What does Africa mean to us today? Fellow Takondwa Priscilla Semphere teaches at the African Leadership Academy, a school where approximately 35 African countries are represented at one time. Takondwa speaks with her students about the complicated question of how we understand and define Africa and its people for this episode. In the news wrap, Kim Read More…
Author: md963
Ep. 162: A conversation with Idayat Hassan about the upcoming Nigerian elections
Idayat Hassan is the director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), an Abuja-based policy advocacy and research organization focusing on deepening democracy and development in West Africa. She talks to Rachel this week about the upcoming Nigerian elections and all there is to be hopeful about – the possibility for change, engagement from Read More…
Ep. 161: A conversation with fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi and guest Momo Matsunyane about South African load-shedding and its effects on artists
Fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi sheds a light on the problem of load-shedding and its impact on independent theater companies in South Africa for this episode.”Load-shedding” refers to the deliberate shutdown of electric power in a part or parts of a power distribution system, generally to prevent the failure of the entire system when the demand Read More…
Bonus: Hear Dan Eizenga’s review of “The Islamic State in Africa”
In this review from The Monkey Cage’s African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular, Dan Eizenga tells us that The Islamic State in Africa “offers a wealth of information, contributing a great deal to the scholarly body of work focused on militant Islamist groups in Africa.” The book was reviewed by Eizenga in July 2022. Review read by Ami Tamakloe. Read More…
Ep. 160: A conversation with fellow Bamba Ndiaye and guests Sophia Denise Sow and Zachariah Mampilly about African activism
Fellow Bamba Ndiaye talks to two very exciting guests this week about political uprisings and social activism on the continent, from both activist and scholar perspectives. Sophia Denise Sow is a founding member of Senegal’s Y’en a Marremovement and Zachariah Mampilly, cofounder of the Program on African Social Research (PASIRI) and the Marxe Endowed Chair Read More…
Ep. 159: A conversation with Mayor Manuel de Araújo on urban governance, community, and climate resilience
Happy new year from the Ufahamu Africa team! We’re back with a conversation with Manuel de Araújo, mayor of Quelimane, Mozambique about how he became mayor, why he switched political parties in 2018, and what motivates voters in Mozambique. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel share updates on Nigerian elections, the famine in Read More…
Ep. 158: A conversation with Joe Muturi about urban politics
Joe Muturi is president of the SDI Network, a social activist, and leader of Muungano wa Wanavijiji, the national federation of slum dwellers in Kenya. Muungano is the largest social movement in Kenya, which for over 20 years has campaigned against forced evictions and in support of secure tenure and improved services for Kenya’s poor Read More…
Ep. 157: A conversation with Lauren Honig about land politics in Zambia and Senegal
Lauren Honig is an assistant professor of political science at Boston College whose work addresses questions of property rights, the roles of informal and customary institutions, natural resource politics, and state-citizen linkages. Lauren talks to Kim this week about her new book, Land Politics: How Customary Institutions Shape State Building in Zambia and Senegal. Plus, in Read More…
Ep. 156: A conversation with cohosts Kim and Rachel on accusations of corruption in Malawi
We’re in conversation this week about the recent arrest of Malawi vice president Saulos Chilima. Kim, our resident Malawi expert, answers Rachel’s questions about what is happening, the historical context, and more. In Kim’s recent article for The Monkey Cage, she writes: “Malawians have seen tensions between their presidents and VPs before. They may be somewhat cynical about government attempts to fight corruption.”
Ep. 155: A conversation with Eric Osei Assibey about the financial situation in Ghana
Eric Osei Assibey is the dean of international programs at the University of Ghana, Legon and an associate professor of economics. He joins our cohost Rachel Beatty Riedl to talk about the financial situation in Ghana, the state of the Ghanian economy, and the effects of the war in Ukraine on the country.
Ep. 154: A conversation with fellow Samah Fawzi about the Western Sahara (part 2)
Following up from last week, last season’s fellow Samah Fawzi continues the deep dive into Western Sahara, this time through discussions with guests Chaia Luali and Maghlaha Hamma, who share their insights on women’s lives and the various roles they lead in Tindouf refugee camps and the Sahrawi cause. Chaia Luali is a Western Sahara Read More…
Ep. 153: A conversation with fellow Samah Fawzi about the Western Sahara (part 1)
In this episode, our fellow from last season, Samah Fawzi, does a deep dive into the Western Sahara, its history, composition, and current affairs. She engages in discussions with Sahrawi people from different professional backgrounds and geographical location, with the aims of detangling complex and at times contradictory historical tales, shedding light into the often Read More…