Beijing Forum 2011

Sun 6 Nov 2011 at 9:00 am to at 5:00 pm

Location: 

Beijing, China

Presentation by Allan Cain, director of Development Workshop, Angola on "Urban development  in Post-Conflict Angola: ten years after the civil war" at the 2011 Beijing Forum's Panel Session on Transformation and Stability: Achievements and Challenges in Developing Countries. The Forum took place from October 4 to 6, 2011 in Beijing China.

Like China, Angola is one of the world's fastest urbanizing countries. The difference is that Angola has experienced decades of recent civil conflict, so the reconstruction of cities has become one of the country's key challenges. After the Civil War, the destruction of infrastructure, changes in institutional mechanisms, governance capacity needed to be rebuilt. Angola therefore was faced with severe challenges of urbanization and is undergoing social transformation.

Allan Cain said that the poverty gap between rich and poor is still a major problem. One of the first goals is to rebuild the war damaged roads so that agricultural products and cheap food  can reach urban markets for the city's poor. In addition, the Angolan government has introduced three strategies to promote poverty alleviation work, including universal access to “water for all”, a one million house programs, and municipal decentralization with the establishment of local consultative councils. Like all developing countries, the land issue also is a challenge for Angola's urban development. In the issue of urban re-construction in Angola, Allan Cain shared his policy recommendations: establish a legal framework for improving land transactions; to learn from China on the strengthening of financial management of the municipal levels of government; protection of women's rights; pilot projects; cooperation with the social media to raise public awareness.

安哥拉发展讲习班主任Allan Cain就自身经验,以《内战后安哥拉的城市发展——十年之后》为题作了报告。同中国一样,安哥拉也是世界上城市化进程最快的国家之一。不同的是,安哥拉在十年之前刚刚经历了内战,因此城市建设才成为了这个国家的棘手问题。内战后,由于基础设施被破坏、机制体制变动、政府治理能力不足,安哥拉因此面临着城市化的严峻考验,正在经历社会转型 AllanCain介绍,贫困、贫富差距大仍然是是内战后安哥拉的主要问题,安哥拉城市化的第一个目标就是重建战争中破坏的道路,为城市的贫民提供便宜的食物。另外,安哥拉政府出台了三项政策以推动扶贫工作,包括人人享有水资源,一百万住房计划,以及财政分散、建立地方监督委员会的政策。同所有发展中国家一样,土地问题也限制着安哥拉的城市建设。在安哥拉城市建设问题上,Allan Cain分享了他的政策建议:建立法律框架完善土地交易;向中国学习,加强市一级政府的权利;保护妇女权益;开展试点项目;与媒体合作,提高公众意识。

 

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Allan Cain presenting at the Forum


Professor Horace Campbell commenting                               


Professor Liu Haifang - Moderator


Beijing Forum 2011 participants


Professor Li AnShan, Allan Cain & Liu Hafang of the Centre African Studies


Professor Liu Haifang & Professor Wang Yun of the Centre Planning Design, PKU