Podcasts about west african

Max Pearson presents a collection of Witness History and Sporting Witness episodes, all with a Nigerian theme.We hear two personal stories of the Biafra war, which began in 1967, including the writer Wole Soyinka who was jailed for trying to stop it. Plus, we hear from Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe about escaping the conflict. She's now better known as TV and music star Patti Boulaye.We speak to Dr Louisa Egbunike, who is an Associate Professor in African Literature at Durham University in England.Also, a retired Brigadier General speaks about West African countries fighting back against the jihadist militant group Boko Haram in 2015. Then, the opening of the New Afrika Shrine in 2000, by Fela Kuti's children to honour his legacy. Finally, we hear from Omoyemi Akerele who founded Lagos Fashion Week in 2011.Our Sporting Witness programme this week looks at Nigeria becoming the first team to represent Africa at the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991. This is a Made in Manchester Production.Contributors:Wole Soyinka - Nobel Prize-winning poet and playwright. Patricia Ngozi Ebigwe - TV and music star. Dr Louisa Egbunike - Associate Professor in African Literature at Durham University. Sani Kukasheka Usman - retired Brigadier General. Omoyeni Anikulapo-Kuti, also known as Yeni Kuti - the eldest daughter of Fela Kuti. Omoyemi Akerele - founder of Lagos Fashion Week. Nkiri Okosieme – captained Nigeria women's national football team.(Photo: Biafran national army soldiers. Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Interview with Segun Lawson, CEO of Thor Exploration Ltd.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/thor-exploration-lsethx-nigerian-pioneer-preps-18m-oz-senegal-gold-project-for-q4-pfs-7891Recording date: 3rd December 2025Thor Explorations presents a compelling investment opportunity combining immediate cash generation from low-cost, high-grade gold production with a self-funded development pipeline spanning near-term mine life extension, advanced-stage project construction, and genuine exploration discoveries across three West African jurisdictions.The company operates the 100%-owned Segilola gold mine in Nigeria, producing 90,000–95,000 ounces annually at all-in sustaining costs below $1,000 per ounce. At current gold prices above $4,000 per ounce, Thor captures operating margins exceeding $3,000 per ounce, creating substantial free cash flow that funds quarterly dividends whilst simultaneously financing aggressive exploration and development programmes without equity dilution. Q3 2025 operational results demonstrated this financial strength, with production of 22,600 ounces generating approximately $70 million in revenue. Management's strategic decision to withhold 3,000 ounces for Q4 sale above $4,000 per ounce positions the company for potentially record quarterly financial performance. Thor has completely repaid its project debt, achieving a debt-free balance sheet that provides exceptional strategic flexibility for capital allocation decisions. This financial position distinguishes Thor from capital-constrained peers and enables the company to advance multiple projects simultaneously across different development stages.The Segilola operation represents Thor's immediate value creation opportunity through mine life extension. The company has deployed five drilling rigs exploring beneath the existing pit, systematically intersecting high-grade underground mineralisation averaging 5.5 grams per tonne (g/t) compared to open pit grades of just over 4 g/t. With all infrastructure capital expenditure already sunk and operational expertise established, every additional ounce discovered creates what management characterizes as "super ounces" requiring minimal incremental capital to extract. Thor targets an updated resource estimate in Q1 2026 whilst also pursuing satellite deposits within a 50-kilometre radius of the processing plant. The company plans a pilot mining operation in 2026 at one southern target, supplementing an existing stockpile containing over 44,000 ounces representing more than $175 million in contained gold value.Thor's Douta project in Senegal represents material near-term production growth, with a preliminary feasibility study weeks from completion. The project carries estimated capital costs of $250–$300 million, of which Thor will self-fund $150 million from operational cash flows. The remaining $100 million will be sourced through debt financing with Africa Finance Corporation, which financed Segilola and maintains an equity stake. Management targets first gold production in Q1 2028 following an investment decision expected in H1 2026, with the project featuring a larger resource base than Segilola and approximately 10 years of mine life that would materially increase Thor's consolidated production profile.Early-stage exploration success in Côte d'Ivoire provides genuine blue-sky discovery potential. At Guitry, 4,600 metres of drilling has delineated six mineralised lenses with high-grade intersections including 10 metres at 10 g/t across just 15% of an 8-kilometre by 5-kilometre geochemical footprint. The Marahui project has identified 8 kilometres of drill targets with surface rock chips returning 10–17 g/t. Both projects advance toward maiden resource estimates in H1 2026 through continuous drilling programmes funded entirely from internal cash generation.Thor's investment proposition centres on operational execution, financial strength, and portfolio diversification. The company's ability to generate substantial cash flows whilst advancing multiple growth opportunities without external capital requirements creates a differentiated risk-reward profile. Multiple near-term catalysts through 2026 include the Douta feasibility study release, Segilola resource update, Côte d'Ivoire maiden resources, construction decision-making, and continued operational cash generation supported by elevated gold prices and proven low-cost production capabilities.View Thor Exploration's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/thor-explorations-ltdSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

In the winter months, demand for gasoline in Europe softens, and stocks in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub begin to thicken. But recent developments in West African government policy and intermittent maintenance at Nigeria's Dangote refinery have resulted in an unconventionally robust gasoline market, shadowed by an existing tightness in supply. Where have the gasoline markets diverged, and what unusual patterns have we seen in blending economics? In this episode, host Gary Clark is joined by S&P Global Energy reporters Geraint Moody and Matthew Tracy-Cook to discuss these topics.

