Uganda: an ancient circumcision ritual is key to imparting communal knowledge

By Dominic D.B. Makwa, Lecturer, Makerere University

Music, dance, drama and poetry are important elements of ritual in African societies. Imbalu, the centuries-old circumcision ritual of Uganda’s Bagisu people, is no different. When Bagisu boys between the ages of 16 and 22 undergo this initiation into manhood, they learn the ancient meaning of the practice through music and dance.

Imbalu takes place every even year in August in the remote districts of eastern Uganda close to the border with Kenya. Imbalu ceremonies are not…

Read complete article

~	Hong Kong ranks low on global press freedom index as watchdog cites ‘unprecedented’ setbacks

~	Media coverage of campus protests tends to focus on the spectacle, rather than the substance

~	The good news is the government plans to cancel $3 billion in student debt. The bad news is indexation will still be high

~	Albanese government to wipe $3 billion in student debt, benefitting three million people

~	The Indigenous Peoples Camp that calls for rights every April in Brazil

~	Pillay: Israel is helped by ‘powerful States’ in violation of Palestinians’ rights

~	Debates on campus safety in response to Palestine solidarity activism show we need strategies to navigate discomfort

~	El Salvador: Constitution “à la carte” could deepen human rights crisis in coming years

~	Arrest Warrant Issued for Former Central African Republic President

~	With eyes on Gaza, violations against West Bank journalists multiply