Episodes

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…

Bonus: Laura Seay’s review of “Roadblock Politics,” “The War That Doesn’t Say Its Name,” and “Batman Saves the Congo”

Roadblock Politics, The War That Doesn’t Say Its Name, and Batman Saves the Congo all examine the seeming perpetual violence in the Congo and dispel misconceptions surrounding Congolese conflicts. These books were reviewed by Laura Seay, who wrote “No, Batman didn’t save the Congo, and other book reviews” for The Monkey Cage as part of the 2022 African Read More…

Ep. 175: A conversation with fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi, Mpho Tjope, Rhulani Baloyi, and Kamohelo Sebudi about marginalized identities

In our latest from fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi, we talk about the representation of minority groups in South African art. Mainstream media often tells the story of majority groups and those who don’t fit into those stories are often considered outsiders.  Kamo talks to guests Mpho Tjope, Rhulani Baloyi, and Kamohelo Sebudi for this conversation. Read More…