Speak Africa, Speak Again 

"The World is Shifting like a huge earthquake, South is Up and North is Down."




Investing in Africa

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Kweli TV: Rising alternative to Netflix featuring independent and rich movies, documentaries and series on African peoples and culture across the globe. Must see.



History of African Science and Technology and Eurocentrism

Manu Ampim Africana Studies and Primary resource:

Journey to the Source: African history worldwide

Ta Neter Foundation: Africa, the Mother of civilization, humanity and history

Black Talk Radio Network, Independent Media
Medu Neter: Reviving the Ancient Egyptian language into a living language, must see

Tehuti Research Foundation: First hand research on Ancient Egypt, Ethiopia and its relevance into today's world

Africa Resources

 
Lisapo ya Kama African history, culture, society and technologies
 
Real History: World's first civilization as originally African

Ancient African History

Sankore Institute of Islamic and African Studies International
Nuba People Ancient people of South Sudan and Sudan
Nok and Benin

Stewart Synopsis

Iroko TV and Iroko Global: Nigeria's answer to Netflix


Sahara Reporters

Channels TV: News

Angola: One of Africa's richest oil producing nations

Liberia: Salary Bonanza over, government officials' earnings reduced

Ethiopia plans to construct Africa's largest Airport

Buying Local: Local companies outclassing multinationals in Africa

Gulf Cooperation Council wants to strengthen ties with Africa

10 Facts about Africa They Never told you

Liberian teen genius builds electronics from old materials

Zimbabwean economy will be black owned and controlled in 2018
Zimbabwe to pay off Foreign Debts by 2016
Galazyafiwe Radio
Afrikan Cooperative Union
Zimbabwe dollar reinstated as the sole legal currency in the country

Key to Black Success: Start by Supporting black businesses
Where Flowers find no peace to grow
Black business owners in Austin Texas out perform state

Afronta: New newspaper in Minas Gerais brings Black Brazilians faces and culture to the media

Afro Brazilians forging a collective identityHow Afro Brazilians are forging a Collective Identity

African leaders must help the continent not sell it off Must Read

Angola, Brazil: Culture Shock divide

Brazil and Angola: The Other Special relationship

Self Defense of Black Lives Does Matter

Six Lessons to learn from Amilcar Cabral

What are Arabs of North Africa and Middle East considered to be: Read here

Afro Iranian Community, beyond Haji Firuz' black face

A "Persian" Iran?: Challenging the Aryan Myth and Persian Ethnocentrism

Just who is Afro Iranian?

Beware Africa if imperialism's fatherly advice

Rare wooden sarcophagus from 17th Dynasty found in Luxor, Egypt

France Doesn't want to be left out of the New Scramble for Africa

France to expand military Presence in Africa

Racist attack against French Justice Minister sparks brief soul searching in France

Banality of Pity: Aid, Africa and White Saviour Complex

White Savior Industrial Complex and bubble-wrapped white fantasies in Rural South Africa

Hurt feelings and undue pressure put on writers of color

Nubian Response to Tourism

What does Egypt's Coup mean for indigenous people and neighboring countries?

Morocco: the anti-African Pan African state?

Arab North, Black South? The False separations that damage our identities as Africans

Africans and African Americans: Overcoming the ignorance, Prejudices and stereotypes that keeps us divided

Banking in West Africa


Invest in Africa

Abibitumi Kasa: A global social forum and social media to Learn Swahili, Yoruba, Wolof, culture, society and connect with thousands of members from the Diaspora and on the African continent-
Made in Africa Project
Blackson Rise: Building Microbusiness Enterprises
LIB Radio: Radio network n  news from Africa, African Diaspora, geopolitics, investments and trade
Black Junction TV: Video sharing site created by and for African peoples
BTR Community: Social media platform
Ocacia Clothing: Modern design, beautiful clothing made in South Africa, Ghana and elsewhere
Ufumbuzinow
Kemet Consulting
Profile Africa
Business Bully Show
Abibifahodie: Global Network of STEM and cultural school
Sankofa Journey: Tours to Ghana and Benin
Dream Travel Tours: Travel business that caters to group tours around the world
Asase Heals: Cosmetic and beauty products healing the the mind and soul
Andiamo Uptown: Global travel show from Aspire TV


 


Identity and connections

Africa has not lost its North
Africa's Islands and the Total Liberation
Oya Rise of the Orisha: Yoruba gods as Movie Superheroes
Somaliland seeks independence 
Somaliland Democracy an example of homegrown and indigenous styled Democracy for African countries
Carnival in Calabar Nigeria: The unknown spectacular carnival that takes place in Calabar, Nigeria annually beginning on December 1st and lasting until January 1st
Liberian student takes Ghana by storm, wins Science Award at Nkrumah University
Venturing into Science & Technology: Architect eyes restoring program at UL-University of Liberia
Senegal's Mourides: Islam's mystic entrepreneurs 
Africa and US Imperialism: Post Colonial Crisis and Imperatives of African Revolutions
Biyokululue: Site on news and human interests in Somalia, Middle East Africa and the world
Chinua Achebe: Africa's tarnished name
African leaders ignored African Americans in America
The author calls for not only African Americans to reconnect and built business relationship with African countries but to invest and build the economies and capital of African countries in a Pan African effort.
Inferiority Complex: Corrosive Effect of placing Expats on a pedestal

Rethinking colonial methods of modernization in Africa
Mozambican Doctor wins prestigious vaccination award
GREAT ZIMBABWE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SITE UNDER THREAT
Sweden looks to Africa to reshuffle its economic growth in Europe's messed up neighborhood
The Broken Africa Stereotype
Mighty Whitey
The white savior stereotype/trope and the need of whites to feel good and be the center of a story even about an African person who is both the hero and main protagonist

Cultural Imperialism from an African perspective

White Woman's burden: The ego driven and cultural appropriation of African culture

Decoding Euro-Cultural Imperialism

The BS files: Mindy Budgor, the first female Maasai Warrior, enough with the white savior complex!

Everyday racist treatment of African abroad
Africans ranging from students and visitors are often shocked and taken aback by the high level of racism they experience in various countries abroad in Asia, Europe and Latin America. The author focuses on the ferocious racism experienced by students and migrants in India and Brazil, two countries that claim to be friends of African nations.

No such thing as race in Sweden?

Seeing Sweden's Race problems for what it is



Africa: Why Does Space Technology Matter?



Many of the technological advances in health, science, telecommunication and space technology are found in the raw resources and minerals across Africa from West to East and South to North. Many African countries have the raw resources that they need to physically and literally build state of the art infrastructure for much needed health, education, scientific, environmental, and technological sectors. Education in science and technology and space based technology including satellites beginning in Pre school and up is long overdue in African schools and universities. Nevertheless some countries such as Nigeria and South Africa are looking into increasing and growing with space technology and science. Renewable technologies is also becoming a hot topic around the continent and interest in the sector is increasing. The African Union and the local regional economic unions are attempting to find new and creative methods to integrate local citizens with such technologies.

The Cure- An innovative safe surgery in Uganda Al Jazeera


World's Future Megaprojects 2010-2030



African Iraqis and Afro Arabs

 African peoples can be found living all over the world from Uruguay to Turkey and Papua New Guinea and Libya and China. Africans have been migrating voluntary as migrants and traders and involuntary as enslaved people to the Middle East for years. Iraq like Yemen, Oman, Emirates and Iran are home to people of African descendant whose great grandparents and ancestors came from the Horn of Africa countries especially Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and Egypt. Many people are familiar with African ancestors first migrating out of the crib of humanity Ethiopia to Asia and Europe and beyond the oceans. However, African Iraqis or black Iraqis have lived in Iraq and in smaller numbers depending on the country in the Middle East for few centuries. The most famous slave rebellion in region, the Zanj Rebellion took place in Iraq. Similar to other African Diasporas living in non African majority countries in Americas, Europe and even Asia, the African Arabs have been pushed to the bottom of the social ladder. They live in isolated villages and towns on the coast or in the desert as farmers or traders or as low skilled workers in the cities. They are both visible and invisible to the societies they live in and often receive little to no protection from national governments. African Iraqis like their Libyan and Palestinian cousins have been on the receiving end of racism and white supremacy, wars and conflicts and are treated at times as second class citizens. In Libya, African Libyans were regarded by the still fully armed Libyan militias as non Libyans. They were even accused of being African  mercenaries although they are Libyan citizens and have lived in Libya for decades and are as much part of Libya as African Iraqis are part of Iraq. Migration has made the world and Middle East more complex. Despite the complexity, Afro Arabs still face discrimination and racism from their own countries and fellow citizens for not fitting society/media image of what an Arab person is or the culture.

The rise of ISIS and other Takfiri terrorist groups further marginalizes and harms African Arabs. As in Libya, ISIS' intolerant and uncompromising perception of who is a true follower of Islam (Its not just Christians and Yazidis who are being attack but mostly Muslims) resembles the same violent and racist ideology that drove the Misrata militia to ethnically cleanse the town of Tarwegha. The 30,000 strong Tarweghans remain displaced to this day on an old naval bases in Tripoli and Benghazi denied the chance to even go home let alone reclaim their destroyed properties, businesses and belongings. The historical caliphates and Ottoman Empire had hundreds of thousands if not a few millions of African peoples in different positions of power.


