Dr. Lena Gutheil

• Lena Gutheil
• Dennis Mbugua Muthama

Localizing Development to the Grassroots: Potentials and Limits of Engaging with Community Groups

Amid rising restrictions on foreign funding, localization—directly funding local groups—is seen as a path to more effective, locally owned aid. This policy brief examines whether donors should shift support from large civil society organizations to grassroots community groups.

doi:10.18449/2025MTA-PB40

• Download (PDF) | 307 KB

• Christine Hackenesch
• Lena Gutheil
• Tobias Heidland
• Emmanuel Nshakira-Rukundo
• Rainer Schweickert
• Denis M. Tull

Megatrends and the Future of Democracy in Africa. How Do the Youth Bulge, Urbanization and Digitalization Shape African Politics?

Africa’s future will be young, urban and digital, but will it be more democratic? This Working Paper explores how age, urbanization and access to social media shape African citizens’ political attitudes, their willingness to participate in democratic institutions, and forms of collective action.

doi:10.18449/2025MTA-WP16

• Download (PDF) | 1.2 MB

• Lena Gutheil
• Lisa Tschörner

Working with Civil Society in Authoritarian Contexts? The Case of Niger

The recent wave of coups in the Sahel puts Western policy makers in a difficult situation: While they wish to maintain relations and vie for influence, they also want to avoid strengthening unconstitutional rule. Collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) who are supposedly closer to citizens, is currently discussed as a way out of the dilemma. However, this policy brief reveals that especially in authoritarian contexts, the lines between CSOs and the state are often blurred.

doi:10.18449/2024MTA-PB28v02

• Download (PDF) | 299 KB

• Lena Gutheil
• Sina Schlimmer

Growth Beyond the Capital: Understanding Africa’s Secondary Cities

• German

Secondary cities in Africa are increasingly central to discussions on urbanisation. At the same time, capital cities maintain their economic and political significance. In this Megatrends Afrika Spotlight, Lena Gutheil and Sina Schlimmer argue for policies that address the complementarity of both city categories.

• Lena Gutheil

Can Public Participation Deepen Democracy?

While public engagement has contributed to enhancing social justice in Nakuru City, Kenia, challenges in improving governance effectiveness and legitimacy persist. This is due to limited responsiveness of local elites, political and legal loopholes, and restricted public participation.

doi:10.18449/2023MTA-PB18

• Download (PDF) | 265 KB

• Lena Gutheil
• Margit van Wessel

Starting from the South – Why we Need to Rethink Civil Society Collaborations and Funding Structures

• German

Collaborations between civil society organisations in the development sector are often driven by priorities set in donor countries. In this Spotlight, Megatrends Afrika talked to Margit van Wessel, Wageningen University, about ways to make civil society collaborations more equal.