We often look at war through the eyes of a man: killing, destruction, power and violence.
What if we looked at war -– and most importantly, peace –- through the eyes of a woman? What would that look like? A century ago, 90 percent of war casualties were male soldiers; today, nearly 70 percent are civilian women and children.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Mangochi, Malawi, you’ve likely already heard all about Lake of Stars, the award-winning music and arts festival set to hit stages for its 7th consecutive year this weekend.
Featuring more than 70 African and international acts, the festival expects to attract over 3,000 visitors, bringing welcomed tourism to the area as well as acting as a great global platform to promote Malawian culture.
Founded in 2004 by Will Jameson following a previous trip to volunteer around Lake Malawi, the festival is modeled on similar celebrated events, including Glastonbury and Live Aid. Gaining media attention from around the world since its inaugural year, when it won the Malawi Tourism Award, Lake of Stars has since gone on to become the country’s No. 1 attraction.
He may not be a household name yet, but Batwing, the Bat-Universe cast’s most recent addition and first-ever African character, may well be on his way to becoming one, following DC Comics’ launch of its new book last week. A super hero story complete with armor and bat insignia, there is no doubt that the series also serves to reflect Africa’s turbulent political landscape and the ongoing battle against its real-life villains.
An AIDS orphan and former child soldier, Batwing, like his fellow cast members, emerges from tragic beginnings that spur his fight against the corruption of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s police force. Created by DC writer Judd Winick and featuring art by Ben Oliver, the series marks the company’s venture into otherwise almost uncharted territory.
Though not deliberately politicized, the use of Africa’s volatility as a backdrop to the more traditional comic book premise naturally raises questions of poverty, public health and violence for discussion. Careful to paint a picture that would resonate across a variety of regions, Minick collaborated with African studies experts to ensure that the character he imagined was both realistic and free of stereotype. Similarly, Batwing’s attempts to eliminate the evil forces threatening his fictional native city reflect the differences between the continent and other settings often used in comic series like that of Batman’s Gotham. Rather than a one-man army, Batwing serves not only to defeat the corruption he is up against, but also to reform his enemies and to use them for positive purposes in light of the challenges he is faced with at home.
Not too long ago, I had the chance to interview Baloji, a Belgian-Congolese rapper, at a video shoot in Brooklyn with MTV Iggy. With a four inch-high wedge of hair, dapper blazer and thick-soled combat boots, Baloji doesn’t look like a typical rapper, but don’t let that fool you. His politically charged lyrics, sung in French, Swahili and other African languages, have bite — and are a constant reminder that you should never forget your roots, no matter where you come from.
Falko Starr is kind of like the Banksy of South Africa — he creates colorful, imaginative and politically inspired street art that adorns sidewalks and buildings — not museum walls.
What’s so interesting about Falko’s work is that it echoes South Africa’s politics and history. He believes that graffiti in Cape Town started as a social cause and emerged out of the sprawling Cape flats, where non-whites were relocated during the apartheid. Falko explains, “a lot of graffiti then had a little political connotation in it. We kind of all just made it up. We were just doing it out of social cause, trying to make a change in our society because it was still apartheid then.”
Imagine using trash to fight poverty. Well, that’s exactly what Vik Muniz, a Brazilian artist based in Brooklyn, accomplished when he traveled to Jardim Gramacho, one of the largest garbage dumps in Brazil, and made art using the waste he found. His creations tell the remarkable story of turning nothing into something and, in this case, that “something” helped a huge group of people. Muniz ended up selling his creations for a whopping $50,000 and donated the proceeds back to the amazing people he met at the garbage dump.
Franz Kafka once said, “All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog.” For any intellectually inclined animal lover, these words definitely ring true — especially for young South African photographer Daniel Naudé. Naudé takes striking, solemn and noble photographs of stray dogs in South Africa and other farm animals. Take a look:
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