Early winter weather has us pondering an alternate definition of “slush pile,” albeit the mucky, grey residue remaining after a city snowfall. Our Slush Pile is far more fresh, but still a wintry mix as we discuss the short story “Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction” by Candice Kelsey. You might want to jump down the page and read or listen to it in full first, as there are spoilers in our discussion!   The story is set on the day of the Women's March, following 2017's Inauguration Day, but only references those events in the most glancing of ways. Instead the protagonist glances away to an array of distractions: Duolingo, a Frida Kahlo biography, a bat documentary, European architecture, banjo music, a stolen corpse flower, daydreaming, and actual dreaming. In the withholding of the protagonist's interiority, Sam sees a connection to Rachel Cusk's Outline, while Jason is reminded of early Bret Easton Ellis. The editors discuss how fiction might evoke the internet's fractioning of our attention, by recreating the fractioning or reflecting it?   We'd like to offer congratulations to Sam whose debut book of short stories, “Uncertain Times,” just won the Washington Writers Publishing House Fiction Prize. As always, thanks for listening!   At the table: Dagne Forrest, Samantha Neugebauer, Jason Schneiderman, Kathleen Volk Miller, Lisa Zerkle, and Lilllie Volpe (Sound Engineer)   Listen to the story “Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction” read in its entirety by Dagne Forrest (separate from podcast reading) (Bio): Candice M. Kelsey (she/her) is a bi-coastal writer and educator. Her work has received Pushcart and Best-of-the-Net nominations, and she is the author of eight books. Candice reads for The Los Angeles Review and The Weight Journal; she also serves as a 2025 AWP Poetry Mentor. Her next poetry collection, Another Place Altogether, releases December 1st with Kelsay Books. (Website): https://www.candicemkelseypoet.com/ (Instagram): @Feed_Me_Poetry   Catherine of the Exvangelical Deconstruction Catherine's thumb hovers over Duolingo's question, her mind dim from doom scrolling, chest dead as TikTok. The green owl stares. She swears its beak is twitching.  “Got 5 minutes?”  She swipes Duo, that nosy bastard, and his taunting French flag icon away. “Non.” The apartment is dim, the air too still. Days feel hollow and unhinged, as if she's Edmond Dantès tossed off the cliff of Chatêau d'If, a brief and misplaced shell weighted to the depths of the sea. So much for learning a language to calm the nerves. Frida Kahlo's face stares from the page of a book she hasn't finished reading. “I should just return this already.” There are days she commits to her syllabus of self-education and days she resents it. Kahlo's eyes pierce her, and giving up feels like large-scale feminist betrayal—how she has shelved the artist, her wounds, tragic love, and all. But even sisterhood is too much this January 21st, and of all people, Kahlo would understand. Catherine opens her laptop and starts a documentary about bats instead. Chiroptera. A biologist with kind eyes speaks of their hand-like bones, the elastin and collagenous fiber wings. The chaos of nature is its own magic realism. She learns bats are vulnerable like the rest of us. Climate disruption and habitat loss. Plus white nose syndrome and the old standby, persecution by ignorant humans who set their caves aflame. In the documentary, there is a bat with the liquid amber eyes of a prophet. Maybe that's what this world has had too much of, she begins to consider. Mid-deconstruction of decades in the white, evangelical cesspit of high control patriarchy, Catherine sees the world as one big field day full of stupid ego-competitions like cosmic tug-a-wars. And prophets were some of the top offenders. King Zedekiah, for one, had the prophet Jeremiah lowered into a well by rope, intending he sink into the mud and suffocate. All because he warned the people of their emptiness. Her mind wanders to Prague, to art, to something far away that might fill her own cistern life. “Maybe next summer,” she whispers. “Charles Bridge, St. Vitus.” The rhythm of bluegrass hums through the speakers, enough to anchor her here, in this room, in this thin sliver of a world she cannot escape. “That could be the problem; I need to learn Czech. No, fuck Duo.” J'apprendrai le français. J'irai à Prague. Je verrai les vieux bâtiments. But then, something strange. The banjo's pluck feels different, deeper, its twang splitting the air. She Googles the history of Bluegrass, and the words tumble from the page, layering like the weight of a corpse settling into the silt off the coast of Marseille. The banjo isn't Appalachian in origin but rather West African—specifically from the Senegalese and Gambian people, their fingers strumming the akonting, a skin drum-like instrument that whispered of exile, of worlds ripped apart. American slavers steeped in the bitter twisting of scripture trafficked them across the Middle Passage, yet in the cruel silence of the cotton fields, they turned their pain into music. How are we not talking about this in every history class in every school in every state of this nation? The akonting, an enslaved man's lament, was the seed of a gourd that would bloom into the sounds of flatpicking Southerners. Still, the banjo plays on in Catherine's apartment. A much more tolerable sound than Duolingo's dong-ding ta-dong. But she can't quite cleanse her mind of the French lessons, of Lily and Oscar. Il y a toujours plus. Her voice is barely a whisper, trying to reassure herself. There must be more. A recurring dream, soft and gleaming like a pearl—her hands moving over cool clams, shucking them on a beach house in Rhode Island. It's a faint memory, but no less ever present. Aunt Norma and Uncle Francis' beach cottage and the closest thing to a Hyannis Port Kennedy afternoon of cousins frolicking about by the edge of a long dock lured back by the steam of fritters. But this time, Ocean Vuong stands beside her. He's talking about the monkey, Hartford, the tremors of the world. And the banjo has morphed into Puccini's La Bohème, which laces through the rhythm of Vuong's syntax like a golden libretto. They notice a figure outside the window, a shadow in the sand—the new neighbor? He's strange. A horticulturist, they say. Catherine hasn't met him, but there are rumors. “Did he really steal it?” Vuong asks. She practices her French—it's a dream after all—asks “Le cadavre fleuri?” They move to whispers, like a star's breath in night air. Rumor stands that in the middle of California's Eaton fire, the flower went missing from the Huntington Museum in Pasadena. The Titan Arum, bloated and bizarre in its beauty and stench, just vanished. Fran at the liquor store says the new neighbor, gloves always pressed to the earth, took it.  At night, she hears him in the garden, talking to the roots. She imagines his voice, murmuring something incomprehensible to the moonlight. Like that's where the truth lies—beneath the soil, between the cracks of broken promises, smelling faintly of rot. She recalls the history she once read, so distant, so impossibly rotten. During WWI, when the Nazis swept through Prague, they forced Jewish scholars to scour their archives. They wanted to preserve the so-called “best” of the Jews—manuscripts, texts, holy materials—for their future banjo-twisted Museum of an Extinct Race. She shudders. The music, the wild joy of the banjo, now seems infected with something ancient and spoiled. The act of collecting, of preserving, feels obscene. What do you keep? What do you discard? Whom do you destroy? She wakes from the dream, her phone still alive with French conjugations. The bluegrass hums, but it's heavier, like a rope lowering her into Narragansett Bay. The neighbor's house is dark. But she thinks she can see him, a silhouette against the trees, standing still as a warning. Everything is falling apart at the seams, and she is both a part of it and apart from it. Like each church she left, each youth group and AWANA or Vacation Bible School where she tried to volunteer, to love on the kids, to be the good follower she was tasked with being.  She leans her forehead against the cool glass of the window, closing her eyes. The ache is there, the same ache that never quite leaves. It's sharp, it's bitter, it's whole. The small, steady thrum beneath it all. Il y a toujours plus. Maybe tomorrow she will satisfy Duo. Maybe next fall she will dance down a cobbled street in Prague. Find five minutes to feel human. Perhaps she will be whole enough, tall as St. Vitus Cathedral, to face whatever is left of this America. She closes her eyes to Puccini's Mimi singing Il y a toujours plus and dueling banjos while her neighbor secretly drags a heavy, tarp-covered object across his yard under the flutter of Eastern small-footed bats out for their midnight mosquito snack. A scene only Frida Kahlo could paint.

In 2015, West African countries fought against the jihadist militant group Boko Haram which controlled large areas of northeastern Nigeria. The group, whose name means 'western education is forbidden', had killed thousands and displaced millions in the years preceding 2015. They made worldwide headlines in 2014 when they kidnapped 276 girls from a boarding school. Tim O'Callaghan speaks to retired Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, who was director of public relations for the Nigerian army in 2015. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from the death of Adolf Hitler, the first spacewalk and the making of the movie Jaws, to celebrity tortoise Lonesome George, the Kobe earthquake and the invention of superglue. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: Eva Peron – Argentina's Evita; President Ronald Reagan and his famous ‘tear down this wall' speech; Thomas Keneally on why he wrote Schindler's List; and Jacques Derrida, France's ‘rock star' philosopher. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the civil rights swimming protest; the disastrous D-Day rehearsal; and the death of one of the world's oldest languages.(Photo: Nigerian soldiers hold a Boko Haram flag after liberating an area from their control in 2015. Credit: Reuters)

Moyo Odunfa is the Head Chef and Founder of The Atije Experience. Based in Lagos, Chef Moyo tells the story of Nigeria and West Africa by showcasing its cuisine. In this episode, Moyo breaks down her own discovery of West African cuisine. She discusses why even Africans sometimes doubt their own culinary traditions, how colonialism shaped what Nigerians value in their own kitchens and she explains how West Africa has its own advantages in terms of produce. Resources and links: Atije Website Atije on LinkedIn Atije on Youtube Atije on Instagram Moyo Odunfa on Instragram Connect: Future Fork podcast website Paul Newnham on Instagram Paul Newnham on X Paul Newnham on LinkedIn Disruptive Consulting Solutions website SDG2 Advocacy Hub website SDG2 Advocacy Hub on X SDG2 Advocacy Hub on Facebook SDG2 Advocacy Hub on LinkedIn This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

West African tradition says that one should speak for themselves and for the ancestors who came before you. Gullah Chef, author and 6th generation farmer, Matthew Raiford is doing exactly that! He has taken his love for the culture, his roots and food and incorporated all of it into a lifestyle and business that is surly making the ancestors proud!