Racism is out of control in Israel

Anti-black racism among Arabs: A Palestinian Perspective on Afro Arabs, Arab-African relations and overcoming anti-black racism and reconcilation between Palestinians, Africans and Arabs. Anti-black and other non European racism is fed white supremacy and by the media image of European standards of how society, culture and beauty should be. Majority of the world's people are non white (majority black and brown) and have their own unique cultures and society that pre-dates the European age of exploration and colonialism.

Africa and Middle East share a lot of cultural connections, history and trade. Dialogue, cultural, historical knowledge and rapprochement to throw away negative stereotypes and misconceptions is greatly needed between Africa and Arabic speaking countries. Understanding complexities beyond the media images and movies (a la Hollywood, media pundits or Disneyland view of the world) goes a long way. As it's been said for centuries, telling your own story makes a huge difference between the story always glorifying the victor.

Africa is a continent not a country


No matter Muslim or Christian, Jew or non religious, atheist or indigenous beliefs
We are all Africans!
Africa is us!
We strive to achieve African unity, prosperity, stability and self determination
A people united will never be defeated
Africa Viva!

Black Economic Power from History to Reality once again



African Kingdoms, History and present

African history did not begin with colonialism it stretches back to the earliest human ancestor some 3 million + years ago to the Sahara Desert, Nile River (which is split into two sources the Blue and White Nile, Lake Tana in Ethiopia is one source of the Nile) that forged the world's first civilizations and complex societies. The African continent then as now is just as diverse culturally, politically, linguistically, ethnically and religiously among other aspects. The diversity blows away the myth that African countries are monolithic, homogenous, unchanging and their respective uniqueness and differences have been downplayed by the media and even researchers to oversimplify local and national social complexities. From the early great kingdoms and Empires of West, North, East and South Africa, the ancestors left behind both monuments and recorded histories of not only greatness but of creative ingenuity and powerful agency showing the world that African societies and Empires contributed heavily to the world in terms of global trade, commerce, politics, inventions of daily items, products, political system and societies. Trade between African empires, Middle East and Asia has existed even before the Age of Exploration. Moroccan explorer and author Ibn Battuta traveled further than Marco Polo traveling across three continents in his lifetime: North and West Africa Central Asia, and Southern and Eastern Europe. The Chinese Admiral Zheng He is was one of the early Chinese officials to visit Eastern and Southern Africa in 1421 nearly 70 years even before Colombus left Spain for the Carribean. This was centuries before Europeans began curving up Africa without Africans consultation and began portraying Africa as a continent without any explorers, writers or stories of its own. Among the great kingdoms, Empires and Civilizations across the African continent: Great Zimbabwe, Nigeria's multiple kingdoms some still in existence today, Asante, Jolof, Fulton Jala, Sokoto Empire, Berber kingdoms, Kilwa City states in Kenya, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara medieval city states in Tanzania, Buyoro and Buganda, Ancient Egypt, Kingdom of Kongo (across modern day DR Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon and Angola)

Not all Africans are "black": The many ethnicities of Africa Fascinating look at the diverse and unique African ethnic groups. Often times people prefer to forget that Africa is both a continent of 54 countries and has one of the world's largest diversity of ethnicities, peoples, cultures, languages, some 2,000 languages and societies compared to other world regions. Only Asia comes close to the large diversity. Identity is far more complex than what the media portrays. How citizens of respective countries choose to identify in terms of local and national identities can vary. The concepts and ideas of ethnicity, race and culture have completely different meaning in one country to the next. While American concepts of ethnicity is based on race and color, in Sudan defining a person either "black or white" makes no sense as Sudanese have ancient identities and unique definitions of ethnicity which encompasses more than skin tone. American concepts of ethnicity, color and race is not the global standard contrary to what the media and academics commenting on Sudan and other countries would have us believe.

16 pyramids discovered in Sudan's ancient cemetery

Gulf News: 16 pyramids discovered in Sudan

Clues to the Ancient Sudanese Pyramids found in buried structures

Great Zimbabwe 



Buyoro and Buganda kingdoms: Uganda, Rwanda



Berber Kingdoms: Morocco, Spain



West African Kingdoms: Mali, Ghana, Senegambia



BOWIER SAYS LIBERIA IS MADE OF SO SO STRANGERS 

Historian and Rev. Emmanuel Bowier dissects the history of Liberia and origins of the Liberian people. He explains that Liberia made of so so strangers ie foreigners or immigrants from literally across West Africa. Liberia's 16 ethnic groups originally came from Mali, Ivory Coast, Faton Jallah (Sierra Leone), as far as Cameroon and Nigeria mainly some 500 years ago. Liberia have been absorbing people ever since. The artificial borders created between Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire have split large ethnic groups and peoples along colonially imposed territories. For most of the people, borders do not matter. The Mano River Union as the three countries are known as locally as the Sister Republics operate as one body in the larger ECOWAS bloc and African Union.

Rebellion 

For 500 years, African Americans have fought against racism and slavery (referred to as Maafa ie the great disaster) in the Americas, Europe and Mideast. Some of the early resistance to slavery and brutality occured with the Zanj revolt in Iraq. Numerous slave rebellions broke out across the Caribbean in Suriname, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cartegana, Colombia, Haiti which led to Haitians' independence and being the first independent African Republic in the Americas, African Americans continously rebelled and fought for their humanity and freedom from Maafa and anti-black racism in the United States to name few of many locations. Several jihad occured in Brazil by African Muslims who were also dragged across the Atlantic. In this instance Jihad was and is a struggle not Holy War. In recent centuries African and Disapora resistance and decolonial movements to the brutal Western imperialism (Europe and United States), xenophobic nationalism and scientific racism that feeds fascism, white supremacy and neo-nazism to this day. Renown singer Bob Marley charted the long history of rebellion and resistance of Africa and her children across the world constantly educating the public especially the youth about African and world history not taught in school. .

HBCUs and Education

One of the greatest form of resistance for struggling African Americans fighting the apartheid system ie segregation in the United States in the 19th century onward was the creation of independent, fully community financed Black schools and universities across the United States. Forbidden by American society and law from simply reading and writing, African Americans as freed people and slaves formed their own learning circles and schools to provide their children with quality education. Howard University, FAMU (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University), Tuskogee, Hampton University among 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities provide African Americans opportunities to excel in educational spaces and renown institutions when violence against them becomes too great.

Must Read: HBCUs on brink of death here's why

HBCU drops 5% of student body over govt financial aid

First HBCU offers free tuition, tutoring to low income students

Howard's President says HBCUs should be tuition free

Togo History and Society in French and English

Naija - A History of Nigeria by Jide Olanrewaju



Made in Angola



Togo or sometimes called the Republic of Togo, (historically it was known as Togoland) is one of the smallest countries in West Africa literally sandwiched between Benin, another small country to its East and Ghana its famous neighbor to the West. Its a vertical and narrow country. Togo has been relatively calm and quiet since it gained independence from France in 1960. Prior to European contact Togo like Liberia, was an coastal trading region connected to the wider West African sea trade most likely in ivory. Originally, Togo was a German protectorate than became a shared British and French territory than ended as a French colony before gaining independence. The video looks at Togo's colonization, independence from France, prospects on Pan Africanism and the unification between Ghana and Togo and the country's present and future. There's also 1963 Meet the Press interview with the then Togolese President Sylvano Olympius that is shockingly relevant on the topics of nuclear restraints, the media's attempts to forment division between neighboring countries and the role of democracy in Africa. A Must See.

