Ufahamu Africa

It’s never too late to pay attention to what is happening in Sudan. The international community should be supporting everyday people’s needs as they navigate this humanitarian disaster and should also be supporting a way forward out of the war.We're re-upping our conversation with Nisrin Elamin about the conflict in Sudan. Elamin is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her work investigates the connections between land, race, belonging, and empire-making in Sudan and the broader Sahel region. We also bring updates on the news we're paying attention to this week, including an announcement about a new Center for Global Democracy at Cornell University, which will be led by our cohost Rachel Beatty Riedl as inaugural director! Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Today we have an extremely timely French-language episode on Senegal and the newly elected president, which is hosted by one of our non-resident fellows, Expédit Ologou. He talks with Mamadou Seck, who is the regional manager of the Natural Resource Governance Institute for Francophone West Africa and Central Africa, and is based in Dakar. Seck's work oversees research in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Senegal.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Fellow Gopolang Botlhokwane speaks to political analyst and media expert Dr. Metji Makgoba about the domestic implications of South Africa's recent case against Israel at The Hague in the Netherlands, and the country's upcoming elections in which the ruling African National Congress is expected to lose its majority. Makgoba is also an academic and teaches communication at South Africa's University of Limpopo. Makgoba holds a PhD in journalism from Cardiff University. Makgoba’s latest publication, "Constructing Black Economic Empowerment as a Radically Transformative Policy in South Africa," considers the appropriation of anti-apartheid and anti-colonial discourse to justify South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Imagine other worldly visitors have landed on Earth and are trying to learn about and understand Ghana and its politics. This episode from our new fellows, Fu Asiedu and Ami Tamakloe, provides a people’s political history and Ghanaian voices about its political present and their dreams for the country’s future.They don’t just share what they think about former leaders like the father of independence, Kwame Nkhrumah, or about the two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party – the NPP – and the National Democratic Congress – the NDC. These Ghanaians who hail from different regions of the country also talk about specific policies, like president Nana Akufo-Addo’s policy proposal years ago when he was running for office – he’s widely remembered for proposing to make secondary education – or being able to go to Senior High Schools – SHS – for free. And, we get to hear about a third party that has recently emerged, dubbed The New Force. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Lawrence Were is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Boston University, where he does research on public health. In a conversation with Kim, you'll hear more about the impact of health insurance and how access to it would improve health outcomes for individuals and communities. In the news wrap, we catch up on President Macky Sall of Senegal and his rescheduling of the presidential election, the latest news from Haiti, and the removal of ECOWAS  sanctions on Niger.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Black African diaspora and their relationships with the African continent is the topic of today's episode. One of last year's fellows, Takondwa Semphere, spoke with Khaleelah Logan, a creative strategist, art director, curriculum developer, and storyteller with a background that ranges across the global social impact sector.With the emphasis in recent years on black travel, and the government of Ghana setting up “return to Africa” initiatives that target the black diaspora and set up pathways for travel and “return” to other African countries, Takondwa's conversation contributes to the larger discourses of blackness, power, and geopolitics. In addition, the prevalence of social media and cultural productions that purport to bridge the two groups together signal that there is a renewed sort of interaction between the two groups outside of the United States.What does Takondwa’s conversation with Leelah spark for you? We always welcome listener feedback – just email us at ufahamuafrica@gmail.com. Kha(Leelah) Logan is a creative strategist, art director, curriculum developer, and storyteller with a background that ranges across the global social impact sector. Her expressive footprint blends culture and data to synthesize ideas and execute projects that are visually appealing, impactful, and authentic. Her values, passion for learning, and global experience drive the intention within her work which has taken her to Ghana, Tanzania, and a few other countries.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Meet our new non-resident podcast fellows! Tune in today to hear short introductions to our fellows: Ami Tamakloe and Afua "Fu" Asiedu, Gopolang Botlhokwane, Expédit Ologou, and Basil Ibrahim. We're looking forward to sharing their amazing episodes this spring - stay tuned! Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Senegalese President Macky Sall has postponed the presidential elections originally scheduled for February 25. It's part of a series of concerning moves by Sall to extend his stay in power. We talk with experts on the topic: Bamba Ndiaye and Michelle D. Gavin. Bamba Ndiaye is an assistant professor of African studies at Emory University's Oxford College. He is also host of The Africanist podcast and a former Ufahamu Africa non-resident fellow.Michelle D. Gavin is the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. She has over twenty years of experience in international affairs in government and non-profit roles.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

