What started as a student-led protest last Wednesday at Wits University in Johannesburg becomes a nationwide shutdown today in South Africa.

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What started as a student-led protest last Wednesday at Wits University in Johannesburg becomes a nationwide shutdown today in South Africa.

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Designer Spotlight on a game changer in the diaspora:Â
Loza MalĂŠombho, born in Brazil, is representing one of Africaâs fashion power nations, Ivory Coast (CĂ´te dâIvoire). Growing up in Africaâs fashion capital, Abidjan, Loza harnessed her love and passion for design and fabrics at a tender age of 13, designing her school uniform as well as her motherâs uniforms.Â
Eager to push her creative talents further, Loza studied Animation at the University of Philadelphia in the USA. Before launching her own self titled label in 2009, she gained some experience under the guidance of some prominent designers: Jill Stuarts, Yigal Azrouel and Cynthia Rowley.Â
So you may ask, apart from her phenomenal clothing lines that have been showcased at events such as the AFI Mercedes Benz African Fashion Week and receiving worldwide recognition for being phenomenal in her field, what makes her special?Â
Ms. MalĂŠombho moved her company in 2012 back to the continent, specifically, her home city! According to Okay Africa, "Her current mission is to redefine the label âMade in Africaâ with a positive social and economic impact in the West African country.â So I should probably take this time to let you all know that bringing the experience from the diaspora and investing that knowledge on the continent gets my blood racing and my eyes sparkling. So may be just take some time to appreciate her for making this happen.Â
So what exactly does this consist of?Â
OkayAfrica let us know that, âPart of that includes empowering women with a small manufacturing workshop that produces the brandâs collections and hires young women from unfavorable backgroundsâ Loza MalĂŠombho also works closely with local artisans on featured products such as Indigo dye fabric, jewelry, shoes and accessories.âI am also building a brand which celebrates culture and tradition in modernity, but in a way that isnât possible without a multi-perspective... I have lived in different environments and I adapted to different cultures, those experiences have defined who I am and manifest throughout the collections I create. I think there is a market of people who donât identify to only one culture and who relate to that multi-culturalism.â
So let us praise a Queen she is an inspirational figure. At the same time, let us praise Ivory Coast and the hundreds of fashion designers who only know how to slay. Let us hail the African fashion designers all over the continent and in the diaspora who are killing the game.Â
Photo creds: @theafricatheynevershowyou
Info creds:Â
https://www.notjustalabel.com/designer/loza-maleombho
http://www.okayafrica.com/news/loza-maleombho-zaouli-ss16-collection/#slide1
Also, I encourage you all to spend this week learning about the Ivory Coast, if you have the time. This country has a history filled with war but, as we all know, there is more to this nation than the war that played a rollin its history.Â
Loza MalĂŠombhoâs Spring/Summer 2016 Collection Draws Inspiration from Femininity and Guro Culture in Ivory Coast.
Established by Ivorian-Brazilian designer Loza MalĂŠombho in New York City, before locating to CĂ´te dâIvoire in 2012, Lozaâs vision has always been to empower other women and support local artistry with her work. In her latest SSâ16 collection, MalĂŠombho returns once again to CĂ´te dâIvoire, this time in a cultural sense, using a mixture of natural burlap, woven cotten Kente, cotton batik, linen and polyester, to create garments inspired by Zaouli dancers from the Guro ethnic group in northern CĂ´te dâIvoire. More specifically, the collection is inspired by Djela Lou Zaouli, a Guro princess who was renown her beauty and her gracious dancing style.
About the collection, Loza commented that the silhouettes are âmore feminine than they have ever been in past collections.â
The collection was, as with her other more recent lines, made in a small manufacturing workshop that produces the clothing where MalĂŠombho hires young women from with the aim of improving their living and financial conditions.Â
Shop Loza MalĂŠombho.
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The KUUMBA Cultural Show is happening tonight in SSS at 8:30pm! Come for some awesome music, dancing, and culture!
Free Mauritaniaâs Anti-Slavery Activists
Biram Dah Abeid is a leading anti-slavery activist in Mauritania, the country with the highest prevalence of slavery in the world. The organisation he founded, the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement has fought for the freedom of countless men, women and children.
Mauritania fully outlawed slavery in 2007 but has systematically failed to end it in practice. It has fallen to activists like Biram to fight for peopleâsâ freedom and they face regular harassment and harsh treatment in their campaigning.