Togo: LA RUPTURE ou LA VERITABLE HISTOIRE DE LA PETITE Suisse

On the elections and recent events in Togo 


Mali: History, politics and culture

Dr. Hakim Adi-New Scramble for Africa Pt 1


Best of Malian Voices for Peace


 Aminata Traore, Malian author, political activist, feminist, Globalization critique explains the situation on the ground in Mali in its global as well as regional context.
Algeria and Mali

 Timbuktu Manuscripts Project by University of Cape Town (In light of the recent events)
If you are from the North you're guilty: Alienation/Abandonment of Northern Malian IDPs
Ending Francafrique
Creating Terror in North Africa

The recent hostage crisis in Algeria and war in Mali have brought up questions about the real goals of former colonial powers this time France to a lesser extent the US (intervened in African conflicts during the 1950s in Suez Canal, 60s in D.R. Congo leading to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, 1970s and onward through covert operations and secretly and publicly supporting anti communist forces at the expense of genuine democracy and state building at the local level) and its intervention to fight Islamic militants or "Islamists" (if the word has ever existed before). Beyond fighting Ansar al Dine who appears to have the upper hand last year when it pushed aside the secular and pro independence National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad or MNLA, what is the other reason for over 2,000 French troops to suddenly take interest in Mali? When Malians (mostly civilians caught between the fight between Malian Army and separatist and now extremist groups) were fleeing the advances of Ansar al Dine and before them the MNLA's march through Northern Mali? Resources such as Gold (most of West Africa has gold deposits in addition to oil, gas and diamonds) the great pilgrimage of Mansa Musa serves as a reminder of how gold and wealth was long used across West Africa for regional and international trade. Malian gold has long been viewed by superpowers and traders with awe. West African gold has its place in international trade going back centuries. Aside from gold, Mali also contains salt, gas, oil. After all, Japan and China are fighting over the Senkaku island in the Pacific known to have rich natural resources: gas and oil or petroleum  If the island contained no resources it wouldn't be as sought after beyond nationalist sentiments. Beyond the politics, Mali has one of the world's oldest and rich cultural heritage dating back to Malian Empires and the adjacent Jolof Empire in Senegal. As with all wars in addition to civilian deaths, cultural history such as irreplaceable ancient mosques and universities (The Great mosque of Djenne), monuments dedicated to various Sufi saints and the ancestors and the famous Arabic manuscripts on literature, politics, science, medicine, religion, history and journals dating back to the 12th century and earlier found in the great libraries and universities of Timbuktu as well as in the private collection of Timbucutans' private homes will face destruction. It only takes a precision or cluster bomb no matter the size to destroy nearly a thousand years of written history and reduce important documents and information left by the ancestors to rubble. Hopefully the manuscripts, monuments same manner as the ancient Sufi and saintly shrines found across Timbuktu and other Northern Malian cities and towns as result of Ansar al Dine's purging of "unholy sites" but culturally significant and irreplaceable art, books, mausoleums and monuments that have survived historical conflicts up to present times thanks ironically to being buried by the Sahara storms across Mali.

Mali's Forsaken Tauregs

Mali, Mirage 2000D attaquer et soldats Malian et français en combat réel

Malian & French soldiers in running gun battles with extremist groups in Northern Mali



Sahel, Le désert de tous les dangers - 2012 - Fr - Film Entier

French documentary on Malian war and Anser al Din and other extremist religious groups attempting to implement Sharia across Northern Mali

Ex leader Sanago charged with murder 

Malian Coup Leader Sanogo has been charged with murder for the use of excessive force and violence against Malian citizens during the coup and preceding war between the Malian government, various Al Qaeda groups and Azwad movement.


Aminata Traoré et Boubacar Boris Diop parlent du Mali : « Un sentiment de trahison»




Arab & African Conflict: A Colonial Gift?

A critical analysis that calls to attention the assumption made by mainstream media particularly American but also European and occasionally African media outlets that tend to paint Mali and other African nations with conflicts between its Arab and African citizens ie Libya and Sudan maybe Egypt, in terms of "Black Africans" vs a "light or white skinned" Arab/Tuareg population although most Malian Tauregs are not white or European but various shades of olive skin, tan, brown and dark and mixed with African, Arab and Berber as are most Tauregs and Berber peoples across Northern African and Sahara countries. The same could be said for Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea  Ethiopia, Yemen. As history reminds us that Arabs and Africans have been trading, intermarrying and created a language and culture together for centuries long before Europeans arrived on the continent. Slavery also played a role in Arab and African relations. The Swahili Coast and its trade links with Yemen, Sudan and Egypt ethnic diversities and Maghreb countries are testaments to this. Again Sub Saharan Africa has never been a term that does justice to the continent and instead dehumanizes it by implying Africa south of the Sahara is less than human does not feature any complexity in history, multiple cultures and language as does North Africa. That Sahara Desert serves as some impenetrable 24 high wall between the countries and peoples who call the Sahara region and West African forest (also known as the upper Guinean forest it is not a jungle) from Senegal to Cameroon home. Compared to North Africa which is always framed as part of Europe when the region has a long history and cultural ties to its southern neighbors than Western countries often acknowledge. Which leads one to wonder if Sahara was a barrier, how did Islam, Arabic language, Islamic architecture, people exchange and trade reached to Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and even Guinea and Liberia? Vice versea for North Africa. How did cultural influences such as clothing, food and cuisine as well as languages from Senegal and other parts of southwestern and East Africa also find their way to Sudan, Chad and other Maghrebi countries?

Everywhere is war: European warlords strike in Mali
Mali's War and Islamists groups through Arab Public's eyes
Gaddafi was right: Gaddafi's warning about Jihadists now being used to justify intervention in Mali
Timbuktu's hertiage more damaged than previously thought
Revised Mali opposition approaches
Mali, France and Chickens
Oppose France intervention in Mali: History and the geopolitics of the conflict
How Washington helped foster the Islamist uprising in Mali
Back to le Future: Neo colonialism in Mali?
Militants in Mali destroy strategic bridge into Niger
France, Qatar and the New World Disorder?
France sends troops to secure Niger uranium mines: read here
Obama, Hollande pledge expansion of "Counter terrorism" in North Africa
Conflicts in Africa dying slowly

Forgotten refugees on Egyptian-Libyan border

You sure they're orphans

Repeats of Libya in Mali?
Reports of summary execution by the Malian Army and revenge attacks including looting of shops and homes against Taureg and Arab by Bambura, Fulani (who are all Malians by the way) in numerous Northern Mali towns from Timbukutu and Goa to Diablly. We are seeing similar images and repeats (scroll down in link to see Libya and Tunisia for  info)of vengeance against innocent people who are unforgiving linked to Ansar al Dine and other extremist groups in retreat but not entirely removed from Mali by a joint French and Malian army reconquest of the northern regions. Summarily executions and vengeful attacks against dark skinned Libyans and Western African migrants were also carried out by extremist and racist rebel groups in the 2011 Libyan war from Misrata, Tarwagha, Benghazi and Sirte including Bani Walid and Zliten. In addition we also see Malian refugees mostly Taureg and Arab Malians fleeing northern Mali to Mauritania for safety. In Libya, nearly a million refugees mostly migrant workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Asia, African countries and other Arab countries were forced to flee to Tunisia or await nervously to be evacuated by sea from Benghazi to Tripoli. All this is replaying itself in Mali. With the exception that NATO troops have not been called to bomb Northern Mali.

War in Mali and West Africa: No, its not about tribe its about rights & marginalization
West Africa in general has a long history of being caught in deadly wars and conflicts over both internal and foreign access to resources and the  might makes right to power and control over nations. Contrary to popular belief that African countries in general can not overcome some long lasting ancient tribal hatreds (the use of tribe to describe diverse ethnic groups and peoples is seen in some countries as insult and stereotype as it reduces not only the humanity but complexity of African peoples), most of the wars in West Africa had little to do with tribe or tribalism but has a lot to do with historic and political grievances. Marginalization of various kinds has long played a role as the fuse for most civil or regional wars in West Africa and other countries across Africa. Like other groups (regardless of ethnicity, religion or culture) Malian Tauregs  have complained and protests of the Malian government's economic policies (lack of an equal redistribution of wealth, access to fertile land and land rights & protection) to access to work and living wage to political representation, issues with access to citizenship as well as cultural repression (as the case in Libya with Libyan Berber or Amazighs) as key factors that led to Taureg Rebellions from 1963 to the present. The Amazigh people (which the Toureg in Mali and across Sahara are part of) across the North Africa and Sahara have long resented and protested against the repression of the Amazigh culture, traditions and Tamazight language, the indigenous languages and culture of North Africa prior to the Arab conquest in the 8th Century.

We can also look at European colonialism (roll call: France, UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy. Spain, Portugal who are today facing economic recession after building their wealth upon their colonies) crisscross and literally chopping up whole chunks of West Africa and the continent into states not only disregarding differences but also unity between ethnic groups who now find themselves divided from their relatives or neighbors by an invisible border and governments' complaints about disrupting national sovereignty when migrants or fleeing displaced or refugees cross borders for safety from persecution. Ironically, the same Western countries themselves were not unified territoriality (Italy & Germany being case studies) nor were separatism and regionalism (left overs from the Dark and Middle Ages) finally formed into stable nation states until the late 1890s. Empires also played a significant role in modelling and reshaping European nation states.  Mali is one of many of France's colonial creation. Once again separatist movements are reemerging over uncertainty about economic recovery across the Eurozone. Also the ethnic, cultural and religious divisions and differences that had always existed as in most parts of the world but was not heavily emphasis the way colonial powers took ethnic, cultural and religious differences an excertubated them to create groups and peoples loyal to local African leaders either serving white administers of checker board colonies or trying to perverse the leaderships' stability and state survival without including the majority of the citizens or subjects in real state building with local indigenous political systems. Not mention to leaders who were also loyal to Europe and colonial leaders prior to African countries gaining their independence. The uncolonized countries Ethiopia and Liberia were fortunate to avoid for most of their histories deep seat ethnic divisions that are now being fomented again in Mali and Sudan by separatist movements and Western governments' support for such movements. After independence, how the divisions slowly rose to the surface through government repression from revolutionary forces turned political leaders and governments. Through governments' violence and abuses that ordinary citizens began to rise their complaints about being ignored, seen as lesser than and abused because of their ethnic or religious identities  For instances, Nigeria the Biafra War, Libya and the ethnic cleansing of Tarwagha people, Western Sahara (yes, it and Morocco are part of West Africa (Northwest) geographically and historically), Guinea-Bissau (which is notorious for having coups nearly every year since independence) Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia (both countries' brutal civil wars have literally reduced the countries to rubble and former shells of what the nations once were. In Liberia's case, the war was set into motion by political leaders rather than the people) and have all known what war is and what it does to society and countries at large. This goes beyond Americans' notion of the true brutality of wars and conflicts that most ordinary Americans experience or glimpse at through video games, news reports and films through soldiers' perspectives and rarely through civilians eyes who make the bulk of internally displaced, refugees and survivors of atrocities.

