Society & Culture Archives

Tangier launches inaugural ‘Photo Tangier’ festival with maritime-themed showcase

The Moroccan port city of Tangier is hosting the inaugural edition of “Photo Tangier,” an international photography festival that will transform the city into an open-air exhibition space across two and a half months. Running from June 17 to August 31, the event marks a new cultural milestone for a city long defined by its […]

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From Devastating Diagnosis to HIV Activism: Eric’s Story From Burundi

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When Eric was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 26, a doctor delivered a prognosis that might have ended the conversation for many patients. He was told to prepare for his own funeral and to abandon the hope of ever having children. Years later, that same diagnosis has become the foundation of a personal

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Inside New Bell: How a Cameroonian Prison Became an Unlikely Music Hub

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A notorious prison in Cameroon has drawn international attention for an unusual cultural phenomenon: inmates who run their own record label from behind its walls. At New Bell prison, located in the coastal city of Douala, incarcerated musicians have transformed a corner of the jail into an unlikely hub of creative production, recording songs and

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Six ancient Comorian medinas inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

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Six historic medinas spread across the Comoros archipelago have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, recognizing centuries of Swahili-Arab urban life that remain visible in the islands’ living towns today. The decision places Comoros alongside other Indian Ocean states whose coastal cities are celebrated for their layered cultural and architectural histories. A recognition of

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Ghana Activists Call for Legal Protections for Victims of Witchcraft Accusations

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Six years after the killing of a 90-year-old woman accused of witchcraft in Ghana drew international condemnation, campaigners and civil society groups are renewing calls for the country to enact specific legislation protecting those targeted by such accusations. The case, which became emblematic of the dangers faced by elderly people in some Ghanaian communities, exposed

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Nuits d’Afrique festival marks four decades of celebrating African cultures

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Four decades after it first opened its doors to celebrate the rhythms and traditions of the African continent, the Nuits d’Afrique festival is returning for its 40th edition, reaffirming its place as one of the longest-running showcases of African cultural expression outside the continent. The milestone edition underscores the festival’s enduring mission of bringing together

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Somalia launches effort to preserve Radio Mogadishu’s historical audio archive

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A small team of archivists and technicians in Mogadishu is racing against time to digitize decades of recordings held by Radio Mogadishu, Somalia’s main public broadcaster. The collection, which spans several turbulent chapters of the country’s history, is at risk of being lost as the original tapes deteriorate and the equipment needed to play them

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Ethiopian Drill music takes over Addis Ababa’s nightlife scene

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A fast and aggressive style of hip hop that barely existed in Ethiopia a year ago is now reshaping the sound of nightlife in the capital. Drill, a genre characterised by rapid beats and often confrontational lyrics, has moved from online platforms into mainstream bars and nightclubs across Addis Ababa, drawing a young audience eager

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Mandela Day in South Africa: A Legacy Under Strain

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Every year on July 18, South Africans pause to mark the birth of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first democratically elected president and a global symbol of reconciliation. But as the nation confronts persistent inequality, economic hardship, and political polarisation, Mandela Day has evolved from a celebration of the past into a more contested marker of

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South Africa Mourns Veteran Actor Seputla Sebogodi, a Pillar of Stage and Screen for Five Decades

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South Africa is in mourning following the death of veteran actor and theatre stalwart Seputla Sebogodi, whose distinguished career spanned more than five decades and left a lasting imprint on the country’s television and stage industries. Sebogodi was widely regarded as one of the seasoned figures who helped shape South African screen and theatrical performance

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Kenyan court rules against Rastafarian religious use of cannabis in landmark case

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Kenya’s Rastafarian community has lost a long-awaited legal bid to secure the right to use cannabis as part of their religious practice, in what campaigners had hoped would be a landmark ruling on religious freedom in the East African nation. The case, which had been working its way through the courts for several years, sought

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South African Villagers Construct Own Bridge to Access Lifeline Health Clinic

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In a striking example of grassroots self-reliance, residents of a rural South African community have built their own bridge to ensure they can reach a nearby clinic, underscoring the persistent infrastructure challenges facing many remote settlements in the country. A Community Takes Matters Into Its Own Hands Without a proper crossing over a river or

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