Ep. 183: Nisrin Elamin on Sudan

This week we feature a conversation with Nisrin Elamin, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her work investigates the connections between land, race, belonging, and empire-making in Sudan and the broader Sahel region. In our conversation, we focus on the conflict in Sudan. Books, Links, & Articles

Ep. 182: Mandela Fellows Sandile Mnikati, Lindah Chavuya, Eunice Shapange, and Matshidiso Lencoasa on Public Policy

Sandile Mnikati, Lindah Mbaisi Chavuya, Eunice Ndeyapo Shapange, and Matshidiso Lencoasa are experts on public policy, planning, and governance from across the continent. We spoke with them about their visions for just governance while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). Sandile Mnikathi is the Read More…

Bonus: Zimbabwe’s 2023 Elections

“Few were surprised as, near midnight on August 26, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reelection in yet another of Zimbabwe’s tendentious contests,” writes David B. Moore. “His inauguration on September 4 sanctified his return to power.” In this article by Moore, first published in The Conversation Africa, he explains how the Read More…

Ep. 181: Mandela Fellows Aisha Namugga, Bashiru Koroma, and Louise Tekapso on Sustainability

Aisha Namugga, Bashiru Koroma, and Louise Tekapso are climate experts from across the continent—Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, respectively. We spoke with them about their expertise in climate change and sustainable environments while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). The fellows discussed their vision Read More…

Ep. 180: Mandela Fellows Dede Barpeen, Gibson Maina, and Ruth Sulaimon on Health

Dede Barpeen, Gibson Mainaon, and Ruth Sulaimon are health professionals from across the continent—Liberia, Kenya, and Guinea-Bissau, respectively. We spoke with them about their expertise in public administration and health while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI).  The fellows speak to their vision for Read More…

Ep. 178: E. Tendayi Achiume and Eleanor Paynter on race, refuge, and border justice (rerun)

E. Tendayi Achiume is a professor of law at UCLA and a newly announced 2023 MacArthur Fellow. Her research focuses on international migration, refugee displacement, and especially the role of international law in shaping the way that borders work.  Today’s episode is a rerun in celebration of her recent fellowship announcement and  covers a broad Read More…

Student Essay Winner: The Nigeria 2023 Election

Our student essay competition winner is Wisdom Adediji, an undergraduate student at the University of Ibadan! Wisdom reads his essay, “The Nigeria 2023 Election, Aftermath, and Way Forward to National Development,” for this bonus episode.  “The Nigeria 2023 Election, Aftermath, and Way Forward to National Development” By Wisdom Adediji, undergraduate student at the University of Read More…