By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Harvest festivals are a common sight in Africa although this year organizers were advised to keep the numbers down due to the COVID-10 pandemic. The Homowo Festival – a celebration by the Ga people of Ghana – was held as scheduled in Ga Mashie. Many […]
Faith Leaders Criticise Bill Gates for A ‘Highly Problematic’ Agricultural Project
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – African faith leaders are calling on Bill Gates to reconsider his foundation’s “highly problematic” support of genetically engineered foods, crops and agrichemicals against the interests of non-corporate farmers in countries throughout Africa. “We write out of grave concern that the Gates Foundation’s support for the […]
Regional Autonomy Could Resolve Nigeria’s Multifaceted Problems
Viewpoint by Kester Kenn Klomegah * MOSCOW (IDN) – The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have turned blind-eyes to the unprecedented and indiscriminate killings of civilians mostly in the southern parts of Nigeria. Nevertheless, the International Court of Criminal Justice (ICC) has utterly refused to categorise these as […]
Cathartic Returns to Morocco: From Peace Corps to Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer
By Ellen Hernandez and Katie Bercegeay * MARRAKECH (IDN) – Upon hearing the words “Hamdullah wa inshallah,” Mark Apel is transported as if in a time capsule to the many times he and Yossef Ben-Meir, President of the High Atlas Foundation (HAF), uttered them in gratitude for the food set before them or in hope […]
China Aids Africa to Advance into The Satellite Age
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – An ET-SMART-RSS Earth Observation (EO) smallsat, designed in Ethiopia with Chinese funds, is preparing for launch into orbit as soon as next month. The satellite is the second to be launched into space by Ethiopia – just months after the launch of the county’s first […]
A Nigerian State to Test Castration as Punishment for Rapists
By Lisa Vives Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Is it a welcome development? Or legislative sadism? Those are the two sides of a debate roiling Nigeria following the passage of an amendment to a law that orders convicted rapists to be surgically castrated if a man, or have their fallopian tubes removed if […]
Historic Uganda University Devastated by Overnight Blaze
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – “It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to restore the building to its historic state in the shortest time possible.” Those were the words of Makerere’s Vice-Chancellor […]
Transforming Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Livelihoods
By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (IDN) – Horticulture farmer Prosper Chikwara, grows cabbages, spinach and kale on the idyllic family farm, 20km north of the city of Bulawayo. Word of mouth is no longer enough to sell his produce. He now grows on order because it no longer guaranteed there will be buyers at his […]
COVID-19 Crisis Underlines the Importance of Economic Diversification in Africa
Business as Usual Will Only Reinforce Economic Hardship Viewpoint by Njuguna Ndung’u* NAIROBI (IDN) – Africa’s low level of economic diversification is a leading factor in the continent’s economic fragility. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the risks of countries’ over-dependence on a single natural resource such as oil. Africa is endowed with abundant natural […]
U.S. Effort to Block Ethiopian Dam Recalls Legacy of British Colonialism
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Based on guidance from President Trump, the State Department is suspending $130 million in security-related aid to Ethiopia over a nearly-completed dam that would lift Ethiopia from poverty and end the shadow of British colonialism that favoured Egypt. Programs on the chopping block include security […]