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Africa

Historic cities. Mali. Timbuktu, the City of 333 Saints.

In all religions, we find cities called “holy” due to the presence of the supernatural within their walls. We can mention Jerusalem for Christians and Jews, Mecca and Medina for Muslims, Benares for Hinduism and Sarnah for Buddhism in India, etc. But Timbuktu is called holy by the sages and believers who have lived there…

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Namibia. The green hydrogen puzzle.

Rich as it is in renewable energy sources, the country aims to become a world leader and has already signed agreements with international companies and the EU. But the asymmetries of power risk blurring the horizons of growth. An immense desert dotted with granite mountains, the Tsau Khaeb National Park, in southern Namibia, boasts one…

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Historic cities. Senegal. Saint Louis. The Venice of Africa.

Saint Louis, washed by the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean, is the most aquatic city on the West African coast. Today Saint Louis is a city of 250,000 inhabitants. Its charm is unquestionable, it is one of those places where you feel good as soon as you arrive, without knowing exactly why. Built and…

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African art and sense of beauty.

When you look at some African art, you may wonder whether what you see is fine art or something else. African scarification is part of African art, which is mainly iconographic. In traditional African art, colours are not only used for aesthetic purposes. They have deep meanings. African art is functional, community-orientated, depersonalised, and contextualized.…

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African Cinema. Looking to the future.

Moving from specialised sections to the international scene. The great variety that exists in the different African filmographies. A look at Senegalese cinematography. We talk about it with Senegalese Fatou Kiné Sène, former president of the African Federation of Film Critics. Kiné Sène’s interest in cinema began in her childhood. “Every Wednesday, films were shown…

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Historic cities. Niger. Agadez, “’to pay a visit”.

 “Where the weight of centuries can be felt in every street and where you can smell the aroma of history”. Salt, gold, slaves and ivory were the most sought-after products from West Africa: once they reached the shores of the Mediterranean, they were sold and exchanged for manufactured goods and cereals that returned south of…

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Madagascar. The mission with the monk’s habit.

How can a monk be “missionary” if, by vocation, he is called to withdraw from the world and therefore is not in direct contact with the population? Father Christophe Vuillaume, a Benedictine of the Mahitsy monastery in Madagascar, answers. In a precise sense, the two terms “monk” and “missionary” seem to contradict each other. But…

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Horn of Africa. Egyptian arms supplies to Somalia raise dangerous tensions with Addis Ababa.

Egypt and Somalia are increasing their military cooperation to pressure Ethiopia over their respective concerns: the Renaissance Dam on the Nile and recognition of the breakaway state of Somaliland. In this volatile context, Turkey, which has good relations with all sides, could help defuse tensions. On 23 September, officials in Mogadishu confirmed to the press…

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South Africa. A Rainbow nation that needs to be reinvented.

The loss of the absolute majority by the African National Congress (ANC) is the most serious setback in the region for a movement that led the wars of liberation against white regimes. Could something similar happen in neighbouring countries?  The South African elections last May marked a turning point in the history of Southern Africa.…

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Uganda. Ngabi Clan the King’s Massage Therapists and Herd’s men.

Buganda Kingdom is found in Central Uganda and it’s the largest and oldest traditional kingdom in Uganda today. This kingdom is made up of 52 clans that make up the tribe of the Baganda People. Each clan has roles and duties in the Kabaka’s Place. We look at the Ngabi clan. The Ngabi (Antelope) Clan…

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DR Congo. On the verge of collapse.

Tshisekedi hires mercenaries, recruits militias, urges foreign armies to assist the Congolese troops to fight the rebel offensive but nothing seems to stop it. Since the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels resumed the war in the eastern province of North Kivu in 2021, the DRC government has lost large swathes of territory. By September 2024, the rebels…

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Advocacy

Sister Rosita. Four Decades of Refugee Advocacy.

When asked how a farmer’s daughter who became a Catholic nun ended up as one of Brazil’s most influential refugee advocates, Sister Rosita Milesi, 79,…

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Baobab

Kalulu and the Great Spirit of the Forest.

Vusi was an honest man and a hard worker. He had cleared a large piece of moorland and turned it into a beautiful fertile field. He…

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Youth & Mission

Towards World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul with the courage…

On 24 November, the Solemnity of Christ the King, on the occasion of World Youth Day in the Particular Churches, in St. Peter's Basilica the traditional…

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