How sub-Saharan Africa can rethink its approach to agriculture: South Africa produces about 16% of sub-Saharan Africa's maize Shutterstock In response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most sub-Saharan governments are developing economic recovery plans. These will require some different thinking, particularly when it comes to agriculture. Wandile Sihlobo, the chief economist …
Post COVID-19: opportunity for universities to have a rethink: COVID-19 has many negative implications for higher education and these will reverberate long after the pandemic has been contained. shutterstock Universities have a long history of operating in environments that are unstable, disruptive and unpredictable. They’ve endured political upheavals, financial crises and disruptive trends such as …
Wellbeing needs a rethink – and a global outlook is the way to start: Tengyart/Unsplash, FAL It is an unhappy truism that we live in turbulent and troubled times. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and destabilised societies the world over. In doing so, it has prompted much reflection and rethinking about how we ought …
With construction paused, let’s rethink roads and railway projects to protect people and nature: The Mongu-Kalabo Road crosses the Barotse Floodplain in western Zambia. Charis Enns, Author provided Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta fumed at construction delays on the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor in 2019 – a US$ 22 billion (£18 billion) transport network that …
Digital homeschooling: we need to rethink our worries about children’s screen time: Oleksandr Zamuruiev/Shutterstock We’ve spent the last decade being anxious about the increasing amount of time young people spend in front of screens. However, in the last two months, children have been encouraged to dive into digital like never before. This has thrown up …
How to rethink your idea of success in the new year – according to ancient Stoic philosophers: Hitting the target is out of your control so focus on mastering the technique. Carlos Caetano/Shutterstock What are you hoping for in the new year? Do you want to progress in your career or perhaps buy a house? …
Gender norms built into sexual violence programmes in the DRC need a rethink: Projects that support Congolese women who have survived gender violence often promote ideal notions of how men and women should behave Stephen Morrision/EPA Sexual and gender-based violence is an enormous problem in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The international focus …
It’s time to rethink how foreign languages are taught at universities: An effective way of learning a new language is recreating communicative situations – this often doesn't work in a lecturer room setting. Shutterstock Many people underestimate the difficulty involved in learning a language. This is because language acquisition goes beyond comprehension. It also involves …
South Africa needs a radical rethink about how it runs its economy: South Africa's Finance Minister Tito Mboweni (centre) arrives to deliver the mid-term budget statement to Parliament. EPA-EFE/Nic Bothma Since South Africa adopted an inflation targeting policy regime in 2000, there have been growing concerns that its Reserve Bank is being rigid with its …
South Africa in the news: As BRICS democratic impulses vanish at an alarming rate, South Africa must rethink its priorities: The victory by Jair Bolsonaro in the recent Brazilian presidential election should provoke a rethink by South Africa’s leadership over its deep commitment to BRICS. And here’s why. On 28 October, Braz…: “South Africa” – …
Repeat prescriptions are expensive and time consuming – it’s time for an NHS rethink: And repeat. Shutterstock Over a billion NHS prescription medicines are issued by pharmacists in England every year – at a cost of over £9 billion. Many of these are prescribed by GPs to manage long-term health conditions, such as diabetes or …
It’s time to rethink how we do cancer research: Apple's Eyes Studio/Shutterstock.com “A devastating failure of medical research.” This was the response of one cancer survivor on hearing the news that over half of European Medical Agency-approved cancer treatments between 2009 and 2013 had no evidence of impact on quality of life or overall survival. …
To fight the fatbergs we have to rethink how we treat sewage waste: A 250m-long, 130 tonne, “fatberg” was recently discovered clogging up the sewers below Whitechapel in east London. Fatbergs are made up of solidified fat and oils combined with wet wipes, nappies and sanitary products that are disposed of in sinks and toilets. …
South Africa in the news: BRIEF-South Africa’s NUM union asks AngloGold to rethink potential job cuts: * Can confirm that it received section 189 notice from anglogold ashanti to retrench 8 500 workers * NUM AngloGold ashanti national shop stewards council will meet next week to decide way forward * Call on AngloGold Ashanti to …
South Africa urgently needs to rethink its approach to housing: Protests over housing at, an informal settlement near Johannesburg. EPA/Cornell Tukiri The recent protests over housing shortages in Gauteng, South Africa’s richest province and economic hub, have put the spotlight on the problem and the role of the government in providing it. Housing is a …
The ban on ivory sales has been an abject failure. A rethink is needed: The fate of elephants ultimately lies in the hands of humans and a continued ban will not solve the poaching problem. Shutterstock The issue of trade in African elephant ivory will dominate the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties meeting. Debate …
Why UEFA’s approach to flags at football matches needs a rethink: Two European football ties involving Israeli teams in France and the UK in the second half of August have thrown an uncomfortable spotlight on how UEFA handles politics. The first was Celtic’s Champions League qualifier in Glasgow against the Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva …
Kenyan schools reform is a unique chance to rethink life-skills teaching: Are schools the best place to teach life skills? Noor Khamis/Reuters Research has established that school-going children with a positive attitude are more likely to achieve better results in school and in life. They’re also more likely to be goal-oriented and committed to their …