As you read this Biram and his fellow activists are sitting in a prison cell for their work to end slavery in Mauritania â and we need your help to secure justice. A huge wave of international pressure now could force the Mauritanian government to prioritize ending slavery and stop the harassment of anti-slavery activists.
Please call on the Mauritanian government to free Biram Dah Abeid and his fellow anti-slavery activists.
LETTER TO
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz
Justice Minister Sidi Ould Zein
I am calling on you to immediately and unconditionally release: Biram Dah Abied, Khatri Rahel, Cheikh Val, Chedad Mohamed, Mohamed Vadoua, Dr. Saad Louleyd, Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, Dah Boushad, Abidine Matalla, Samba Diagana, Hassane Mahmoud, Djiby Sow, Kawtal, Brahim Jiddou, Baba TraorĂŠ, Yacoub Inalla, Sabbar Houssein, Hanana Mboyrick and Boubacar Yatma. I also urge you to launch a full, independent and impartial investigation into allegations of torture against Brahim Bilal Ramghane, Khattri Rahel, and Dah Boushab. Dr. Saad Louleyd, who is diabetic, should also be given immediate access to medical care. Mauritania must end the harassment of anti-slavery activists and take positive steps to fully abolish slavery.
Click here to sign the petition.

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13 photos show the beautiful side of Sudan you rarely see in the media
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Fanta Cherif
"Fanta Cherif remains hidden in her house. Her friends donât call her any more and her studies have been put on hold by her illness. The after-effects of the virus lasted for a long time in her case. You can recover from Ebola but still experience symptoms for up to seven weeks."
French photographer Livia Saavedra travelled to the Guinean capital Conakry in October for Waha International to document Ebola survivors who have returned to their communities.
more here.
I was scrolling through the Time Magazine Lightbox when I stumbled upon some photos by Jimmy Nelson, a photographer whose life work is devoted to capturing dying cultures. As I scrolled through the gallery, I noticed that four out of the 13 photos posted were of African tribes. The photos were all truly beautiful, but two caught my attention in particular. There were guns in the photos of the Akree, Bona, Magid, Locharia, Garo & Gobo, Karo Tribe and of a man from the Hilao Moyizo Village, both in the Omo Valley. The juxtaposition between the subjectsâ traditional dress and their modern weapons struck me. How will they change tribal culture? What will they do to tribal interactions? I could not help but wonder if the weapons photographed contributed to the fact that Nelson was photographing dying traditional African cultures â there were more photos from Africa than from any other continent. We talk about globalization on the continent so much, but I think it is important to recognize the effect it has on culture. Africaâs modernization and entrance into the global economy is certainly something that should be encouraged, but the unique cultures that existed before modernization cannot be forgotten and lost.
-Anna Sophia Young, CC '17 Development Projects Coordinator, YAAPD
Mark your calendars for the 2015 Sankofa54: African Youth Empowerment Conference! Registration is officially live! This year's theme is The Next Chapter: Africa in the Global Context. We are excited to come together, as scholars, professionals, and global thinkers and conduct a thoughtful appraisal of Africaâs global presence in order to better understand the unique position in which Africa stands in the world today, and how this next chapter of globalization can lead us into an age of unity and prosperity. To learn more about next year's Sankofa54, please visit our website: yaapd.org
Claim your tickets before early registration ends!
AADAT Social Media Campus Tour Stops at Yale
On Oct. 30 some members of YAAPD and YASA gathered in Berkeley common room to have a stimulating video chat with Sharon Obuobi of AADAT for its African Art & Activism Campus Tour. AADAT is an art platform for African art and activism and generates conversations about the importance of the presence of African art and culture in society.
One of the topics we discussed included studentsâ African Identity within the context of campus and society. Dianne Lake said, âMy African identity has come to encompass what it means to Black in America and Yale. . . it has made me urge to learn more about my culture and also Black American culture.â Daad Sharfi added that for her, being from Sudan, her African identity was something she always grappled with. âMy friends in Sudan identify as Arab, but coming to Yale has made me own my African identity so much more.â For many, coming to terms with their cultural roots and deciding how significantly it is a part of their life is a journey every African Yalie must take. Itâs also one that varies between individuals; our identities are much like branches that sprout from the same seed.
Another important issue discussed was our prospective roles in the future of Africa. We are probably too often reminded of our roles as âthe future leaders of tomorrowâ, but how can we also relate that to our cultural heritage? âI think because of the friendships Iâve made at Yale, I care more intensely about things I Â might not have. . . Â I know a lot about Nairobi and about Kenya, but because my friends are from so many other places I have become more aware of different regions and the issues they face, â said Ivy Nyayieka on the subject. Yaa Ampofo added that for her, âHelping to instill a sense of environmental responsibility into Africaâ was an obligation she felt owed to the continent. Other goals discussed were giving back to communities, helping to foster education and build schools, and provide water and shelter.