War torn or post conflict countries don't always fit the mantra of being caught in a cycle of violence or not able to fully overcome long lasting animosities among the people. For all the challenges presented, the Liberian government has an unacknowledged and decedent track record (some could say going back to Liberia's 1847 independence) of maintaining social cohesion and peace among Liberian people. The people and the media too have worked to maintain national peace and built a national identity that includes all of Liberia's sixteen ethnic groups, plus the Liberian Diaspora,  African nationals and African Americans. Intermarriage across ethnic and religious lines is not uncommon. While national identity has its challenges, Liberia hasn't experience extreme forms of violence, sectarianism, terrorism or an emerging Civil War at the levels of Libya or Mali. With the exception of Taylor and Doe, the past and current governments have stepped in and halted minor ethnic feuds and tender land conflicts that would develop from minor spats into political instability affecting the whole country. Outrage at the national government based in Monrovia is felt within the city as well. Liberians both indigenous and diaspora share a collective history of being marginalized by the government, war victims and survivors and peacemakers. Liberian government's policy of emphasizing national and social unity even during post 1980 coup and Civil War eras and before has held the country together despite the rural Liberian public's anger at the government for its slow infrastructure development process and delivering social services to Liberians. Unity is not just a slogan nor do government officials pay lip service to it. Practical policies involving land usage, ownership and communal access are set in place and rightfully debated. Policies encouraging small and medium business growth, equal access to finances and public friendly access to social services are also being debated and passed in Liberian Parliament. The Liberian people through media and protests have kept the government focused on social development.

QUE FAIT LA FRANCE EN AFRIQUE.? 

What is France doing in Motherland (Africa)?




Central African Republic: From Government violence to sectarianism?


Serving as the crossroads of Sahara, Western, Eastern and central African region and once a former colony of France, the Central African Republic has made it into mainstream media's radar due to a reoccurring war. Home to a multiethnic and multicultural society where people from West Africa, Sudan, Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Yemen and elsewhere call home, CAR still has the French meddling in its affairs since the country's independence in 1960. Overshadowed by its larger neighbor to the south, the DR Congo, CAR has vital mineral and material resources ie gold, diamonds and Uranium needed by France to keep its economy running. Aside from resources, France is trying through military and defense to keep itself physically in the Central African Republic (there is a permanent French base in the capital Bangui) despite the opposition of French intervention and France's support for the former government of Francois Bozize and the current government that is facing an insurgency.  For the past year, the ordinary Central Africans have been pummeled and chased out of their homes and towns by government forces with no respect to religion, ethnicity or political loyalties of the people. Children have not been spared from the violence leveled at the adults. All of a sudden, the CAR government's harsh crackdown on opposition and the rise of the Seleka rebel group to challenge the current government after Bozize was overthrown in March, and the Anti-Balaka rebels forming to fight against Seleka for attacks has been dubbed by mainstream media as a "sectarian war" between Christians (forming the Anti-Balaka group) and Muslims who make the majority (although there are non Muslims fighting within the Seleka forces) of the Seleka. Most conflicts in various African countries no matter if the conflict or tension has no religious basis and could've been spark by grievances over government's favoritism for a group or marginalization (among other things) is usually framed as sectarian by Western media and  as soon as the people or groups involved in infighting in an African capital belongs to either religion. The violence being explained by France and mainstream media has switched from government violence against the people in Bangui to violence between Muslim and Christians. No doubt, the sectarianism will be emphasized as it has been reiterated in Syria and Iraq to show that "sectarian violence" even exists in countries far away from the two epicenters.

Economics of control 

The French want to be part of the new economic and resource scramble for Africa taking place across the continent. President Francois Hollande insists that French cultural and political influences can not fail either in West Africa or other African regions if his administration continues to promote Francafrique, a neo colonial policy of economic ties and trade that benefits France economically at the expense of its African partners. Included in the Francafrique equation is the CFA Franc. The CFA originally known as the Colonies françaises d'Afrique Franc than renamed Communauté française d'Afrique and finally the Communauté Financière Africaine, was originally tied to the French Franc the former prime currency used in France before it was replaced by the introduction of a single European currency in the form of the Euro in 2000. Like its French counterpart, the CFA Franc is legal tender that is controlled by the French Treasury. The treasury generally decides on major financial exchanges or funding for projects. The CFA was originally introduced as the main regional currency in West and Central Francophone countries in the 1940s tying the CFA to the Franc. This was meant to limit the creation of an alternative currency within the Francophone countries that would challenge the rates and exchanges of the French Franc. The CFA has a fixed exchange rate to the Euro and is currently used in 14 countries. However, using the CFA in neighboring West African countries that have their own currencies is difficult when currency value is in consideration. This despite the fact that there are talks by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) to develop its own common market and regional currency. The CFA franc still keeps the 14 countries in financial bondage with France with limited financial independence. 

The BRICS countries are competing with Western countries for access to resources, new trading partners, new markets and countries for their products and services from Senegal and Liberia to CAR, Sudan and South Africa and Mozambique. The French military wants to have easy access to the skies or ground to freely move troops and equipment from a military base either in CAR, Ivory Coast or elsewhere into Francophone Africa, France's traditional sphere of influence whenever a situation or choas occur as in the case of Mali or Ivory Coast. The French military presence is not necessary considering the fact that Africa has its continental wide military/peacekeeping force African Union that's still deployed in Darfur and Somalia (now unofficially broken into three countries: the semi autonomous Somaliland and emerging Puntland in the North and the rump Somalia in the south. It was ruled by the colonial powers with these same divisions nearly fifty years ago) But the AU forces have not deployed to South Sudan which has been fighting its own internal conflict with former rebel groups and its continual conflict with Sudan over the sharing of oil wells and refineries that run along both countries' border and splits the Abeyi region. West Africa has  its own regional military force dubbed ECOMOG that was deployed in Liberia during the early 1990s conflict in the country. There was no French forces running to Monrovia or arriving to stop rebel forces from forcing Liberians out of their homes. Ecomog troops were in charge of keeping Liberia peaceful and Liberian people safe without Western intervention. Just how there are no French forces in DR Congo to stop M23 rebels from crisscrossing the border between DR Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. There is a small UN troops in CAR that was recently reduced due to the violence. France insists that it is free to intervene in Central African Republic and Mali or elsewhere in its own colonies for its own interests and "humanitarian concerns." Central Africans and now Chadians continue to flee to Bangui or in the case of Chadians over the border into Chad. There may also be Chadians among the Seleka rebels. Now the UN Security Council has approved European Union troops being sent to intervene in Central African Republic at France's request. French President Franciois Hollande has more pressing matters to worry about in France mainly high unemployment and weak economy. His focus on Central African Republic's internal problems serves as a distraction from addressing France's problems head on. The African Union is currently brainstorm solutions for Darfur, South Sudan and CAR. Central African Muslims are fleeing across Bangui and other towns across the country being chased and forced out of towns by Anti Balaka rebels. The Anti-Balaka are accused of ethnic cleansing against Muslims not only in Bangui but even in border towns and smaller villages. The Anti-Balaka have vowed to not halt their attacks on their fellow countrymen unless the Seleka rebels back down against attacks on Christians. Even with a peacekeeping force made up of 5,400 African Union troops and 2,000 French troops trying to disarm both rebel groups, Central Africans are still facing hell from rebel groups even with arrests of suspected rebels who are now spending their time behind bars at Bangui's main prison. President Katherine Samba-Panza and the wider government have vowed to halt the rebels' attacks against civilians to improve security within Bangui and across the country. The question must be asked why hasn't the violence reduced significantly and why are civilians still living in fear? Oversimplified narratives in Central African Republic will not begin to address the resurge in violence directed at Central African Muslims including Chadian civilians by the Anti Balaka rebels. Chadian forces are currently serving as part of the African Union peacekeeping forces. They are also the closest neighbor whose security relies on ending the war immediately to avoid a cross border spillover or flow of weapons between the two countries. Cameroon is the southern neighbor to CAR who is nervously monitoring the conflict hoping to avoid a massive influx of refugees or weapons flow through Cameroon. Boko Haram is also a threat for Cameroon as their violence intensifies against students, children and women around North Nigeria who have been both victims and survivors of the Boko Haram's recent bombings.

Taliban condemns violence in CAR?

