Podcasts about african centre

Lester Kiewit speaks to Prof Loren Landau, a research professor at University of the Witwatersrand's African Centre for Migration & Society and Professor of Migration and Development at the University of Oxford, about the 59 South Africans who have been granted refugee status in the United States. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astrid Haas, urban economist & Research Associate at UCT’s African Centre for Cities joined Clarence Ford on air for a chat around climate debt. Views and News with Clarence Ford is the mid-morning show on CapeTalk. This 3-hour long programme shares and reflects a broad array of perspectives. It is inspirational, passionate and positive. Host Clarence Ford’s gentle curiosity and dapper demeanour leave listeners feeling motivated and empowered. Known for his love of jazz and golf, Clarrie covers a range of themes including relationships, heritage and philosophy. Popular segments include Barbs’ Wire at 9:30am (Mon-Thurs) and The Naked Scientist at 9:30 on Fridays. Listen live – Views and News with Clarence Ford is broadcast weekdays between 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) https://www.primediaplus.com/station/capetalk Find all the catch-up podcasts here https://www.primediaplus.com/capetalk/views-and-news-with-clarence-ford/audio-podcasts/views-and-news-with-clarence-ford/ Subscribe to the CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://www.primediaplus.com/competitions/newsletter-subscription/ Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk   CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk   CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkza  CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalk  CapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It appears that a number of our neighbouring countries might be willing to accept deportees from the USA as part of negotiations towards less punitive trade tariffs. Given the reputation of our porous borders, how concerned should we be towards the possibility of those deportees entering South Africa? Lester Kiewit speaks to Dr Mike Masiapato, Commissioner and CEO of the Border Management Authority, and to Dr Rebecca Walker, research consultant at the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits University. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live – Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit is broadcast weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) https://www.primediaplus.com/station/capetalk Find all the catch-up podcasts here https://www.primediaplus.com/capetalk/good-morning-cape-town-with-lester-kiewit/audio-podcasts/good-morning-cape-town-with-lester-kiewit/ Subscribe to the CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://www.primediaplus.com/competitions/newsletter-subscription/ Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk   CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk   CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkza  CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalk  CapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tshidi Madia, in for Clement Manyathela speaks to Ryan Smith, who is the DA Deputy Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation; Professor Christopher Isike, who is Director of the African Centre for the study of the United States at the University of Pretoria and Tebogo Khaas, who is the Chairperson of Public Interest South Africa to get their opinions on the appointment of Mcebisi Jonas as the country’s special envoy to the US. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, having already established the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, as an alternative regional grouping. The move has had a multitude of consequences, including ongoing diplomatic spats between the AES states and those that remain committed to ECOWAS, as well as challenges to trade and freedom of movement across the region. But the security implications of the fracturing of ECOWAS as a regional bloc are also important to consider, as West Africa faces an array of challenges that are increasingly affecting what are usually thought of as the region's more stable coastal countries, such as Senegal, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. All three of the military-run AES states face long-running jihadist and domestic insurgencies, including armed groups with links to the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Most prominent among them are the Islamic State-Sahel Province and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, which is affiliated with al-Qaida and is also active in northern Cote d'Ivoire, Benin and Togo. These groups have been active throughout the Sahel for over a decade, typically exploiting local grievances and intercommunal tensions, particularly between farmers and pastoralists as well as against the Peuhl community, which is often portrayed as being sympathetic to the jihadists. The jihadists mobilize these tensions to stoke conflict and recruit among marginalized communities in a broader effort to seize territory and create an Islamic caliphate in the Sahel and West Africa. These groups have targeted civilians and government forces alike, and their attacks have often been tactically sophisticated and significant in impact. In August 2024, for instance, an attack by JNIM in Barsalogho, in northern Burkina Faso, killed around 600 people. And in November 2023, an ambush in Niger's Tillaberi region killed at least 200 soldiers and wounded at least 34 others. Jihadist violence has increased at an accelerating rate in recent years, killing 11,643 people across the Sahel in 2023, a 43 percent increase from the previous year and a threefold increase since 2020, according to the African Centre for Strategic Studies. It has also increasingly spilled over into coastal West African states, with Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire all now threatened by these groups as well, albeit to a much lesser extent than the Sahelian states. In Togo, an attack on an army barracks last year killed 12 soldiers, for instance, and JNIM is increasingly fortifying its positions near the borders of Togo and Benin. The problems posed by insecurity are exacerbated by the refugee crisis that violence in the Sahel is causing. By early 2025, nearly 87,000 people had fled their homes in the Sahel into coastal countries. This has put a strain on local communities, especially in Cote d'Ivoire, where nearly 58,000 of the refugees have fled. The rampant insecurity has also fueled political instability, with the three AES states having experienced a combined five coups between 2020 and 2023. The ECOWAS split could exacerbate many of these security challenges, not least because it has created or exacerbated tensions between many countries that have remained in ECOWAS and those that have left. In the past 12-18 months, for instance, Cote d'Ivoire, known as a staunch defender of ECOWAS, and neighboring Burkina Faso have engaged in repeated diplomatic spats linked to mutual fears of destabilization as well as Burkina Faso's rejection of the region's and ECOWAS' historical pro-Western leanings. Gun battles and disputes at the border between Burkinabe and Ivoirian troops have become common, with Ivoirian gendarmes having even been detained in Burkina Faso. Earlier this year Burkina Faso withdrew its diplomatic personnel from Cote d'Ivoire. These disputes have increased instability on the two countries' shared border, exacerbating tensions driven by an inflow of Burk...

