It’s hard to claim that South Sudanese culture is Arab or African in a globalized world where it’s very difficult to claim cultural uniqueness as a group, let alone a group such as South Sudan which blended with the North for more than a decade. Deng Aling weighs in on this contentious identity discussion.
African identities
African identities Ndebele People: South Africa
The Ndebele people of South Africa are part of the Nguni tribes. They have some of the most beautiful adornment pieces, and they have also managed to preserve their colourful traditional style of house painting for many generations.
African identities Sackcloth people: South Africa
A group of Sackcloth people stay in Cape Town. They are also known as the Sakmanne, and they branched out of the Rastafarian culture. They walk bare footed, they are strictly vegetarian and they do not believe in material possessions. The group in Cape Town has about 100 members. Other Sackcloth groups are in other parts of South Africa’s Western Cape, and also in the Northern and Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
African identities Malawi: UN concerned about incitement to anti gay killings
Malawi’s decision to drop the case against Ken Msonda, who described homosexual people as “worse than dogs” and urged citizens to kill homosexuals has raised concern. The UN says the discontinuance of the trial could stoke anti-gay sentiment and incitement to murder.
African identities Mundari Tribe: South Sudan
The Mundari Tribe is found in South Sudan. They are agriculturalists and cattle herders.
African identities Where have all our role models gone?
Role models play an exceptionally important part in the life of a young person. Young people relate to, admire and, in many cases, imitate their role models during the most impressionable years of their lives. In South Africa, poor conduct by some among the political elite has left many young people disillusioned by mainstream politics. For others, however, corrupt and self-serving behaviour is viewed with approval and aspiration. This paints a concerning picture for the future of our country.
African identities Mubarak Bala answers questions on his atheism in Nigeria
Islam is sacrosanct in Northern Nigeria. Suffice to say that denouncing the religion can come with dire consequences. It’s just not something you do. Last year, a young man named Mubarak Bala from Kano bravely did just that. He announced he was an atheist and humanist, and rejected Islam. This came with serious consequences, including alienation from family and friends, physical assaults and death threats. It’s been over a year since this happened and TIA wanted to speak to Mubarak to hear what he had to say and to see how he was doing.
African identities African Cultures and the Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Rights
Culture can be defined as a continuous process of change that gives a community a sense of identity, dignity, continuity, security
and that binds it together. It includes beliefs, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by its people. Traditional values, on the other hand, are attitudes, beliefs and actions that are standards of behaviours by which society expects its members to abide. They guide human behaviour in interpersonal, group and intergroup communications and relationships. Cultural and traditional values influence spheres of social activity such as family life, health, education, wealth distribution, politics and government. In Africa, as elsewhere, values are dynamic and continuously interact with their internal and external environment.
African identities Religious sisters fighting slavery look to expand to 140 countries
A group of religious sisters that goes to extreme measures to fight human trafficking is looking to expand its activities to 40 countries