AFRICA
In Brazil, historic black lay Catholic ‘brotherhoods’ fight to survive
After centuries of resisting slavery, racism and inequality, dozens of black Catholic lay associations are hopeful that a new network and changes in the Church will extend their history.
Methodist Church Southern Africa Enters New Era with Women Leaders
Bishop Purity Malinga is the first woman to be appointed Presiding Bishop in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa in over 200 years.
Panama celebrates its black Christ, part of protest against colonialism and slavery
The statue of black Christ has a deep significance for the people of Panama. An object of deep devotion, it also serves as a reminder of colonialism.
Ghana’s Year of Return 2019: traveler, tourist or pilgrim?
For Africans and diasporans, learning about their heritage is important. But it remains to be seen how this will translate into a sustained continental and diasporan engagement.
Democracy in Africa: success stories that have defied the odds
Africa’s democracies have grown stronger during a period in which the world is backsliding on democracy.
Hope springs from need: In Africa, wisdom from a street vendor
The more humans seek happiness, the more it can elude them. In exploring this conundrum, a Nigerian novelist spoke with everyday people in his country, finding the coexistence of hope and deprivation.
First ladies in Africa: a close look at how three have wielded influence
The presidents’ wives hold a lot of sway within the political power structure.
Once captives of Boko Haram, Four former Chibok schoolgirls find new purpose in PA
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Four young women who escaped Boko Haram during the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping are now studying in the US. Their professor recounts a recent breakthrough in their quest to go to college.
Butterfly business: Insect farmers help conserve East African forests
As many as 1,200 people living around the forests of coastal Kenya and Tanzania have turned to butterfly farming to make a living. Many of them were once loggers who now defend the forest.
In Nigeria’s tight election, the Christian vote is key
Ask worshippers at St. Charles Catholic Church what they want most from Nigeria’s presidential election, and the answer is peace. They don’t want any more bloodshed in Nigeria. In a bit of last-minute drama, the electoral commission decided early Saturday, just hours before polls were to open, to postpone the election until Feb. 23
The enigmatic man who founded southern Africa’s largest church
ZCC members at Moria City. Sowetan/Edward Maahlamela Every Easter weekend, several millions of Zion Christian Church (ZCC) faithful from across southern Africa descend on “Moria city”, the church’s capital in the north of the country, for their annual pilgrimage. The...
Celebrating Our Heritage Around the World
It’s that time of the year where we give special attention to sharing our heritage, history, and culture. Join us as we celebrate Black History all across the African diaspora.
Do truth and reconciliation commissions heal divided nations?
As long as unresolved historic injustices continue to fester in the world, there will be a demand for truth commissions. Unfortunately, there is no end to the need.
Congo on brink of first peaceful transfer with Tshisekeid win
Congo is on the brink of its first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960 after the Constitutional Court on Sunday confirmed the presidential election victory of Felix Tshisekedi, although questions remain about the result.
Black Canadian artists detangle the roots of Black beauty
A recent and powerful exhibit by New York artist Mickalene Thomas at the Art Gallery of Ontario has opened the door for some deep discussions about Black Canadian women and visual representation.
Women strive for larger roles in male-dominated religions
Women around the world have been finding new ways to chip away at centuries of male-dominated traditions and barriers, with many of them emboldened by the surge of social media activism that’s spread globally in the #MeToo era.
Remembering Lamin Sanneh, Yale expert on world Christianity
Sanneh, who died on Sunday, represented a particular kind of scholar that is hard to come by in today’s academy: a rigorous polymath who cared not only about the theoretical work of theology and history but also the everyday lives of those who believe.
Congo’s Catholic church says data show clear election winner
The Catholic church in Congo announced Thursday its data show a clear winner in Sunday’s presidential election, and it called on the electoral commission to publish the true results in “respect of truth and justice.”
Church leaders in Congo urge the country to go to the polls
Congo is preparing for a crucial vote to elect a successor for President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001. A successful election would mean the first peaceful transition of power for a country whose rule by dictators has been broken only by coups and civil wars.
What is it like to be a Christian in Egypt?
The new Arabic-language novel explores the lives of Egyptian Christians dealing with discrimination, but also a church aligned with a state seeking to control them.
Nigerian Women’s interfaith network builds bridges
“When Muslims and Christians sit together to explain how both religions operate it will aid understanding and put out any form of ignorance, stigma or hate that both parties have against one another.”
How Nigeria can attract and keep the right kind of foreign direct investment
Two of the largest banking and financial services institutions in the world, HSBC and UBS, have recently closed their local representative offices in Nigeria. Foreign direct investment is crucial for any economy.