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he looks forward to engaging with president Donald Trump over issues of bilateral interests and concerns. This follows threats by Trump of cutting off all future funding to South Africa over the country's land expropriation policies. In a post on his media platform Truth Social, Trump said South Africa was confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly. He also called it a massive human rights violation and warned that the United States would not stand for it. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Professor Christopher Isike, the Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria...

TOMORROW (January 20), Donald Trump will assume the presidency of the United States of America for the second time. The world will be keenly watching the changing of the guard between the returning president and Joe Biden as he has already promised to "make heads spin" with the speed of his decision-making immediately after his inauguration. Many of Trump's initial orders are expected to focus on tightening immigration control and fulfilling his promise of mass deportation of undocumented immigrants from the US. Another of Trump's potential early moves as president is expected to be making good of his threats to raise tariffs on imports from America's major trading partners, aiming to accelerate domestic economic growth. Trump also intends to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation. Speaking to reporters from his Florida estate LAST WEEK, Trump said he sympathised with the Russian position that Ukraine should not be part of NATO. In the Middle East Trump promised "hell will break out" if a captive release agreement is not reached between Hamas and Israel by the time he enters office. While ruling out using military force against Canada, he threatened to use "economic force" to ensure Canada becomes the 51st US state. He refused to rule out the use of US military might to achieve his ambitions of acquiring Greenland and retaking control of the Panama Canal. Many analysts here in SA and Africa will scour Trump's inaugural speech TOMORROW for any hints and clues of his vision for U.S.- Africa relations. To discuss this Bongiwe Zwane spoke to Dr Kabaso Kabwe, Researcher from the African Centre for the Study of the US at Wits University and Chris Hattingh, Executive Director of the Centre for Risk Analysis

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Tendai Mbanje, analyst at the Johannesburg-based African Centre for Governance about the inauguration of Daniel Chapo and what kind of country he is inheriting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this dialogue, Prof Christo Doherty, the Chair of Research in the Wits School of Arts, speaks to
 Russel Hlongwane, an artist whose work pushes boundaries, reshapes narratives, and bridges the often complex interplay between heritage and innovation. Russel is a visionary South African artist, cultural producer, and filmmaker from KwaZulu-Natal. Russel's work, deeply rooted in Zulu tradition, examines how indigenous knowledge systems intersect with global modernity. Through his multidisciplinary approach, often interrogating and reimagining the tropes of Afro-futurism, he crafts performances, installations, and films that not only challenge conventional notions of art but also provoke reflection on cultural memory, displacement, and the future of African identity. In this episode, we explore Russel's artistic journey, from his early years growing up in between Durban and rural Msinga, to his emergence as one of the most compelling voices in African contemporary art. A central aspect of Russel's practice includes artistic research which informs his creative producing, design, and curatorship. Russel is a member of a number of collectives, working groups and programmes spread across the SADC region, the continent and internationally; and is on the International Advisory Board for the Prince Claus Fund. He is currently studying towards the Southern Urbanism MPhil at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town). Russel shares how his upbringing in a province steeped in Zulu history inspired his interest in exploring ancestral wisdom, storytelling, and ritual in his work. He reveals how he uses these elements to interrogate issues of colonial legacy, globalization, and the digitization of culture. One of the highlights of our conversation is Russel's unique perspective on the role of performance art in society. He speaks candidly about how his live performances, often incorporating music, movement, and spoken word, aim to create communal experiences that resonate across generations. His work is a call to remember—to reconnect with histories that are often erased or misrepresented, while imagining technological futures that are deeply rooted in African cosmologies. We also delve into his filmmaking, a medium he describes as a “meeting point of time and space.” Russel's films are known for their experimental narratives, blending documentary and fiction to explore themes of migration, urbanization, and identity. He discusses the challenges and joys of working within an African context, where resources may be limited but the stories and creative potential are boundless. Throughout our conversation, Russel emphasizes the importance of collaboration and community in his practice. Whether working with musicians, traditional healers, or fellow young creatives such as Lo-Def Film Factory, he views art as a collective effort to make sense of a rapidly changing world while holding onto the threads of what makes us human. Quiet Conversations · Ifu Elimnyama: The Dark Cloud Splitscreen HD · Books by Clapperton Mavhunga · Dzata: The Institute of Technological Consciousness