UN: Central African violence reminiscent of Srebrenica

Why are EU Troops in Central African Republic


Le dessous des cartes : La République Centrafricaine aka Growth of CAR

The economics and natural resources of Central African Republic are explained in the short clip. It highlights why the country is so crucial for the Francafrique and its neighbors as well. Early CAR history and European colonialism up to the current conflict is also included showing how the country has faced threats from outside forces and powers as a crossroads of empires.

Francafricque and French foreign Policy

Since loosing its colonies in the early 1960s, France like its neighbors across the Western world has been trying to maintain its influences in francophone Africa. The quest to intervene in the internal affairs of Mali, Central African Republic and Ivory Coast is one of many French interests to reposition itself as the go to country for these countries. The French like the Americans and British are biting their nails at the fact that China is hitting the ground running in many African countries. Chinese  investors and state owned businesses with no strings attach are winning infrastrucutre projects and strengthening its diplomatic relations with the major heads of state across the continent from West Africa to North to East Africa. Despite the dipping French economy, Hollande's government is still searching for their own glory as the ex superpower power broker in CAR and elsewhere. In short CAR and other countries still need France for political and economic stability more than France needs them especially the resources. For French multinational and businesses French speaking African countries represent a exploitable business opportunity. French ministers still regard themselves as benovalent forces in African politics who mean well by sending troops to end rebel forces' violence and terrorism against Central African and Ivorian citizens. Nevermind the fact that the AU or ECOWAS or CAMESA (regional union for Central Africa) could also manage the instability within their region if given the chance to develop local solutions and systems to combat the security situation. 

Crimes contre l'Afrique: La Françafrique - La Raison d'Etat 


Suffer the children: Centrafrique: Les Enfants du Chaos: CAR: Children of Chas

Central African children have witnessed and seen things no child should ever have to see during their young lives. Children have been traumatized by displacement, bombings and machete/weapons attacks, terrorized by rebel forces and soldiers and the politics of the adult world including being recruited as child soldiers. Some children were captured and trained to be child soldiers on both sides ordered to commit atrocities against neighbors and friends. The children are exhausted by the conflict as much as the adults. Many children are hoping and seeking a peaceful future and end to the ongoing to conflict. The experiences of Central African children is shared by Syrian-Iraqi and Afghan children.


Who are the Anti Balaka-Seleka rebels?

The documentary breaks down the role of both Anti Balaka and Seleka rebels in the conflict and their relationship to Central African people and government. Both forces have been accused of harassing and intimidating civilians including chasing them out of their hometowns. In turn both forces accusing one another of equally terrorizing their supporters to the point of committing war crimes and what the UN has described as a possible genocide against CAR Muslims and Christians. Neither side wants to be seen as loosing or as the perpetrator of any crimes.






French citizens oppose invasion of the Central African Republic

Centrafrique Press on events across the country including French troops 

in French with English subtitles


France pursing its own interests in Central African Republic







On patrol with the French army in the CAR



On African Unity and A People United

Once more African unity in today's world is having difficulty forming on a political level because of the dividing identity placed on West Africa and other regions. There is unity between citizens of various countries who trade, marry and connecting with each other abroad or at home. It is also local businesses that trade and interact with their fellow business partners in neighboring countries and the Diaspora. In the Disapora, African, African American and Carribean peoples are slowly building relationships and cultural exchanges between one another. As for unity at a national level, in most West African and other nations across the continent are able to maintain stability and unity among the diverse ethnic groups who call Liberia, Eritrea  Ethiopia and Sudan (prior to 2011 South Sudanese independence) home. Unlike European countries as England, Germany or Japan  who have long been seen as monoethnic (although African/Asian migration to these countries and history challenged this stereotype decades ago) and have built nation states based on ethnic majorities. Most African nation states (West Africa's diversity is a testament to this) do not have ethnic majority populations nor are mono cultural  Instead, most African nations are multiethnic, multicultural and multilinguistic whose populations have been shaped by both culture, history and migration. Interestingly "nation of immigration" as used in Canada, Australia and U.S. has not become a national motto in Mali or Liberia. Ethnic diversity outside the Western countries especially concerning Africa is often downplayed or ignored for stereotypical or static images of what citizens in Uganda or Mali should look like. American media has viewed ethnic diversity outside of an American context as problematic to dangerous for other nations including Europe and tends to paint the United States and Canada as somehow unique in celebrating and promoting ethnic and cultural diversity while the rest of the world sees as threat to national stability and regional cooperation.

Liberia: William VS Tubman University forges historic partnership with African American universities

Rethinking Pan Africanism in current epoch
Than there is African unity at the continental level in which certain regions of Africa are left out of discussions and programs on continental unity. For instance North Africa is considered to be Mediterranean and closer to Europe when geography, politics, culture and history would tell us Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Egypt are part of the African continent. In Arabic North Africa, is called al Maghreb  which means the West (which is the official name for Morocco, al mamluk al gahrib) although the region is incorrectly labeled as part of the Middle East. Even when the Magrebian countries are physically to the east of Syria, Iraq, Palestine-Iraq also known as the Levant. Technically Egypt would also be to the West of the Levantine countries. In addition to speaking Arabic, most North African countries also speak Berber or Tamazigh which was the original languages of Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia before the Arab invasions and arabization of the region in the 8th century. Coincidentally, the Arabic spoken in the Maghreb is difficult for a Lebanese or Iraqi understand partly due to colloquial language which is used more in everyday Arabic than Modern Standard Arabic that is taught in school and to non Arabic speakers. Moroccan and Algerian Arabic are treated as a dialects. The same situation happens in Spanish speaking countries with Cubans having difficulty understanding Mexican Spanish vs Argentine Spanish. Also overlooked in African unity discussions are the various islands lying off the coast of continent such as Cape Verde in West Africa, Sao Tome & Principe (West & Central Africa) near Angola, Madagascar (Southern Africa) across from Moazambique, Reunion, Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius and Mayotte also in the same region as Madagascar and finally the Canary Islands also near Senegal but a protectorate of Spain.

The Taboo Subject: Racism towards Africans in Morocco and Maghreb
Decolonizing the Mind: The Language of North Africa
New Mass Media and the Shaping of Amazigh Identity
Arab Spring or Tafsut Imaghizen?
President Hollande notes colonial wrongs but not prejudices at home
Tunisian MacBeth: Ben Ali's Bloody history
Live African Rewrite African
Aminata-Traore-Malien feministe-contre-l-intervention-militaire
Libya militia still powerful than military

Algeria


Similar to Haiti, Algeria's path to statehood came via a defeat of French forces paratroopers after an 8 year bloody revolution to break free of colonialism in a literal sense. From 1954-1962, the FLN (Front Liberation Natonal) National Liberation Front waged one of the bloodiest revolutionary struggles in modern history. No doubt following the success of the Vietnamese victory against French paratroopers at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, FLN waged bombing campaigns across the capital Algiers and guerrilla warfare in the countryside to draw French paratroopers numbering half a million into a war of arbitration. For France, Algeria was not only a colony or occupied territory for 130 years from 1832-1962 it was designated by Paris and the colonial administration in Algiers as a department of France in the same manner as Corsica today. A little over a 1 million European settlers named Pied Noirs (Black Feet) lived in Algeria prior to independence. Despite its status, indigenous people Algerians were treated as second class citizens in their own country. They were segregated in education housing, quality social services and access to transportation from Pied Noir (French, Italian, Spanish and Maltese) population in Algiers and other major cities. Algerian identity was tied heavily to French culture, norms and values and children learned that their ancestors were French and not Algerian. Other French colonies Senegal, Martinique, Tunisia and Mali also reciceved the same history lessons. The epitome of brutality for Algerians came during the massacre of Setif in 1945. Algerians not only rallied in honor of countrymen massacred at Setif they continuously demanded their independence, freedom and rights feeling a hundred plus years of oppression and dehumanization added to the massacre. Algerians began to plan for the revolution for the next 9 years with the birth of the FLN in 1954. The Algerian war of independence or Revolution became a blueprint for future urban combat zones and western armies fighting against guerrilla warfare in other revolutionary struggles Angola, Zambia, Vietnam and NAimba. The Algerian war of independence was later immortalized in the 1965 classic revolutionary film Battle of Algiers by Gillo Pontecorvo with a beautiful score by the legendary soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone. 

Old Revolutionary Song "Qassaman" now the National Anthem of Algeria

Le Guerre d Algerie 1954-1962


Les Versions Inédites de QASSAMAN  


Real development in Africa

As early as 1900s (even earlier), WEB Dubois and Marcus Garvey, the international, political activist and economist were advocating a genuine massive change of thinking of nation building and socioeconomic development of Africa and African peoples across the world. Numerous scholars, thinkers, authors and playwrites since than and even before the 20th century have always emphasized an African led structured solution to addressing the mounting concerns of citizens across all 54 African countries.

