The articles below are the most recent additions to the Africa's Image category of Africa InfoServ. To read an article, click on its title. To see more Africa's Image articles or to search a particular topic, click on Africa Archive. Articles marked with a magnifying glass ( ) are longer, more analytical pieces. More detailed background information on this section may be found at the bottom of the page.

There are five subsections in "Africa's Image in the World":

1. Africa in World History
2. African Culture
3. Profiles
4. Contemporary Issues
5. Africa in the Media

Africa in World History
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	1.	Namibia: Where Nujoma wavered
		Author: Paul Trewhela	Date Written: 12 July 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in World History	Document Origin: Politics Web
		Secondary Category: Southern Region	Source URL: http://www.politicsweb.co.za
		Key Words: Namibia, elections, SWAPO, Nujoma,
		Summary & Comment: The Historikerstreit or conflict between historians over Sam Nujoma’s past flared when a 2005, heavily State-funded, USA written and directed film, Namibia: The Liberation Struggle, glorifying the former President was screened for Namibians before elections last November. DN
	2.	South Africa: Thabo Mbek - On talking to the enemy
		Author: Thabo Mbeki	Date Written: 24 May 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in World History	Document Origin: Aljazeera.net
		Secondary Category: Southern Region	Source URL: http://english.aljazeera.net
		Key Words: South Africa, apartheid, terrorist, economy
		Summary & Comment: On the eve of Africa day, Thabo Mbeki, the former president of South Africa, remembers the thorny road to liberation and emphasises the importance of dialogue. South Africa managed to win through talking what it had failed to win through the barrel of the gun. The same antidote might work for Palestine. M.Makoni.
	3.	South Africa: Film - Have you heard from Johannesburg? - Fair Play
		Author: Film Review, Daniel Eagan	Date Written: 19 April 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in World History	Document Origin: Debate list
		Secondary Category: Southern Region	Source URL:
		Key Words: South Africa, film, fair play,
		Summary & Comment: The fourth part of the eight and a half hour historical documentary, Have you heard from Johannesburg?, is entitled Fair Play. It shows how sports boycotts around the world contributed to the collapse of apartheid. It is a powerful account of racism in athletics over the past four decades. DN

African Culture
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	1.	New ZIORI Book: Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean
		Author: Prof. Abdul Sheriff. ZIORI	Date Written: 13 July 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: African Culture	Document Origin: Zanzibar Indian Ocean Research Institute
		Secondary Category: Eastern Region	Source URL: http://udadisi.blogspot.com
		Key Words: dhow cultures, Indian Ocia, Islam, commerce,
		Summary & Comment: The Zanzibar Indian Ocean Research Institute launches a first publication, Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean – Cosmopolitanism, Culture & Islam, by Prof. Abdul Sheriff, Executive Director of ZIORI. "By the fifteenth century, the global world of the Indian Ocean had matured, and Islam became the dominant religion. It spread not by sword but by . . . [expand]
	2.	Book: SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa
		Author: Interview: Kathambi Kinoti & Sokari Ekine	Date Written: 18 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: African Culture	Document Origin: Association for Women’s rights in development
		Secondary Category: Gender	Source URL: http://awid.org/eng
		Key Words: women, activism, mobile phones,
		Summary & Comment: SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa asks important questions about the use of a mobile phone for activism in Africa. Do African women utilize this technology for women’s rights advocacy? In this interview the book’s editor gives her perspective. SMS Uprising: Mobile Activism in Africa is available for purchase from Fahamu. DN
	3.	South Africa: First Poor Peoples World Cup on African soil
		Author: Ashraf Cassiem, Cape Town	Date Written: 17 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: African Culture	Document Origin: Anti-Eviction Campaign
		Secondary Category: Economic Justice	Source URL: http://www.ngopulse.org
		Key Words: South Africa, poor people, World Cup,
		Summary & Comment: In contrast to the FIFA World Cup Cape Town traders and communities negatively affected by FIFA-related urban renewal projects and by-laws invited everybody and created their own contra-World Cup, a creative alternative that does not exploit or marginalize people, but involves them in creating new spaces of exposure and participation. DN

Profiles
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	1.	Tchad: Interview - Djérassem, le génie tchadien de la créativité
		Author: Interview réalisée par Eloi Miandadji	Date Written: 1 July 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Profiles	Document Origin: La Voix du Tchad
		Secondary Category: Central Region	Source URL: http://www.lavoixdutchad.com
		Key Words: Tchad, Djérassem,
		Summary & Comment: "A 35 ans, Djérassem Bémadjiel, cet ingénieur-géologue et expert en stimulation et production des puits de pétrole est à sa deuxième invention. Il a eu à remporter le premier prix au Salon africain de l’invention et de l’innovation technologique en octobre 2009 en énergie interne à une machine sans apport d’énergie externe et cette année la mé . . . [expand]
	2.	New book: Speaking truth to power: Honouring Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem
		Author: Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem,(compiled by Ama Biney & Adebayo Olukoshi)	Date Written: 6 May 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Profiles	Document Origin: Pambazuka News 480
		Secondary Category: Africa General	Source URL: http://www.pambazuka.org
		Key Words: Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem,
		Summary & Comment: Pambazuka Press announces the release of a collection of the late pan-Africanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem’s postcards. 'Speaking Truth to Power: Selected Pan-African Postcards' is available at £14.95 from www.pambazukapress.org. It captures Tajudeen’s voice, intellect, and humour. The book was compiled by Ama Biney and Adebayo Olukoshi, and . . . [expand]
	3.	South Africa: Obituary - Black Sash tribute to Sheena Duncan
		Author: Media Statement	Date Written: 4 May 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Profiles	Document Origin: Black Sash
		Secondary Category: Southern Region	Source URL:
		Key Words: South Africa, Black Sash, patron, Sheena Duncan, obituary,
		Summary & Comment: "This will be her legacy: an enduring commitment to work for justice, an unshaken faith in peaceful ways of doing so, a warm and courageous heart for supporting those who suffer," says the National Director of of Black Sash. Sheena Duncan joined Black Sash in 1963 and served two terms as National President. She was also the founding Chair . . . [expand]