John Maytham and Tendai Mbanje from The African Centre for Governance Election Observation Mission discuss the current Namibian elections, which are shaping up to be a crucial and competitive event for the ruling SWAPO Party.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we bring you a conversation with Susan Sgorbati, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College. In conversation with Lida Winfield, the undergraduate pillar head of the CT Collaborative and dance professor, Susan shares insights from her journey as a dance artist and educator, and how the principles of dance improvisation inform her work in conflict mediation and social justice. They explore how embodied practices, active listening, and improvisational skills can foster collaboration and create transformative change in both artistic and social contexts. Sgorbati is the former Dean of Faculty and holds the Barbara and Lewis Jones Chair for Social Activism. In 2018, Sgorbati co-founded the Transboundary Water In-Cooperation Network (TWIN) with Dr. Asim Zia.  TWIN works with communities on six continents in the major river basins of the world. She is also a partner with the African Centre for Climate Action and Rural Development in moving a new Convention forward on Saving the River Deltas for the United Nations (UNCCRD).  In collaboration and conversation with scientists, Sgorbati named a form of improvisation, 'emergent improvisation' and wrote a book called, "Emergent Improvisation: On Spontaneous Composition Where Dance Meets Science".  She also co-founded "Quantum Leap" a program that connected public school students to their education who were at risk of dropping out of school. Over 2000 students participated in this program. Sgorbati completed two projects for the US State Dept. Art in Embassies with Sarah Tanguay and Jon Isherwood, who collaborated with a student collective in creating two public art installations for the new US Embassy in Oslo, Norway and for the new US Consulate in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is a re-posting of an episode from Lida Winfield's podcast, Making Embodiment Visible. Learn more here: https://www.lidawinfield.com/podcast.html Learn more about Susan Sgorbati here: https://www.bennington.edu/academics/faculty/susan-sgorbati Many thanks to Teyonce Allison, Brett Simison, and the CT Collaborative staff for editorial support.

  Clement Manyathela is joined by Patsy Widakuswara, the White House Bureau Chief for Voice of America; David Smith, the Guardian's Washington DC Bureau Chief and Professor Christopher Isike, the Director of the African Centre for the study of the United States at the University of Pretoria to discuss the US Elections  and how they impact the African continent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Wills is joined by Tendai Mbanje, Deputy Head of Mission for The African Centre for Governance Election Observation Mission to Botswana, to share an update on the unexpected turn of events in Botswana's recent parliamentary election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Circle on Vuka show, is the first and best source for news, current events and politics in South Africa. In this episode Mogale Mothale chats about the Analysis on Botswana Pre-Election Assessment with Tendai Mbanje - International human rights law expert and Election Specialist at University of Pretoria. As Botswana readies for its elections, the African Centre for Governance (ACG) concludes its Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PAM). The ACG PAM praises the Independent Electoral Commission's preparedness, noting a calm and peaceful process. While most stakeholders are confident, opposition parties raise concerns about the unfinished constitutional review and lack of state funding, fearing it could impact election fairness. Mogale discusses these findings with Tendai Mbanje, part of the assessment team.

The Patriotic Alliance says they are pursuing legal avenues to get to the bottom of Miss South Africa contestant Vannesa Chidimma Onwe Adetshina. The party says legal action may include interdicting Adetshina's participation in the Miss South Africa Beauty Peagant if necessary. The Patriotic Alliance says its immediate concern remains to determine whether Adetshina indeed is a South African citizen. To discuss this and the matter of South African Citizenship we are joined on the line by Former Public Protector Professor Thuli Madonsela and Professor Loren Landau of the Wits University's African Centre for Migration and Society. 

