Featured stories about Ideas
- 7 days ago
On activism and the self
- 2 weeks ago
Three naïve questions about Belarus
Stories about Ideas
19 August 2019
Here are some of Moldovan pop music's contributions to global meme culture
Few people remember this, but two popular memes known around the world are actually Moldovan in origin.
8 August 2019
Kenyan MP and her baby ordered out of parliament: ‘What was I supposed to do? Miss my duties?’
"I had an emergency, so what was I supposed to do? Miss parliament and my duties — just because I have a baby?"
7 August 2019
Tanzanian journalist faces trumped-up charges after abduction and detention
Freelance ournalist Erick Kabendera has written critically of Tanzanian President John Magufuli's increasingly repressive administration. Yesterday, authorities charged him with economic crimes, but critics say his only "crime" is journalism.
5 August 2019
Netflix's ‘The Great Hack’ highlights Cambridge Analytica's role in Trinidad & Tobago elections
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie may visit Trinidad and Tobago to talk to a parliamentary Joint Select Committee about campaign election interference — and who hired and paid the company.
2 August 2019
Ugandan feminist Stella Nyanzi deploys nude protest to challenge free speech sentence
Feminist scholar Stella Nyanzi, known for "radical rudeness" as protest, flashed her breasts and shouted obscenities in protest in court after receiving 9 more months in prison for cyber harassment.
31 July 2019
Queer as quantum joy
"You deserve to be proud of yourself, you rare, riotous beauty. Go on, give yourself a huge, rafter-rattling cheer."
23 July 2019
Is Mandarin Chinese the language of East Africa’s future?
As China strengthens its already robust trade and infrastructural ties with Africa, Chinese-government funded Confucius Institutes to teach Chinese Mandarin are on the rise.
17 July 2019
Could polygraph testing for Trinidad & Tobago police help create more public trust?
With an increasing crime rate, the idea is to help make officers more accountable and rekindle public faith in the police service.
9 July 2019
As Tanzania bans plastic bags, activists launch 300 youth environmental clubs in Dar es Salaam
These environmental activists teach young people in Dar es Salaam about the importance of nature conservation and the threat of single-use plastic on the environment.
5 July 2019
New York Times ad for Nairobi bureau chief riddled with clichés about Africa
The NYT’s language to describe their ideal Nairobi bureau chief reignited the debate on Western media's perpetual use of tired clichés and tropes about Africa.
Spanish town challenges its residents to lose 100,000 kg in two years
The small Galician town of Narón launched the campaign in January 2018. By February 2019, the population had lost a total 46,000 kilos.
4 July 2019
Kazakhstan is in the middle of a political transition. So is its social media humour.
Kazakhstan's former president got to choose his own successor, but couldn't prevent him from becoming a figure of fun.
2 July 2019
In São Paulo's outskirts, theatre groups flourish by turning social issues into stories
Formed by residents of São Paulo's outskirts, theater collectives have been gaining ground with plays in the streets that tackle questions like racism and inequality.
29 June 2019
Tanzania reinstates controversial sanitary pad tax
Bringing back the tax on sanitary pads in Tanzania has triggered a major debate on the impact it will have on girls and women.
22 June 2019
Trinidad & Tobago walks the talk for World Conversation Day
For the first time, Trinidad and Tobago took part in World Conversation Day via a series of offline talks about topics from creativity to aging — all streamed online, of...
21 June 2019
‘Is vagina a dirty word?’ Ugandan feminist Stella Nyanzi's court battle continues
Nyanzi battles for her freedom of expression. Besides this case, Nyanzi still faces charges other charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication.
17 June 2019
On displacement
"Displacement has no particular citizenship. It comes on a slow, malarial boat, or dropped from the sky on small islands buffeted by storms in the Caribbean, our common sea."
16 June 2019
Social media goes blue for Sudan
"My people can not die in vain, cannot die in silence." Social media users turn their profiles blue in solidarity with Sudanese protesters calling for civilian rule in Sudan.
12 June 2019
Racing down socialist memory lane: a classic Yugoslav cars video goes viral
The cars include three brands produced by Yugoslav factory Zastava from Kragujevac, Serbia, that were based off models by Italian manufacturer Fiat.
29 May 2019
Recent troubles rock the historical Kano Kingdom in northern Nigeria
The ancient Kingdom of Kano has thrived for centuries. Now, a political rivalry has led Kano's civilian governor to split the unified kingdom into five parts.
