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Yearly Archives: 2022

Ethiopia. Beyond the question of ethnicity.

On November 4, 2020, a new war began in Ethiopia. Just three years earlier, the country had signed a peace agreement with neighbouring Eritrea that earned Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. The current conflict, which pits the central government against a coalition of its Kililochs (region-states), has caused thousands…

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New political openings.

Suriname is a unitary Republic with executive power vested in the President of the Republic, who is elected by the members of parliament for a five-year term; while the Chamber, composed of 51 seats, has legislative power. The 51 members of the assembly are chosen from the ten electoral districts into which the country is…

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African Youth Survey 2022.

The 2022 African Youth Survey (AYS) sponsored by Ichikowitz Family Foundation, a leading African foundation encouraging active citizenship across the continent, shows how young Africans plan on building a better future for themselves, their countries, and the continent that ties them together. The Youth Survey of 4,500 face-to-face interviews with 18-24 year old’s revealed that…

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XI Assembly of the World Council of Churches. A Courageous Confession of Faith.

After last year’s postponement due to Covid-19, the XI World Assembly of the WCC (World Council of Churches) will be held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 31 August to 8 September 2022. The theme of the Assembly: ‘The love of Christ moves the world to reconciliation and unity’. An extremely topical issue, especially in the difficult…

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Kenya. The Thousand Faces of the Parish Community.

A large number of initiatives have been started in the parish of Kariobangi in the outskirts of Nairobi to respond in concrete terms to the needs of the people. The parish of Kariobangi, in the outskirts of Nairobi, was founded in 1974 by Comboni missionaries. The parish territory includes three large areas – Kariobangi, Huruma,…

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The use of language at global climate talks.

The yearly UN climate summit or Conference of the Parties (COP) produces international agreements that guide countries in their response to the climate crisis. At least, it should. Instead, the climate pacts so far have largely played into the already inaccessible climate discourse. High-minded rhetoric excludes the people most impacted by the climate crisis by…

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Suriname. A Multi-coloured Country.

It is the smallest country in South America with a population of just over 600,000 inhabitants and a population rate that has been steadily decreasing since 1970.  About 245,000 people live in Paramaribo, the capital.  Located near the mouth of the 480 km  long Suriname River that crosses the country from south to east, colonial…

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Africa. World Press Freedom Index. Digital authoritarianism.

Censorship, information regulation, isolation from the outside world. These are the new ways in which digital authoritarianism is exercised by various African governments. The causes and effects of these forms of authoritarianism are indicated by the World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders, and a work by Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition.…

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How the Tiger Got His Stripes.

Once upon a time, ages and ages ago, so long ago that the tiger had no stripes upon his back and the rabbit still had his tail, there was a tiger who had a farm. The farm was very much overgrown with underbrush and the owner sought a workman to clear the ground for him…

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Books. Summer Reading.

Three interesting books for this summer. Why is Africa still perceived as a country when there are around 2,000 languages spoken on the continent alone? The book It’s a Continent seeks to counter the misconception that Africa is a country by breaking down this vast, beautiful and complex continent into regions and countries. Each of…

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Advocacy

Myanmar. Paul Sein Twa. Preserving Ancestral Territory.

“What we would like to achieve when we talk about peace. Peace means self-determination. Peace means biological conservation. Peace means revitalization of our culture and…

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Baobab

Inca. The Island of the Sun.

At that time Viracocha, the creator God, looked down upon the earth. He saw it was bare, shrouded in impenetrable darkness, for daylight did not yet…

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Youth & Mission

Celebrating African youth.

“Young Africans are playing an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations…

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