  Clement Manyathela chats to Prof Gilbert Khadiagala, Emeritus Professor of International Relations and Former Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand and they discuss the Philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Groesbeck ParhamMD-Heersink School of Medicine, 1981Residency-Heersink School of Medicine, 1985Senior Clinical Expert, World Health OrganizationCEO, Friends of AfricaFriends of Africa, Inc. (501c3)Donate - thefriendsofafrica.org/donateContact - professorparham@gmai.com or 205-835-9317More InformationFriends of Africa - websiteGeorge W. Bush Presidential Center - Q&A with Dr. Groesbeck Parham, Founding Co-Director - African Center of Excellence of Women's Cancer ControlWorld Health Organization - International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) expands gynecologic oncology fellowships for improved access to cervical cancer treatment servicesFacing South (Southern Exposure) - "If I Could Go Back..."African Centre of Excellence for Women's Cancer Control - Facebook pageTogetHER for Health - The TogetHER Interview: Prof. Groesbeck Parham, University of Zambia/University of North CarolinaUNC Health and UNC School of Medicine - UNC OB-GYN Professor Recognized By Zambian Government

Last night, US president Joe Biden announced that he is withdrawing from the presidential race, what does this mean for the Democratic Party, and how will it reshape the election landscape? His decision has been welcomed with much relief and some criticism for endorsing vice president Kamala Harris. Joining me to discuss the implications of Biden's decisions and Harris' potential to step up and lead is Professor Christopher Isike, Director for African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to Professor Christopher Isike, Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States from the University of Pretoria about the shooting at the Trump rally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Charles Helm, a Research Associate at the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, who has delved into the fascinating phenomenon of scratch circles. These natural formations, possibly made by early human ancestors, could represent some of the earliest instances of artistic expression. His insights illuminate their significance and what they reveal about early human cognitive abilities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing more local seeds in Africa can solve the region's food insecurity and climate problems.Local crops and seeds are often neglected in Africa, despite their nutritional and environmental benefits, research has shown.In this episode of Africa Science Focus, Method Gundidza, director of the EarthLore Foundation, explains to reporter Elna Schütz the legacy of colonialism on these native species. Siphiwe Sithole, a farmer and managing director at African Marmalade, an agribusiness that specialises in African crops, highlights the significance of indigenous seeds on the continent. Using research, Albert Modi, executive dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa, assesses the level of use of local seeds in Africa.Meanwhile, Mariam Mayet, executive director of the African Centre of Biodiversity indicates ways African farmers can increase the use of indigenous seeds.Africa Science Focus is produced by SciDev.Net and distributed in association with your local radio station.This piece was produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.Do you have any comments, questions or feedback about our podcast episodes? Let us know at podcast@scidev.net

Ella Al-Shamahi meets two women on the frontline in the fight against malaria. Dr Ify Aniebo is from Nigeria, the country worst hit by malaria. She is an Associate professor with the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, where she works to improve the country's response to drug resistance and malarial transmission.Dr Mehreen Datoo is a clinical lecturer in Infectious Diseases at the University of Oxford and she's on the team that developed the R21/Matrix-M, the WHO approved vaccine that will be rolled out across Africa in 2024. Produced by Alice Gioia and Emily Naylor(Image: (L) Dr Mehreen Datoo, courtesy of Dr Mehreen Datoo. (R) Dr Ify Aniebo, courtesy Dr Ify Aniebo.)

Clement speaks to Professor Christopher Isike,  Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of Pretoria and Thembisa Fakude Senior Research Fellow and Director at Africa Asia Dialogues about how nations in the global south are forging their own path on the world stage and what future trends are unfolding and what they mean for geopolitics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode features our conversation with Dr. Christian Ntzimira. Christian is a palliative care physician, Founder and Executive Director of African Centre for Research on End of Life care. He also published a book called The Safari Concept: An African Framework for End of Life Care that uses animal metaphors to characterize patterns of a family's suffering and how healthcare providers can use this to tailor their emotional, physical and spiritual care they provide. In this episode, we discuss what providing palliative care in Rwanda looks like, the role of community in life and death, animal metaphors to describe suffering and lessons in care that transcend culture and country. You can find Christian's book on Amazon and to learn more about his work visit: www.acreol.org/ For more information visit: www.waitingroomrevolution.com Our theme song is Maypole by Ketsa and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0  

We unpack the aftermath of the 2023 AGOA forum, delving into the possibility of an improved AGOA from the U.S. We explore the impact on both the U.S. and Africa, touching on issues like human rights and geopolitical intricacies. Dr. Gideon Chitanga from Wits University's African Centre for the Study of the United States shares insights on diverse perspectives, including calls for early renewal and the uneven benefits across the continent.

