Electronics Consumption, Waste and the Informal Trade Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

计划淘汰的身体：电子废物的数字表现和全球政治(BoPO)是一个与电子废物(e-Waste)的全球经济接轨的艺术-科学研究网络。该项目通过在拉各斯(尼日利亚)、香港和伦敦举办讲习班，在非洲、中国和欧洲的艺术家、科学家和文化研究学者之间建立了一个网络。它在2014-15年度由AHRC研究网络拨款(AH/L01582X/1)资助，并因在2016年AHRC互联社区节和萨默塞特之家乌托邦博览会上的贡献而获得两笔较小的赠款。目前在《国际开发重点通知》项下为影响和参与申请后续资金，是为了通过在肯尼亚内罗毕的一系列活动以及在伦敦的一次陈述和联网活动，传播和开发该网络的研究成果的新应用。拟议的后续活动旨在探讨在撒哈拉以南非洲非正规贸易和街头贩卖方面的国际发展举措背景下，研究成果的可转移性和基于实践的方法。在最初的研究联网项目期间，确定了与计划的后续活动高度相关的三个新的调查途径：1.虽然欧洲的电子废物处理通常被视为或多或少是一个独立的行业，但在尼日利亚和其他撒哈拉以南非洲国家，电子废物管理不能与旧的和新的设备和部件的维修和交易分开考虑。虽然大多数关于电子垃圾回收的文献都集中在核心设备(台式机、笔记本电脑、显示器)上，但外围设备(充电器、鼠标、键盘、电缆)往往被忽视。尼日利亚对电子废物处理的实际参与使我们意识到，这些设备构成了废物流的很大一部分。在研究和政策制定中，应更多地关注它们的交易和处置。特别是在外围设备方面，从欧洲进口的二手设备并不是撒哈拉以南非洲国家电子垃圾的唯一相关来源。街头小贩和市场小贩出售大量新的、廉价制造的电话、电缆、充电器和其他小型电子产品，这些东西很容易很快就坏了。2016年10月和11月在内罗毕开展的后续活动将以各种方式利用这三个新确定的渠道：-网络研究人员在2016年11月在内罗毕举行的“街头贩卖和城市发展”会议上所作的介绍，将讨论边缘在街头贩卖物品中的突出地位，并以此为起点，与街头贩卖代表、政策制定者和非政府组织公民就可持续性和非正式贸易进行交流。会议贡献的另一项内容将是与政策制定者和非政府组织公民就将BoPO以实践为基础的艺术-科学方法应用于非正式贸易中的国际发展活动的更广泛的背景进行交流。-作为围绕外围主题的研究网络的一部分而创作的两件艺术品将成为为期两周的展览的中心展品，该展览计划在内罗毕Kibera贫民窟的一个社区图书馆举行，与肯尼亚当地艺术家的艺术品和其他BoPO作品一起展出。展览将激发人们对非正式贸易战略对废物产生和生态的影响的思考。-上述三条新的调查途径将构成内罗毕法语学校为高中生组织的为期一天的讲习班的核心概念。

Bodies of Planned Obsolescence: digital performance and the global politics of electronic waste (BoPO) is an art-science research network that engages with the global economy of electronic waste (e-waste). The project has established a network between artists, scientists and cultural studies scholars in Africa, China and Europe through workshops in Lagos (Nigeria), Hong Kong and London. It was funded by an AHRC Research Networking grant during 2014-15 (AH/L01582X/1) and has been awarded two smaller grants for contributions to the AHRC Connected Communities Festival and the Somerset House Utopia Fair in 2016. The present application for Follow-on Funding for Impact and Engagement under the highlight notice for International Development is concerned with the dissemination and development of new applications of the network's research outcomes through a series of activities in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as a presentation and networking event in London. The proposed Follow-on activities are aimed at exploring the transferability of research findings and the practice-based methodology of BoPO in the context of international development initiatives in informal trade and street vending in Sub-Saharan Africa.During the lifetime of the original research networking project, three new avenues of inquiry were identified, which are highly relevant to the planned Follow-on activities:1. Although e-waste processing in Europe is often seen as a more or less independent industry, in Nigeria and other Sub-Saharan African countries, e-waste management cannot be considered in isolation from repair and trade in both old and new devices and parts.2. While most literature on e-waste recycling focuses on core devices (desktop units, laptops, monitors), peripherals (chargers, mice, keyboards, cables) tend to be largely overlooked. Practical engagement with e-waste processing in Nigeria made us aware that these devices make up a substantial part of the waste stream. More attention should be paid to their trade and disposal in research and policy making initiatives.3. Especially with regards to peripherals, used devices imported from Europe are not the only relevant source of e-waste in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Street hawkers and market traders sell large quantities of new, cheaply made phones, cables, chargers, and other small electronic items, which break easily and quickly. The Follow-on activities in Nairobi in October and November 2016 will draw from these three newly identified avenues in various ways: -A presentation by network researchers at the 'Street Vending and Urban Development' conference in Nairobi in November 2016 will address the prominence of peripherals among street vending articles and take this as a starting point for an exchange on sustainability and informal trade with street vending representatives, policy makers and NGO civics. Another element of this conference contribution will be an exchange with policy makers and NGO civics on possibilities to apply BoPO's practice-based art-science methodology in the broader context of International Development activities in informal trade.-Two artworks created as part of the research network around theme of peripherals will be centre pieces in a two-week exhibition which is planned at a community library in the Kibera slum settlement in Nairobi, alongside artwork by local Kenyan artists and other BoPO outputs. The exhibition will stimulate reflection on the implications of informal trade strategies on waste production and ecology.-The three new pathways of inquiry outlined above will form the core concepts for a one-day workshop that will be organized for high school students at the French School in Nairobi.