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

Recording from Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, Eric Extreme peels back the salt-streaked veil between life and the ocean. As he and his wife cut across the Caribbean, stories unfurl, Polynesian navigators whose ancestors ride the swells, Japanese Funayūrei rising from misty shores, West African sea judges, and Caribbean duppies tugging at the currents, all threaded into a single, living tide of belief. Through hushes on a ship’s hull, offerings left at shorelines, and ancient wayfinding lore, this episode follows the whispers that haunt coasts around the world. Each tale is a small lantern in the dark: sometimes warning, sometimes comfort, always a reminder that the sea keeps memory in its motion. Join Eric as he listens for the faintest signals and steers us through folklore, ritual, and the personal moments when the ocean feels alive. Will we find evidence or only echoes? A nearly identical transcript of this episode may be found at: https://www.mwvspirit.com/blog/2025/11/30/whispers-from-the-deep-ocean-spirits-and-lost-souls/ As a paranormal investigator, Eric Extreme has decades of experience. He explores the history of the paranormal from around the world. He also discusses the scientific study of perceived paranormal phenomena. His approach is to identify natural causes first before considering any paranormal explanations. With years of research and fieldwork behind him, he offers insights into how the world views the paranormal and how these phenomena can be studied objectively, based on evidence. The goal is to help listeners understand how to approach paranormal investigations focused on science, distinguishing between what can be explained and what cannot. As he always says, "Science comes before the spooky." Mount Washington Valley SPIRIT (Scientific Paranormal Investigations, Research, and Interpretation Team) Book: https://www.ApparitionOfThePast.com Homepage: https://www.MWVSpirit.com Podcast: https://mwvspirit.podbean.com Blog: https://www.MWVSpirit.com/blog Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mwvspirit.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MWVSpirit Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/203797804@N05/ Gab: https://gab.com/mwvspirit IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16150782 Imgur: https://imgur.com/user/mwvspirit Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MWVSpirit Iviv: https://iviv.hu/people/a51e3690a278013e55bd723c915ba918 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mwvspirit LiveJournal: https://mwvspirit.livejournal.com/ Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@mwvspirit Mewe: https://mewe.com/mountwashington_/posts Minds: https://www.minds.com/mwvspirit/ Mov.im: https://mov.im/contact/mwvspirit%40movim.eu OC Social: https://ocsocialnetwork.com/id/8e58beaa-c09e-4b1e-9c42-65015ef9b890 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mwvspirit/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Mount-Washington-Valley-SPIRIT Snapchat: https://snapchat.com/t/uN1wtb9Z Space Hey: https://spacehey.com/mwvspirit Substack: https://substack.com/@mountwashingtonvalleyspirit Threads: https://www.threads.com/@mwvspirit TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mwvspirit Tumblr: https://mountwashingtonvalleyspirit.tumblr.com X: https://x.com/mwvspirit YikTak: https://app.yikyak.com/u/mwvspirit_paranormal_team YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mwvspirit

We the Young Fighters: Pop Culture, Terror, and War in Sierra Leone (U Georgia Press, 2023) by Dr. Marc Sommers is at once a history of a nation, the story of a war, and the saga of downtrodden young people and three pop culture superstars. Reggae idol Bob Marley, rap legend Tupac Shakur, and the John Rambo movie character all portrayed an upside-down world, where those in the right are blamed while the powerful attack them. Their collective example found fertile ground in the West African nation of Sierra Leone, where youth were entrapped, inequality was blatant, and dissent was impossible.When warfare spotlighting diamonds, marijuana, and extreme terror began in 1991, military leaders exploited the trio's transcendent power over their young fighters and captives. Once the war expired, youth again turned to Marley for inspiration and Tupac for friendship.Thoroughly researched and accessibly written, We the Young Fighters probes terror-based warfare and how Tupac, Rambo, and—especially—Bob Marley wove their way into the fabric of alienation, resistance, and hope in Sierra Leone. The tale of pop culture heroes radicalizing warfare and shaping peacetime underscores the need to engage with alienated youth and reform predatory governments. The book ends with a framework for customizing the international response to these twin challenges. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

The military seizes power in Guinea-Bissau - a day before Sunday's presidential election results were due to be announced. The African Union and West African regional bloc Ecowas have condemned the coup. Why has it happened - and what are the implications? In this episode: Kabir Adamu - Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Bram Posthumus - Political and economic analyst specialising in West Africa and the Sahel region Ovigwe Eguegu - Peace and Security Policy Analyst at the consultancy Development Reimagined Host: Dareen Abughaida Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

In our news wrap Wednesday, a massive fire across apartment buildings in Hong Kong killed dozens, Taiwan's president announced a special $40 billion military budget following U.S. pressure and soldiers in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau say they've taken "total control" of the country, days after elections in which both presidential contenders claimed victory. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Wednesday, a massive fire across apartment buildings in Hong Kong killed dozens, Taiwan's president announced a special $40 billion military budget following U.S. pressure and soldiers in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau say they've taken "total control" of the country, days after elections in which both presidential contenders claimed victory. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

AP's Lisa Dwyer reports on a military takeover of a West African country.

In this special four-part series, join Unpacked host Aislyn Greene as she travels to Charleston, South Carolina, to unpack the city's deeper currents. This week: Dive fork-first into Charleston's legendary food scene, where history and flavor collide. From the resurrection of she-crab soup to the recreation of a groundbreaking 1865 dinner that celebrated equality, discover how Charleston's culinary landscape tells the story of African, Native American, and European influences—one delicious dish at a time. In this episode, you'll learn How she-crab soup went from a presidential delicacy to near extinction—and its triumphant return at 82 Queen The powerful story behind Nat Fuller's Feast, an 1865 dinner celebrating emancipation that was recreated 150 years later Why you can find 30 different versions of shrimp and grits in Charleston (and why they're all "fat on fat on fat") The essential Gullah Geechee influences that shape Lowcountry cuisine, from red rice to okra How formerly enslaved people became Charleston's great caterers and shaped the city's culinary identity What distinguishes Lowcountry cuisine from broader Southern cooking Featured Guests Chef Kevin Mitchell: Chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, food historian, author, and host of Savers of Flavor Jonathan Kish: CEO of Queen Street Hospitality Group, which owns 82 Queen, Charleston's first fine dining Lowcountry restaurant Lamont Ferrebee: Executive sous chef at 82 Queen Don't miss these moments* [2:50] How Kevin's grandmother's tough love at age 6 launched his culinary career [4:30] The emotional moment when the rain stopped during the Nat Fuller's Feast recreation [7:15] Why turtle soup still haunts food historian Michael Twitty [11:45] The West African okra variety grown specifically for its leaves [17:00] The invention (and resurrection) of she-crab soup [19:30] What happened when 82 Queen tried to change their shrimp and grits recipe *Time stamps are estimated and may change due to programmatic advertising. Dine around Charleston 82 Queen: Experience Charleston's first fine dining Lowcountry restaurant (since 1982) in their magical courtyard setting. Don't miss the award-winning she-crab soup and their unique barbecue shrimp and grits Chef Scholar Dinner Series: Follow Chef Kevin Mitchell on Instagram for a chance to snag tickets to these intimate 16-seat historical dining experiences (April 15th: honoring Chef Patrick Clark) Hannibal's Kitchen: Try their renowned crab rice and other Gullah Geechee classics For dinner, try Fig, Kultura, Lowland, or the Ordinary For coffee, pastries, or breakfast try Page's Okra Grill, Magnolias, Kudu Coffee, or Bad Bunnies Coffee For a cocktail, try Babas, the Seahorse, or the Gin Joint Resources Read the transcript of the episode Plan your trip to Charleston using our guide on afar.com Follow Chef Kevin Mitchell and the Chef Scholar Dinner Series on Instagram @chefkevinmitchell Watch Savers of Flavor to learn about heirloom Southern ingredients Explore more Charleston restaurant recommendations on afar.com, including the best new restaurants and where to find the best Gullah Geechee food. Next Week Join us as we explore Charleston's vibrant music scene and cultural events, from intimate jazz shows to grand performance halls. Stay Connected Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.  Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll talk to a trailblazer from Mali, UND Aviation student Noumousso Diane, who is poised to become the West African country's first woman commercial pilot.

Dr. Celina de Sá is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the SF Bay Area, she received her PhD with distinction at the University of Pennsylvania in Africana Studies and Anthropology. Outside of her professional life, she is also a capoeirista and training to be a flamenco dancer. In today's conversation, we discuss her latest monograph Diaspora Without Displacement: The Coloniality and Promise of Capoeira in Senegal, (published by Duke University Press July 2025) where she analyzes  a capoeira network across West Africa, de Sá shows how urban West Africans use capoeira to explore the relationship between Blackness, diaspora, and African heritage.