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies (Palgrave MacMillan, 2018) tracks the conceptual journeying of the term ‘transgender' from the Global North—where it originated—along with the physical embodied journeying of transgender asylum seekers from countries within Africa to South Africa and considers the interrelationships between the two. The term 'transgender' transforms as it travels, taking on meaning in relation to bodies, national homes, institutional frameworks and imaginaries. This study centres on the experiences and narratives of people that can be usefully termed 'gender refugees', gathered through a series of life story interviews. It is the argument of this book that the departures, border crossings, arrivals and perceptions of South Africa for gender refugees have been both enabled and constrained by the contested meanings and politics of this emergence of transgender. This book explores, through these narratives, the radical constitutional-legal possibilities for 'transgender' in South Africa, the dissonances between the possibilities of constitutional law, and the pervasive politics/logic of binary ‘sex/gender' within South African society. In doing so, this book enriches the emergent field of Transgender Studies and challenges some of the current dominant theoretical and political perceptions of 'transgender'. It offers complex narratives from the African continent regarding sex, gender, sexuality and notions of home concerning particular geo-politically situated bodies. B Camminga (they/them) received a PhD from the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town, in 2016. They have since held a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society, Wits University, and several visiting fellowships, including at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford. They work on issues relating to gender identity and expression on the African continent with a focus on transgender migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Clayton Jarrard is a Research Project Coordinator at the University of Kansas Center for Research, contributing to initiatives at the nexus of research, policy implementation, and community efforts. His scholarly engagement spans the subject areas of Cultural Anthropology, Queer Studies, Disability Studies, Mad Studies, and Religious Studies. Clayton is also a host for the Un/Livable Cultures podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prof. Adrian Saville, GIBS Professor of Economics, Finance, and Strategy, and Prof. Gilbert Khadiagala, GIBS Professor of International Relations and Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States, spoke about the upcoming AGOA forum and what is at stake for South Africa and the continent as a whole. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many governments around the world have been questioning how prepared they were for covid- 19 and discussing what they might do in another pandemic. But what about Africa? One of the most interesting and significant things happening on the continent is an early warning system in Nigeria which could alert Africa and the world to an emerging pandemic. It's been developed by Professor Christian Happi, he's the Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases at Redeemer's University in Nigeria. Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja spoke to Professor Happi about the work happening at the centre and the lessons learned from covid-19.

  Clement speaks to Prof Gilbert Khadiagala, a Professor of International Relations and Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the University of the Witwatersrand about how World Wars reshaped the global geopolitical landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the benefits of sequencing infectious disease pathogens became more visible than ever before. The possibilities are huge: genomic sequencing is allowing scientists to unlock the secrets of disease prevention, helping dispel myths and stigma around disease outbreaks as well as allowing governments to act in real-time with targeted and often low-cost interventions.  In this episode Alisha speaks to Professor Christian Happi, Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, about his pioneering use of the technology during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria which identified the origin of the virus. They hear from the lead researcher who used sequencing to map a subsequent outbreak in Guinea, changing how healthcare workers understand the disease. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org

Guest: Dr Nobukhosi Ngwenya works at The African Centre of Cities to provide innovative solutions to the pressing challenges faced by residents in informal settlements. She joins us now to reflect on yesterday's debate about the city's policy on homelessness between Mayor Geordin Hill Lewis and Mpho Raboeane from Ndifuna Ukwazi.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Clement speaks to Prof Gilbert Khadiagala, a Professor of International Relations and Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States (ACSUS) at the University of the Witwatersrand about South Africa's historical and current relations with the United States of America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just over two decades ago, as the new millennium began, it seemed that tracks left by our ancient human ancestors dating back more than about 50,000 years were excessively rare. Charles Helm is a Research Associate for the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University and he joins John to explain a new study that shows that in 2023 - the situation is very different.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Andrea Polio about his research on Chinese technology companies in Nairobi, Kenya, and how African cities have emerged as proxy arenas where different modes of international relations are given effect through the development of infrastructure. He discusses how African cities are crucial actors and sites of the geopolitics of digital infrastructure, which will increasingly be one of the key geopolitical arenas of the 21st century as the US, China, and the EU compete for global influence with new programs of development finance. In a related  paper, Dr. Pollio argues that urban areas are already beholden to  competition between different state actors and units of capital for infrastructure networks in the global south. In this context, Africa's fast-growing metropolises have emerged as testbeds of shifts in the geopolitics of information towards multipolar magnets of power. Dr. Andrea Pollio is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow jointly at the Department of Urban and Regional Studies of the Polytechnic of Turin and at the African Centre for Cities of the University of Cape Town, where his research addresses the impact of private Chinese technology companies in Nairobi's Silicon Savannah. His broader work explores the interface between technology economies, development, and urbanization in Africa.  He has also studied the impact of private Chinese capital on two East-African cities (Addis Ababa and Nairobi) that have emerged as key destinations for the urbanization of Chinese investments in the continent. Twitter: @andretwpRelated Links:Cities as Geopolitical Testbeds of Digital Infrastructure by Andrea Polio Acceleration, development and technocapitalism at the Silicon Cape of Africa, by Andrea Pollio in Economy and SpaceUrban statecraft: The governance of transport infrastructures in African cities, by Liza Rose Cirolia and Jesse Harber in Urban StudiesIMF Sub-Caharan African Regional OutlookThe geopolitics of debt in Africa in the Review of African Political Economy 

