Now Soulja Boy takes on Joseph Kony

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It has come to this. Musicians, especially rappers, had to wade in. Like everyone else who is now an expert on Uganda, they were quick to declare themselves on board with #Kony2012.* But some have taken it further. They had to release songs (already). You can imagine the deep thoughts encased within lyrics that had […]

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The #Kony2012 show

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The boy had lost his brother, and as he wept before Jason Russell’s camera, Jason Russell brushed back the loose strands of his magnificent blond coiffure (who will play him in the movie version?) and told the boy in hushed tones: “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Jason Russell promised the boy that he, Jason Russell, would do […]

Zarina Bhimji: “A photograph cannot give you concrete information”

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Zarina Bhimji’s exhibition at The Whitechapel Gallery is the first major survey of her work, documenting 25 years of her artistic practice.

2011: The Year of the Woman

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It was a great year, maybe one of the best ever, for direct action in-the-streets in-your-face pro-democracy movements, and they were largely pushed and pulled by women. Starting with Tunisia, food uprisings spread quickly to Egypt, Algeria, and elsewhere across the continent. Sometimes, big men were pushed out.

The health news that made the headlines

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In November came the news that the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria was in a financial crisis, because of declining donor commitments and failure by donors to honor existing commitments. The Fund’s board cancelled Round 11 of its funding applications, which was supposed to provide money for 2011 to 2013.

‘Why is the US sending its troops to finish off a fractured band of bush fighters in the middle of Africa?’

President Barack Obama’s decision to send 100 armed “special forces” to the Central African Republic to flush out Joseph Kony’s 400 odd fighters (link to the announcement) has elicited the range of predictable responses. John Pilger deplored it and American human rights organizations welcomed it. So did the Western media. John Pilger is not close […]

Uganda’s Guantánamo

By Dan Moshenberg Last week Ingrid Turinawe, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Women’s League, in Uganda, was sent to the infamous Luzira Prison. Everywhere one looks, there are “infamous” prisons. For the United States, for example, Guantánamo, with its regime of torture and its regimen of violence, is but the tip of […]

Music Break / Sylvester & Ssavoo

The video for Kampala rappers Sylvester & Ssavoo’s “Akaseera” comes with a laid back groove. I am still celebrating Ugandan independence. Via Silkamb.

Independence Day in Uganda

Today’s Ugandan Independence Day. Over to the very popular Radio and Weasel and “Toko Toko” (Talk And Talk). Sample lyric: “They can do thee talk / But I will do thee walk.” Not sure if they’re talking politics as people–well opponents of Life President Yoweri Museveni have been walking a lot in Uganda these days. As […]

Music Break / Michael Kiwanuka

Another Michael Kiwanuka tune.

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