Bolivia: the Q’Owaku Ritual
The Q’Owaku ritual is performed as a blessing for workers or builders in the cities of Bolivia. But what does q’owaku mean? What is the difference between the q’owaku of the ancient Andean communities and the ritual of the bricklayers of the city of Cochabamba? Let’s find out. The q’owaku is an ancient ritual of […]
The Sahel. The Elegance of Nomads
For desert shepherds, elegance and grace are antidotes to the desolation and hostility of the environment. Their cult of beauty has an identity value that hides profound social implications, as demonstrated by the significance of the turbans and Saharan makeup. Although they live in the desert, or arid lands, the Tuareg and the Peul, nomads […]
Kenya. The Institute for Social Transformation. Preparing Future Entrepreneurs
The Institute for Social Transformation (IST) in Nairobi is a leader in social entrepreneurship training in Africa. Founded by the Comboni Missionaries within the Catholic University of Tangaza, it hosts more than 330 students of various nationalities eager to contribute to the improvement of society. On 25 August 1986, Tangaza University College (TUC) was born […]
Nicaragua. El Güegüense. A people’s resistance
A Nicaraguan mask play that defies the arrogance of the powerful with style and creativity. An extraordinary portrait of non-violent resistance. It is an essential part of Nicaraguan culture. The January wind cuts a path through the peaceful town of Diriamba, 45Km from the capital Managua. Diriamba owes its name to Cacique Diriangen, the legendary […]
Elections 2024. From Confirmed to Unknown
Russia, Ukraine, the European Union, and the United States. An intense year of elections in the shadow of Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In Russia, at war with Ukraine, presidential elections will be held on Sunday 17 March 2024. The likely scenario is that the war will still be going on and this situation will […]
Asia 2024. Uneasy Scenarios
The new year comes not only with a wide series of events, starting with important elections in several countries, but it also opens onto a restless scenario with open conflicts and tensions that could further increase the instability of crucial areas of the continent from the South China Sea to the East China Sea, as […]
Africa. Hotspots 2024
If the current dynamics in the security field continue, and there are no signs of a reversal of the trend, there will be no shortage of crisis in Africa in 2024. Some countries will be particularly concerned, but insecurity will have consequences also in those nations that will be spared by terrorism and coups. The […]
Africa. Political forecast 2024
The ongoing jihadist expansion in the Sahel region and attempts to stop it, the aftermath of the general elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the projected decline of the ANC in the South African polls, are the main trends expected for this year. In 2024, the main concern in West Africa will be whether […]
Advocacy & People. Ayakha Melithafa
The 20-year-old climate activist is making her voice heard across South Africa and beyond. My involvement as a climate activist began in 2017 when my province, the Western Cape [in South Africa], was experiencing a water crisis caused by a drought. My mother was, and still is, a small-scale farmer and our family depended on […]
Oral Literature. The Mask of Genius
It was a scorching dawn. Scattered across the vast grassy savannah beyond the rocky mountains, the villages seemed to bleach under the thick blanket of clay dust that accompanies the dry season. Birds were singing in the azure sky. On that day, a genie decided to make all butterflies disappear from the face of the […]
