Stories about Ideas
‘African art has nourished all civilizations': A Conversation with Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi
"We owe thanks to this wonderful continent that allows us not only to exist but also to give lessons, even if some people want to push us into the corner."
Nigeria declares ‘state of emergency’ on rape and sexual assault
In Nigeria, a culture of rape and impunity persists, making it difficult for victims to hold their abusers accountable. Police often dismiss rape cases and blame the victims.
Remembering the heartbreaking words of Yugoslavia's war-struck ‘Lost Generation’
"Never in my life [did I imagine] I would shoot at someone or that someone would shoot at me. How can this be? It's not right."
Network marketing in Tanzania turns billionaire dreams into nightmares
Network marketing companies have mushroomed in Tanzania over the last five years, preying on vulnerable youth with billionaire dreams that often end in huge financial losses.
Old statues, new maps
"It's not an action that Columbus' local devotees ever imagined enacting: for them, the old map not only rules, but should always rule, no matter how much blood drenches it."
Americans, your fantasies about Canada enable Canadians’ complacent sense of white superiority
When it comes to racism, the United States is far more advanced than Canada. At least Americans can talk about race. Canadians can't.
A new game plays with ideas about how disinformation works in East Africa
"Chose Your Own Fake News" is an online game that teaches new internet users how to be more discerning about the information they receive and encounter in digital spaces.
Part I: Health care information access for women during COVID-19 in East Africa
In Kenya, pregnant women struggle to get uninterrupted access to sexual and reproductive health-related information and education during the pandemic — on and offline.
Tanzanian women’s savings and loan groups in flux during COVID-19
In Tanzania and around the world, COVID-19 exposes the vulnerability of microfinance savings and loan groups during large-scale crises.
Post-crisis hackathon: Ecuadorian NGOs crowdsource for a world after COVID-19
More than 550 people registered for a hackathon to find solutions for Ecuador's post-COVID-19 future.
Information warfare: COVID-19’s other battleground in the Middle East
As leaders vie to frame narratives and control public opinion on COVID-19, social media is a battlefield where influencers, trolls, bots, and commenter armies fight for influence and power.
The magic of paper and ink: A conversation with Iranian-American artist Hadieh Shafie
Born in Iran and raised in the US, Hadieh Shafie is fascinated with reimagining the book form, drawing textual forms and exploring color and its emotive power.
Actually, anti-Blackness has everything to do with Sri Lanka
"As long as colonial legacies continue to govern our sense of identity, politics, and society. . . we will continue to be complicit in anti-Blackness."
The rise of artemisia in Cameroon in the fight against COVID-19
As COVID-19 cases continue to soar in Cameroon, many who believe in local herbs have turned to the potent artemisia plant as the government reopens the economy in the country.
The future of protest in Uganda
There are parallels between police brutality in the US and Uganda, a country still haunted by the ghosts of its violent past.
Silicon Valley tech giants race to build Africa's internet infrastructure. Should Africa worry?
Google and Facebook are building undersea internet cables for Africans with access to high-speed internet — but 33 nations in Africa still don't have comprehensive data privacy laws.
‘To speak of George Floyd, it is necessary to speak of my own failures’
"I think of. . . all the times I've bitten my tongue while my uncles raged on about the grotesquerie of blacks, their laziness, their ineptitude, their savagery."
Quarantine debates in Zanzibar conjure memories of colonial racial segregation
In light of Zanzibar’s complex history of racial segregation in the name of public health, social distancing and quarantine measures have been controversial in the fight against COVID-19.
Cryptocurrency scammers flood Facebook users with ads for fake Forbes.com articles
Data publicly provided by Facebook about the adverts' reach indicate they have traveled far beyond North Macedonia, activists warn.
COVID-19 tune educates, empowers Indonesia’s remote Marapu community
"Let’s just stay at home. Let’s wash our hands diligently to protect our health and lives."