Cassim Shepard is distinguished lecturer in architecture and urban studies at City College, City University of New York. Trained as an urban planner, geographer, and documentary filmmaker, Cassim produces nonfiction media about cities and places, with a particular emphasis on housing and civic life. His film and video work about cities around the world has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Museum of the City of New York, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the United Nations, Pavillon de l'Arsenale in Paris, and the African Centre for Cities in Cape Town. His current exhibition, Mass Support, running at CCNY's Spitzer School of Architecture through May 7, with a symposium scheduled for April 26, explores the legacy and contemporary relevant of Stichting Architecten Research (SAR). SAR was an architectural think tank active in the Netherlands between 1964 and 1990, which proposed a radical new way of thinking about mass housing. The essential gambit was to fuse industrial production with mass customization, a concept that has strong implications for today's urban issues. Intro/Outro: “Plug In!” by Porci Scomodi Discussed:   John Habraken: “Supports” Places article The New York Housing Compact Prefab Problems: Pacific Park B2 Project – Forest City and Skanska Tim Swanson, Inherent Homes, ChicagoPeople's Architecture Office: Plug-in Houses Gans & Co.: Build it Back Modular Nakagin Capsule Tower > Unfrozen episode “1972: A Spatial Oddity” Levittown MoMA: Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling Herman Hertzberger Baugruppen R50, Kreuzburg, Berlin San Riemo, MunichKooperative Grosstadt Top Up and PATCH22, both by Lemniskade Projecten (Developer) and Frantzen et al architecten (Architect) Lewis Mumford Lecture: “Pressing Change in the Increasing Inflexible City,” Featuring Emily Badger (April 27, CCNY) Lacaton & Vassal Elemental

In conversation with Professor Christopher Isike, Janet Gbam and Foluso Adegalu On February 25 2023, the Nigerian presidential elections were held. Nigerian voters came out in their numbers to cast their ballots to select the next president after outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari stepped down. This was against a political background of mounting unhappiness and widespread unrest, insecurity and economic hardship, such as the inability to access cash, high inflation, deadly attacks by gunmen against civilians. While the elections were initially marked by a high voter turnout and mainly peaceful voting, they were marred reports of vote buying, voter intimidation, attacks on polling units in certain areas, and unpunctual electoral officials along with accusations of outright fraud to compound issues with trust in the election. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also failed to upload polling unit results to the INEC result viewing portal as previously assured would happen on election day. It is light of these circumstances, along with statements critical of INEC from observers and civil society groups that have inspired this conversation. This episode analyses the developments of these elections from a human rights lens. Professionally, Ms Janet Uosu Gbam is an international human rights lawyer and Doctoral Candidate from the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. Over the last ten years, she has successfully worked with teams to promote and protect human rights by initiating, managing, and executing humanitarian, and human rights programs touching on racial, ethnic, gender, and socio-economic issues for notable human rights organisations. She also has experience working with international NGOs in West Africa, Southern Africa and the United States. We spoke to Foluso Adegalu, a Doctoral Researcher and Programme Manager for the Litigation and Implementation Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. His research interest in international human rights law focuses on improving the efficacy of international human rights standards and monitoring mechanisms. Foluso's human rights practice includes the strategic use of the law particularly through judicial and quasi-judicial institutions to enforce human rights, prevent human rights violations, and seek redress for victims of human rights violations. He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with over ten years of experience in legal practice. Christopher Isike, PhD, is a Professor of African Politics and International Relations in the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria and Director of the African Centre for the Study of the United States, University of Pretoria (ACSUS-UP), South Africa. He is also the current President of the African Association of Political Science (AAPS), and member of the Board of Directors of Global Development Network (GDN). Professor Isike conducts research from an Africanist lens, and teaches international relations theory, strategic and security studies, and security theory at the University of Pretoria. His research interests include African soft power politics, women, peace and conflict studies, women and political representation in Africa, rethinking state formation in Africa, politics in a digital era and African immigration to South Africa. A C2 rated researcher by the National Research Foundation, Professor Isike has over 70 publications in top national and international peer-reviewed journals including chapters in books published by reputable publishing houses globally. He is Editor-in-Chief of Africa's foremost political science journal, Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies (2020 to 2024), and has been Editor of Ubuntu: Journal of Conflict and Social Transformation since 2017. He also serves on the editorial board of several reputable international journals, such as International Political Science Abstracts, Canadian Journal of African Studies, African Journal of Political Science and Strategic Review for Southern Africa. Professor Isike consults for United Nations Population Fund (UNPF),

