Photo: All Africa.com A good friend of mine in Harare said to me three years ago, “please let there be no elections. The people here fear nothing more. We just want to be left alone for long enough to rebuild.” Most people agree that elections are quintessential democratic rituals. But faux elections may only make…
Thousands of mourners converged in Ogidi, Anambra State of Nigeria, on May 23, for the funeral service of Africa’s literary icon, Chinua Achebe. He died in Boston, USA, on March 21. Achebe was the David and Mariana Fisher Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University. The Nigerian novelist is globally revered for his masterpiece, Things Fall…
Denver-based Peace Jam Foundation has announced that one of the recipients of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Peace, Liberian social worker, Lemah Gbowee, will visit Colorado in November. The announcement posted on the organization’s website stated, “Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee will presenting the 2012 Peace Jam Hero Award to Edie Lutnick and Ken…
Why do people decide to have children? Beyond the social capital it brings – beyond those cute brown eyes – beyond the unmistakable and sometimes unpleasant smell of soiled nappies – why do we have children? There is a myriad of reasons for this somewhat inexplicable human impulse – some simply want a replica of…
September days are remembered for a great many reasons. Some days in September are known for noble reasons like “World Peace” day on September 21. Other days in September are known for more bizarre reasons like “Ask a Stupid Question” Day on September 28. And some days in September are more personal like September 19, which…
Africa Agenda hosted a fundraising movie showing of Africa United on Saturday, July 28. With a humorous spin on critical issues in Africa, this film captures the story of five African children with different backgrounds that unites them as they embark on an adventure they will never forget. Dudu is a young orphan who lectures…
There are many strange facts in this world that are best kept within the realm of fiction. Some of these facts even border on the ridiculous and they make you wonder whether even facts can be adjusted and thus, in extrapolation, the truth also. Americans often refer to things being fast; fast food restaurants aka McDonald,…
My wife and I traveled to Cameroon in April this year to visit friends that we had made on a trip in 2010. Being our second trip to Cameroon, we saw different aspects of the country than we had previously. The following is a brief description of how we perceived the cultural and political environment…