It's Monday, November 24th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Nigerian Muslim terrorists abducted 300 Catholic students and staff Muslim terrorists abducted 315 Catholic students and staff from St. Mary's School in the northern region of Nigeria on Friday, reports International Christian Concern.  Those kidnapped include 303 students and 12 teachers. It's one of the worst kidnappings in the nation's history, which has tragically become a flashpoint for persecution against Catholics and Protestants. No doubt many of them are echoing the prayer of Psalm 141:1-2 where David wrote, “I call to You, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense.” Back in 2014, Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group, seized 276 Chibok schoolgirls. In addition, the Islamic State West Africa Province and Fulani Muslim herdsmen have also wreaked havoc on the West African country. The Trump administration, which designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, has recently pressured the Nigerian government to do more to protect Catholics and Protestants. During the past 20 years, Nigerian Muslims have killed 50,000 Christians, displacing hundreds of thousands more. Shawn Wright, the new president of International Christian Concern, issued an urgent call to action. To the government of Nigeria, he called officials to: Deploy specialized rescue forces immediately and recover the abducted Christians without delay. Strengthen protection for Christian institutions. Address underlying persecution. And to the United States government, Shawn Wright called officials to: Immediately enact tougher economic sanctions against Nigeria. leverage assistance to Nigeria based on results. Support civil society and Christian groups in Nigeria. Use diplomatic influence there. Wright said, “When children are hauled from their dormitories, when …  teachers are terrorized, when entire communities live in the shadow of fear — silence is complicity.” Former Brazilian President arrested ahead of vigil to prevent escape Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was taken into custody on Saturday, hours before a vigil was to be held outside his residence, reports One America News. On Saturday, the former president's period of house arrest ended after having been confined since August for violating a ban on the use of social media. Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's son, posted a video on Friday calling for a vigil in front of his father's condominium where Javier was under house arrest. Flavio said, “I invite you to fight with us.” Brazil's Supreme Court ruled that the planned vigil could “cause serious harm to public order,” and potentially prevent Bolsonaro from being arrested or enable his “escape.” Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said that Bolsonaro violated his ankle monitor early Saturday morning. President Donald Trump, a long-term ally of Bolsonaro, denounced the charges against the former Brazilian leader as politically motivated, calling it a “witch hunt.” He imposed a 50% tariff on United States imports of Brazilian goods in response, which Trump began to roll back this month following a meeting with current President Luiz da Silva. Canadian pork producer objects to unlabeled lab-grown meat One of Canada's largest organic pork producers says the public deserves clear labelling, and a real choice before cloned meat hits supermarket shelves, reports Rebel News. Normally, experimental items like this fall under Canada's novel foods category, requiring a thorough pre-market safety assessment. This framework mandates that developers provide detailed data on production, contaminants, allergens, toxins, and nutrition. Health Canada reviews typically take about 410 days. However, Health Canada quietly released a statement on November 13th concluding, based on "all available information" and "scientific opinion," that foods from lab-grown clones of healthy cattle and swine are as safe as those from traditionally bred animals. This lab-grown meat has rightly been dubbed “franken-beef” like Frankenstein, the grotesque humanoid character, created in the imagination of Mary Shelley in 1818, who was put together using different body parts from fresh graves and vaults of skeletal remains. Health Canada has innocuously labeled the lab-grown meat as “cellular agriculture.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “The LORD detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” Tamara Ugolini of Rebel News offered this warning to Canadians. UGOLINI: “Health Canada has decided there's no meaningful difference between lab-grown, cloned meat and real life grown meat. So, no labels, no warnings, and, once again, no transparency from the agency allegedly dedicated to regulatory openness and transparency.” Vincent Breton, a legitimate live pork producer, said, “Consumers should have the right to decide for themselves whether they are going to buy genetically modified foods.” Marjorie Taylor Greene resigns from Congress after clash with Trump Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Make America Great Again firebrand who rose to prominence as a combative supporter of President Donald Trump, announced late Friday she is resigning from Congress after a public feud with him, reports Politico.com. Greene, who was elected to Congress in 2020 from a rural northwestern Georgia district, made the surprise announcement in an 11-minute video address. She cited her willingness to oppose the Democratic agenda which was costly on a personal level. GREENE: “I have fought against Democrats' damaging policies like the Green New Deal, wide open, deadly, unsafe border policies, and the trans agenda on children and against women. With that has brought years of non-stop, never-ending personal attacks, death threats, lawfare, ridiculous slander and lies about me that most people could never withstand even for a single day.” She also noted the handful of differences she had with President Trump. GREENE: “I never changed or went back on my campaign promises and only disagreed in a few areas, like my stance against H-1B replacing American jobs, AI state moratoriums, debt-for-life-50-year-mortgage scams, standing strongly against all involvement in foreign wars and demanding the release of the Epstein files. Other than that, my voting record has been solidly with my party and the president. “Loyalty should be a two-way street, and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district's interests because our job title is literally Representative.'” Congresswoman Greene highlighted her disagreement with President Trump over the Epstein files. GREENE: “Standing up for American women who were raped at 14 years old, trafficked and used by rich, powerful men should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for.” She did not want to go through a bruising Republican primary in the spring. GREENE: “I do not want my sweet district to have to endure a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President that we all fought for, only to fight and win my election, while Republicans will likely lose the midterms, and, in turn, be expected to defend the President against impeachment after he hatefully dumped tens of millions of dollars against me and tried to destroy me.” That's what led to her surprise resignation announcement. GREENE: “I'll be resigning from office, with my last day being January, 5, 2026.” Stray mutt gets award for comforting families after school shooting And finally, a stray mutt that turned into a service dog, soothing kids after a school shooting, has just been crowned the 2025 Hero Dog Award by the American Humane Society, reports GoodNewsNetwork.org. Sgt. Bo, the mixed breed from Nashville, Tennessee, may have started as a stray, but after being rescued off the streets of Florida in 2022, and trained for 12 weeks by prisoners in Brevard County, the four-year-old mutt became a certified therapy dog with the Nashville Police Department. Just three months into his service with Officer Faye Okert, tragedy struck when a transgender killed three students and three teachers at the city's Covenant School. Sgt. Bo was called to help comfort children and families at the reunification site—climbing onto buses, letting shaken students rest against him, and staying until the last family left. Since then, he has continued visiting schools across the community, helping kids open up, easing anxiety, and reminding everyone that healing can come from the most unexpected places. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, November 24th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  And now to conclude the newscast is my daughter Mercy Geneva who turned 14 this month, (Adam@TheWorldview.com). MERCY: “Seize the day for Jesus Christ.”

In Gullah culture, the food is deeply rooted in rice and seafood dishes that grew out of the diaspora and its West African influences. Gullah Chef BJ Dennis has built a reputation for not just amazing flavors, but for spreading knowledge about the ingredient's origins. His Gullah cooking may be what he's known for on a national stage but to him, its important to continue to use the techniques of the ancestors when he's blending his ingredients and every plate comes with a serving of the richly significant history of the food. Chef BJ has been featured in local, national and international cooking events including the BB&T Wine+Food Festival, Netflix 'High on the Hog', P.B.S 'Moveable Feast' and Bravo's 'Top Chef' and sharing his story with me.

This is a fully remastered episode, which originally came out in April 2022 In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on the fantastic Africana studies scholar, Professor Takiyah Harper-Shipman, to talk about West African women's development, Sankara, AFRICOM, and more!  Due to time constraints, this episode will act as an introduction to these topics for our next conversation with Professor Harper-Shipman, which will take place soon and will be a longer, more in-depth discussion.  We really enjoyed the conversation, and are already looking forward to diving into the minutiae with the Professor very soon! Takiyah Harper-Shipman is an Assistant Professor in the Africana Studies Department at Davidson College.  Her courses include Africana political economy, gender and development in sub-Saharan Africa, African feminisms, international development: theory and praxis, and research methods in Africana Studies.  Her book Rethinking Ownership of Development in Africa is available from Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Rethinking-Ownership-of-Development-in-Africa/Harper-Shipman/p/book/9780367787813.  We also highly recommend checking out her chapter La Santé Avant Tout: Health Before Everything in the excellent A Certain Amount of Madness The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745337579/a-certain-amount-of-madness/.   Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

Physical differentials in the North Sea crude market and wider Atlantic basin have reached multiyear lows amid high freight rates and market length in the region. While high freight rates are often expected in the last quarter of the year, oversupply and market structure have also come into play.  In this podcast, Emma Kettley, S&P Global Energy's associate director, price reporting, is joined by senior crude oil reporters Natasha Tan and George Delaney to dig into how these fundamentals are impacting the North Sea and West African crude markets.

