Social Justice

Colonialism and apartheid stripped black South Africans of land and labour rights – the effects are still felt today

By Marthinus van Staden, University of the Witwatersrand Land dispossession among South Africa’s majority black population remains a thorny issue 30 years into democracy. Labour law scholar Marthinus van Staden’s new research examines the historical relationship between land dispossession and labour control in South Africa. It explores how the systematic seizure of indigenous people’s land during colonisation and apartheid reduced them from landowners to labourers, under exploitative […]

September 23, 2024 28

Africa

How to end hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: fight inequality, gender imbalances and climate change

By Helen Onyeaka, University of Birmingham A greater part of Africa’s population can’t afford a healthy diet than any other regional population. Food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa is caused by climate change, high levels of poverty, rapid population growth, low economic growth, inadequate infrastructure and conflicts. Women are the backbone of agricultural labour in the region. The problems of limited access to land, water and technology faced […]

April 18, 2024 18

Environment

Advancing the rights of girls and women promotes justice and is also effective climate action

By Grace M. Jaramillo, University of British Columbia Across the world, climate change disproportionately impacts the lives of girls, yet children are often forgotten in climate policy. I recently led a team of student researchers from the University of British Columbia to better understand why this is the case during field research in the Dominican Republic. Our team talked to 45 people, including key policy decision-makers on social […]

April 17, 2024 25

World

Critics fear catastrophic energy crisis as AI is outsourced to Latin America

By Gerry McGovern, Sue Branford “We walk for the water we need. If we don’t walk, who will give it to us?” asks Juan, a middle-aged man born in the Indigenous rural community of Maconí, Mexico. “It’s a four-hour journey each day to fetch water … Since last year, there hasn’t been rain, and this year it’s the same.” The bean crop has withered and there’s no corn […]

March 22, 2024 140

Africa

Local activist opposes Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

Ghana's parliament has approved a bill criminalising LGBTQ+ identity and the formation or funding of LGBTQ+ groups, punishable by up to three to five years in prison, respectively. The bill will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law. Linda Baumann an activist for the rights of women, and the LGBTQI community says the bill should not be enacted into law.

February 29, 2024 32

Africa

Climate change, extreme weather & conflict exacerbate global food crisis

Global food insecurity has risen substantially since pre-pandemic times, exacerbated by extreme weather, climate change, war and conflict. What the U.N. World Food Program calls “a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions” plays out differently around the world. In this story, three of Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellows detail the local situation in their region – from rising inflation and flooding in Nigeria to diminished local food […]

February 22, 2024 23

Africa

Kenya’s sex workers have solutions to their problems, but international NGOs aren’t hearing them

By Lise Woensdregt, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam In Kenya, rights organisations run by sex workers have gone into numerous partnerships with international organisations over the past decade. In recent research, I set out to understand whether these relationships worked in favour of the sex workers and their organisations. My research focused on an organisation in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, that supports male sex workers. Kenya’s laws punish activities related to […]

February 13, 2024 15

Lifestyle

Zuleikha Mayat: South African author and activist who led a life of courage, compassion and integrity

By Saleem Badat, University of the Free State Few Indian South African women have achieved wider public recognition than author, human rights and cultural activist Zuleikha Mayat, who passed away on 2 February 2024. An honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu-Natal was just one of many awards bestowed on her during a life that spanned almost 98 years. Mayat was a remarkable pioneer, evocative writer, public speaker, civic worker, […]

February 7, 2024 7

Interview Transcripts

Activist Michael Amushelelo Calls for Action On Rent Control in Interview with Future Media News

Activist Michael Amushelelo discussed a range of critical issues affecting Namibians. From the alleged mismanagement of housing projects to the urgent need for rent control and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homeowners, Amushelelo addressed pressing concerns with passion and conviction. The Housing Crisis: Amushelelo began by shedding light on the 2014 mass housing initiative, criticizing the unfair distribution of homes to the elites while a majority remained unoccupied. […]

February 5, 2024 14