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Articles tagged with: Africa

Worldtown Hearsay :: Searching for the ‘Real’ South Africa
July 13, 2010 – 3:56 pm | No Comment
Worldtown Hearsay :: Searching for the ‘Real’ South Africa

And just like that, one month later, the magic is over. If you’re like us - the withdrawal has hit you hard and all your freetime is now spent Googling the names of those previously unknown players for some Wikipedia insight into their lives, replaying videos of the greatest - and ugliest - moments and checking the stats on how likely Ghana is to take the next one home (we all need a feel good story, don’t we?). Through the lens of an all-encompassing, universal and non-elitist game of football, South Africa’s had a new platform on which it can be showcased. And with football as the focal point, what exactly did journalists, commentators and spectators expect from an “authentically” African World Cup? (Surely, it wasn’t Shakira’s Waka Waka as the break-out hit of 2010).

Worldtown Hearsay :: And the World Watches Africa
June 12, 2010 – 11:40 pm | No Comment
Worldtown Hearsay :: And the World Watches Africa

It’s here and the excitement can’t be contained. In case you’ve been buried somewhere… or live in North America, the World Cup is in full swing in South Africa. The first few days may have had …

Worldtown Via Londontown :: Chris Ofili’s Bite
May 4, 2010 – 10:49 pm | No Comment
Worldtown Via Londontown :: Chris Ofili’s Bite

Artists with bite: if you are in London, be sure to check out Chris Ofili’s exhibit at the Tate Britain on until May 16th. One of the best young artists coming out of Britain …

Worldtown Hearsay :: Egypt is in Africa
April 19, 2010 – 8:35 pm | No Comment
Worldtown Hearsay :: Egypt is in Africa

This is just worth repeating.

Worldtown Hearsay :: Makmende Fever
April 6, 2010 – 2:13 pm | No Comment
Worldtown Hearsay :: Makmende Fever

Cult culture (no pun intended) has never made immediate sense to me. Following a figure, film or other iconic symbol obsessively to the point of worship - or perfect recitation of quotes and scripted comedic …

Sorius Samura :: Living With Illegals
March 22, 2010 – 4:55 pm | No Comment
Sorius Samura :: Living With Illegals

Sorius Samura has directed a new documentary for channel four called Living With Illegals. It documents his experience living among illegal immigrants from Africa as they cross from Morocco into Europe for month, under dangerous and gruelling circumstance, for a chance at life in the West. By documenting this for a reality tv audience, he attempts to displace the vision of the voyeur by placating his own self - i.e. the viewer - into the lives of those he chooses to document - ironically those without any documents.

Post Your Maps :: Moving from Single Stories to Multiple Meanings - How Do You Get There?
November 12, 2009 – 9:03 am | One Comment
Post Your Maps :: Moving from Single Stories to Multiple Meanings - How Do You Get There?

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
How do you get there?

Worldtown Hearsay :: Obama visits Africa
July 13, 2009 – 7:15 am | No Comment
Worldtown Hearsay :: Obama visits Africa

We trawl the news media so you don’t have to.

Full Text of Barack Obama, President of the USA in Ghana :: Al-Jazeera English

Obama in Ghana: War a ‘millstone around Africa’s neck’ :: CNN.com

Why Africa Depends on Handouts : A contradictory message from Obama :: Al-Jazeera English

Barack Obama tells Africa to stop blaming colonialism for problems :: London Telegraph

Obama in Africa: A Major Disappointment :: The Nation

More than 5,000 Africans text message Obama :: Alternet, from Agence France Presse

Self is Other
May 29, 2009 – 3:52 pm | No Comment

Third culture. To me, the phrase conjures up images of mould growing in Petrie dishes. The third generation of such a mould, perhaps, carefully reared in a sterile laboratory environment. Someone once told me that the phrase third culture referred to children such as myself. Children of twentieth century migrants, children who belonged neither to the culture of their parents, nor the culture of their host land. People like myself who created a new, hybrid third culture, a marriage of the heritage of our parents with the culture of our adopted homeland. But what happens when you have not one adopted homeland but two or three?