Wanderlust

Since my teen years, I had wanderlust. I voraciously studied languages in preparation for the travels of my dreams. My … More

Links and News Roundup: 12 November 2013

Solome Lemme, “Against the Gospel of ‘Africa Rising.’” On the continent, despite improvements in national economies, technology, and certain human … More

News and Links Roundup: 5 November 2013

Sarah Kendzior, “Surviving the Post-Employment Economy” “In the United States, nine percent of computer science majors are unemployed, and 14.7 … More

“Re-Branding Africa” and “Africa Rising”: Whose Africa? Whose Rise?

I just finished reading Afrolicious’ “An Open Letter to African Writers, Artists and Creators of the 21st Century” and I … More

No, You May Not Touch My Hair: Or Why Antonia Opiah’s Public Art Exhibit Misses the Mark

Antonia Opiah’s “You Can Touch My Hair” public art exhibit features Black women in Union Square, New York City, holding … More

Akátá- or how I realized that Afrocentrism was not for me

By no means am I a ‘natural’ citizen here in the US. I have the trappings of belonging- state-issued IDs, … More

On The Anti-Trafficking Discourse and its Material Consequences

(cross-linked with my other blog) WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING? According to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially … More

Indigenous Peoples and Resource Exploitation: A Case Study in Equatorial Guinea

Cross-linked with Bertelsmann Stiftung – Future Challenges Organization’s site Indigenous peoples and resource exploitation. Who wins, who loses, how is … More

In the Face of a Receding Lake, Water Conflict at the Ethiopia-Kenya Border

Cross-linked with Bertelsmann Stiftung – Future Challenges Organization’s site In May 2012, the Kenyan government sent 200 additional reserve troops to the … More

Musings: Why the Framing of “FGM” is Problematic

(Note: By no means is this piece exhaustive. As the title says, it only intends to be a brief musing … More

More Musings on The Sullivan Foundation Summit in Equatorial Guinea: What Does “Africa Rising” Mean?

There seems to be a new wave of Afro-optimism that focuses heavily on “re-branding” Africa. One favorite slogan is “Africa … More

The Great Land Grab: The Discovery of a New Aquifer in Namibia

Cross-linked with Future Challenges’ site Namib Desert, photographed by Scott A. Christy The arid nation of Namibia has a newly … More

Initial Impressions on the Sullivan Foundation Summit in Equatorial Guinea

In a statement released August 6, Mrs. Hope Sullivan-Masters sought to rebut the criticisms of her choice to host the … More

Is the Playing Field Level for Stateless Olympiads?

Olympic flag flying outside Eland House in London (CC BY-ND 2.0) Cross-linked with Bertelsmann Stiftung – Future Challenges’ site “Do … More

Work in the Developing World: Outsourcing to Nairobi Slums

Cross-linked with Bertelsmann Stiftung – Future Challenges’ site In the Lead Article, entitled “Work in the Developing World,” I stressed … More