AfricaFocus Bulletin
August 8, 2017 Africa: Bridge to Education, or to Nowhere?
"When Liberia's Minister of Education, George Werner, announced last spring that he
was inviting foreign education companies and non-profits to run our public schools,
our country came under the international spotlight, both in Western media and for
education activists. ... Quickly, Liberia was turned into a battlefield between those
who see for-profit 'charter' schools as the solution to the problems that plague
public education across the world, and those of us who point to underinvestment and
poor management as the true culprits." - Mary Mulbah, president, National Teachers'
Association of Liberia
July 31, 2017 Africa: Visa Openness on the Agenda?
"For now, however, crossing borders remains a painful experience for most
Africans. ... On average, Africans need a visa to travel to 54% of the continent's
countries; it's easier for Americans to travel around Africa than it is for Africans
themselves. So far, the AU has issued its single African passport only to heads of
state and senior AU officials." - The Economist
July 24, 2017 Kenya: Pre-election Commentaries, 2
"As the election draws closer, Kenyans are reminded how sexist and patriarchal their
society has remained. Choosing to run is a particularly difficult decision for a
woman and her family. Campaigning is often marked by violence directed at women
candidates. ... The agitation for a greater political role for women led to
progressive legal frameworks. But historical prejudices have ensured that a bill that
would enshrine the law has twice failed to get the numbers in a male-dominated
House." - Beatrice Akala
July 24, 2017 Kenya: Pre-election Commentaries, 1
"Like Nairobi's infamous matatus, the election is barreling along, many times on the
wrong side of the law, the noise and vitriol of the campaigns drowning out common
sense. For the terrified passengers, whether they -- and Kenya -- arrive at the other
side in one piece seems to be coming down to a wing and a prayer." - Patrick Gathara
July 17, 2017 Congo (Kinshasa): Inga Dam Mirage Recedes, Again
The latest projections for the Inga 3 hydroelectric project on the Congo River to
become operational, cited in press reports last week, are 2024 or 2025. But even if
the project is financed and constructed, says a new report, the project will likely
provide only minimal electric power for the people of Democratic Republic of the
Congo and burden the country with more unsustainable debt.
More on:
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AfricaFocus Archive:
by date | by place | by topic
July 10, 2017
Africa/Global: Following the Money
June 19, 2017
Africa/Europe: Mediterranean Trajectories
June 6, 2017
South Africa: #Guptaleaks - Will Heads Roll?
May 30, 2017
USA/Africa: "Pro-Death" Health Agendas Advance
May 24, 2017
Nigeria: Corruption Undercuts Boko Haram Fight
May 17, 2017
Africa/Global: Whose Energy?
May 8, 2017
Africa: World Bank Financing Land Grabs
April 25, 2017
Africa/Global: Media Repression 2.0
April 25, 2017
Zambia: From Democracy to Dictatorship?
April 17, 2017
Africa/Global: New Reports Show Massive Tax Losses
April 10, 2017
Africa: African Feminism Past and Present
April 3, 2017
South Africa: Rising Outcry for Zuma to Go
March 28, 2017
Liberia: Mining, Displacement, and the World Bank
March 21, 2017
Africa/Global: Scaling Up Solar
March 14, 2017
Africa/Global: Invisible Crises, Failing Safety Nets
March 6, 2017
South Africa: Targeting Immigrants, Again
February 28, 2017
Africa/Global: Open Data for Tax Justice
February 20, 2017
Africa/Global: Agribusiness Giants on Merger Path
February 12, 2017
Congo (Kinshasa): Tshisekedi Place Hard to Fill
February 7, 2017
Africa/Global: Transparency Setback, African Agendas
January 30, 2017
Kenya: State of the Internet
January 23, 2017
South Africa: State Capture & Energy Policy
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