Contemporary Issues
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	1.	South Africa: The myths and realities of the FIFA Soccer World Cup
		Author: Opinion, Dale T. McKinley	Date Written: 14 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Contemporary Issues	Document Origin: Dale T. McKinley
		Secondary Category: Economic Justice	Source URL: http://www.africafiles.org
		Key Words: FIFA, World Cup, myths,
		Summary & Comment: What has really been going on when it comes to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup? This opinion piece counters the mythology around the World Cup that mega-sporting events are vehicles for economic, social and political development that will benefit everyone. The author says "the 2010 FIFA World Soccer Cup is not a metaphor of the historical trium . . . [expand]
	2.	South Africa: The changing political face of the God squad
		Author: Dale T. McKinley	Date Written: 10 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Contemporary Issues	Document Origin: Pambazuka News 485
		Secondary Category: Southern Region	Source URL: http://www.pambazuka.org
		Key Words: South Africa, political face, evangelical churches,
		Summary & Comment: The born-again, evangelical church has penetrated political circles and transformed the religious landscape in South Africa. Life and politics have long been heavily influenced by religion in South Africa, but until recently the evangelical wing has shunned politics. Now a right-wing, ultra-conservative presence uses 24-hour television networks to . . . [expand]
	3.	Strategy to end use of child soldiers across Central Africa
		Author: UN News Service	Date Written: 7 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Contemporary Issues	Document Origin: UN News Service via allafrica.com
		Secondary Category: Central Region	Source URL: http://allafrica.com
		Key Words: Central Africa, rights, conflict, child soldiers, protocol, UNICEF
		Summary & Comment: Despite international efforts to stop the use of child soldiers, they remained heavily involved in conflicts affecting many Central African countries. A new strategy to stop the recruitment and use of children in national armies and armed groups is being discussed in a conference grouping Central African States in Chad. A positive outcome will be g . . . [expand]

Africa in the Media
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	1.	Abolishing insult and criminal defamation laws
		Author: various	Date Written: 8 July 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in the Media	Document Origin: RAP 21, Times of India, PWYP
		Secondary Category: AU/NEPAD	Source URL: http://www.declarationoftablemountain.org
		Key Words: freedom of expression, free press, defamation, laws,
		Summary & Comment: Africa urgently needs a strong, free, and independent press to act as a watchdog over public institutions. Widespread use of insult laws and criminal defamation hinders the press from playing this crucial role and journalists are punished for doing so. The Declaration of Table Mountain, a media industry call, challenges African heads of state to re . . . [expand]
	2.	Call for papers on communication technologies and political change
		Author: various	Date Written: 24 June 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in the Media	Document Origin: University of Cambridge
		Secondary Category: -none-	Source URL: http://www.polis.cam.ac.uk
		Key Words: media, politics, communication, technologies, change,
		Summary & Comment: Researchers, academics, activists, journalists, and policy makers together to discuss whether and how new media empower an alternative politics and mobilise political change. Presentations may be via Skype, podcasts, slideshows, short films, or posters. Potential topics include the use of mobile phone cameras, blogging, text messaging, online socia . . . [expand]
	3.	Too much hype about mobile technology!
		Author: Sokari Ekine	Date Written: 6 May 2010
		Primary Category: Africas Image: Africa in the Media	Document Origin: Pambazuka News 4800
		Secondary Category: Eastern Region	Source URL: http://www.pambazuka.org
		Key Words: mobile technology,
		Summary & Comment: There are some extremely valuable and innovative uses of mobile phones - for advocacy e.g. however, we need to stand still for a while and observe the reality and context of what is happenign on much of the continent, the author says. "There is too much hype." DN

The "Africa's Image in the World" section features articles, essays, reports and other documents that lift up Africa and that are not usually found in international, especially Western, media. Indeed, most coverage of Africa in mainstream international media is adversity-oriented. It perpetuates an image of the continent as backward, poor and violent. While not ignoring issues of adversity, nor romanticizing Africa, "Africa's Image in the World" will include material that broadly contextualizes social, political, economic, cultural and other issues in a manner designed to elicit awareness of and respect for the dignity, dynamism and resilience of the African peoples.

The purpose and content of the five subsections is as follows:

1. Africa in World History - features articles, resources and links that document Africa's rightful place in world history and its contributions to the development of global civilization;
2. African Culture - features articles, resources and links that describe and celebrate African cultural (artistic) contributions;
3. Profiles - features African individuals and groups that have made leading or major contributions to the continent and its peoples;
4. Contemporary Issues - features articles, reports and links that broadly contextualize African social, political, economic, cultural and other issues in a manner designed to elicit awareness of and respect for the dignity, dynamism and resilience of African peoples.
5. Africa in the Media - features analyses of the way Africa is often portrayed in media around the world and offers alternative approaches.

Africa's Image in the world is fundamental to the shape, content, and purpose of AfricaFiles - along with our emphasis on justice and human rights. Originally conceived by Gary Kenny who for many years worked with the Inter-Church Coalition on Africa the five parts of Africa’s Image -  in the media, in history, African culture, contemporary issues, and profiles - aim to counter the persistent African stereotypes in the mainline press’ stories of poverty, war and disease. Africa Image lets Africans speak for themselves, offers alternative views of the issues and resources of the continent, and highlights the humour, strength, vitality, and perseverance of Africa’s many peoples.