Three Months in, Nigeria’s Land Borders Remain Closed
In an attempt to curb the smuggling of goods, Nigeria closed its land borders without warning this August. Hameed Ali, the customs chief, announced that this “will continue as long as we can get the desired results.” While various goods were
Violence in South Africa ripples across the region
Last week in South Africa, violence ravaged the country. Foreign-owned shops were the target of looting and torching. Besides shops being utterly wrecked, at least 10 people have died and more than 420 people have been arrested. The violence has been
The Abuja Moment: When the City Rose for the Rights of Women
The concept that women’s rights activism and women’s empowerment are tasks for women and women-led organizations is indeed obsolete and largely condescending. In the fight against the global pandemic of violence against women, women have led the way, likely because
Regional Integration in Africa: What Does Informal Trade Offer?
Abraham and George are auto mechanics with large shops in a southeastern city of Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. A visit to their shops presents a picture of cars everywhere with many “boys” working on them. Even frequent customers find it
AVA Initiative: Growing Our Own Food Beyond Subsistence in Nigeria
There exist a dozen or so articles focused on inspiring us to grow our own food, with titles such as: 'Advantages of Growing Your Own Food', 'Backyard Gardening: Grow Your Own Food, Improve Your Health' and '13 Reasons Why You
Global education is about social justice now, not in the future
The world is uniting behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While there are different approaches and different focuses from global actors there is coalescence around the ideals that the human race needs to be freed from the tyranny of poverty;
Boko Haram’s Decline: A Positive Opportunity
Today’s release of the 2017 Global Terrorism Index highlights welcome news for Nigeria. The sub-Sahara African nation has been beleaguered by the activity of Boko Haram. The group, which has been active since 2002, became infamous globally following the abduction
From Where I Stand: Hajiya Halima Mahdi
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS PIECE IS AUTHORED BY UN WOMEN AS PART OF THE SERIES “FROM WHERE I STAND”, WHICH CAPTURES PEOPLES STORIES AND THEIR DAILY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. SEE THE FULL SERIES HERE. Inequality is at the root of the
The Return of an Old Scourge: Starvation
Famine was supposed to be a thing of the past. True, 75 million people had died from starvation in the 20th century, but we had learned from these tragedies, how to predict them and how to address them. The largest
Ending Child Marriage: An Urgent Global Challenge
Gender equality and women´s empowerment are essential to transform our world. Gender inequality affects women and girls in every country, stagnating their social, educational and economic advance. Fighting against gender inequality is vital to deal with challenges in society, from promoting
The Rocky Road to Human Rights: The SDGs are only part of the solution
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS PIECE IS AUTHORED BY SAVIO CARVOLHO, A SENIOR ADVISOR OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. THIS PIECE IS PART OF A SERIES EXPLORING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. SEE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES HERE. THIS PIECE IS AUTHORED BY SAVIO CARVOLHO, A SENIOR ADVISOR
IMPAKTER ESSAY: Vaccination, Medical Tourism, and the Expansion of Global Bioethics
In 2003, the Concorde stopped ferrying international passengers across the Atlantic Ocean at supersonic speeds, while metaphorically demonstrating how much smaller the world has become. But international travel at prices more affordable than the Concorde demanded remains popular, despite the