By Tom Mboya Olali, Associate Professor, Department of Kiswahili, University of Nairobi
Lamu is a historic Swahili port town on an island off the northern coast of Kenya. Each year it hosts the famous Lamu Maulidi Festival, a sacred Muslim celebration, planned this year for 17-18 September.
People come from across the world to attend because in Lamu, maulidi (also known as mawlid) is unique. It’s a blend of cultures, and of pilgrimage, ceremony and carnival.…
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By Imraan Valodia, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Climate, Sustainability and Inequality and Director, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
The relationship between inequality and economic growth is a complex one, especially in Africa. Inequality is the result of a host of factors, including policy choices, institutional legacies and power structures that favour elites. Professor Imraan Valodia, director of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies spoke to Ernest Aryeetey, emeritus professor of Development Economics at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana about the issues.
What policy choices have African governments made that have worsened inequality?
Firstly,…
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By Saheed Babajide Owonikoko, Researcher, Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University of Technology
For Nigeria, the arrest of two major terrorist leaders is an important strategic victory but security needs to brace for likely retaliation.
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By David Silver, Chair in Business and Professional Ethics, University of British Columbia
As authoritarian and autocratic leaders seek to consolidate power throughout society, members of the business community face a choice of resistance or capitulation.
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By Louis-Philippe Bleau, Professionnel de recherche à l'Institut universitaire sur les dépendances, Université de Montréal
Christophe Huỳnh, Chercheur d'établissement à l’Institut universitaire sur les dépendances / Research scientist University Institute on Addictions / Professeur associé / Adjunct professor, Université de Montréal
Jean-Sébastien Fallu, Professeur agrégé, École de psychoéducation, Université de Montréal
Opioids, including the best known — morphine, heroin and fentanyl — have been gaining popularity over the last few decades. Although officially banned, these painkillers still find their way into prisons either via drones or with visitors. The result is that more and more prisoners are using opioids.
Correctional services have taken several measures to prevent opioids from making their way into prisons. But unfortunately, the war on drugs has so far failed to prevent the…
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By Naomi Baker, Senior Lecturer in English Renaissance Literature, Manchester University
Women have been describing their experiences of male abuse for centuries – we just haven’t always been ready to listen to them.
In the 17th century, Anne Wentworth (1630-c.1693) spoke out against her abusive husband and the religious institution that protected him. She knew it was risky to reveal the shocking truth about an outwardly charming man who was regarded as a pillar of the community. Yet she felt compelled to tell her story.
Not only was her own life – and that of her daughter – on the line, but William Wentworth’s abusive behaviour was evidence of corruption within…
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By David Hastings Dunn, Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham
State visits are usually tightly controlled to give the maximum benefit to both countries. But the US president is notoriously unpredictable.
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By Ahmed Elbediwy, Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology & Clinical Biochemistry, Kingston University
Nadine Wehida, Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Kingston University
Pancreatic, brain, lung, stomach and oesophageal cancers have seen hardly any change in survival rate over the past 50 years.
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By M. Waqas Haider, PhD Researcher, Lancaster University
By targeting Hamas leadership on Qatari soil, Israel has not only escalated the conflict but also shaken confidence in Doha’s role as a mediator.
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By Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University
Sadly, there are signs that racism is increasing across the world.
Research from Europe and Australia in recent years has found a rise in the number of people experiencing racism. Reports from the…
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