Food banks have operated for decades in North America and Europe. They are generally operated as non profits, connecting food businesses that have waste with individuals, families and charities that need food. In 2006 there was just one African food bank in Egypt. A second opened in South Africa in 2009. Today there are around twenty five across the continent. In this programme we look at how African countries have adapted food banks to their needs, and hear how they address criticisms that the food bank model itself is flawed when it comes to addressing food poverty. We ask Nairobi based reporter Michael Kaloki to spend a day with Food Banking Kenya, and its founder and CEO John Gathungu. Michael visits their warehouse storage, meets small holder farmers donating surplus food, and speaks to women living in some of Nairobi's informal settlements that rely on food donations. Ruth Alexander speaks to Elijah Addo, who founded one of Africa's first food banks in 2015, Food for All Africa in Ghana. Gaby Kafarhire at The Global FoodBanking Network, based in Chicago in the United States, talks about the particular challenges African food banks face. And researcher Gareth Haysom at the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town shares his concerns about the current system. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. Additional reporting by Michael Kaloki in Nairobi. (Image: a food bank worker lifting a crate of vegetables onto a truck. Credit: BBC)

Guest: Prof. Dewald Van Niekerk is Director of The African Centre for Disaster Studies at University of Northwest and he joins John to consider whether 'National State of Disaster' would be an appropriate response to the energy crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tune in today for a special Trade for Peace podcast episode, A TRADE FOR PEACE APPROACH FOR AFRICAN STABILITY, released just in time for the US-Africa Leaders' Summit, taking place in Washington DC this week! Don't miss this enthralling and timely discussion on fragility in Africa! Please join Dr. Joseph Sany, Vice President of the African Centre of the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), an independent institute founded by the US Congress dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical and essential for U.S. and global security. In this episode, Dr. Sany shares his personal and professional experiences in working in fragile and conflict affected states (FCS). He talks about the challenges and drivers of instability and conflict in Africa and how this affects people's daily life. He also explains the United States Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability as well as the Global Fragility Act and its role in building sustainable peace by including all stakeholders in the process of resolving conflicts. In particular, Dr. Sany emphasizes the importance of local ownership in addressing fragility. He ends the conversation by sharing his views on the role of the international trading system in fostering and sustaining peace and stability in African countries, particularly those currently acceding to the WTO.   Guest: Joseph Sany, Vice President of the Africa Center, United States Institute for Peace (USIP) Host: Axel M. Addy, former Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Negotiator of Liberia's accession to the WTO.

Pravina Makan-Lahka is an Advisor on Women, Peace and Security at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). In this episode, we discuss the importance of women's meaningful participation in mediation and early warning, and how we can ensure the gender perspective is integrated into conflict early warning systems.

