Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first issue of Afrika Now. The journal aims to promote dialogue and scholarship about Africa in an American context, specifically at Yale. There has been increasing emphasis worldwide on issues of African development and self-reliance. This year, the G8 summit theme was Africa; the UN initiated the Millennium Development Goals, with a focus on Africa; 32 out of the 38 Highly Indebted Poor Countries are African, raising pressure on developed countries to drop Third World Debt. In addition, there have been homegrown efforts to promote Africa's development, including the creation of the African Union in 2002 to replace the Organization for African Unity, and of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) at the turn of the millennium. Afrika Now was created in response to the growing need for awareness and dialogue about issues pertinent to Africa. It is hoped that a journal of this nature will be in line with Yale's commitment to foster communication between different groups and cultures.
The first issue brings the question of "African identity" to the forefront. Michael Nkansah (CC '07) attempts to reconcile the plurality of experiences one has as an African and a foreigner, with the historical events that have contributed to a blurring of boundaries and mixed interpretations of what truly is African. The tension between the colonial past and moving towards an integrated Africa is highlighted in Chehani Ekaratne's (JE '07) article on racial quotas in South African national sport, as well as Dambudzo Muzenda's (MC '07) critique of Zimbabwe's failed democracy. Lara Berlin (CC '07) describes community members' efforts to alleviate poverty in Kiberia, a neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya. The interface between traditional and allopathic medicine is portrayed in "Bridging the gap: traditional medicine use in sub-Saharan Africa."
By increasing awareness and developing interest in Africa, Afrika Now hopes to give a glimpse of the amazing kaleidoscope that is Africa, challenge perspectives on the continent and highlight its full potential. We appreciate your feedback and would be glad to get your impressions of and opinions about the journal. We hope that you will enjoy this first issue!
Takudzwa Shumba (BR '07)
Editor-in-Chief |
