2021 If you ask older Somalis about the time shortly after the country’s independence, they often advise you very politely: Firstly, that Somalia was never really colonised. Secondly, that it was one of the most peaceful periods in Somalia’s recent history. Yes, sometimes you hear that Somalia was the Switzerland…
COMMENT Prof. Dr. Haider Hamoudi 16 July 2021 A few years ago, in a book on the crisis of legitimacy facing the international rule of law movement, I wrote a chapter on the importance of decolonizing the mind when approaching heavily loaded phraseology such as the “rule of law.” Then and now, I have been…
ANALYSIS Prof. Dr. Bernd Kannowski 09 July 2021 What is decolonisation? By decolonisation we mean the processes of replacement that lead to the end of colonial rule, but above all the social, cultural, legal and economic developments that follow state independence. The process of decolonisation can be divided into five phases, with many considering the…
In April 2021, the Chair for African Legal Studies hosted a seminar on key issues in African Law. One of the many important issues discussed was the decolonization of the mind, law and legal studies. In the videos below, Prof. Dr. Thoko Kaime shares his perspectives on these matters. Please feel free to make use…
COMMENT Prof. Dr. Thoko Kaime 30 June 2021 The CRC does not explicitly guarantee children a right to an ecologically healthy environment. However, within its environment-related children’s rights lies the core content of such a right. Both the interpretive as well as the monitoring functions of the Committee offer the possibility of better defining the…
COMMENT Lea Mwambene and Roberta Mgidlana In this short note we ask: What are the challenges of criminalizing ukuthwala in the protection of girls affected by the practice? Ukuthwala is a ‘romantic mock abduction’ of an unmarried woman by a man who intended to marry her.[1]The intention is to force the girl’s family to enter…
ANALYSIS René Brosius 25 June 2021 In the inner-Somali discussion, the term “4.5 system” comes up again and again, and for outsiders it is not easily recognisable what concept lies behind this terminology Therefore, I want to offer a brief explanation to keep up with the ongoing developments. The 4.5-system is a mechanism for sharing…
COMMENT Temu Goodluck 25 June 2021 On 24th January 2021, the world celebrated the International Day of Education. This day results from the Resolution of the United Nation’s General Assembly of 6th December 2018.[1] Among others, the Resolution recognizes that “education plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies and contributes to the…
ANALYSIS Dr. Tanu Biswas 18 June 2021 * Blog piece based on a forthcoming article co-authored with Prof. Thomas Hylland Eriksen[1] Within the last three months, at least two historical rulings resonate with childist pathways towards social transformation. By childist social transformation, I mean a world in which loving relationships with children and childhood itself,…
COMMENT Tinyade Kachika 11 June 2021 Eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres is a target under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5. In Africa, it is widely accepted that such violence may take the form of harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, child…