Economics and politics are tied to a society and nation's development. One could begin with the role of overland or seafaring trade and commerce as aiding the growth of infrastructure of villages and cities in West Africa and Central Asia's hinterlands to the coastal metropolises. Demand is also rising for local stock markets in major African capitals beside South Africa. While revolutionary organizations and governments occasionally connected business and African social infrastructure development in early 1960s, the focus to expand economic development through creating wealth with African owned industries, manufacturing and business ownership have been overshadowed by speeding up each African country's own short period industrial revolution. For the past two decades, leaders in various African countries have been awakening to the necessity of entrepreneurship, managing the countries' own finances, owning and operating industries and manufacturing companies. The crucial role of producing products and services from the natural resources that can be found in the soil. Resources in the form of gold, iron ore, rubber, coltain, uranium, food, water (the crucial resource needed for human life) and numerous chemical substances which are exported as raw materials (extract industry) each month to year to countries (without no resources ie UK, Philippines, Japan, France, India, China, Malaysia) and made into finished technological products or used in mobile technologies that is sold back to African and Caribbean countries at high prices. It is the finished products that have created wealth for the non resource rich nations. Alongside finished products, revenue grows from services and diversifying the economy not relying on monocultural economy, manufacturing and building necessary infrastructure that allows businesses to grow reducing high cost of running companies, transportation or limiting investment due to political instability. Kwame Nkrumah made a great attempt to industrialize Ghana to manufacture and produce its own finished products from various raw resources.

Liberia is in the process of modernizing and improving its universities across the country. Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County is noted for "breaking tertiary educational jinx" when it comes to university level education in Liberia. Liberian education professionals has applied Tubman University's transition from its decade long reconstruction phase following the war to a top tier university in Southeast counties. TU attracts many students from Maryland and other neighboring counties for its far reaching educational services

Newly Industrialized Countries: Lessons for Liberian Public Service 

African American economic empowerment with African History Network


Listen to internet radio with African History Ntwk on BlogTalkRadio

Business minded peoples and trading families recognized years or even centuries ago the importance of being part of commerce, learning the craft of trading and distributing goods and services in addition to practicing Susu or community "group" economics: buying, selling, exporting and importing in your own community, in process investing in one's own community or city all contribute to economic growth and alleviating poverty by creating monetary and economic wealth for the business owner and community at large.  Across Liberia as in Ghana and Jamaica, market women and men are emphasizing owning their own businesses despite the ups and downs that come with new businesses. In the African Diaspora, Caribbean and African peoples practice Susu or own businesses at home and immigrating to North America, Europe or Middle East. Among national governments there are regional wide economic cooperation and a singular currency and economic organization that covers the African continent including North Africa. Improvement and indigenous driven technological advancement and indigenous knowledge in social services: health, education, housing, basic infrastructure. Which continue to be top priorities demanded by citizens and intellectuals from Senegal to Libya & Algeria to South Africa and Zimbabwe to Namibia and Tanzania. Its not an overwhelming task or a wide bridge to cross. Several Asian countries, Singapore, Japan, India, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia among other countries shared similar histories with African countries of colonialism & neo colonialism, climate change, overcoming what seemed to be crushing poverty, non existent or limited social services in the countryside and cities to become economic powerhouses and regional power today. African countries can succeed in economically and politically if resources are not only pooled together but made into finished quality products that can be used within Ghana or Liberia and Egypt than exported to neighboring countries.

Keiretsu: How Japan jumped started its economy after world war II, experienced growth and social development. Origins of the large Japanese Corporation Mitsubishi, Mitsukoshi, Toyota, Sony, etc emerged from the Keiretsu.

Lessons from Jay Z Business Model

Colonized From Within: The Liberian Lebanese Economic Dichotomy

Sirleaf a fugitive: Civil Society on Ellen, stop undermining NGOs
Civil Society organizations plays the most significant role in national development and social wellbeing. It is only fair that governments step out of their way and let CSOs aid the people.

You work to live not live to work 
African American entrepreneurs, businessmen and women and visionaries who achieved success and self wealth and innovation when the world said it was impossible.

One form of development in the form of knowledge is the use and promotion of the Mother Tongue or First language in the educational system and promotion of indigenous knowledge with adapting advanced technology. No country has ever developed technology or economically while communicating solely through a colonial language where the elites can only communicate in colonial language and the majority of the masses speak the mother tongue on the country creating a large linguistic divide. Multilingual countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, China (with its multiple dialects and regional languages), United Arab Emirates, India, East Timor, Libya, Algeria, Turkey and Iran have been able to develop economically, educationally and technology through the promotion and use of their mother tongues to create a unified methods of communication used by both elites and peoples to express ideas, indigenous knowledge, culture, history and science applying to new innovative technologies. After colonialism's fall during the early 1950s, many Asian countries incorporated their mother tongues into education, made it and other regional tongues official languages across the country ie India, Indonesia, Singapore. And also South Africa, Morocco with Arabic and Berber. The mother tongues have been promoted it among the people as a method to not only celebrate identity and culture but national development policies and to bridge the literacy gap between the poor, farmers and marginalized and middle class across society. When Algeria gained independence in 1962, the government began to reArabized the educational system and communication and gradually moved away from solely using French. Even in Europe, most countries rely on their mother tongues instead of operating their educational systems and communication tools solely in English which is a small lingua franca alongside French. The crucial need to continue social economic development that benefits all members of society instead of the few 1% or 5% elites. There is nothing against bilingualism or foreign languages. The need for African nations to develop technologically and apply mother tongues, indigenous knowledge and science to development in all areas with the mother tongue is long overdue.

KK Prah: There can be no Progress through colonial languages

African Indigenous Science and Knowledge Systems


African Cultural Heritage Preservation and Promotion

George Clooney and the return of Africa's stolen artifacts


Hypocrisy of Aid to Africa
There's a reason the fiercest defenders of AID are invariably white

Why Liberia's dual citizenship argument must be based on evidence not sentiment 

The role of Public Service in a Developmental state

Liberia Unification Day: Promoting Unity and equal distribution of wealth for all Liberians

Infrastructure Made in Africa: Ozwald Boateng A Designer's Mission

Quick fix development takes away from African countries more than gives

African Diaspora's remittance to home countries outstrips foreign aid in most African countries

Local entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia and Africa

Education in Africa: Whose education?

Educating Indonesia
Indonesia tries to find ways to fix one of the lowest education in the world through a knowledge based, science and technology driven education beginning at the elementary school level.

On Language and Knowledge
How use of the mother tongue or native languages and creoles within African countries as oppose to colonial languages ie French, English, Portuguese and indigenous knowledge and application to help to develop society and nations both socially, educationally, humanly, economically and politically. See also: Whose's Education on education in Africa and Fate of African languages

The Role of Language in National development and integration
The case study of India's diverse languages and dialects by governments and peoples as a means to strength economically, politically and culturally.


Southeast Asia development an accident of history
Can history really be accidental in aiding national and regional economic and social development in formerly poor nations? General economic history outside Europe seem to think so and that economic development on the level of China is exceptional.

Liberian Economy: The boom-bust cycle of growth

Liberia's staggering macro-economic woes: tackle supply side constraints
After enjoying several years of enjoying strong growth and a stable GDP, the Liberian economy is contracting slowly. Economic policies have had mixed results across the country. On the one hand, 7% growth has kept the country afloat while Liberian Central Bank and Ministry of economics juggle revising practice financial policies. Still, inflation continues to haunt the country while its dual currency system posses challenges for Liberian dollar the local currency that has seen its rate rise by an extra ten dollars over the past year. Liberian dollars are now: 1 L$=82 USD.

Celebrating Black African History Month, peoples and cultures across the world

Rewriting Africa: Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina calls on the need to change the long held stereotypes and images the world has of Africa
Read original article here

African influences in Latin America





Chika for Africa
14 Carribean nations sue France, UK, Holland for slavery reparations
What happened to the indigenous race? The rancid myth of Cristobol Colon

Economics of a regional powerhouse
Some unique facts and factors on many African countries' overlooked economic growth and attempts to grow regional trade and cooperation as a key to increase economic and social development along the lines of the Asian economies. We look at how the Asian tiger economies and the rising economic powerhouses of Southeast Asia: Malayasia, Philipines, Thailand and Indonesia among others seemed to leapfrog economic development and build up a middle class over the last fifty years

African Currency Unit: Urgent question during thecapitalist crisis

 Angola's lessons from Brazil


Let Africa Trade with Africa: How intra regional trade boast economic development and socioeconomic cooperation among neighboring countries

A "bootstrapping" approach education to combining indigenous and local scientific knowledge with technology and education that is inclusive of all levels of African societies.









Taxi Sister: How women in Senegal are breaking the stereotypes of a taxi Driver


Do NGOs really help as much as they say?


Education
When education and a lack of identity collide

Importance of research at a (African) university

The real identity politics


Liberia's unique Creole African cooking


Fashion





Tears for Africa: Humanitarian Abduction and Reduction
An Analysis that breaks down the stereotype of the tired and old image of starving and desperate African children, women and men. It challenges the reoccurring white man's burden now transformed into the white woman/mom savior still bombarding the pop culture and daily news. Enjoy the read.

