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Africa

Africa. Forward to 2027, the new single currency.

The pandemic and the doubts of some countries have postponed the adoption of the Eco, the single monetary unit of Western Africa. The new road map, which expects a pact of convergence to be actuated during the period 2022-2026, became necessary due to the delays caused by the pandemic. This is the explanation recently given…

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Mozambique. Music and Dance of the Makua. To the sound of drums.

It began in an Islamic context as a religious dance but today it has a more secular character and is managed by the women of the Makua ethnic group who compose the words and music, singing and dancing. It is also an occasion of social liberation. The tufo music and dance, with its centre in…

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Marriage an expensive venture.

Marriage is highly esteemed among the Banyakole and it is one of the most expensive and honored ventures. Among the things that have persisted in the Ankole culture is the marriage rite. Before westernization found its way in the Ankole culture, by the time girls turned eight or nine, particularly among the Bahima, preparation for…

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Nigeria. Half a century after the war, secessionist tensions again in Biafra.

Over 50 years after the Biafra secession war, situation has become extremely tense in South-Eastern Nigeria. Repression is ongoing and support for secession is growing, while Presidential statements stoke the fire. Main threats such as Boko Haram Islamist insurgency in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest, clashes between farmers and herders in Central Nigeria and…

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Religion & Family.

Prior to the Christian missionary movement in the 19th century, the Ankole people’s idea of a Supreme Being was Ruhanga (creator) who was believed to be living in the sky. He was believed to be the maker and giver of all things. However, it was believed that evil persons could use black magic to interfere…

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South Sudan. Sowing peace amid the violence.

A young man is killed. The family members arrange the vendetta. The blood of the culture seems to be thicker than the waters of Baptism. Reflections of a missionary who spent fifty years in Africa. It is just a month since the life of my friend James was snuffed out, the umpteenth life cut short…

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The Ankole cultural spots.

Places, legends, instruments, dances, to preserve the Ankole’s rich and diverse culture. At a glance some of these sites. Nkokojeru tombs: these are the resting places of the Ankole’s last two kings: Mugabe Edward Solomon Kahaya II buried in 1944 and Omugabe sir Charles Godfrey Rutahaba Gasyonga II, who ruled from 1944, and who died…

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Uganda. Ekipeyos. The prayer of the elders.

Stricken by adversity a Karimojong man, a member of an ethnic group of northern Uganda, does not keep it to himself but renders the entire community participants in his sorrow. Above all, he entrusts himself to the prayers of the elders who come to his aid with a traditional community celebration called the ekipeyos. The…

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Uganda. Journey into the Ankole cultural heritage.

Ankole is one of the oldest and most famous dynasties in Uganda. It is believed to have been created back in the early 15th century.  The people of Ankole Kingdom are called the Banyankole and they speak a language called Runyankole. The Banyankole are inhabits of the present-day districts of Mbarara, Bushenyi, Sheema, Ntungamo, Kiruhura,…

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Nigeria. Dashed hopes.

A year after the youth protests that shook the most populated country of Africa. The justice and peace commissions are not functioning except in Lagos; the youth are disillusioned; the police are licking their wounds; insecurity has increased. The government is still afraid of Twitter. On 8 October 2020, a peaceful protest began in Nigeria…

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Malawi. Dancing with the Spirit.

It is a country with over 10 ethnic groups, each with different cultural traditions and beliefs. The dance represents one of the highest cultural performances of these cultural groups. A glance at some of the dances. In the central region of Malawi live the Ngoni people and they are around 750 thousand people in all.…

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Advocacy

Maria Ressa. Information that gives hope.

“We want to create a federation of international journalistic organisations that collaborate in this effort, starting from the global South,” says Filipino journalist and 2022…

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Baobab

The Leopard, the Dog and the Tortoise.

Once upon a time, there was a leopard. He had a huge walnut tree that was full of nuts. Stingy as he was, however, he forbade…

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Youth & Mission

Mission. In the school of life and humanity.

Three young Comboni missionaries from three continents share their vocation stories and missionary experiences. Fr Victor Cunanan Parungao from the Philippines reflects on 15 years of…

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