OPINION
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When Africans mourn disasters beyond our borders
Why are so many of us, not to mention our leaders, so quick to speak out when calamity strikes in the West, but we remain unmoved and silent about our continent’s own tragedies?
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For Earth Day 2019, the theme "Protect Our Species" aims to draw attention to the rapid extinction of species on our planet today. This phenomenon is directly linked to human activities. The Earth Day Network believes that we are now losing species at 1 000 to 10 000 times the normal rate.
After the Notre Dame fire, many straight-shooters among us turned to social media to offer a history lesson on all the unsavoury things France has done to Africa and remind us why it is not our place to catch feelings. Instead of being salty and criticising the West for stepping up to handle something they consider an emergency, should our reaction not be to reflect on ourselves as a society and what our priorities are? asks Lineo Segoete
Some Muslims hide their identity, pretending to be less devout than they actually are, in a bid to deflect Islamophobia.
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Protest of the kind seen in Sudan can lead to change. More important, however, is to realise that sustained and committed protest might be required to ultimately ensure the kind of change that the people want.
Many countries have abolished the death penalty because absolute judgments are not only irreversible but inhumane. Although progress has been made against the death penalty, with Burkina Faso abolishing it for “ordinary crimes” and Gambia declaring an official moratorium on executions, Amnesty International reported that numerous executions were still carried out in 2018.
We celebrate an African icon Julius Nyerere born on this day in 1922. We remember Baba wa Taifa, “Mwalimu” Nyerere and pay homage to this African hero, widely respected for his sweeping vision of education and African unity. Here’s our selection of Mwalimu’s quotes.
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The digital platform Love Matters Africa already has an audience of 1.4 million young people in Kenya and Rwanda. Now it is growing its users in Nigeria.
Seeking to mainstream the often othered narratives of queer women and non-binary persons “Dark Juices and Aphrodisiacs” is an anthology that explores the sensual lives of queer Africa. Using some well-known and some new voices from across the continent, the anthology opens up a new outlook on pleasure.
More than half the world is online, with the numbers growing every day. People are increasingly spending every second of their existence on the World Wide Web, yet we are still uncomfortable with saying that is where the bae came from. Kagure Mugo wonders why.
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Most women who opt for sex toys prefer vibrators above all the other options available to them for self-pleasure. Vibrators are used for clitoral stimulation yet – absurdly – they are designed to resemble phalluses.
The decriminalisation of the private use of cannabis in South Africa could – and should – pave the way for the decriminalization of sex work, says Zanta Nkumane.
Pegging is not high on heterosexual couples’ list of things to do in bed, but maybe it should be. The act of trying something new and subverting gender roles in the sack can lead to increased pleasure and healthy conversations for both parties.
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Agriculture is well placed to provide employment for millions across the African continent.
Citizens didn’t wait for government to organise relief effort.
Arbitration case between athlete Caster Semenya and the IAAF centres on eligibility to compete based on testosterone – but there are other factors in play.
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The narrative of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle focuses on the heroism and exploits of men, largely ignoring the experiences of many young women in liberation camps and the discrimination and abuse they suffered at the hands of male soldiers, says Mako Muzenda
The WHO has called for the global scale-up of human milk banks.
Technology will be the key to unlock the opportunities that agriculture offers our continent, especially given the challenges posed by the changing climate, says Dr Richard Munang.
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This is Africa spoke to Ekene Odigwe, one of the makers of a film aimed at raising awareness of the fight against Female genital mutilation (FGM).
When a deputy headmaster at one of Zimbabwe’s top schools recently came out as gay, he faced a backlash that revealed a deep-seated homophobia. One Zimbabwean decided to stand up – and out – in support of the LGBTQI+ community in general and GALZ in particular.
Some of the things we discard - like urine - can actually be useful resources.
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Turning prisons into a market opportunity could open them up to corruption.
Future Africa Forum founder and Zimbabwean entrepreneur Gerald Chirinda says the future is African. As Africa's story changes, young people from the continent have the responsibility to get involved in changing the narrative.
Foreign shop-owners in South Africa are accused of selling counterfeit food and food beyond its sell-by date. These claims are driven by politically charged opinions, not evidence.
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Rwanda, Kenya and Burundi have been pioneers as the only members of the East African Community to ban the production, importation, sale and use of all single-use plastic bags. Now Tanzania has made a formal commitment to phase out single-use non-biodegradable plastics.
Streaming platform Netflix announced its first original African animated series, “Mama K’s Team 4”, produced by the Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios and London-based children’s entertainment specialist CAKE. Netflix is also conducting a continent-wide search for local female writing talent.
Google’s first artificial intelligence lab in Africa opened in Ghana. The Internet tech giant aims to provide researchers with the necessary tools to build products that can solve Africa’s problems in every field, particularly in health and agriculture.
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Why are so many of us, not to mention our leaders, so quick to speak out when calamity strikes in the West, but we remain unmoved and silent about our continent’s own tragedies?
The Gambia has become the 22nd country to approve the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). This means that the minimum threshold has been met for the agreement to finally come into force.
Sudan’s long-time leader has given in to pressure from his people, especially the youth, and vacated his position. This follows similar developments in Algeria. Which African country where a leader has overstayed his welcome is next?
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