Yes African children across the continent are like children everywhere in the world, they  laugh, smile, go to school, play, learn about life experiences and have parents and relatives who love them. Above photo Liberian school children. Just another normal day trying to gain more knowledge.  
Western Sahara: Pambazuka's coverage of Western Sahara 
 An Issue of land and rights
Contrary to popular belief and intellectual laziness on part of the media, conflicts in most African countries have more to do with a combination of politics and marginalization than with tribe or ethnicity. Namibia and Kenya are currently experiencing a shake up within their territories one over land access and rights to resource in Kenya while a presidential election in Namibia is testing the country's success at national unity without regard to ethnicity. Land issues and access to resources is one of the many left over and unaddressed issues from colonial rule in many African countries. Not to mention the artificial boundaries created by European powers each wanting their own piece of someone else's home. But is compounded by various governments' slow response or outright refusal to confront the rights to land, end marginalization of rural or remote peoples, the right to resources shared by the entire country among others

Kenya: Outlaw group in Mombasa call for secession 
 It might be useful to engage with secessionist 
 London Conference Strips Somalian sovereignty
Who's Grabbing Africa's Land? US spectators, universities 
Haiti: We Lived Sustainability, With Color and Panache 
Colonialism & Haiti's Earthquake: The Role of History, Economics and Politics 
Haiti According To Haitians 



 Senegal 
Dakar, Senegal
Senegal appears to be the latest West African country plagued with post Election violence despite being one of a few West African nations to have never experience a military coup or a civil war but enjoy a long history of Democratic traditions not to mention a strong Civil Society. Anger across Senegalese society reminds fixed on President Wade regarded as both corrupt and undemocratic. Yet while many media sources see the recent protest as new it is actually a continuation of the global revolutions and protests that began a year ago with the M23 Movement (Movement Juin 23) in June 23, 2011. Where the protest go from here is only a matter of time.

An African Spring in Senegal?
Sengal in Danger, a View from the Ground
How mediators sidetracked opposition in Senegal
 

Liberia: Towards infrastructure development
Monrovia, Liberia capital of Africa's oldest republic
Next to land and economics, infrastructure is the spine of any country for socioeconomic development. The Liberian government for the past decade has spent its time grinding out its policy for reconstruction or upgrading critical infrastructure in the capital Monrovia and around the country. Old but usable buildings have been updated, some demolished for structural reasons. City mayors demolish illegal structures and homes that were built in the right of way of roads and alleyways and obstructing the flow of traffic. Major towns across rural Liberia continue to face challenges ranging from blocked roads during rainy season or lack of schools, hospitals and houses due to government's slow some say snail speed towards infrastructure and long standing centralized policy of beginning critical projects in Monrovia than gradually spreading to rural towns. Cestos city is one of the major towns in River Cess country. Cestos' unpaved roads flood and cut off the town from neighboring villages and wider county every rainy season. Buchanan, the third largest city in Liberia slowly experiencing a mini construction and business boom. was also facing the same predicament a few years ago. The main roads in Buchanan's center is mostly paved. The country continues to face sea erosion and flooding as many coastal countries do as a result of annual climate change rising sea levels. Both Monrovia's dismissed and reappointed no nonsense mayor Mary Broh and Buchanan's Julia Bondo who is a former military captain, have been transforming Monrovia and Buchanan's infrastructure respectively. City ordinances and commercial codes are currently being reform despite its snail like pace implementation by law reformers and city officials. With the new laws, commercial codes, city ordinances, santiation implemented, Monrovia and other cities will slowly through engagement with the public reduce and eliminate its current urban sanitation and disorganized planning. Liberian textile and natural dyes are two of many natural resources the country has available towards its development.

Liberia's tender Land Conflicts and disputes
 Long ignored land disputes and mini conflicts between returning refugees and villagers to their former ancestral lands in the Liberian countryside have the potential of sparking yet another conflict in post war Liberia. Although peaceful for 10 years, land conflicts were one of the main factors for the devastating Civil War. A lack of a current or future land reform policy in addition to foreign firms signing egregious contracts with villagers, landowning farmers and returning refugees to sign over their ancestral lands will prove to be a powder keg in the making unless land conflicts and disputes are immediately address by the local and national government. 

 Liberia: Senator PYJ submits a one currency bill to Liberian Senate

 With attention to oil, Who's mining Liberia's Barite Minerals?

 Fuel shortages and limited transportation across Monrovia

 Liberian Life expectancy shot up from 47 to 60 years

Financial Minister Konneh outlines Agenda for Transformation

 When the Bough Breaks: Liberian Educational Crisis

 Govt told to stop lip service toward Liberian Business Community

 New words for Climate change coined in Kpelle and Krahn
Now in Liberia, two of its thirty languages will be able to transmit information on climate change in a language that many non English speakers in Liberia understand in their own mother tongues. 

Citizenship, exclusion and rethinking who is a citizen beyond ethnicity

On migration and returning to one's homeland after many years abroad, the big adjustments and question of a dual identity belonging to your homeland and host country at the same time that comes with returning home or crisscrossing borders. Addressing the feelings of resentment and the sense of belonging that fellow countrymen who stayed behind feel towards your return. Not necessarily the odd man out but trying to transform your return home into a familiar setting. The identities and migration histories of Liberian Americans and indigenous Liberians are recalled in the clash of migration, identity and belonging. Liberian Americans and Liberians in Europe and Asia have been returning home to Liberia in the post war peace years. They have become successful businessmen and women and have fallen in love with Liberia again especially the older generation of Liberians who lived abroad for over thirty to fifty years plus even decades before the war.


Liberia's Election Commission suspends All Dealings with Charles Taylor's NPP
The small political Party National Patriotic Party, originally formed by foirmer rebels of National Patriotic Front have been ignored by the National Election Commission for its refusal to holds its biennal party elections. Liberia historically has had between two parties than two one party rule. Today it has had multiple parties existing across the country, Liberty Party, Unity Party, Congress for Democratic Change. The strongest political parties are CDC and Liberty Party due to its hold of power. The National Patriotic Party once emerged from NPF under Charles Taylor who was one of the major rebel leaders and the NPF the main rebel group during the Liberian Civil War in the late 1990s. Taylor is currently serving a long term life imprisonment. Taylor's supporters have transformed their interests and concerns into a small political party National Patriotic Party as a successor of sorts to National Patriotic Front.

 The Robertsfield Highway Concrete Jungle: 
The Liberian Middle Class and untenable urbanization of Monrovia and Liberia's main highway thoroughfare The incomplete history of Liberia's ethnic groups

 Africa Center of the world

We Want Are Land back or Else. King Gray Citizens tell ELWA Management

ELWA demolition paused in land dispute

MPW suspends issuance of building permits
 Ministry of Public Works suspended granting permits for new housing and business construction o address lack of Monrovia residents and other builders in Liberia violating zoning laws or lack there of

Reclaim All Use Land, Sale to the Landless Careysburg District

 In Liberia, A Nobel Laureate’s Problem at Home

Land Ownership and Conflict in Liberia 

Global Land Grabs could trigger conflicts 

Liberian residents says foreign firm threatens their land rights 

In Nimba County: Land disputes results to instant death and several injuries

Nimba youth want fast track payment for Disputed Land

When playing Borat causes real harm:
Danish Journalist Mads Brugger (a self styled comedian) managed through a shady British expatriate to obtain fake Liberian diplomatic credentials passing himself off as the Liberian Ambassador to Central African Republic. He did it in the name of making a mockumentary titled The Ambassador to investigate in his own words, "Blood Diamonds and Corruption in Africa." For playing a Borat like bumbling faux ambassador he has not only made a joke out of more well respected Liberian diplomats and legitimate ambassadors, it brings to question how easy is it to cheat and deceive many people nearly go free as Brugger was able to do.

Over Fradulant purchase of Liberian diplomatic credentials by Danish Journalist

 New Developments

Uganda, DR Congo and Kony 2012 

Kampala, capital of Uganda. The capital is neither war torn or in need of saving. Uganda is currently enjoying 6 years of peace after Kony & LRA fled to DR Congo.
From the 70 million mark it set as the most watched online via Youtube Video Kony 2012 has been talked about, analyzed, critiqued and importantly allowed ordinary people's opinions and perspectives to take center stage above the so called "Experts on Africa." The world has realized that Ugandans are not as the video has so many viewers belief invisible or helpless that Ugandans can represent and speak for themselves, have found their own creative solutions for solving the devastation left by nearly 26 year old low intensity conflict in Northern Uganda that gave birth Lord Resistance's Army (LRA) in the first place. Perhaps inspired by the ongoing revolutions and protests in Syria and North Africa and no doubt remembering the recent and continual instability of Libya and Libyan people many Ugandans, citizens of other African countries Nigeria and the  world citizens have received notice from media outlets from the likes of BBC, CNN as well as the traditional alternative media. Ugandans' arguments and critiques challenges Kony 2012's "good intentioned" humanitarian intervention in African countries like Uganda by the use of military force or need to secure ahem resources. Speak Africa, Speak Again!