We're looking back on 2023 and forward to 2024 in this week's episode! Kim and Rachel talk about elections, democracy, and more on the continent. Next week, we're excited to introduce you to our new non-resident fellows! Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

We're wrapping up our panel on democracy from the African Studies Association with a presentation from Paul Friesen on local democratic resilience under national autocracy. Friesen is a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, part of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies's Democratic Threats and Resilience research team.His research and teaching interests focus on democratization, elections, political parties, and political behavior in sub-Saharan Africa.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Dominika Koter, political scientist at Colgate University, presents the next case on democracy from our African Studies Association panel. You’ll hear her presentation on Benin and a news wrap from Kim and Rachel on South Africa's accusations of genocide against Israel, the current events in the Red Sea, and recent court cases involving Ousmane Sonko in Senegal.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

 Our African Studies Association panel continues this week with a case study on democracy in Tunisia from Cornell University's Alexandra Blackman. You'll hear her presentation on current events in Tunisia and a news wrap from Kim and Rachel on elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a recent news story on a valuable mask from Gabon.This is our final episode of 2023! We'll be back in your feed in the new year. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Today, we have  part one of our African Studies Association panel on African democracy, focusing on democratic backsliding and sites and actors that have worked for democratic endurance, strengthening, and democratic governance. You'll hear Rachel's introduction on democratic backsliding on the continent and a case study from Kim on Malawi, written with Boniface Dulani. Next week, tune in for a presentation from Alexandra Blackman, assistant professor of government at Cornell University, for a case study on Tunisia. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Kwadwo Owusu, professor of geography and resource development at the University of Ghana, is our guest this week. He sits down with cohost Rachel Beatty Riedl for a conversation on climate and society, politics, and public policy around environmental health and well-being.They discuss what issues are on the horizon as we consider natural resource changes, technological changes, and social changes surrounding climate adaptations, as well as the politics of the global south and global north.This conversation followed a talk he gave at Cornell University's Institute for African Development on climate change and mining induced agricultural transformation in Ghana.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Yasah Musah, program manager with the Nubian Rights Forum and member of the Nubian community, joins our 2021-22 podcast fellow Maseke Rioba for a conversation about identity and citizenship in Kenya. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

This week we feature a conversation with Nisrin Elamin, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her work investigates the connections between land, race, belonging, and empire-making in Sudan and the broader Sahel region. In our conversation, we focus on the conflict in Sudan. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Sandile Mnikati, Lindah Mbaisi Chavuya, Eunice Ndeyapo Shapange, and Matshidiso Lencoasa are experts on public policy, planning, and governance from across the continent. We spoke with them about their visions for just governance while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

"Few were surprised as, near midnight on August 26, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s reelection in yet another of Zimbabwe’s tendentious contests," writes David B. Moore. "His inauguration on September 4 sanctified his return to power."In this article by Moore, first published in The Conversation Africa, he explains how the country's ruling party has clung to power for 43 years. David B. Moore is research associate in the Department of Anthropology & Development Studies at the University of Johannesburg and fellow in Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge. The article was read by Ami Tamakloe, our graduate podcast fellow. We are sharing the article here with the permission of a CC BY-ND 4.0 Deed license.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Aisha Namugga, Bashiru Koroma, and Louise Tekapso are climate experts from across the continent—Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, respectively. We spoke with them about their expertise in climate change and sustainable environments while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). The fellows discussed their vision for sustainable future with environmental justice.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

Dede Barpeen, Gibson Mainaon, and Ruth Sulaimon are health professionals from across the continent—Liberia, Kenya, and Guinea-Bissau, respectively. We spoke with them about their expertise in public administration and health while they were at Cornell University this summer completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI). The fellows speak to their vision for a just healthcare future, the constraints to this goal, and how effective healthcare policies are good for everyone.Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.