CFA franc: conditions are ripe for replacement of the west African currency rooted in colonialism – expert: At no point in history has the CFA franc – the name of a colonial currency used in west and central African countries belonging to the franc zone – been closer to its demise. Senegal has overwhelmingly voted …
Colonialism shaped modern universities in Africa – how they can become truly African: One of the roles of an African university is to produce critical and democratic thinkers. Vieriu Adrian/Getty Images Colonialism profoundly shaped modern universities in Africa. It implanted institutions on African soil that were largely replicas of European universities rather than organically African. …
Zimbabwean names are still haunted by the ghosts of colonialism: In African cultures, the names given to children play an important role because they are often laden with meanings. As a team of professors of literature, linguistics and onomastics (the scientific study of names and naming practices) we have shown in our research that the …
Zulu vs Xhosa: how colonialism used language to divide South Africa’s two biggest ethnic groups: An illustration of an antique photograph of the British Empire's mission work among the Zulu people of then-Natal province. ilbusca/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images South Africa has 12 official languages. The two most dominant are isiZulu and isiXhosa. While the Zulu and …
Children’s book revolution: how East African women took on colonialism after independence: Detail from the cover of the children's book Kayo's House by Kenyan author Barbara Kimenye. Macmillan/Mactracks Series As independence from British colonial rule swept across East Africa in the early 1960s and freedom was won in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, parents and teachers …
European colonialism has had a lasting legacy on how plants are distributed around the world: Kew Gardens in London was at the centre of a huge colonial plant trade. 'The world's metropolis', Thomas Hosmer Shepherd, 1855 A few years ago, one of us (Guillaume) moved to the town of Stellenbosch, in South Africa, and found …
Queen Elizabeth, colonialism and land: ghosts of the past still haunt Cape Town today: Chief Aùtshumao! Francisco MacKenzie (front) protests the Amazon headquarters development in Cape Town. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images British monarch Queen Elizabeth II’s passing has elicited many polarised responses, in the process allowing the ghosts of the past to resurface. …
How colonialism is a major cause of domestic abuse against women around the world: Canada's residential school system has had a lasting effect on First Nations communities. Blake Elliott | Shutterstock One in three women around the world will experience violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. That is a shocking …
Colonialism: why leading climate scientists have finally acknowledged its link with climate change: Campaigners have long argued for recognising colonialism as a climate-shaping force. Edward Kimmel/Wikimedia The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)‘s sixth and latest report on the impact of global warming on our planet, published earlier this month, reiterates many of its predecessors’ …
Five ways the monarchy has benefited from colonialism and slavery: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s tour of the Caribbean for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has been criticised over the royals’ connection to colonialism and slavery. An open letter by Jamaican public figures says: “We see no reason to celebrate 70 years of the ascension …
What your T-shirt reveals about ‘carbon colonialism’ and the global economy’s vast hidden emissions: Well travelled… Shutterstock Where does your T-shirt come from? It’s a question that apparently can be answered with an awkward neck twist and a glance at the label. But the real answer is way more complex. Even producing a single T-shirt …
Carbon colonialism must be challenged if we want to make climate progress: The UK has set ambitious net zero targets, but is overlooking its imported emissions. Digifly840/Pixabay Assessments of the UN climate conference COP26’s success have been mixed, but none have been entirely positive. Achieving the Paris agreement’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5? …
Ghana’s secessionist conflict has its genesis in colonialism: it’s time to drop the threats: Modern secession claims find their roots in the Trusteeship System of the UN Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA Ghana’s secessionist conflict is rooted in a system that was meant to promote peace. Since the advent of decolonisation after World War II, secessionist …
How colonialism transformed foxgloves – and why hummingbirds might be the reason: Hummingbird pollinators. Shutterstock/Ondrej Prosicky Flowers of plants pollinated by animals display some of nature’s most astonishing variation in colour, scent and shape. But how has this outstanding diversity evolved? A big part of the story is adaptation to the animals they depend on …
The Nelsons of Bridgetown and Birmingham: what two statues tell us about the legacy of colonialism: The Barbadian Nelson in Bridgetown and the Brummie Nelson in Birmingham. Graham Tomlin/Chris Dorney/Shutterstock The UK government recently moved to centralise control over memorials, giving ministers final say over decisions by local councils to remove or alter statues, plaques …
Marginalised Namibians are trying to reclaim photography after colonialism: This image, taken by a member of Namibia's San community, reveals a great deal about representation. Tertu Fernandu Many people think of photography as the ultimate democratic mass medium. Anyone can take and upload a selfie to global platforms. Photos taken by ordinary people and shared …
West Africa: empirehood and colonialism offer lessons in integration: The Great Mosque of Djenné, in Mali, has a history dating back to the 13th century which can inspire regional trade in West Africa. Shutterstock The dream of the founding fathers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was, among others, to foster trade …
No dogs, no Indians: 70 years after partition, the legacy of British colonialism endures: Shutterstock The 70th anniversary of the end of Britain’s Empire in India and the birth of the post-colonial states of India and Pakistan have led to a renewed interest in the portrayal of this distant and under-explored past in British arts …