April 1994 to April 2012: Commerating 18+ years of US Sponsored Terrorism in Central Africa
Contributing Our Voices to Kony 2012 video
We Are Not Invisible: 5 African Women Respond to Kony 2012
Acholi Street. Stop Kony 2012 Invisible children's Campaign of Infamy
 Kony 2012 shows there's big money attached to White Saviors 
The Problem with Kony 2012 Mahmoud Mandani Ugandan author and scholar 
Invisible Children & Rise of Young Africans online
The Soft Bigotry of Kony 2012

Kinshasa, DR Congo has been experiencing relative peace, an economic growth and is Africa's 2nd largest city after Cairo in Egypt. Trivia, its literally across the Congo River from Brazzaville, Capital of the Democratic Congo aka Congo-Brazzaville

Libya, Uprising, Revolutions and future of Africa and Arab world

The Jamihariya system explained with graphics and commentary
The Bedouin key to understanding Gaddhafi 
Education as Oppression: One Bedouin's perspective on progress
Looking at the continual peoples' uprising and revolution in Libya inspired by the protests across North 
Libyan Assembly adapts Sharia as Law of the land
Africa and Middle East.
Crisis of Libya
Truth Dispatch: Update from Libya
Cote D' Ivoire Crisis
Algeria's Impact on French Philosphy: Between post structuralist Theory and colonial practice
New Hope On the Nile
Sudan the conflict is inflaming every hour
Maghreb Uprising: Truth is impossible to find
Libya: Nato's war of Aggression a sovereign African state
Chilling the Arab Spring
Faith and Politics of Terrorism
An Arab Springtime?
Six killed as Libyan fighters clash in Tripoli
Libya war crimes: NATO allies responsible for racist killings



Libye : Toubous France 24

A report on Libyan Toubous, the dark skin Libyans living in Southern Libyan desert on and around the border of Libya-Chad and their fight against Libyans from Arab tribes even though both speak Arabic.




Libye: Voyage en territoire Toubou


An interview with Libyan toubous on their roles in the war and post Gaddhafi Libya   



"We live little better than animals" Tarwagha Refugees still overlooked by Libyan government
The Tarwagha people are still displaced across Libya from Benghazi to forgotten IDP camps two years after Gadhaffi's death and the fracturing of Libyan government. They are also at the mercy of Libyan militias and still prevented from returning hometown of Tarwagha by the Misrata Militia


In Focus: Ethnic Cleansing of Tarwergha, Libya's Dirty Secret Press TV


Ethnic violence -- a barrier to Libyan progress 

Eye On Tawergha: Ghost Town created by Ethnic Cleansing

Libyan NTC fighters acting as vigilantes against Tawergha blacks
Ethnic Hatred Taints Liberated Libya
Ethnic Hatred Taints Liberated Libya longer
Gaddafi's ghost town after the loyalists retreat
Libya militia 'terrorises' pro-Gaddafi town of Tawargha
Tawergha no longer exists, only Misrata
GENOCIDE, RACISM, ETHIC CLEASING of TAWARGHA - CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY by NATO's darling REBELS in LIBYA
Libya–The Racist Revolution–Tawargha 


Gunman kills seven at Tripoli's Janzur Refugee Camp


Libya: Tawargans Massacre By Misrata Psychopaths Continue




Battle of Misrata

Inside Story: Battle for Misrata
Tawargha-convoys trying to invade Misurata-at start of revolution

  The Tamazigh/Berbers in Libya
In Libya no exams for rebel children
Mauritania to protect domestic servants
Fez scared music Festival celebrates wisdom
"No More Fear" documentary debuts in Tunisia
Mawazine celebrates confluence of cultures
Libya pogroms against African migrants prewar 

South Sudan, Sudan and history of Nations

One of the largest African countries along side the D.R. Congo, Sudan is a country of multiethnic, cultural and languages. It is also historically significant for being the home of several Ancient African kingdoms ie Nubia, Moroe and part of Ancient Egypt and Nile civilizations. First ruled by the Egyptians, than briefly by the Ottoman Empire in 19th Century, Sudan was later colonized by the British. British rule in Sudan was meant to keep control of European trade benefiting the British Empire along the Nile, Suez Canal and Eastern African countries. The country's two main regions the North and South were ruled according to ethnic and language differences and closest neighbors. North Sudan was influenced by Egypt, Arab Islamic culture and languages while South Sudan's influences came from Eastern Africa ie language, religion and culture particularly Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia. British rulers of Sudan played the differences against North and South Sudan during colonial rule in 19th century until the country gained independence in 1957. North Sudan was tied to Egypt and Arab World while South Sudan was tied to Eastern Africa. When the country became independent in 1957, the British pulled the two ethnic, religious and cultural regions together to form the nation of Sudan. A 21 year old Civil War beginning in 1970s, Desertification in Darfur beginning in 1970s and current war in Darfur has brought Sudan to the attention of the world. South Sudan was granted the right to vote for independence and succeeded from North Sudan on January 9, 2011. If the referendum is successful, South Sudan will be Africa's 54th African nation. It will also create a reference point for future autonomous regions and ethnic groups in various African countries to demand independence.


Slave Trade and African Holocaust
12 Million killed during the 18th-19th centuries alone while traveling the dreaded Atlantic Middle Passage...

African Holocaust
The West wants Africans to "move on" and "get over" slavery, colonialism, discrimination and poverty in African countries and diaspora. But how can one forget all of the above if negative stereotypes through jokes and pop culture toward African countries, Africans and diaspora belittles Africa and diaspora's cultural diversity, pan african identity and solidarity, ignores ordinary Africans seeking to revive Pan Africanism, ignores any positive news on African countries and dehumanizes African culture with jokes?

Ethiopia and Liberia: Where colonialism made a U Turn and crashed

Both countries were never colonized by Europeans

Are Liberian Gays Targeted?
2011 Elections Test Peace in Liberia

Korto Momolu returns home to Liberia pt 1, fashion designer
Korto Momolu...pt 2

The Inventors of the World languages


The written languages of Ethiopia, Liberia and Berbers. Despite the long held believe due to colonialism and eurocentrism that Africans had no written history or language, many unique alphabets have been created throughout the centuries denying this stereotype. Among the most well known and surprised are the Bassa vah, Vai, Loma, Kpelle and Mande alphabets of Liberia, Ge'ez alphabet of Ethiopia the most ancient non-Egyptian script known to Europeans and many other alphabets used for various ancient languages across the motherland.


Ethiopia Jewel of Africa
Africans & Rise of Islam
Is Eurocentrism unique?

frican art, history and culture


Contrary to popular belief all 54 African countries do have a history, culture and hertiage that predates Europe, colonialism and slavery by thousands of years. To justify colonialism, slavery and African Holocaust, Europeans in both Europe and United States denied and ignored African contribution to world civilization (Ethiopia being the birthplace of Humanity, Egypt one of the first countries to have a recognized monothesis religion, Mali also the first country to built libraries and universities), across the continent to prove the old stereotype that Africans could not have built great societies or languages without the help of some outside force (some even like to say aliens or forces from beyond Earth might've built the pyramids of Egypt, Moroe and Sudan even when common sense proves otherwise) their own before the arrival of Europeans nor was African history, culture and art worthy of being considered as one of the non European contributors or corner stones to Western civilizations (like Mesopatamia, Phonecians, Persians, etc) with the exception being Egypt. Over the decades of course the old damaging stereotype of Africa as a dark continent without culture has greatly changed. And today African countries such as Mali, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, the Maghrab countries, etc have earned respect and recognition for their incredible ancient monuments such as the Obelisk of Axum, sculptures, libraries, universities and literature.

Obelisk of Axum
Italy to return obelisk of Axum to Ethiopia
Great Zimbabwe
Libraries of Mali Timbukutu

The Africans: A Triple Heritage, Dr Ali Mazrui 1 of 4

The Africans: A Triple Heritage, Dr Ali Mazrui 2 of 4

The Africans: A Triple Heritage, Dr Ali Mazrui 3 of 4

The Africans: A Triple Heritage, Dr Ali Mazrui 4 of 4

Ghost in the Baghdad Museum
On Stolen African Art and Old Europe's Curative Affront
Battle for the return of stolen African Art
Africans need African cultural objects more than Americans and Europeans
Stolen African Art posses and revolutionises Western Creativity
British Colonial War Crimes during Mau Mau Revolution whitewashed
African Contributions to Rome

Ancient Rome conquered by Africans?
 
Ignoring Occupation is proud to present to the viewer a history of African countries and cultures.
Africa ep 1: Different but Equal
Renown British historian Basel Davidson provides the viewer with the rare respect for the political, cultural and general history of various African countries in the documentary series "Africa." The documentary reminds the viewer that Africans have their own history and civilizations and were makers of history and introduced the world to some of greatest civilizations surpassing the triumphs of Rome and Ancient Greece, general European history.




Africa ep3: Caravans of Gold



Africa ep4: The King and the City



Africa ep 5: The Bible and the Gun



Liberian Civil War 1989-2003


Liberia: Murder of a Country




Child Soldiers' Cry: Liberia
ABC Liberian Civil War 1989
The Promised Land-American Involvement in Liberia
Between War and Peace in Liberia

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