Daisy Maritim-Maina* explains why there are such bitter contests every election cycle in the East African country and she suggests how to create a sustainable, vibrant democratic culture where the voters look beyond ethnic affinity. In 1992 Kenya held its first multi-party election in 26 years. Since this re-introduction of multipartism, the “politics of tribe” has been blamed for the …
Read More »Why Nigeria desperately needs to bring back vocational training
Dr Daniel Yakubu Kutchin, a Germany-based computer specialist, argues that the time has come for Nigeria to prioritise vocational education in the face of acute skills shortage in manufacturing and the trades at a time of high unemployment among young people. ——————————————– By Dr Daniel Yakubu Kutchin The Nigerian Education system still follows somewhat loosely the Commonwealth Education system. It …
Read More »Rejoinder: Why Frisky Larr is wrong on democracy in Africa
Kolapo Fujah, writing from Lagos, joins issues with Frisky Larr, whose book Lost in Democracy calls for an alternative to the Western-inspired system of government in Africa because it has failed to deliver good governance in the continent. Fujah argues that the problem with democracy in Africa is not with the system itself but how it’s practiced. For starters, democracy …
Read More »Why the media is so important to credible elections in Africa
Kenyan-born scholar George Ogola, writing from the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom, explains why the impartiality of the media is crucial to free and fair elections in Africa and the sustainability of peace and stability on the continent. The news media is usually one of first casualties of bungled or contested elections. From the recent US elections, …
Read More »Why the West should help finance education in Africa, by President Jakaya Kikwete
Even as many countries in the developing world have stepped up their commitment to improving and expanding education opportunities, education has remained chronically underfinanced, with funding levels far below what is needed to achieve education benchmarks
Read More »Between East & West: Africa’s economic transformation will create a third centre of global power
Brett Parker, Managing Director – SAP Africa, writes on the future of international economic relations and the potential of Africa to play a crucial role in it. What a difference a century makes. If we stepped back in time to a hundred years ago we’d find a primitive China; a Middle East that had yet to discover the riches of …
Read More »British professor on how South Africa can avoid becoming another ‘African country’
There was a time that South Africa looked very different to the rest of the world. The “rainbow nation” was seen to be exceptional, having more in common with the developed states of Europe than many countries elsewhere. But, in the wake of a series of destabilising corruption scandals, financial mismanagement and the incompetent leadership of President Jacob Zuma, …
Read More »Letting people drown in the Mediterranean is not an EU value
Voices critical of the activities of non-governmental humanitarian groups rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean are growing louder. Several Italian politicians have pointedly accused these lifesavers of encouraging people smugglers in Libya, who send out migrants in rickety boats in the direction of Europe with the expectation that these persons will be saved at sea. Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia …
Read More »Why South Korea has made more progress than Ghana in 60 years
It is a common practice of Western journalists to compare the economic situation of Ghana today with that of South Korea to illustrate how backward Africa still is in comparison with the other parts of the world. The basis for comparing the two countries is the similar size of their economies at the time Ghana gained independence in 1957. Our …
Read More »Bono on why Germany is smart by placing Africa on the G20 agenda
If your eyes roll at international gatherings like the G20 foreign ministers’ summit this week in Bonn or the Security Conference I’ll be attending this weekend in Munich, let me confess, mine used to as well. But after nearly two decades of harassing and attending such gatherings, I’ve discovered the dirty little secret of these events is they’re often not …
Read More »The 21st Century slavery that is still thriving and what you can do against it
Nelly Sarpong, Berlin-based Ghanaian-born writer, bemoans human trafficking and what we as individuals can do to combat this modern-day slavery. Imagine going to a supermarket and seeing human beings on the stands with barcodes on them, being sold and resold as commodities. Imagine human beings being auctioned to the highest bidder. Imagine human beings as puppets being at the mercy …
Read More »Why international sanctions against Eritrea are illegitimate and unjust
Under US pressure, the UN refuses to lift an embargo against the tiny nation of Eritrea, while ignoring constant aggressions by its huge neighbour, Ethiopia, writes Dr Fikrejesus Amahazion. The UN has abrogated its responsibility to uphold international law – and, instead, coddles Washington’s military ally, he argues. During one of his debates with Socrates, Thrasymachus alleges that “justice is …
Read More »The tough choices that Europe faces in the fight against terror
Governments face complex challenges in maintaining peace and security and at the same time preserving constitutional values, writes Henry Anozie and he suggests what has to be done to fight the war on terror successfully. The series of violent attacks – from the shooting in the Munich shopping mall to the suicide attack in Ansbach – within a week in …
Read More »Being German is more than being White
Frankfurt-based published author and musician Che Chidi Chukwumerije writes on what it means to be German even when your roots are thousands of kilometres away. “Being German is more than being a colour. It is being a type. It is being a part-bearer of Germany and Germany’s future within you,” he says. Being German is more than being white – …
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