For Kenya’s Yiaku, medicinal herbs are their forest’s blessing and curse
The Yiaku, hunter-gatherers turned herders who live deep inside Mukogodo Forest in central Kenya, have relied on herbal remedies for ages, with knowledge passed orally from one generation to the next. However, high demand for the herbs from neighboring communities is exposing the forest to new threats — a trend mirrored across the country.
In Uganda, Catholics protest as archbishop asks government to enforce tithe
Thousands of Catholics in one of the world’s poorest nations are objecting after the church asked the government to collect a 10 percent tithe from worshippers on its behalf.
Ethiopia Gets Its First Female President
Ethiopia’s parliament has made Sahle-Work Zewde the country’s first female president. And while the role is largely ceremonial, her appointment carries power in what it signifies.
Tired of war, South Sudanese pray for latest peace deal
Thousands of Southern Sudanese gathering in churches and various mosques across major cities and refugee camps to pray for their country, which has been embroiled in civil war since 2013.
Christian Surgeon who recites Bible and Quran to patients wins UN award
Dr. Evan Atar Adaha knows that faith matters to many of his patients. Before administering the anesthetic for surgery, he recites verses from the Bible or the Quran with his patients.
South African artist talks art, apartheid with US students
Dozens of students from a Brooklyn charter school are visiting South Africa to explore African cultures and South Africa’s journey from racial tension to reconciliation.
Uganda’s faith leaders wade into country’s alarming drug crisis
Drug and alcohol abuse in this East African nation has affected thousands. The situation has prompted faith leaders to intervene, urging the government to partner with the church to combat drug abuse among youths.
For deaf Tanzanians, places to worship are rare
Deaf Tanzanians have few options for worship. They say there is only one church where deaf people can worship through sign language interpreters.
Jazz isn’t dead: it’s just moved to new venues
South African jazz artists are now self-publishing their music at an increasing and unprecedented rate.
Bobi Wine case heightens tensions between Museveni and Uganda church leaders
Bobi Wine was detained by the government and allegedly tortured before seeking medical help in the United States.
Fear of Ebola keeps the faithful at home in Congo
Thousands of faithful in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are staying home from church services to avoid contracting or spreading Ebola.
Banned from meeting in church, Rwandan worshippers gather at home
An estimated 8,000 churches and 100 mosques have been closed across this East Africa nation of 12 million people.
Beating poverty needs partnerships and collaboration – not just money
Partnerships that rely on different types of resources and bring people together to design and act on context-relevant solutions can be such powerful drivers of change.
Christianity and Islam on the Rise in Africa, but Contend with Atheists
As Christianity and Islam are on the rise, small groups of determined atheists are challenging Africa’s grip on faith while seeking recognition and more followers.
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan dies at age 80
Kofi Annan, one of the world’s most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80.
Clergy divided as Kenya moves to save forest, evict 40,000 settlers
Some religious leaders support the evictions, saying they are key to protecting the forest complex as a God-given heritage and an essential ecosystem. Other leaders are opposed, saying the evictions are inhumane.
UN condemns rising incitement to hatred in Central African Republic
Deadly interreligious and intercommunal fighting escalated in 2013 when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the capital and mainly Christian anti-Balaka militias fought back.
The media and racializing Melbourne’s ‘African gang’ problem
African-Australians protest what they perceive as biased media coverage in recent months on violent incidents committed by “African gangs” or people of “African appearance.”
Eritrean Christians released from shipping container prisons
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) – Eritrean Christians and human rights advocates are cheering the release of 35 Christian prisoners as a new peace pact between Eritrea and Ethiopia takes hold this month. But hundreds remain imprisoned in Eritrea under harsh conditions stemming...
The surprisingly beautiful Africa the media never shows you
When Motebang Moeketsi looks at his country, he sees the majesty of its mountains, the stillness of its rivers and the joy of its people. Moeketsi lives in Lesotho, a country that sits between the Drakensberg and Maloti mountain ranges and is surrounded by South...
After two drown in Tanzania, Christians re-examine safety of river baptisms
(RNS) — It’s a rite that dates to the time of Jesus, who was dunked in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. But Christians in East Africa are now taking stock of their faith’s central rite after one such ritual turned tragic in northern Tanzania. Two Christian...
Faith communities offer a pathway to ending AIDS in Africa
(RNS) — Since the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, many communities of faith have supported millions of people living with HIV and kept future generations free from HIV through their prevention efforts. Their engagement on the front lines of health, especially in...