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Africa

Kenya. Rose Wanjikũ Mũriũ. Karate girl.

She wants to make history: to be the first Kenyan Karate Woman to take part in the Olympics. Rose has always done things differently from other girls. Growing up, she hung out with her three older brothers and their friends, taking part in all manner of antics – from stealing a neighbour’s maize to hunting…

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Uganda. Empako a sign of respect among the Batooro.

Besides their family names, the Batooro have pet names called empako. It was a sign of social identity. When greeting each other, the Batooro use the empako. It must be mentioned as part of the greeting. Tta Akiiki! Tta Abwooli!  That was how we saw people in Tooro share pleasantries as soon as they come…

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Fragile Peace in South Sudan.

There have been close to twelve peace agreements but they have failed to bring about significant long-term peace in the country. The future of peace and stability in South Sudan will very much depend on the political will of the political leaders. South Sudan is currently the youngest nation in the world, having gained its…

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Dubai. The crossroads of African gold.

An interwoven series of criminal gangs, terrorist groups, traffickers of all sorts, networks of illegal commerce, African gold passes through the Emirates.  Gold represents the best investment during great economic and financial crises. The past fifteen years have been characterised by a dizzying climb in the price of this product which has given rise to…

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Nigeria. Islands in an archipelago.

John Campbell, a Senior fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, recently wrote a book on Nigeria (“Nigeria and the Nation-State – Rethinking diplomacy with the postcolonial world”). A career diplomat, Campbell has written a work that is well worth reading and briefly examines the historical, political, and cultural roots of…

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Fasts & Feasts in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tradition.

The most important period of the year for Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia is the Lent fast leading up to the Easter feast. Easter, known as Fasika, will fall on 2 May this year corresponding to 24th Miyazya 2014 in the Ethiopian Calendar. Fasting is central to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity with some 250 fasting days during…

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Nigeria. Edo Museum of West African Art. Collective Memories.

A museum project has been launched this year under the care of architect David Adjaye who wishes to give value to the cultural heritage of the ancient kingdom of Benin (XII-XIX centuries), of which Edo was the capital. Besides the bronze items and historical remains, there will also be room for contemporary artworks. The British…

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DR. Congo. Kabila’s puppet cuts its strings.

In a spectacular turnaround, the former President Kabila who was still in control of the institutions through proxies two years after the Presidential election, has been eventually side-lined. Tshisekedi whom he helped to become President after a rigged election has managed to outflank him while the West applauds despite the use of unconstitutional methods. Until…

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The Gulf of Guinea: The Sea of pirates.

Maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a threat not only to the welfare of seafarers and ship-owners, but also to the politics and the economy of coastal states. Some of them depend on the flux of money and goods generated by the traffic of ships. Therefore, up to a certain level, piracy is…

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The Sahel. “Poverty nourishes jihadism”.

An unstable region. “Young people abandoned to themselves find a solution to their problems in Jihadism. Jihadism feeds on injustice, poverty and misery”.  The words of Father Arvedo Godina of the White Fathers who has spent over fifty years in The Sahel. The Sahel is one of the most unstable regions in the continent of…

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Africa. To Share fraternity.

In his last Encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti”, (“Brothers [and Sisters] All”), Pope Francis is calling for a new world society, characterised by fraternity and social friendship. Africa has much to contribute to the shaping of the future of humanity. The African sense of fraternity begins with motherhood. In most African societies, all grown up women are…

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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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