In this conversation, I sit with Eva Mwangi, the dynamic Head of Sales and Marketing at Tribe Collection, one of Kenya's most respected home-grown hospitality groups.Eva offers a thoughtful look into Tribe's evolution as a leading boutique brand, its commitment to art, community engagement, and cultural immersion, as well as its strategic vision for the growing West African travel market.Join me as i explore how Tribe Collection is redefining urban hospitality in Nairobi and setting new benchmarks for authentic guest experiences across Kenya's most vibrant destinations. Eva Mwangi is the driving force behind the Sales and Marketing efforts for Tribe Hotels Group. With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, she began her career in the UK at just 22 years old. Eva has excelled in various roles, including receptionist, reservations, and meetings and events management. However, her most significant contributions have come through her extensive work in sales and marketing with renowned brands like Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and IHG's head office in Denham, UK. Her unwavering dedication to creating unique guest experiences has been pivotal in shaping the hotels' offerings and enhancing customer satisfaction. Eva's innovative strategies and deep understanding of market trends have not only driven revenue growth but also established Tribe Hotels as a leader in the industry. Through her leadership, she continues to inspire her team to deliver exceptional service and memorable stays for every guest.    

Join host Cherryh Cansler as she sits down with Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute, to tackle the biggest challenges facing restaurants in 2026. With consumer sentiment at 50-year lows and economic uncertainty looming, Brian shares his Wall Street expertise and food industry insights on how fast casual brands can thrive. Discover why going back to basics, leveraging social media, and embracing global flavors are key to success. Learn about emerging trends from West African cuisine to GLP-1-friendly menus, plus practical strategies for managing rising costs while keeping customers excited about your brand.#FastCasualNation #RestaurantIndustry #FoodTrendsGet Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights.Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory

In Nigeria, the word chop is used for food and feasting, and to say "come chop" is an invitation into sharing and community. This is precisely how Ozoz Sokoh's debut cookbook, Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria begins. It is warm, inviting, and open to all those who are interested in learning about Nigerian cuisine, and the role of home cooks in creating the most beloved classic Nigerian dishes.  Ozoz herself is a food explorer, educator, and traveler by plate. She is a professor of Food and Tourism Studies at Centennial College, and makes her home with her three teenage children in Mississauga, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in Ontario, Canada. Her work documents and celebrates Nigerian and West African cuisine, and she is particularly fascinated by all the ways we're similar. Be it through dishes, drinks, material culture or more, Ozoz explores these across geographies, cultures, and histories, in spite of our apparent differences.  In today's conversation, we explore a wide range of the history and future of Nigerian cuisine, including the stories of how ingredients came to be in Nigerian dishes, the homegrown love of protein (and why it's not the relationship to protein you'd expect in a Western lens), and how Ozoz approaches exploring the histories of recipes and cuisine across Nigeria. Resources: Ozoz's Website Kitchen Butterfly Blog Instagram: @kitchenbutterfly Feast Afrique Website  TikTok: @ozozsokoh  

What does real confidence look like in business? Is it about having all the answers, or is it about knowing when to ask the right questions? In this milestone 300th episode of the Sales Maven Show, host Nikki Rausch reflects on twelve years in business and what confidence truly means for entrepreneurs and sales professionals. Through storytelling, honesty, and heartfelt lessons, she explores how confidence shows up in unexpected ways and how vulnerability can be one of your greatest business strengths. Nikki shares a West African folktale called The Hunter and the Blind Man to illustrate how humility and openness can transform relationships. The story follows a proud hunter who learns wisdom and empathy from a blind man he once dismissed. For Nikki, this story mirrors the sales journey: confidence is not about dominance or perfection, but about awareness, curiosity, and growth. It's about seeing with your ears and feeling with your heart, as she puts it. Throughout the episode, Nikki ties this lesson to her own experiences in corporate sales and entrepreneurship. She recalls early moments when she believed confidence came from expertise alone, only to learn that true confidence often comes from admitting what you do not know and staying open to learning. Whether selling to audio engineers, teaching clients, or hosting hundreds of podcast episodes, she has discovered that genuine connection always outperforms performance. As she looks back on 300 episodes, Nikki expresses deep gratitude for her listeners and clients who have embraced curiosity and growth right alongside her. She reminds us that confidence is not about ego or perfection, but about structure, self-awareness, and the willingness to show up authentically in every sales conversation. If you've ever doubted yourself or felt pressure to appear like an expert at all times, this episode will inspire you to redefine what it means to be confident—and to see how compassion and courage can elevate your success. Nikki invites you to join the Sales Maven Society. Take advantage of this opportunity to work together with you and Nikki. Bring your questions, concerns, and sales situations; she provides answers and guidance. Join the Sales Maven Society here, click Join Today, and then checkout and use coupon code 47trial to get your first month for $47.00! For more actionable sales tips, download the FREE Closing The Sale Ebook. Find Nikki: Nikki Rausch nikki@yoursalesmaven.com Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Sales Maven Society https://calendly.com/salesmaven/work-with-nikki-discussion

There aren't a lot of Culinary Preservationists out there who have a depth of knowledge on West African food, culinary practices and flavors, especially one who can't break it down like Michael Twitty can. The author of a few incredible culinary based history books, including the Cooking Gene, Michael Twitty captivates as he educates you when he takes you on a culinary tour and shares some fascinating stories and foodways that come from Africa and spans the entire Caribbean, to the east coast, throughout the south and as far away as Louisiana. Get ready for a deep dive into Gullah food history and get a taste of all of the flavors that he's about to cook up.

From the 1720s to the 1940s, parents in the kingdom and later colony of Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) developed and sustained the common practice of girl fostering, or "entrusting." Transferring their daughters at a young age into foster homes, Dahomeans created complex relationships of mutual obligation, kinship, and caregiving that also exploited girls' labor for the economic benefit of the women who acted as their social mothers. Drawing upon oral tradition, historic images, and collective memories, Jessica Reuther pieces together the fragmentary glimpses of girls' lives contained in colonial archives within the framework of traditional understandings about entrustment. Placing these girls and their social mothers at the center of history brings to light their core contributions to local and global political economies, even as the Dahomean monarchy, global trade, and colonial courts reshaped girlhood norms and fostering practices. In The Bonds of Kinship in Dahomey: Portraits of West African Girlhood, 1720–1940 (Indiana UP, 2025) Reuther reveals that the social, economic, and political changes wrought by the expansion of Dahomey in the eighteenth century, the shift to "legitimate" trade in agricultural products in the nineteenth century, and the imposition of French colonialism in the twentieth all fundamentally altered—and were altered by—the intimate practice of entrusting female children between households. Dahomeans also valorized this process as a crucial component of being "well-raised"—a sentiment that continues into the present, despite widespread Beninese opposition to modern-day forms of child labor. Dr. Jessica Reuther is an associate professor of African and world history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA. She came to Ball State after earning her PhD in African History from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, in 2016. Dr. Reuther is a historian of Africa, specializing in Atlantic West Africa and French West Africa from the 16th century to the present. She has conducted archival and oral history research in Benin, Senegal, France, Switzerland, and the United States. You can learn more about her work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

From the 1720s to the 1940s, parents in the kingdom and later colony of Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) developed and sustained the common practice of girl fostering, or "entrusting." Transferring their daughters at a young age into foster homes, Dahomeans created complex relationships of mutual obligation, kinship, and caregiving that also exploited girls' labor for the economic benefit of the women who acted as their social mothers. Drawing upon oral tradition, historic images, and collective memories, Jessica Reuther pieces together the fragmentary glimpses of girls' lives contained in colonial archives within the framework of traditional understandings about entrustment. Placing these girls and their social mothers at the center of history brings to light their core contributions to local and global political economies, even as the Dahomean monarchy, global trade, and colonial courts reshaped girlhood norms and fostering practices. In The Bonds of Kinship in Dahomey: Portraits of West African Girlhood, 1720–1940 (Indiana UP, 2025) Reuther reveals that the social, economic, and political changes wrought by the expansion of Dahomey in the eighteenth century, the shift to "legitimate" trade in agricultural products in the nineteenth century, and the imposition of French colonialism in the twentieth all fundamentally altered—and were altered by—the intimate practice of entrusting female children between households. Dahomeans also valorized this process as a crucial component of being "well-raised"—a sentiment that continues into the present, despite widespread Beninese opposition to modern-day forms of child labor. Dr. Jessica Reuther is an associate professor of African and world history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA. She came to Ball State after earning her PhD in African History from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, in 2016. Dr. Reuther is a historian of Africa, specializing in Atlantic West Africa and French West Africa from the 16th century to the present. She has conducted archival and oral history research in Benin, Senegal, France, Switzerland, and the United States. You can learn more about her work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

