Jo Beall

Imprisoned by the apartheid regime in South Africa, Verity Saunders endures the daily degradation of her incarceration whilst coming to terms with the disappearance of her activist lover, Tariq Randeree. Thirty years later, Verity sets out to uncover the truth about her past and to confront those who brutalised and betrayed her. As secrets are exposed she learns that in order to truly heal she must embrace the path of forgiveness. Meadowlands Dawn is inspired by the author's own experience as a political prisoner in apartheid South Africa during the 1980s. It explores the desires and indignities of the human heart and deals with the impact of radicalisation and its aftermath.

International development is replete with examples of failure. This has led to notes of cynicism being struck in commentaries on development, whether in relation to failed states, donor ineptitude or the unaccountability of NGOs. Precisely because the grand visions have not been realized and macro-level policies have been so controversial, attention turned to initiatives at the local level. However, too many expectations were placed on interventions at the local level and it did not take long before they became formalized, institutionalized and bureaucratized, losing their capacity for rapid response and flexibility. This book is about an alternative approach. Starting from a critical engagement with theories of decentralization and a review of social funds, it explores the value of funding local initiatives that are designed not only to support development activities but also to promote local democracy. Reviewing experiences from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, the book demonstrates how local funds can deliver development within the context of a rights-based approach and as a critical component of democratic decentralization. It will appeal to academic, professional and practitioner audiences, people working in international development agencies, NGOs and in local government,

For many, Johannesburg resembles the imagined spectre of the urban future. Global anxieties about catastrophic urban explosion, social fracture, environmental degradation, escalating crime and violence, and rampant consumerism alongside grinding poverty, are projected onto this city as a microcosm of things to come. Decision-makers in cities worldwide have attempted to balance harsh fiscal and administrative realities with growing demands for political, economic and social justice. This book investigates pragmatic approaches to urban economic development, service delivery, spatial restructuring, environmental sustainability and institutional reform in Johannesburg. It explores the conditions and processes that are determining the city's transformation into a cosmopolitan metropole and magnet for the continent.

Decision-makers in cities worldwide have attempted to balance harsh fiscal and administrative realities with growing demands for political, economic and social justice. This text investigates pragmatic approaches to urban economic development, spatial restructuring and more in Johannesburg.