As AADAT is especially concerned with issue of African art and activism, the discussion naturally landed on African art and how it plays a role in our lives. Art is everywhere in our lives and it plays a profound role in how we can communicate our beliefs. However, what is an artistâs social responsibility and to what extent should art be used as a medium for political and social commentary? Some African artists have taken to photography as a means to raise awareness for environmental responsibility by capturing the oil spills in Nigeria while some use their craft to advocate for womenâs rights. Still as integral as art may be to the African culture and the diaspora, art is still something greatly undermined in African society. Often, youâll find parents urging their children to pursue careers in the STEM field and even condemning the idea of art as a means to live. Even then, art is something that seems to be greatly undermined in Africansâ eyes. African fashion breathes of vitality and beauty in everything from the rich patterns, fabrics, and textiles that the continent produces, yet itâs not looked upon with the same admiration as fashion is in the western world. How can we teach a continent to be more appreciative of the beauty it creates?
The topics discussed were highly relevant and the discussion left us with many intriguing concepts to think about as we continue our education at Yale, keeping in mind our African identities and how we can best represent the diaspora while weâre on campus.

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Behind the Headlines: Understanding the EBOLA Epidemic and Crisis Relief Initiatives
On October 17th 2014, the Yale World Fellows, the Yale Global Health Leadership Initiative (GHLI) and YAAPD organized a panel to discuss the Ebola epidemic, the international community's response and the path ahead.
This one-hour panel featured Dr. Kristina Talbert-Slagle, a Senior Scientific Officer at the Yale GHLI, Susana Edjang--Yale World Fellow and Economic, Social and Development Affairs Officer for the Executive Office of the U.N. Secretary General, as well as Christopher Lockyear, a Yale World Fellow and the Operations Manager at Doctors Without Borders. The discussion was moderated by Jackson Institute Senior Fellow and Director of Global Health Dr. Elizabeth Bradley.
The discussion started off with the three panelists briefly introducing themselves and was followed by a concise explanation of the epidemiology of the Ebola virus. Dr. Talbert-Slagle emphasized how the virus is transmitted through droplet transmission. The highest risk for person-to-person transmission is prolonged contact with bodily fluids. She also addressed the important point of the capacity of the virus to become airborne only with the accumulation of many mutations in the virus RNA.
The discussion moved forward into addressing what the panelists thought was needed in order to combat the epidemic. The consensus was that the unpredictable nature of the epidemic required a large deployment of well-trained personnel with a strong chain of command. It is not enough to simply be provided with the money to build isolation centers because competent people are needed in staff these centers. Edjang estimated a the number to be 500 to 600 people with the appropriate skills and willingness to work on the ground as the manpower needed.
The panel ended with a 15 minute Q & A session where in audience members, from Undergraduate students to Doctors at the Yale New Haven Hospital, could directly ask questions to the panelists. The conversation that emerged out of questions asked touched on the importance of political will in intervention from the international community as well as the danger of having a self-interested argument in crisis relief initiatives.
Powerful portraits of the Liberians who beat Ebola
To help humanize the overwhelming statistics, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and senior staff photographer at Getty Images, John Moore, visited an Ebola treatment center of the organization, Doctors Without Borders in Paynesville, Liberia. At the treatment center, survivors spoke about the brothers, sisters, husbands and wives they lost due to the disease. They also spoke of recovery, stigmas they continue to face in their villages and renewed hope.
When the media signifies âAfricaâ by using stereotyped images, then you think of stereotypes when you think of African countries. You think of illiteracy, and a need for emigration and escape, and a need for aid. On the Humans of New York page, a man from Kinshasa puts it wonderfully: âWe donât like pictures like this. It is not good to deduce [sic] an entire country to the image of a person reaching out for food. It is not good for people to see us like this, and it is not good for us to see ourselves like this.â Congo has an incredible amount of farmland he points out.
Sometimes, when I complain about unfair images of Africa, students argue that Yale is different. People are educated.
âHow come you know these songs,â a friendâs suitemate will ask him when he sings along to American pop music.
From the photos this boy has seen of Africa, he cannot fathom how it is possible that my friend knows these songs. How is it possible that you, from the continent of wild game and underdevelopment and disease, have had access to Coldplay?