A new report by the World Weather Attribution consortium demonstrates the impact of global warming on flooding in Pakistan. The consortium are helping to assess the link between humanitarian disasters and global change, faster than ever before. The work, conducted by a team of statisticians, climate experts, and local weather experts, is part of an emerging field in science called Extreme Event Attribution, and can reliably provide assessments in the immediate aftermath of an extreme weather event The report follows widescale flooding in Pakistan that has disrupted the lives of over 33 million people. Dr. Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change explains some of the network's conclusions as to the causes behind this devastating flood. Can it all be down to climate change? Also this week, we speak to Prof Oyewale Tomori of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, who writes in this week's journal Science about what he believes African countries' role should be in response to the Monkeypox pandemic, and how future academic work in the area should be more homegrown. Finally, psychologist Lynda Boothroyd talks us through a new study about how the arrival of television in people's lives can help shape unhealthy and negative perceptions of body image. The study, conducted in Nicaragua, amongst communities only recently connected to electricity supplies, is helping to show how the media could play a part in contributing to conditions like eating disorders. Laugh and the world laughs with you, or so you might think. But watch any good comedian on TV by yourself and chances are you'll laugh a lot less than if you were sitting in a lively comedy crowd watching the same comedian in the flesh. But why is that? Is there such a thing as herd laughter? And do people from different cultures and corners of the world all laugh at the same things and in the same way? These are questions raised by CrowdScience listener Samuel in Ghana who wonders why he's always cracking up more easily than those around him. Presenter Caroline Steel digs into whether it's our personality, the people around us, or the atmosphere of the room that determines how much we giggle, following neuroscience and ergonomics on a global trail in search of a good laugh. (Image: Pakistani people move to a safer place due to flooding. Credit: Jan Ali Laghari/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A new report by the World Weather Attribution consortium demonstrates the impact of global warming on flooding in Pakistan. The consortium is helping to assess the link between humanitarian disasters and global change, faster than ever before. The work, conducted by a team of statisticians, climate experts, and local weather experts, is part of an emerging field in science called Extreme Event Attribution, and can reliably provide assessments in the immediate aftermath of an extreme weather event The report follows widescale flooding in Pakistan that has disrupted the lives of over 33 million people. Dr. Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change explains some of the network's conclusions as to the causes behind this devastating flood. Can it all be down to climate change? Also this week, we speak to Prof Oyewale Tomori of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, who writes in this week's journal Science about what he believes African countries' role should be in response to the Monkeypox pandemic, and how future academic work in the area should be more homegrown. Finally, psychologist Lynda Boothroyd talks us through a new study about how the arrival of television in people's lives can help shape unhealthy and negative perceptions of body image. The study, conducted in Nicaragua, amongst communities only recently connected to electricity supplies, is helping to show how the media could play a part in contributing to conditions like eating disorders. (Image: Pakistani people move to a safer place due to flooding. Credit: Jan Ali Laghari/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield, Robbie Wojciechowski

In September 2015, leaders from around the world gathered in New York at the United Nations General Assembly and committed to an ambitious global agenda, setting forth seventeen “Sustainable Development Goals”, or SDGs, to be achieved by 2030. These goals, if accomplished, would mark incredible feats of human history. Unfortunately, the most recent report from the UN Economic and Social Council shows that the world is not on track to meet these targets by the 2030 deadline. This episode of the Oxford Policy Pod will dive into the progress and delays on the SDGs, and understand what it will take to reach these goals. We also explore how policymakers are using these voluntary international commitments to guide and prioritize work in practice, specifically in the context of developing urban areas.  https://www.sdglab.ch/en-team/edward-mishaud (Edward Mishaud), is a Senior Advisor and current acting Director with the https://www.sdglab.ch/ (SDG Lab) at UN Geneva. He has over 15 years of expertise across policy, donor relations, governance, advocacy, and communications, and has worked with several UN and other international organizations, such as the UN Development Programme, the World Health Organization, the Joint UN Programme on HIV and the Green Climate Fund.  https://www.ucl.ac.uk/urban-lab/research/research-projects/making-africa-urban/people/sylvia-croese (Dr. Sylvia Croese) is an urban sociologist who is a Senior Researcher at the South African Research Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning at the School of Architecture and Planning of the University of the Witwatersrand and Research Associate with the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She has conducted extensive research on urban planning, politics and governance through the lens of housing, land, urban infrastructure and mobility, with a particular focus on the localization of global urban development goals in African cities. She has published widely on this work in major international journals, as well as three co-edited books: Refractions of the National, the Popular and the Global in African Cities (African Minds, 2021), Reframing the Urban Challenge in Africa: Knowledge Co-production from the South (Routledge, 2021) and Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals in African cities (Springer, in press). Currently, her research examines the transcalar workings of developmental policy circuits as part of the ERC funded comparative research project Making Africa Urban: the transcalar politics of large-scale urban development. This episode was produced and hosted by Livey Beha, with support from Read Leask. Season 4 of the Oxford Policy Pod is executive produced by Livey Beha and Read Leask.  To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals, check out: The SDG Lab: https://www.sdglab.ch/ (https://www.sdglab.ch/) Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/) UN SDG Progress Report https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/29858SG_SDG_Progress_Report_2022.pdf (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/29858SG_SDG_Progress_Report_2022.pdf)  

Guest: Eldred De Klerk, Policing and security experts at African Centre for Security and Intelligence See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.