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Recommended

On this page you can find some articles recommended by the editorial board.

Prudent taxation requires national action plus global cooperation

Developing countries need strong public finance systems with effective tax laws and competent tax administrations. Building the needed capacities requires political will and action at the national level. Success, however, also hinges on international cooperati...

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Cultural industries

Investing in Uganda’s culture

The country’s lively arts scene lacks funding and institutional structures. Young talent is often self-taught.

Language politics in Cameroon

From colonial division to bloody conflict

Up to now, life in Cameroon is determined by whether one is Francophone or Anglophone. The so-called “Anglophone crisis” surrounding the independence aspirations of the part of the country that was once a British colony is claiming more and more victims.

Separatism

The Biafra legacy

Nigeria’s ethnic diversity has often been a bane rather than an opportunity to promote plural strength and development for the country. This was never more evident than during the devastating Biafra war.

Post-colonial misery

Whose development?

In the eighth decade of international aid efforts, former colonial powers are still privileged

Nation building

A challenge for a young country

Thirteen years after gaining independence, South Sudan is still struggling with the inclusion of its various ethnic communities. Tribalism remains a challenge that undermines a functioning nation state.

Humanitarian emergencies

The forgotten war

Sudan faces one of the world’s most devastating conflicts. However, it is being utterly neglected in the crisis-ridden global political situation.

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Hindu-supremacism

Why South India snubs Modi

In the current election campaign India’s prime minister is emphasising identity politics that so far have not resonated much in regions with Dravidian languages.

Climate lawsuits

Legal battles for climate justice

Litigation is gaining importance as a tool for climate action. Activists and communities around the world have successfully sued states on environmental issues.

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Intra-African migration

Unwelcome neighbours

South Africa has seen several waves of migration from Zimbabwe. After apartheid, Zimbabweans were welcome. But with South Africa’s own economic problems, they have been met with growing hostility over the past years.

Artificial Intelligence

Handling AI, but with care

AI holds the potential to act as a facilitator in achieving the SDGs in Africa. At the same time, there is a risk that it will exacerbate inequalities and tensions, not least through data exploitation

Refugee-camp life

Refugee girls need school opportunities

In Kakuma, Kenya, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is promoting education for South-Sudanese girls, breaking traditional barriers. Efforts have increased school attendance.

Women’s rights in Algeria

Women stand up against femicide

After several brutal cases of femicide, many women in Algeria no longer want to put up with discrimination and violence

Women’s migration

Better jobs for migrant women

Migrating can be an empowering experience for women but also involves considerable hardship. Policy action is needed to improve their opportunities

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Elections

Elections in Pakistan at a crucial moment

The national elections in Pakistan, previously postponed multiple times, are now scheduled for February 2024. The prolonged delays have heightened political tensions in a country already grappling with uncertainty

Local health experts

Engagement for healthy babies and mothers

A health advisor from Senegal explains what advice she gives to young mothers on how to properly feed and care for their babies

Decentralisation

Responding to local needs through decentralisation

Implemented in 2013, Kenya’s devolution redistributed power to 47 counties, fostering local development. While achieving a better resource distribution and increased citizen participation, challenges like corruption and tribalism persist

Gaza war

Israel/Palestine: “Focus on what is happening in the present”

Jewish philosopher Susan Neiman on the context of the Hamas pogrom of 7 October, Netanyahu’s government and criticising Israel

West Africa

Western governments’ double standards hurt their reputation in West Africa

Ghanaian scholar assesses the outlook for democratic governance and economic integration in the ECOWAS context

Evidence-based policy

Global One-Health debate is not properly balanced

Top-down approaches dominate One-Health agenda in high-income countries, while bottom-up approaches prevail elsewhere

Francophone Africa

France has a serious image problem in Africa

The former colonial power is facing deep resentment. President Macron’s attempt to reset relations has failed

Polycrisis

Pakistan’s profound poly crisis

Credible elections would help to sort out the mess, but can leaders in Islamabad make them happen?

Zoonoses

In India, deadly disease is linked to deforestation

Where natural environments are healthy, the zoonoses Nipah and KFD are less likely to spread among humans

Multilateral policymaking

Involving local people in order to reach biodiversity goals

At the COP15 in Kunming-Montréal in 2022, Jochen Flasbarth helped broker consensus