Thanks mostly to the presence and behavior of Republican front-runner Donald Trump, the 2016 presidential primary contests are among the most vitriolic and violent in the history of the United States. Trump’s rallies just in the past two weeks have been the scenes of fistfights and ugly confrontations between supporters and protesters. Moving…
“…a master of language, and [your] commitment as a dramatist and writer of poetry and prose to problems of general and deep significance for man, modern or ancient.” – presentation speech by Professor Lars Gyllensten, of the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1986 Wole Soyinka, Nigerian playwright, author, poet, essayist, teacher and…
When the FBI got hold of the iPhone of dead San Bernardino terrorism suspect Syed Rizwan Farook in December 2015, they were not able to get into his phone because of encryption technology. Then, in February, a California federal court judge requested Apple write custom software to disable the main security features. Apple CEO…
On February 18, 2016, Election Day in Uganda, Ugandan voters had the opportunity to change the nation, or so they thought. But, with a less than smooth voting process which resulted in the re-election of Yoweri Museveni, Ugandans are left with many questions. Eight candidates ran in the presidential election but the main contenders were Museveni and Besigye.…
As people all over the world fight desperately to eliminate wage gaps and gender based violence, it can be tempting to think that the gender rights war is in vain. But, we need not look further than Namibia for hope that men and women everywhere will soon attain equality. Those in this Southern African country are…
There is a growing dichotomy in Kenya in terms of food and health: malnutrition and hunger are major issues in some parts of the country, while in other parts, middle-class problems like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are beginning to emerge. For many decades, the Kenyan Government has battled malnutrition and diseases such as…
Thankfully, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa’s Senegal is over. But, the virus took a toll on the country’s tourism and economic sectors. To help improve the GDP (gross domestic profit) as well as the agricultural and economic sectors, Senegal’s president Macky Sall launched the PSE or Plan Sénégal Emergent (Emerging Senegal Plan) in 2014. About the PSE …
It’s difficult to believe that in the 21st century, the child-bride phenomenon still exists around the globe. So far, 33 African countries have set the minimum age of marriage to 18 in an effort to protect both boys and girls from the archaic practice. Several countries have even set the minimum age above…
Women in Kenya have had a notoriously difficult time making any progress in the laws that handle domestic violence claims. This is largely a cultural phenomenon where it has, in the past, been considered socially acceptable to “handle” your wife. Under these circumstances Kenyan women have found it difficult to get the fair…
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe recently lectured critics who think he has been in power for too long. He swore to maintain control of government until his death. The Zimbabwean leader has led the country since its Independence in 1980. In January 2015, Mugabe became the AU chairperson in the midst of a…
