🔅 Exploring White Savior Complex, World Bank Reports Africa's Economic Slowdown
Plus, Nigerian Artist Reinterprets Ancient Language, Mauritius Decriminalizes Same-Sex Relations
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Sao Tome Street, São Tomé and Príncipe
Markets:
🟢 Nigerian SE: 66,482.28 (+0.13%)
🟢 Johannesburg SE: 70,564.69 (+0.80%)
🔴 Ghana SE: 3,135.30 (-0.06%)
🔴 Nairobi SE: 95.10 (-0.35%)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,243.52 (-0.47%)
🟢 Shanghai Composite: 3,110.48 (+0.10%)
Forbes 400 List of Richest Americans Released | It’s that time of year again—when Forbes releases its list of the wealthiest Americans and we can all feel like we need to reevaluate our life choices. Elon Musk takes the top spot (again) with a net worth of $251 billion, followed by Jeff Bezos and Larry Ellison. The whole gang is worth a combined $4.5 trillion, which is $500 billion more than last year.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
The "Savior" Who Caused Controversy: A Documentary on the White Savior Complex
Renee Bach, a 19-year-old from a Baptist family in Virginia, felt a divine calling to move to Uganda and start a Christian mission to feed hungry children. But things took a dark turn when she started a full-fledged medical clinic and intensive care unit. Thing is, Renee was unlicensed as a medical practitioner, as was the clinic and ICU. Ultimately, more than 100 children died under her care. As news of the deaths trickled out, activists, lawyers, and volunteers in Uganda demanded answers and justice, and Renee left Uganda to return to the States. Evidence of her time in Uganda is damning, with Bach making diagnoses, administering treatments, and questioning the decisions of Black nurses and doctors on her staff. The HBO documentary series "Savior Complex" delves into this messy story, examining the concept of "white saviorism" and how it played a role in Bach's actions.
A Nigerian Artist's Acclaimed Reinterpretation of a Language From the 5th Century
Victor Ekpuk is making waves in the art world by reimagining an ancient visual communication system called Nsibidi. Used by communities in southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon as far back as the 5th century, Nsibidi is the foundation for Ekpuk's paintings, drawings, and sculptures. His work has been exhibited at prestigious venues around the world and has been collected by institutions like the World Bank and the Smithsonian. Now, his new exhibition in Dubai, titled "INTERwoven TEXTures," celebrates storytelling and cultural intersections through a fusion of Nsibidi symbols, African graphic systems, and Middle Eastern tapestries. Plus, Ekpuk's signature style of abstracted figures and shapes will make you feel like you're decoding a secret language. It's fascinating stuff, and you can take a closer look at his work here.
Africa's Economic Growth Slows, The World Bank Says
The World Bank has some bad news for Sub-Saharan Africa: economic growth is expected to slow down this year, thanks to major players like South Africa, Nigeria, and Angola not pulling their weight. This means that the region will only see a 2.5% growth, compared to 3.6% last year. What's more, per capita growth across the continent has been stagnant since 2015. Apparently, African countries' population is growing much faster than their economies can keep up. And so, for almost ten years, most regions have not seen a per capita increase in income, even if national economies grew; not enough jobs are being created to support this growing, young population. That said, the World Bank expects growth to rebound significantly next year to 3.7% and then to 4.1% in 2025. Until then, the region's poorest and most vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of this economic slowdown.
Fake News on TikTok: Sudanese President's "Leaked Recordings" Exposed
An anonymous TikTok account has been posting fake recordings of Sudan’s former president, Omar al-Bashir, who served as president of Sudan from 1989 to 2019, when he was deposed in a coup d'état. He was subsequently incarcerated, tried and convicted on multiple corruption charges. The TikTok channel with the al-Bashir's fake voice has gained hundreds of thousands of views, adding to the confusion in a country already torn apart by civil war. The 'recordings', which claim to be 'leaked,' are a mix of old press conferences and news reports. With the rise in accessibility of AI technology that can be used to manipulate audio and video, experts are worried about the potential for more widespread and sophisticated fake content, in Sudan and elsewhere. As one researcher put it, "Sophisticated actors have been able to distort reality for decades, but now the average person with little to no technical expertise can quickly and easily create fake content."
Mauritius Supreme Court Decriminalizes Same-Sex Relations
The Supreme Court in Mauritius recently declared the country’s anti-sodomy laws, which were inherited from its British colonial past, unconstitutional. This means that same-sex sexual relations are no longer considered a crime. The decision was made in a case brought by activist Abdool Ridwan Firaas and the advocacy group Collectif-Arc-en-Ciel, who argued that the law violated their constitutional rights. The judges in the case said that the law was a relic from British rule, and did not reflect Mauritian values.
Food for Thought
“To love someone who does not love you is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall.”
— Congolese Proverb.