From the 1720s to the 1940s, parents in the kingdom and later colony of Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) developed and sustained the common practice of girl fostering, or "entrusting." Transferring their daughters at a young age into foster homes, Dahomeans created complex relationships of mutual obligation, kinship, and caregiving that also exploited girls' labor for the economic benefit of the women who acted as their social mothers. Drawing upon oral tradition, historic images, and collective memories, Jessica Reuther pieces together the fragmentary glimpses of girls' lives contained in colonial archives within the framework of traditional understandings about entrustment. Placing these girls and their social mothers at the center of history brings to light their core contributions to local and global political economies, even as the Dahomean monarchy, global trade, and colonial courts reshaped girlhood norms and fostering practices. In The Bonds of Kinship in Dahomey: Portraits of West African Girlhood, 1720–1940 (Indiana UP, 2025) Reuther reveals that the social, economic, and political changes wrought by the expansion of Dahomey in the eighteenth century, the shift to "legitimate" trade in agricultural products in the nineteenth century, and the imposition of French colonialism in the twentieth all fundamentally altered—and were altered by—the intimate practice of entrusting female children between households. Dahomeans also valorized this process as a crucial component of being "well-raised"—a sentiment that continues into the present, despite widespread Beninese opposition to modern-day forms of child labor. Dr. Jessica Reuther is an associate professor of African and world history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA. She came to Ball State after earning her PhD in African History from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, in 2016. Dr. Reuther is a historian of Africa, specializing in Atlantic West Africa and French West Africa from the 16th century to the present. She has conducted archival and oral history research in Benin, Senegal, France, Switzerland, and the United States. You can learn more about her work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

From the 1720s to the 1940s, parents in the kingdom and later colony of Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) developed and sustained the common practice of girl fostering, or "entrusting." Transferring their daughters at a young age into foster homes, Dahomeans created complex relationships of mutual obligation, kinship, and caregiving that also exploited girls' labor for the economic benefit of the women who acted as their social mothers. Drawing upon oral tradition, historic images, and collective memories, Jessica Reuther pieces together the fragmentary glimpses of girls' lives contained in colonial archives within the framework of traditional understandings about entrustment. Placing these girls and their social mothers at the center of history brings to light their core contributions to local and global political economies, even as the Dahomean monarchy, global trade, and colonial courts reshaped girlhood norms and fostering practices. In The Bonds of Kinship in Dahomey: Portraits of West African Girlhood, 1720–1940 (Indiana UP, 2025) Reuther reveals that the social, economic, and political changes wrought by the expansion of Dahomey in the eighteenth century, the shift to "legitimate" trade in agricultural products in the nineteenth century, and the imposition of French colonialism in the twentieth all fundamentally altered—and were altered by—the intimate practice of entrusting female children between households. Dahomeans also valorized this process as a crucial component of being "well-raised"—a sentiment that continues into the present, despite widespread Beninese opposition to modern-day forms of child labor. Dr. Jessica Reuther is an associate professor of African and world history at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA. She came to Ball State after earning her PhD in African History from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, in 2016. Dr. Reuther is a historian of Africa, specializing in Atlantic West Africa and French West Africa from the 16th century to the present. She has conducted archival and oral history research in Benin, Senegal, France, Switzerland, and the United States. You can learn more about her work here. Afua Baafi Quarshie is a Ph.D. candidate in history at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on mothering and childhood in post-independence Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Senegalese bassist and singer Alune Wade celebrates his album New African Orleans with his septet in an exclusive KNKX studio session.

Fish feed in aquaculture is at the center of a complicated global story that most people never hear about. In this episode, Andrew sits down with marine biologist and policy expert Marine Cusa to explore the hidden world of fishmeal, fish oil, feed ingredients, and the surprising connections between aquaculture, wild fisheries, West African communities, and even penguin populations in Antarctica.  Marine breaks down what actually goes into the pellets fed to farmed fish, why transparency is lacking in the supply chain, and how her genetics research is uncovering the real species being used in fish feed. The conversation reveals why feed matters for sustainability, human nutrition, local livelihoods, and the future of aquaculture as demand for seafood continues to grow. Whether you're new to the topic or already deep in fisheries science, this episode opens the door to a critical but overlooked part of marine conservation.  Help fund a new seagrass podcast: https://www.speakupforblue.com/seagrass Join the Undertow: https://www.speakupforblue.com/jointheundertow Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube    

Chinazam Ikechi, marketing representative for Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, Nigeria, talks with David Cogswell of Insider Travel Report about West African tourism opportunities for African American travelers. Ikechi highlights popular destinations including Badagry, where visitors can see the first building constructed in Nigeria, and multi-country tours through Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. For more information, visit https://akwaabatravelmarket.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.

