In the 58 years since independence, periods of peace in Sudan have been brief. Today there are new violent clashes unfolding in South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011. While parties meet to discuss a peaceful resolution, this is the story of one man changed forever by the previous civil war, which lasted 22 years and claimed 2 million lives.  Gabriel Bol Deng vividly remembers the first thing he ate when he was in the United States. It was...

How happy is Africa?

The happiest people in sub-Saharan Africa apparently reside in Angola, which ranks #61 in the UN’s recent World Happiness Report, a 156-nation survey of the world’s happiest countries. Angola’s happiness is on par with that of Eastern Europe, and way below the US (#17) and the UK (#22). Although that may not seem like great news, there have been some major strides in sub-Saharan Africa’s general feeling of happiness, which 39 out of 50 sub-Saharan African countries participated in over...