African Affairs

The Politics of Sex

Wandia Njoya — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:16:10 -0800

When I was young and attending church meetings, seminars and all manner of forums designed to reign in on teenage libido, there was a church elder who used to say that when a young man approaches a woman's parents to declare his intention to marry their daughter, he is essentially telling the parents that he wants to have sex with her. I never understood what he meant, but I didn't really try to, given that the elder was known for making controversial statements. I didn't understand till now.

Confronting Homophobia in the Diaspora and Africa

Carina Ray — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:06:38 -0800

People of African descent worldwide have suffered under the tyranny of racism, oppression, and discrimination for centuries. We fought courageously to end slavery, colonialism, and segregation. Yet, even as we continue the battle against the myriad forms of inequality and abuse that still plague our communities, some among us seem perfectly willing to mete out the same horrific treatment to the gay community.

Where is the African Church? By Mukoma Wa Ngugi

Guest Blogger — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:08:58 -0800

Growing up, I have three distinct memories of Christian clergy- one is of Bishop Tutu winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his work against apartheid. Another of President Moi, then dictator of Kenya, being prayed over by richly robed clergy in a magnificent Nairobi church, and the last of clergymen like Reverend Njoya speaking out against Moi's excesses.

Human Rights Impact Assessment of Uganda's Anti-homosexuality Bill By Sylvia Tamale

Guest Blogger — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:00:26 -0800

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill (the bill) published on 25 September 2009[1] would, if enacted into law, prima facie violate international human rights law and lead to further human rights violations. This memorandum presents Amnesty International's analysis of the bill and highlights specific serious concerns the bill raises. The bill which has already been tabled before the Ugandan Parliament is currently being considered and pending for consideration by two committees of the Parliament before being submitted for parliamentary debate.[2]

Polygamy isn't African - It's patriarchal

Wandia Njoya — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:27:03 -0800

South Africa's president Jacob Zuma is at it again. In the traditional ceremony for his fifth marriage, this time to the beautiful Thobeka Madiba, he once again delved into the archives of history and emerged with a relic which he imposed on modern life. The other time he did this was when he sang a liberation song "Bring me my machine gun" years into post-apartheid South Africa. The song would become the deadly anthem of poor black South Africans who lynched African immigrants whom they considered the new colonial masters.

The Birth of the Billionth African

PTZeleza — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:52:35 -0800

This year Africa's population finally reached a billion, making the continent the second most populated after Asia, mirroring its geographical size as the second largest continent after the latter. This is undoubtedly a historic milestone with profound implications for Africa's economies, polities, societies, cultures, and ecologies, as well as for the continent's geopolitical and geostrategic standing and significance.

The Voice of Mutallab, the Hands of the Dead

Pius Adesanmi — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:44:51 -0800

Terrorist Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab is the ill-bred scion of privilege that was perhaps destined to be the instrument through which the dead would visit the comeuppance of sleeplessness on a certain vicious establishment that is responsible for the greatest heap of corpses in Nigeria’s history. read more »

The Poverty of Ideas By William Gumede and Leslie Dikeni

Guest Blogger — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:48:10 -0800

Active and engaged public intellectuals play a crucial role in the ongoing life of democratic societies', perhaps even more so in new democracies like South Africa, William Gumede and Leslie Dikeni. In an extract from their new book, ‘The Poverty of Ideas', Gumede and Dikeni make the case for opening up the ‘space for debate, dissent and public dialogue' and reversing a culture of intolerance that flourished in South Africa under the Mbeki administration. read more »

Obama Moves Ahead With Africom By Daniel Volman

Guest Blogger — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:54:41 -0800

In his 11 July 2009 speech in Accra, Ghana, US President Barack Obama declared, 'America has a responsibility to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there is genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems - they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response. That is why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy, technical assistance, and logistical support, and will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. read more »

The Collapse of the University Idea: A Kenyan Experience

Wandia Njoya — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 02:14:40 -0800

Pius Adesanmi's dissection of the collapse of the university idea in Nigeria inspired me to tell a story which continues to disturb me. This May, I welcomed a student who had just joined out department and registered for Bachelor of Education in English. read more »

