To the untrained eye, Rastafarians represent an alien culture of violent and unkempt ganja-smoking individuals who seek to wreak havoc in their communities. However, on the contrary, Rastafarianism is one of the…
Latest posts - Page 42
Conflict
The “Anglophone Problem” in Cameroon: Is Another Crisis Brewing?
by Abimbola Opanike
A new episode of what is commonly known as the “Anglophone problem” in Cameroon has been spurred by the demonstration of English-speaking lawyers, teachers, and students against the systematic marginalization of Anglophones in the legal and educational sectors in a supposed bilingual and bi-cultural country. The government’s response was initially characterized by Gestapo-style harassment and […]
Editorials
Open, Perceptive, and Public-Spirited: A Tribute to Abdul Raufu Mustapha (1954–2017)
by Yusuf Bangura
For the thirty-seven years that I knew him, Abdul Raufu Mustapha, who departed this life on August 8, 2017, lived a life of courage, commitment, and fulfillment. A versatile scholar and an internationalist, he had an incredibly open, perceptive, and critical mind. He prioritized the public interest, whether in terms of his persistent questioning of […]
Essays
Peacebuilding and the Academy in Africa
by Aaron Stanley
It is becoming increasingly clear that the effectiveness of peacebuilding in Africa is intertwined with the health of African higher education. Long-term peace in Africa will not be possible without greater African involvement, but African contributions will only be successful when they are grounded in strong research. In May 2017, Carnegie Corporation of New York […]
Kenya's 2017 Presidential Election
Imagining Canaan: Singing Opposition Party NASA’s Vision in Kenya’s 2017 Elections
by C. J. Odhiambo
Music and songs have been deployed in variegated contexts and for diverse concerns. However, the focus of this article is specifically on the mobilization of music and song in promoting political messages and visions. There are numerous examples of the overt deployment of music and song in politics and civic activism. Interesting instances abound from […]
Kenya's 2017 Presidential Election
Not Yet Uhuru: Is This the Making of Kenya’s First One-Term President?
Kenya's 2017 Presidential Election
The Land Question in Kenya’s 2017 General Election: A Historical Review
by Eliud Biegon
All major violent conflicts in Kenya have had a connection to land. Presently, villagers have vacated large swathes of land in Baringo North, Laikipia, and Elgeyo-Marakwet, as well as along the Meru-Isiolo border and Kitui-Tana River border, having fled from cattle rustlers. There are low-intensity conflicts and potential conflicts in scores of other areas: for […]
Kenya's 2017 Presidential Election
The Bankruptcy of Peace, and of the Constitution, in Kenya’s 2017 Elections
by Muema Wambua
The 2010 Constitution of Kenya is transformative, to say the least. It is, however, bankrupt on peace; so is the country. The word “peace” appears a paltry four times in the constitution: first in the Preamble, second in Article 37 on the right to “peaceable” demonstrations, third in Article 238 (1) on threats to national […]
Kenya's 2017 Presidential Election
The Ethnicity Factor and Risk of Conflict in the 2017 Kenyan Elections