254 episodes
Ufahamu Africa Kim Yi Dionne and Rachel Beatty Riedl
-
- Education
-
-
5.0 • 3 Ratings
-
Ufahamu Africa is a podcast about life and politics on the African continent, co-hosted by Kim Yi Dionne, professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside, and Rachel Beatty Riedl, professor of government at Cornell University. Each Saturday, a new episode highlights what is happening in the news, followed by an interview with a diverse thinker or innovator who is deeply ingrained in the life, culture, and politics of the continent.
-
Good Authority: Despite Africa’s Digital Media Boom, Huge Access Gaps Persist
"Lack of internet access leaves many without information on economic opportunities, health, and education," write Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz, Komi Amewunou, and Kelechi Amakoh in a new article from Good Authority.
In today's bonus episode, Kim reads their latest piece, "Despite Africa's digital media boom, huge access gaps persist."
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com. -
Good Authority: Don’t call it a “coup epidemic” in Africa
In the last few years, militaries have carried out coups in numerous African countries, including Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Chad, and Mali. Does this signify the beginning of a much broader continent-wide “coup epidemic?” Or are these coups mostly affecting especially weak states that face specific challenges? Where is democratic resilience strong and where is there a risk of continued democratic backsliding?
Today's episode is borrowed from Good Authority and their new podcast! The episode features Good Authority’s Africa experts Ken Opalo and Kim Yi Dionne who discuss these issues. Opalo is an associate professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the author of the substack An Africanist Perspective. Dionne is an associate professor at UC Riverside and Ufahamu Africa cohost.
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com. -
Ep. 198: AFCON and the Politics of Southern African Football
Fellow Gopolang Botlhokwane speaks to journalist and editor Njabulo Ngidi about the recent AFCON in Ivory Coast and the politics of football (or soccer, for our American listeners!) in Southern Africa.
Njabulo Ngidi is a senior soccer journalist, he formerly led Newframe South Africa's sports desk. Ngidi's latest investigative piece ("2010 World Cup $10-million ‘bribe’: SA left out even as $201-million returned to Fifa") at AmaBhungane Center for Journalism, won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year (sports category) in 2023 investigates possible corruption and governance is issues at South Africa Football Association (SAFA).
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com. -
Ep. 197: Nisrin Elamin on the Conflict in Sudan (rerun)
It’s never too late to pay attention to what is happening in Sudan. The international community should be supporting everyday people’s needs as they navigate this humanitarian disaster and should also be supporting a way forward out of the war.
We're re-upping our conversation with Nisrin Elamin about the conflict in Sudan. Elamin is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her work investigates the connections between land, race, belonging, and empire-making in Sudan and the broader Sahel region.
We also bring updates on the news we're paying attention to this week, including an announcement about a new Center for Global Democracy at Cornell University, which will be led by our cohost Rachel Beatty Riedl as inaugural director!
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com. -
Ep. 196: Fellow Expédit Ologou and Mamadou Seck on Senegal's Election (French)
Today we have an extremely timely French-language episode on Senegal and the newly elected president, which is hosted by one of our non-resident fellows, Expédit Ologou. He talks with Mamadou Seck, who is the regional manager of the Natural Resource Governance Institute for Francophone West Africa and Central Africa, and is based in Dakar. Seck's work oversees research in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Senegal.
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com. -
Ep. 195: Fellow Gopolang Botlhokwane and South Africa's Case Against Israel
Fellow Gopolang Botlhokwane speaks to political analyst and media expert Dr. Metji Makgoba about the domestic implications of South Africa's recent case against Israel at The Hague in the Netherlands, and the country's upcoming elections in which the ruling African National Congress is expected to lose its majority. Makgoba is also an academic and teaches communication at South Africa's University of Limpopo. Makgoba holds a PhD in journalism from Cardiff University.
Makgoba’s latest publication, "Constructing Black Economic Empowerment as a Radically Transformative Policy in South Africa," considers the appropriation of anti-apartheid and anti-colonial discourse to justify South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy.
Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.
Customer Reviews
Essential listening
Stumbled upon this podcast in a very round-about way and am I ever glad I did. After deciding against pursuing a Ph.D. and I found little time to devote to readings and keep up with subject matter that had been key to my previous research. This podcast interviews all manner of interesting folk (including academics, journalists, authors, artists, lawyers and policy analysts) who care about the nations of Africa, allowing me to navigate the fragmented news media a little more adeptly. The great book recommendations have also added to my ‘to-be-read’ list. Great job by Kim Yi Dionne and the production team!