Professing Dangerously: the Road to Charles Soludo

Pius Adesanmi — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:34:14 -0800

My title plays on the title of Professor Femi Osofisan’s inaugural lecture at the University of Ibadan, “Playing Dangerously”, and my reasons shall become apparent presently. First, an anecdote. Back in secondary school, one of my close cousins, Bola Akanbi, fell in love with Professors. Bola and I were then sharing the same bedroom in my mother’s staff quarters bungalow in the sprawling compound of Titcombe College, Egbe. read more »

Violence against Women in Nigeria: the Internet as Amebo

Pius Adesanmi — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:38:46 -0800

(Speech delivered at a public symposium jointly organized at Carleton University, Ottawa, by the Institute of African Studies, the Pauline Jewett Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies, NIDO Ottawa, and NIMNEWS Radio to mark the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. November 25, 2009)

Gender and Neocolonialism

Wandia Njoya — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:20:05 -0800

This month, I am involved in one of the most exciting moments of my career since I returned home. I was invited by some undergraduate students to give 2 lectures on neo-colonialism on two different days. I have done the first part in which I did a survey of pan-African liberation struggles and imperial expansion over the last 5 centuries. Next week I talk about the various contemporary forms of neo-colonialism.

Carbon Trading: Colonizing the Atmospheric Commons By Khadija Sharife

Guest Blogger — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:19:09 -0800

Whether it is used to described rolling blackouts or civil wars, the catchphrase ‘Africa wins again' remains a favourite amongst naysayers naturalising the continent as a place where tragedies symbolise the realisation of Africa's innate ‘destiny' - to self-destruct.

ARMS AND ENERGY

The Internet Goes Multilingual: The Challenges for Africa and African Diasporas

PTZeleza — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:43:25 -0800

Last Friday, October 30, the internet opened a new chapter in its long march towards internationalization. It entered a new era of multilingual globalization. Up to now, web addresses could only be displayed using Latin characters. This increasingly makes little sense as more than half of the world's 1.6 billion internet users employ non-Latin scripts including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, and Russian.

We Are Sailing By Mukoma Wa Ngugi

Guest Blogger — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:28:56 -0700

Finally in Kenya after a three year absence, I am alarmed. It feels like a ship whose cargo is a terrible future of violence has already set sail from the distant hell of Africa's past and is heading for our shores. It will dock in the near future. And we, the politicians, political activists, writers and intellectuals, are simply bickering over what exactly this ship may contain.

What Would Gandhi Do? Zimbabwe, Neo-imperialism and the Lessons of Nonviolence

Steve Sharra — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:48:26 -0700

The theme for this year's Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) annual conference, held from October 8 to 10 at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could not have been more apropos. Phrased as "The Power of Nonviolence," it compelled me to think about the ways in which Nonviolence theory and praxis could be brought to bear in the search for solutions to one of Africa's most intractable puzzles, the case of Zimbabwe. read more »

A Day in Brazil

PTZeleza — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:15:21 -0700

When I heard Rio had been awarded the 2016 Olympic Games over Chicago, I was conflicted about Chicago's loss, the city where I lived until a couple of months ago. Wandia Njoya perceptively captures why Chicago lost, notwithstanding the syrupy interventions of the Obamas and Oprah that did not move the Olympic officials. She observes that for much of the world the United States remains unloved as an aggressive imperial power despite Obama's election.

Thoughts on the Practice of Pan-Africanism

Carina Ray — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:54:50 -0700

In August I had the opportunity to participate in a special plenary session on the practice of Pan-Africanism sponsored by the Accra-based W.E.B. Du Bois Centre for Pan-African Culture and the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) during the latter's biennial conference, which was held in Accra. Having just ten minutes to address the audience forced me to identify and tersely articulate the most pressing issues facing the Pan-African movement/s today. I take the liberty of more fully fleshing my thoughts out here. read more »

Nkrumah At 100 By Ama Biney

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:42:29 -0700

In commemorating the centenary of Nkrumah on 21 September 2009, we are remembering a titan of the anti-colonial struggle and African history that all people of African descent - both young and old - should be proud of. Why? read more »