Mali’s Democracy–Down but not out
Is the adoption of a new constitution by Mali's military regime a starting point for getting the soldiers back under civilian rule? Let’s game this out a little bit.
Politics
Okonjo-Wahala
Nigeria's very unpopular finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, whose last name in local slang is made to sound like trouble, wants to be World Bank President. She's the "African Renaissance" candidate. What do Nigerians make of it all?
Mali’s Coup–‘Politics is Bad’
The idea that because the coup happened, it's no longer worth taking positions on it is wrong-headed and dangerous. We should ask why, and why now.
Mali’s coup—First Thoughts
A few things are worth saying about the mutiny and the coup that rocked Bamako over the last few days.
Undocumented Spanish News
Spanish media is skittish about reporting their country's discriminatory immigration policy. If they do, they mainly cover its positive exceptions.
Online politics in Angola
In Angola, the ‘pseudo-event’ is all the rage: small in meaning but enlarged by Facebook and cell phones.
#Kony2012 and British media
A review of UK media coverage of the viral politics of the misguided #Kony2012 social media campaign.
Malawians are fed up with Madonna
Malawi is fed up with Madonna and her school daze, with the singer’s refusal to consult and her autocratic ways. Given the autocratic politics of the Mutharika regime, that’s both quite a statement and none at all. Madonna’s foundation, Raising Malawi (a telling name), has reportedly spent $3.8 million on a state-of-the-art school for girls […]
Jeffrey Gettleman’s Continent
The New York Times East Africa correspondent can be summarized in three self evident points.
The Invisible Christians
A big part of the story that is being missed about Invisible Children is that they're firmly rooted in Evangelical Christianity.
How to celebrate International Women’s Day
March 8, 2012. It’s International Women’s Day, and so how to celebrate? Over the weekend, The Independent on Sunday ran a piece entitled, “Revealed: The best and worst places to be a woman.” 20 categories of “surprising results”. Here’s one you might find interesting: Best place to read and write: Lesotho.
A miserable fraud
The power to choose on social media who is to be the next target of America’s moral manhunt, all with the benediction of a panel of biddable celebrities.
Julius Malema’s History
Last week, after Malema was expelled from South Africa’s ruling party, we went back and looked at our archives to see how we’ve blogged about him and his politics. Here’s a sample.
Senegalese drums
CNN does a story on Abdoulaye Wade's praise singer, Coumba Gawlo.
Tuareg Nationalism
A quick survey of Western media suggests Tuareg nationalist claims don’t carry the same weight as Malian, Nigerian or Algerian claims on Tuareg territory. For example, the current violence in Niger and Mali are covered as either a humanitarian crisis (sympathy for Tuareg refugees), Gaddafi’s legacy (rumored weapons support for the rebels from his fallen […]
Reverse Colonization
How the economic crisis in Portugal has sent the Portuguese to the shores of former colonies in search of employment.
The Beatles, Black Sabbath and Africa in 2050
No that’s not a stadium rock concert, it’s the musical references in the introduction to a scenario report, “African Futures 2050,” from the South African ‘Institute for Security Studies’ think tank.* The report, published in collaboration with the Pardee Center for International Futures, was published last month. We finally got around to page through the […]
Ruth Bader Ginsburg knows her constitutions
The South African Constitution and the emerging rights jurisprudence of the country's Constitutional Court are, demonstrably, influential.
The meaning of February 11, 1990
A veteran anti-apartheid figure writes about the day Nelson Mandela--after 27 years--was released from prison.
What’s wrong with abortion
The war on women’s health in the United States is a war without borders. It also extends to attempts in Africa to legalize abortion. And the US Republican party and its auxiliaries are in front.