insert_link South Africa South Africa’s immigration proposals are based on false claims and poor logic – experts By Loren B Landau, University of the Witwatersrand and Rebecca Walker, University of the Witwatersrand The South African government recently issued a long-awaited policy statement – called a White Paper – outlining proposed changes to the country’s asylum and immigration system. More than 20 years after its first post-apartheid immigration legislation in 1998, immigration remains a pressing concern. Getting this policy right could help with South Africa’s economic recovery, increase […] todayNovember 27, 2023 5
insert_link Africa Patients’ beliefs about illness matter: the case of elephantiasis in rural Ghana Kristi Heather Kenyon, University of Winnipeg; Alexander Kwarteng, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Colleen McMillan, University of Waterloo; Mary Asirifi, MacEwan University, and Regiane Garcia, Simon Fraser University Would you take medication for an illness you didn’t believe you had? Or if you disagreed with healthcare workers about the cause of your condition? This is the dilemma of many people who live in areas of Ghana where […] todayNovember 23, 2023 3
insert_link Africa Black November: remembering Uganda’s massacre of the opposition three years on By Luke Melchiorre, Universidad de los Andes November marks a sombre anniversary in Uganda’s recent political history. In 2020, the east African country’s leading opposition politician, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, was arrested. He was on the campaign trail ahead of the 2021 presidential elections. Mass demonstrations demanding the release of the popular musician-turned-presidential-candidate broke out in and around the capital, Kampala. Over two days, security agents of the regime of […] todayNovember 21, 2023 4
insert_link Health / Medical NDCN workshop addresses outdated disability policy The National Disability Council of Namibia (NDCN) conducted a consultative workshop in Rundu on Tuesday to discuss the Persons with Disabilities Draft Bill and the National Policy on Disability. NDCN Chief Executive Officer Angelique Philander addressed the workshop, saying the consultations were prompted by an outdated national policy on disability established in 1997. She explained that the policy no longer aligns with the current needs and advancements of people […] todayNovember 14, 2023 5
insert_link Press Releases Sustained, Structured Conversation around Risks, Challenges, Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence Vital, Secretary-General Tells Safety Summit UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the United Kingdom AI [artificial intelligence] Safety Summit, November 2nd: The speed and reach of today’s AI technology are unprecedented. The paradox is that in the future, it will never move as slowly as today. The gap between AI and its governance is wide and growing. AI-associated risks are many and varied. Like AI itself, they are still emerging, and they demand new solutions. […] todayNovember 3, 2023 3
insert_link Africa Some African governments are spending millions to spy on their citizens – stifling debate and damaging democracy Tony Roberts, Institute of Development Studies Governments around the world use surveillance technology to monitor external threats to national security. Some African governments are also spending vast sums on mass surveillance of their own citizens. They are using mobile phone spyware, internet interception devices, social media monitoring and biometric identity systems. Artificial intelligence for facial recognition and car number plate recognition is another digital surveillance technology in their growing toolkit. […] todayNovember 2, 2023 8
insert_link Africa Namibia hosted Africa’s 1st community-led conservation congress. Where will it lead? By Victoria Scheneider Via Mongabay Hundreds of Indigenous and local community groups, conservation organizations, governments and policymakers gathered to strategize how communities can play a bigger role in African conservation efforts, which are typically dominated by big international NGOs. However, the outcomes of the congress were vague, and some participants concluded that the dependence on large NGOs and policymakers, through equitable partnerships, was needed. Organizers say this congress is a […] todayNovember 2, 2023 3
insert_link World Human Rights Declined in 3 out of 4 Countries since a Global Rule of Law Recession Began in 2016 The rule of law has once again eroded in a majority of countries this year, according to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2023. More than 6 billion people live in a country where the rule of law weakened between 2022 and 2023. Since authoritarian trends pushed the world into a rule of law recession in 2016, the global downturn has affected 78% of countries, the latest Index shows. […] todayOctober 25, 2023 2
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