This Day in Legal History: Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. MahonOn this day in legal history, November 14, 1922, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon, a foundational case in American property law. At issue was a Pennsylvania statute—the Kohler Act—that prohibited coal mining beneath certain structures to prevent surface subsidence. The Pennsylvania Coal Company had previously sold the surface rights to a parcel of land but retained the right to mine the coal beneath. When the state blocked their ability to do so, the company sued, arguing that the law had effectively stripped them of valuable property rights without compensation. The case reached the Supreme Court, where Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. delivered the majority opinion.In his decision, Holmes introduced the now-famous principle that “while property may be regulated to a certain extent, if regulation goes too far it will be recognized as a taking.” This line marked the birth of the regulatory takings doctrine, which holds that government actions short of full appropriation can still require just compensation under the Fifth Amendment. Holmes emphasized that the economic impact of a regulation on the property owner must be weighed, not just the public interest it serves. In this case, the regulation was deemed too burdensome to be considered a mere exercise of police power.The Court sided with the coal company, holding that the Kohler Act, as applied, amounted to an unconstitutional taking. The dissent, penned by Justice Brandeis, warned against undermining states' ability to protect public welfare. Despite being a 5–4 decision, Mahon has had lasting influence on land use, zoning, and environmental regulation. It reframed the boundaries between public regulation and private rights, signaling that not all public-interest laws are immune from constitutional scrutiny. Today, Mahon remains a cornerstone case for litigants challenging regulations that significantly diminish property value.A Texas judge is set to hear arguments on Attorney General Ken Paxton's request to block Kenvue from issuing a $398 million dividend and from marketing Tylenol as safe during pregnancy. Paxton sued Kenvue in October, accusing the company of hiding risks linked to prenatal Tylenol use, including autism and ADHD—a claim not supported by the broader medical community. The lawsuit follows public comments by Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoting the same unproven theory. Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson, which previously owned Tylenol, maintain the drug's safety and argue the state has no authority to interfere in federal drug regulation or corporate dividends.The companies also say the dividend will not impair Kenvue's solvency and warn that Paxton's effort could undermine both the First Amendment and the credibility of Texas courts. Paxton, however, argues that the public interest justifies intervention, citing potential future liabilities from Tylenol and talc-related lawsuits. He contends that misleading commercial speech can be regulated, and that the dividend should be halted to preserve cash in the face of those risks. The case could have broader implications, particularly for Kimberly-Clark's $40 billion acquisition of Kenvue, announced shortly after the lawsuit. Kenvue has vowed to appeal any injunction.Judge to weigh if Texas AG can block Kenvue dividend over Tylenol claims | ReutersSierra Leone has reached a tentative settlement with U.S. law firm Jenner & Block to resolve a dispute over $8.1 million in unpaid legal fees. The law firm sued the West African nation in 2022, claiming it was still owed money for representing Sierra Leone in a high-stakes case against Gerald International Ltd., which had sought $1.8 billion in damages over an iron ore export ban. Jenner argued the legal work was more extensive than initially expected and said it had only been paid $3.6 million by the end of 2021.Sierra Leone pushed back, disputing the existence of a valid contract and asserting that no further payments were owed. The country also tried to claim sovereign immunity, but a federal judge rejected those arguments in January, allowing the lawsuit to proceed. U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey announced the settlement in principle last week, although specific terms were not disclosed. Neither party has commented publicly on the resolution.Sierra Leone, law firm Jenner & Block reach settlement over $8 million legal tab | ReutersMcDermott Will & Emery has become the first major U.S. law firm to publicly confirm that it is considering private equity investment, signaling a potential shift in how Big Law might operate. The firm's chairman acknowledged preliminary talks with outside investors, a move that stunned the legal industry, where non-lawyer ownership has long been resisted due to ethical and regulatory restrictions. McDermott is reportedly exploring a structure that would separate its legal services from administrative operations by creating a managed service organization (MSO) owned by outside investors, allowing the firm to raise capital without violating professional conduct rules.This model has gained traction among smaller firms, but McDermott's adoption could legitimize the MSO approach for large firms. Proponents argue it would free lawyers to focus on client work while upgrading support systems through external funding. Critics caution that it involves relinquishing control of critical firm functions and raises concerns about maintaining ethical standards, particularly regarding fee-sharing with non-lawyers. While still early, industry experts say other firms are beginning to explore similar paths to stay competitive, especially in jurisdictions like Arizona that allow non-lawyer ownership.McDermott's Outside Investor Talks Augur Big Law TransformationThe Trump administration has filed suit against California over its recently approved congressional redistricting maps, which were adopted through a ballot initiative known as Proposition 50. The measure, passed by voters last week, allows temporary use of new district lines that could give Democrats up to five additional U.S. House seats. The Justice Department joined a lawsuit initially filed by the California Republican Party and several voters, alleging that the redistricting plan was racially motivated and unconstitutional.U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called the maps a “brazen power grab,” accusing California of using race to unlawfully boost Hispanic voting power. California Governor Gavin Newsom dismissed the lawsuit, framing it as retaliation for California's resistance to Trump's broader political agenda. Newsom also argued that the new maps are a necessary corrective to Republican-led gerrymandering efforts, like those in Texas, where civil rights groups have sued over alleged dilution of minority voting power.The lawsuit claims California's map violates the U.S. Constitution by improperly using race in the redistricting process. The outcome could impact the balance of power in the House and add fuel to ongoing legal battles over partisan and racial gerrymandering nationwide.Trump administration sues California over new redistricting maps | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer of some note.This week's closing theme is the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 – I. Allegro vivace e con brio, a work that balances classical clarity with Beethoven's unmistakable wit and rhythmic drive. Composed in 1812 during a period of personal turmoil, the Eighth is often described as a cheerful outlier among his symphonies, compact and effervescent despite being written amid deteriorating health and emotional strain. It was premiered in 1814, but it was a revival performance on November 14, 1814, in Vienna that helped solidify its reputation and gave the public a second opportunity to appreciate its lightness and humor in contrast to the more dramatic works surrounding it.Unlike the grand scale of the Seventh or Ninth, the Eighth is shorter and more classical in form, often drawing comparisons to Haydn in its wit and economy. Yet Beethoven infuses it with his unique voice—syncopations, dynamic extremes, and abrupt harmonic shifts abound, particularly in the first movement. The Allegro vivace e con brio opens with a bold, playful theme, tossing melodic fragments between the orchestra with cheerful assertiveness. It's less stormy than many of Beethoven's first movements, but no less commanding.Critics at the time were puzzled by the symphony's restraint and humor, expecting more overt heroism from Beethoven. But modern listeners often recognize the Eighth as a masterwork of compression and invention. The first movement in particular plays with rhythmic momentum, frequently disrupting expectations just as they form. There's a confidence in its restraint, a knowing smile behind the forceful accents and offbeat rhythms. It's music that's both technically impressive and viscerally enjoyable, which is perhaps why Beethoven held it in especially high regard.As we close out the week, we leave you with that November 14 revival spirit—a reminder that even a “little Symphony” can land with enduring force.Without further ado, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 – I. Allegro vivace e con brio, enjoy! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Cabo Verde (aka Cape Verde) has long been known as a music powerhouse. Despite its little size (population: 500,000), the West African archipelago is the third largest country in music sales in the “World” market by some estimations. That's why the island has become home to the Atlantic Music Expo: a trans-oceanic music fair featuring conferences and concerts that attract musicians and industry professionals from across the globe. In this episode, Afropop takes a visit to the islands and the Expo to check out what's going on today with Cape Verdean music. We hear from talented new singer-composers Dino D'Santiago and Ceuzany, check out high-energy funana from Ferro Gaita and Ze Espanhol, and sample other tasty musical fruits from the islands that created Cesaria Evoria. Produced by Marlon Bishop APWW #687

Hoodoo, Spirituality, African Traditions, Cultural Syncretism, Enslaved Africans, Folk Religion, Christianity.The conversation explores the origins and significance of Hoodoo as a spiritual tradition developed by enslaved Africans, highlighting its roots in West and Central African practices and its syncretism with Christianity.Hoodoo was created by enslaved Africans for protection.It is a blend of West African, Central African, and Christian practices.The tradition serves as a form of resistance against oppression.Hoodoo reflects the resilience and creativity of enslaved communities.Cultural syncretism is a key aspect of Hoodoo's development.The practice is deeply rooted in folk religion.Hoodoo provides a sense of identity and belonging.It is often misunderstood and misrepresented in popular culture.The spiritual practices of Hoodoo are diverse and varied.Understanding Hoodoo requires acknowledging its historical context."Hoodoo is a spiritual tradition defined by folk religion""They mixed it with Christianity"Chapters00:00 The Invisible Church: Origins and Significance00:19 Hoodoo: Spiritual Practices and Syncretism

This week on the program we feature the deep, soulful grooves of Yemen Blues. In 2010, singer & composer Ravid Kahalani founded the rare combination of world class musicians that is called Yemen Blues. The result of this amazing group is a powerful energy that mixes Yemenite, West African, Latin & Jazz influences and what Ravid likes to call “New Culture Music”. Their latest studio effort is called, Insaniya. They were on a US tour just a few weeks ago when we caught up with them at The Levitt Shell in midtown Memphis. Grammy nominated blues man, Guy Davis, will be with us to deliver an installment of the Blues Hall of Fame, an exploration of the lives of the pioneers and innovators enshrined in the Blues Hall of Fame, here in Memphis, TN, brought to you by the blues Foundation.

President Donald Trump has warned that he will target Nigeria if the government there "continues to allow the killing of Christians". For months, campaigners and politicians in Washington have been alleging that Islamist militants were systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria. But how true are the claims that there is a persecution – or even a genocide – of Christians in the West African country? And how does Nicki Minaj come to thank him for his intervention? We speak to the BBC's global religion correspondent, Lebo Diseko. Producers: Xandra Ellin and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: Annie Brown Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins (Photo: People walk along a street flanked by St. Joseph Catholic Church and Kano Road Central Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria, 4 November, 2025. Credit: Marvellous Durowaiye/Reuters)

Nigerian modern art is having a moment. In London, the Tate has opened a critically acclaimed exhibition, called “Nigerian Modernism,” featuring more than 50 artists who experimented with vibrant new styles in the mid 20th century in the giant and influential West African nation. More generally, the artists of this era have become more recognized outside of their home country in recent decades, from early figures who laid the groundwork like Aina Onabolu to a towering figure of the 1950s like Ben Enwonwu to younger innovators of the 1950s and 1960s such as Uche Okeke and Demas Nwoko, with many more important names to know and bodies of work to discover. This was an earth-shaking time in Nigerian history, when a near-century of British colonial domination was shed and the many problems of a fragile new independent nation had to be faced. These artists were part of figuring out how to express that new sense of identity in images. But their art was not always so celebrated, sometimes dismissed as derivative of European art. The scholar and curator Chika Okeke-Agulu has been important to the recent re-estimation of Nigeria's art history. He teaches at Princeton, and is the author of, among many other things, of Postcolonial Modernism: Art and Decolonization in Twentieth-Century Nigeria, a book that personally excited me very much when I first found it. With the Tate show drawing a fresh wave of interest, art critic Ben Davis thought Okeke-Agulu would be an excellent guide to what this art was, what it meant, and why it still demands attention today.

IBÍLÈ will be hosting its first West Clare pop-up tasting experience this weekend. IBÍLÈ is a contemporary pop-up dining restaurant dedicated to showcasing the vibrant flavours of West African cuisine. They will have a tasting menu at Pot Duggans in Ennistymon on the 7th & 8th of November. The menu is inspired by Nigerian roots, paired with music, storytelling, and cocktails crafted African wine pairings with Irish spirits. To find out more, Alan Morrissey spoke with the founder of IBÍLÈ, Tolu Asemento. Photo (c) via Pot Duggans Facebook

When Peace Corps volunteer Lisa Curtis felt drained in a rural West African village, local women introduced her to moringa—a nutrient-packed “miracle tree” that would change her life. That moment sparked the creation of Kuli Kuli Foods, now a leading brand bringing climate-smart superfoods to shelves across the U.S.In this episode, Lisa joins host Mariah Parsons to share her journey from discovering moringa to scaling a mission-driven brand found in over 11,000 stores. She breaks down the realities of social entrepreneurship, how Kuli Kuli balances e-commerce and retail, and the art of blending impact with innovation. Tune in for an inspiring story about purpose-fueled business, sustainable growth, and why “nutrition you can feel” is more than just a tagline—it's a movement.

