On June 30th 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo gained official independence from Belgium. Congo’s territory is 77 times the size of Belgium’s and there are 250 officially named ethnic groups formed by the expeditions of the former colonial power, and anthropologists and missionaries. The most numerous are the Bakongo, Luba, and the Mongo, [...]
Rethinking the relationship between democracy and development in the context of East Africa’s successful authoritarianism. Democracy was born in Ancient Greece, fell asleep, and awoke centuries later with a glorious cry. She learned to speak in the thick of coffee houses—even before she could walk, and took up arms in the gardens of Versailles. She [...]
Encompassing four gorgeous countries, the Coral triangle is a maritime zone shared by Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. These pristine waters are home to more than 800,000 people, many of whom literally live on the seas and carry the name Bajaus (Sea Gypsies). Before colonialism, the region was divided in various sultanates, [...]
Imagine you and some friends have been locked into an air-tight vacuum by a mutant mad-scientist gorilla (sorry). You have a ton of plants in there with you to provide oxygen and food. In fact, it is practically a jungle. Some are big, some are small, some are pretty, some are ugly (but they mean [...]
Congratulations are in order to the outgoing National Assembly of Pakistan. It has become the first democratically elected assembly to complete its 5 year tenure. A transition from one assembly’s completed term to the next is a move no Pakistani has ever seen in 66 years of independence. Amidst the dizzying variety of issues at [...]
