April 23, 2023
South Africa: Green Spaces Are Good for People - but in South Africa Many Cannot Access Them
The benefits of experiencing nature for physical, psychological and spiritual well-being are widely documented. But much of the research on these benefits has been done in… Read more »
Chad: Chad Picks a Fight With Germany - What's Behind It and What the Consequences Are
Chad recently ordered the German ambassador to the country, Dr Gordon Kricke, to leave within 48 hours, accusing him of disrespectful behaviour and disregard for diplomatic… Read more »
April 20, 2023
Uganda: Ghetto Kids - What's Behind the Moves of the Ugandan Dance Troupe That Stormed the World
A group of young dancers from Uganda, Triplets Ghetto Kids, went viral across the world when they earned the "golden buzzer" mid-performance on the TV show Britain's Got Talent.… Read more »
Rwanda: Rwanda and Nigeria Sign an Accord for More Responsible Exploration - Why This Matters
In 2020, the United States announced a framework for the private exploitation of space resources. It consists of practical principles to guide exploration, science and commerce in… Read more »
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Ruling Party Vilifies the Opposition As American Puppets. but The Party Itself Had Strong Ties to the U.S.
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), which has governed Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, is well known for denouncing the United States' role as a… Read more »
South Africa: Climate Change Increases the Risk of Extreme Wildfires Around Cape Town - but It Can Be Addressed
Across the globe, many recent severe wildfires have moved from wildlands into the urban periphery (the "wildland urban interface"). In their wake, they've left death, destruction… Read more »
April 19, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's Only Mother and Child Hospital Is Falling Apart - a Veteran Doctor Reflects On Why
South Africa's health ombudsman recently published the findings of an investigation into Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. The investigation followed the publication of a… Read more »
Sudan: Sudan Created a Paramilitary Force to Destroy Govt Threats - but It Became a Major Threat Itself
Sudan is in crisis. Fighting continues between Sudan's military leader, Abdelfattah Al-Burhan, and his deputy on Sudan's ruling council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, who commands… Read more »
Africa: Illegal Logging in Africa Is a Threat to Security
African countries are estimated to lose US$17 billion each year to illegal logging. High-value timber species are in global demand. Read more »
Africa: Generative AI - 5 Essential Reads About the New Era of Creativity, Job Anxiety, Misinformation, Bias and Plagiarism
The light and dark sides of AI have been in the public spotlight for many years. Think facial recognition, algorithms making loan and sentencing recommendations, and medical image… Read more »
April 18, 2023
Africa: Europe Outsourcing Asylum to African Countries Is a Terrible Idea - There Are Alternatives
For 40 years, western governments have entertained ideas of outsourcing asylum processing and refugee hosting to the global south. It is not a new idea. And neither are the… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya Should Decriminalise Homosexuality - 4 Compelling Reasons Why
Kenya has recently seen the increasing visibility of sexual and gender minorities. However, this has been met with a growing backlash. Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Power Outages Could Reach Critical Levels This Winter - Likely Scenarios
Over the past 15 years South Africa has been experiencing a gradually worsening number of electricity cuts. This state of affairs has prompted frustration among citizens, negative… Read more »
Africa: Feeding Africa - How Small-Scale Irrigation Can Help Farmers to Change the Game
Unlike large-acreage government irrigation schemes, small-scale irrigation is typically farmer led. Farmers decide what technologies to use to extract water, be it manual lifting… Read more »
Africa: Diseases Gave Us the Rise of Christianity, the End of the Aztecs and Public Sanitation. How Might Future Plagues Change Human History?
"Every once in a while a book lands on your desk that changes the way you perceive the world you live in, a book that fundamentally challenges your understanding of human history."… Read more »
Africa: If 1% of Covid-19 Cases Result in Death, Does That Mean You Have a 1% Chance of Dying If You Catch It?
As of April 2023, about 1% of people who contracted COVID-19 ended up dying. Does that mean you have a 1% chance of dying from COVID-19? Read more »
April 17, 2023
Sudan: Sudan Crisis Explained - What's Behind the Latest Fighting and How It Fits Nation's Troubled Past
Days of violence in Sudan have resulted in the deaths of at least 180 people, with many more left wounded. Read more »
Africa: Debt Dangers in Africa - How Defaults Hurt People, and Why Forgiveness Isn't the Answer
Public debt repayments in some African countries are at their highest levels since 1998. The Conversation Africa's founding editor Caroline Southey talks to dean and economics… Read more »
Rwanda: Rusesabagina Vs Rwanda - How Kagame Wields Soft Power to Get His Way With the West
In politics, soft power is a persuasive approach to international relations. A leader can use soft power by exerting economic, cultural or reputational influence. Read more »
Africa: Predicting Epidemics Isn't Easy. We've Created a Global Dataset to Help
The world has recently seen a number of high-profile cross-border disease outbreaks and pandemics. The COVID pandemic and multi-country Mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks are just two… Read more »
Sudan: Hemedti - The Warlord Who Built a Paramilitary Force More Powerful Than the State
Dozens have been killed in armed clashes in the Sudanese capital Khartoum following months of tension between the military and the powerful paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces… Read more »
East Africa: East Africa's Peace Mission in the DRC - Why It's in Burundi's Interest to Help
Burundi was the first country to offer troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2022 as part of east Africa's peace drive after a wave of attacks from the rebel group… Read more »
Africa: We Make Thousands of Unconscious Decisions Every Day. Here's How Your Brain Copes With That
Do you remember learning to drive a car? You probably fumbled around for the controls, checked every mirror multiple times, made sure your foot was on the brake pedal, then… Read more »
April 16, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Fishing Industry Has a 'Golden Seaweed' Problem - How Citizen Science Can Help
Sargassum is a genus of brown seaweed. Over 300 species are distributed across the world in both temperate and tropical climates. The species fluitans and natans are unique because… Read more »
Africa: Africans in World War 1 - Artist William Kentridge's Epic Theatre Production Restores Forgotten Histories
South African artist William Kentridge became world famous for his charcoal drawings and hand-drawn animated films, but his work continued to grow in scope and he began staging… Read more »