Episode 197 with Omar Lababidi, CEO of Wafroex and Founder of Goldswarm, a premium West African honey brand that is redefining sustainable luxury while empowering thousands of smallholder farmers across Nigeria. With over twenty years of experience investing in, leading and scaling companies, Omar combines deep business expertise with a passion for innovation, sustainability and community development.In this episode, he shares how a single taste of honey in Benin in 2015 inspired a vision to elevate West African honey to the global stage, and how that vision has grown into Goldswarm the first Nigerian agricultural brand to export to the United States. From introducing advanced technologies such as honey DNA tracking to forging partnerships that protect biodiversity and support local beekeepers, Omar explains how Goldswarm is creating a blueprint for sustainable agribusiness in Africa.What We Discuss With OmarOmar's journey from a life-changing taste of honey in Benin to founding Goldswarm, a premium West African honey brand.Building Nigeria's first agricultural brand to export to the United States and redefining sustainable luxury.How Goldswarm's honey DNA tracking and innovation are transforming transparency, traceability, and trust in African exports.Empowering local farmers, protecting biodiversity, and promoting climate-smart agriculture across West Africa.Navigating export challenges and positioning Nigeria as a global hub for organic and sustainable agricultural products.Omar's vision for Africa's future in global trade and the rise of purpose-driven entrepreneurship across the continentVerto CornerIn this week's Verto Corner, Sankha Jinasena, Sales Manager for South Africa at Verto, discusses how South Africa's removal from the FATF grey list is creating new opportunities for businesses operating across borders. He explains how improved investor confidence and regulatory stability are opening doors for B2B payment providers, driving stronger partnerships and renewed commercial momentum. Sankha also shares what this shift means for companies looking to trade with South Africa, and how Verto is repositioning its value proposition to meet rising demand with greater speed, transparency and trust.Access the Strategy HandbookDid you miss my previous episode where I discuss Using Solar Drying Innovation to Tackle Food Insecurity in Sudan: The Solar Foods Story? Make sure to check it out!Connect with Terser:LinkedIn - Terser AdamuInstagram - unlockingafricaTwitter (X) - @TerserAdamuConnect with Omar:LinkedIn - Omar LababidDiscover how Verto's solutions can help you accept payments, manage expenses, and scale with ease here

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet Union began a new era of political engagement with the global south. One feature was development assistance. The Soviet Union embodied, offered and inspired an alternative approach to development, industrialization and modernization across the global south. Countries such as Ghana, Guinea and Mali in the 1950s-60s were governed by nationalists, not Marxists or Communists, and were newly independent from European imperial-colonial control.Soviet specialists assessed the difficult conditions of these post-colonial countries as opening a path for “non-capitalist” development: state led modernization. As opposed to a Western promoted primacy of markets and individuals, “non-capitalist” development would ensure sovereignty and economic growth by shielding against French or British neo-colonial exploitation, improving living standards, empowering the state and strengthening political ties with the socialist world.To discuss all this and more, we welcome historian Alessandro Iandolo, author of the book Arrested Development: The Soviet Union in Ghana, Guinea and Mali 1955-1968Book description:In Arrested Development, Alessandro Iandolo examines the USSR's role in West Africa during the 1950s and 1960s as an aid donor, trade partner, and political model for newly independent Ghana, Guinea, and Mali.With a strong economy in the 1950s, the USSR expanded its global outreach, supporting economic development in post-colonial Africa and Asia. Many nations saw the Soviet model as a path to political and economic independence. Drawing on extensive Russian and West African archival research, Iandolo explores Soviet ideas, sponsored projects, and their lasting impact.Soviet specialists worked alongside West African colleagues to design ambitious development plans, build infrastructure, establish collective farms, survey mineral resources, and manage banking and trade. These collaborations—and the tensions they created—shed light on how Soviet and West African visions of development intersected. Arrested Development positions the USSR as a key player in twentieth-century economic history, reshaping global approaches to modernization.Alessandro Iandolo is Lecturer in Soviet and Post-Soviet History at University College London.The episode art is a 1960 poster from the Georgian SSR by Giorgi Pirtskhalava that reads: კოლონიზატორებო გაეთრიეთ! - Colonizers, get out!

This week we finish up Artober on CP, in conversation with artist, Mary Jackson, a renowned sweetgrass basket weaver known for combining traditional methods with contemporary designs.  Based in the Low Country of South Carolina, Mary is the descendant of generations of Gullah basket weavers. Born in 1945, in 2008, Mary was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship (“Genius Grant”) for "pushing the centuries-old tradition in stunning new directions”.  From the 1970s through to the early 2000s, Mary became something of an accidental Gardener, environmental restorationist, and economic driver, when she recognized the dwindling supply and access to the signature native sweetgrass that her cultural art and tradition relied on. This diminishing resource was due in part to booming development along the U.S. Southeast coasts, the fragmentation and destruction of delicate coastal ecosystems, and the increasing exclusion of Gullah basketmakers from traditional harvest sites. Mary took it on herself to organize the basketmaking community, and working in collaboration with this community and Robert DuFault, of the Clemson University Department of Biological Sciences, her initiative led work to secure sustainable availability and access to native sweetgrass (Muhlenbergia sp.) for the traditional basket makers, and future of this traditional art, craft, and cultural symbol. Gullah Sweetgrass baskets are an over 400-year tradition in the U.S. Southeast, first as a highly prized skill and centuries, if not millennia-old, passed-down knowledge of enslaved West Africans being brought to the colonies. These skills and knowledge directly contributed to the success specifically of rice farming in the region, where highly developed and precisely crafted utilitarian baskets were used for everything from carrying, harvesting, winnowing, to fine household tasks.  Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets are a continued symbol of the City of Charleston, South Carolina, and for over a century, these skilled artists and their basketry have been an economic and cultural mainstay in the region. All depending on healthy and abundant native sweetgrass, palmetto, and loblolly or longleaf pine ecosystems and supply. The “access” Mary catalyzed in response to this contraction of the health and supply of sweetgrass ultimately included: research into successful germination of sweetgrass at scale and teaching basket makers how to grow sweetgrass at home; the enventual introduction of Muhlenbergia species to the plant and garden trade, making it now a staple of the ornamental grass and native plant movements; large-scale plantings of the grasses on private and public grounds with permission for basketmakers to harvest and tend; and, finally, Army Corps of Engineers and coastal developments working to replant and restorate inter-tidal beach dunes with the stabilizing native sweetgrass.  All of this from one woman's impulse to cultivate plants with an eye to protecting the legacy of her people, and the future of their craft. Now an elder, Mary agreed to be one of the interview subjects of our 10 Cultivating Place Live events in 2024 and 2025. For the CP LIVE events, which will be included in the final Cultivating Place: The Power of Gardeners documentary film series, Jennifer interviewed Mary Jackson, Robert Dufault, and next-generation artist and Sweetgrass basket leader, Corey Alston in front of a public audience in Theodora Park, Charleston, SC. This week's podcast conversation was an interview with just Mary and Jennifer filmed and recorded live by EM EN in Mary's Studio, on John's Island, outside of Charleston. Enjoy!

In early 1945, the Allies were advancing in Burma after their hard-won victories at Kohima and Imphal. The focus shifted to the Arakan, a region of dense jungle, mangrove swamps, and unforgiving terrain. For the men sent there, disease, supply difficulties, and the monsoon were as formidable as the Japanese defenders. Among the formations deployed was Britain's 3 Commando Brigade, working alongside Indian and West African divisions of XV Corps in a campaign that tested endurance as much as combat skill. In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I'm joined by military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Lucy is the author of Jungle Commandos: The Battle for Arakan, Burma 1945, which tells the story of the Commandos who fought in this overlooked theatre, culminating in the ferocious struggle for Hill 170. Drawing on first-hand accounts, her work reveals the realities of jungle warfare and the contribution of these specialist troops to the final Allied victories in Burma.   Jungle Commandos is also available on Audible. patreon.com/ww2podcast