A brilliant article written by Ivy Nyayieka (BC '17) on the media's unjust depictions of 'Africa' and the danger of a one-dimensional view of the continent.
What at all is Pan-Africanism? (FAQâs)
A)Â Â What is Pan-Africanism?
Pan-Africanism emerged as a political movement based on the belief that all people of African descent have an overriding racial identity and that they must unite under this identity to defeat slavery, racism and colonialism, and achieve global equality through national independence.
Today, with national independence for most African people having been achieved, the Pan-African movement aims to secure socio-economic independence for all people of African origin by ensuring the political and economic integration of Africa . Pan-Africanists also want to secure equality for all people of African origin in the global corridors of power.
B)Â Â When did Pan-Africanism start?Â
The formal Pan-Africanist movement can be traced to 1900 when Trinidadian barrister Henry Sylvester Williams organized the 1st Pan-African Congress in London. The Congress was initiated by Williamsâ Pan-African Association to advance their goal of â secur(ing) throughout the world, the same facilities and privileges for the black man as the white man enjoys.â [1] Delegates from Jamaica, Gold Coast ( now Ghana) , Nigeria, Liberia, Canada, Haiti, Trinidad, the United States, Canada and St. Lucia attended this 1st Pan-African Congress.
C)Â Â Some famous Pan-Africanists leaders are?Â
W.E.B Dubois, who co-founded the NAACP was also a prominent Pan-Africanist and organized 4 Pan-African Congresses between 1919 and 1927. He died in Ghana on the eve of the March on Washington.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, though a late-comer to the movement is one of the most well known figures of global Pan-Africanism. When he led Ghana to independence as her 1st Prime Minister  he declared that â the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent,â and backed his words with action by helping to found the O. A.U . He is also credited with coining the term âneo-colonialism, â and was voted the âAfrican of the Millenniumâ by listeners of BBCâs Focus on Africa radio program.  Â
Marcus Garvey was a Jamaican and the founder of the United Negro International Association, a socio-economic movement which sought to empower people of African descent economically by establishing the Negro Factories Corporation and to resolve the American race question by relocating African Americans to Liberia.[2]
Registration for our annual conference is officially open! Each year, The Yale Undergraduate Association for African Peace and Development hosts the SANKOFA54: African Empowerment Conference, a two-day event that aims to provide students with the necessary tools, networks, and mentor relationships needed to effect change.
We recognize that solidarity and communal efforts of students on the continent and abroad is necessary for the future success of African development and peace. But we also acknowledge a need for studying and understanding our history and past, hence the name Sankofa, which is the name of an Adinkra symbol that reminds us of the need to return to the past in order to chart a prosperous and peaceful future. The theme of this year's conference is: Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century. During the conference, we will explore strategies for us to overcome the dilemmas of divisions and how we as individuals, as communities and as nations can work together to forge partnerships that foster success across the continent and promote peace.
This year, we will provide key networking and recruitment opportunities with top companies and NGOs on the continent including groups such as Dalberg Global Development Advisors. Lastly, we are very excited to announce that Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee will be attending as one of this year's keynote speakers.

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Last week, I attended a Dean's tea and discussion with Ruth Botsio in the Afro-American Cultural House. Ruth is a Yale alumna and current Vice President of the Yale Club of Ghana. While she had many wonderful insights and pieces of advice, what stuck with me the most was the way she compared Africa to a light. She said, "It is often said that African is a dark continent but that is a fallacy; Africa is a bright light and it is increasingly getting brighter. The opportunities that currently exist are unparalleled elsewhere." While we don't often think of this, Africa is indeed a continent bursting with intelligence, talent and drive. It is bursting with potential. But potential is nothing without opportunity. As an African living in America, it is easy for me to sit here and discuss all of the talent that is going to waste amidst the conflict and corruption that plague many African countries and yet, do absolutely nothing about it. This discussion with Ruth was a great reminder of the responsibility I have as an African living abroad.
I must think beyond myself. I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend one of the best institutions in the United States. I cannot, however, limit this experience to myself when it is possible to use it to provide opportunities for young people who live in Africa and are just as capable as I am but are just missing the right set of circumstances. As Ruth says, African rising isn't synonymous to me rising. While I admit that my first instinct is to spend the rest of my life in the West because it seems much more convenient to do so, I have to think of the motherland. And for me, the motherland is Sudan.
If we don't invest in Africa-- in its youth and its abundant possibilities-- then who will?