What Madagascar’s amazing mini creatures tell us about evolution
Madagascar has many “mini” creatures. These include a recently discovered group of miniaturised frogs as well as the discovery earlier this year of the smallest reptile on earth – the Brookesia nana,…
The long shadow of colonial forestry is a threat to savannas and grasslands
Tree planting to restore forests, capture carbon and improve the land has gained strong momentum in recent years. The Bonn Challenge and its offshoots such as AFR100, initiatives focused on…
Africa’ first wide survey on the economic impact of COVID-19 on cultural industries
Arts and culture play an important role in all societies. They contribute not only to the social well-being of people but also to the social and economic development of countries….
In its portrayal of women, the classic South African novel Mhudi was ahead of its time
Solomon T. Plaatje was born in 1876 and was one of the founding members of South Africa’s current ruling party, the African National Congress. He was a politician, intellectual, journalist and author…
How eco-friendly and sustainable construction is shaping Africa’s future
Less than 200 years ago, mud was the mainstream construction material in West Africa while brick and mortar were considered the alternative. But there has since been a distinct role…
How Black Feminists in Chile are Challenging The Country’s Whitewashed Identity
Racism is nothing new in Chile—discrimination against its Indigenous Mapuche community was present at the South American country’s creation and remains widespread today. In recent weeks, 27 Mapuche prisoners have gone…
Dr. Frances Welsing: “White Supremacy” Is Rooted In Fear Of Genetic Annihilation
It’s 2020, and believe it or not, racism is just as alive as it’s ever been. To deny the existence of racism in today’s society is a crime in itself….
Kenya’s coast is losing huge amounts of seagrass. But all isn’t lost
The UN environmental programme has released a report warning that fishing trawlers, seaweed farming, and tourism off the coast of Kenya is threatening the survival of seagrasses. Moina Spooner, from…
International day of the world’s indigenous peoples 2020
By Kasise Ricky Peprah Theme: COVD 19 AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RESILIENCE There are 370 million indigenous peoples around the world spread across 90 countries,with the vast majority, 70%, living in…
Black August: Three facts about the month-long celebration of freedom fighters you didn’t know
August “is a month of meaning, of repression and radical resistance, of injustice and divine justice, of righteous rebellion, of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves and break…
Zimbabwe wants to raise money through a sovereign bond. Why this is ill-advised
The Zimbabwean government recently signed an agreement to pay 4,500 white farmers US$3.5 billion for infrastructure improvements on the land expropriated by the government during the chaotic land reform programme…
Four ancient African languages – older than English – but spoken till this day
By some counts, there are more than 3,000 African languages although most linguists on the continent and other places believe the number goes just a little beyond 2,000. All the…
Africa’s research capacity is growing. That’s good news for pandemic response efforts
The COVID-19 pandemic has put global emergency preparedness under sharp scrutiny. It’s also placed national health systems’ capacity to predict and respond to major emergencies under the microscope. Much of…
The System Of Racism That America Was Built On Is Crumbling At A Terrific Speed.
This is the end of America. Not the physical land mass, but the system of white supremacy which inspires and guides America. The American white power structure is crumbling at…
How we found the earliest glass production south of the Sahara, and what it means
The story of humankind from the earliest times to the present is in many ways a story about technology. Archaeologists tend to study the development of technology to show how people lived…
Icons of 1960s civil rights movement voice cautious optimism
Bob Moses says America is at “a lurching moment” for racial change, potentially as transforming as the Civil War era and as the 1960s civil rights movement that he helped…
Africa is the unsung hero continent in the global fight against Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, but the predictions about Africa being a coronavirus horror story have widely missed the mark and left modellers and public health experts scratching…
In 1921, a white mob burned ‘Black Wall Street’ down. We still feel that legacy today
On 9 March 1892, a white mob in Memphis, Tennessee, lynched Thomas Moss and his business partners Will Stewart and Calvin McDowell. The black men died on the altar of…
A black youth killed every 23 minutes: The dangers of being black in Brazil
The politics of being a black person in Brazil is complicated even for those within South America’s most populous nation. Often, the questions are more fundamental like, “who is black?”…