Glocal Citizens

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Over the week/weekend just passed, the world recognized International Women’s Day (https://www.internationalwomensday.com) as well as Ghana’s 68th Independence Day (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFioERq8Xfc). Both happenings inspire thoughts, reflections, and movement in my heart and mind especially as I, we sit in constant review of the world we are making, remaking and re-imagining for our now. My conversation this week, in our continued March Herstories Month series is with British-Ghanaian, Elvina Quaison (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/guests/elvina-quaison), is with a diaspora working intently with and within communities engaged in this re-imagining. Now based back in the London after relocating to Brussels since our last conversation, where she supported diaspora and government representatives as Diaspora Engagement Specialist for the EU Global Diaspora Facility (EUDiF), a pilot project funded by the European Commission and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Elvina recently took on the role of CEO with Shabaka (https://shabaka.org), a values-driven consulting and research organization focused on diaspora and migrants' humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery. Elvina has worked in the international development field, with a focus on African diaspora, for over 20 years with experience spanning diaspora engagement in humanitarianism, development, private and public sector as well as within civil society. She specializes in diaspora and private sector investment with a focus on the utilization of diaspora investment to enhance economic growth in countries of heritage and residence. Our conversation is a wonderful flash forward offering a hopeful persective on how #dynamicdiasporans are engaging with the concept and a #borderlessmindset, and #manifestinganewworld. Where to find Elvina? On LinkedIn (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/elvina-quaison) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sesa4life/) What’s Elvina reading? Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (https://www.loa.org/books/643-kindred-fledgling-collected-stories/) Other topics of interest: Notes on serving on boards (https://blog.boardsource.org/blog/recruiting-for-board-diversity-with-respect) On Belgium’s Human Zoo (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/16/belgium-comes-to-terms-with-human-zoos-of-its-colonial-past) Brussel’s AfricaMuseum (https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/13/belgium-museum-wrestles-with-colonial-past-with-40000-objects-tainted-with-violence) On the brutality of Belgium’s King Leopold (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53017188) On Onyekachi Wambu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyekachi_Wambu) A conversation with Sophia Stewart, creator of The Terminator and The Matrix (https://youtu.be/tjrpMZXPyKY?si=rIyrvNgrBDosz2yY) Shifters Play UK (https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/shifters-west-end/) About Supacell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supacell) Special Guest: Elivina Quaison.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! As is our tradition, this month is all about herstories. Kicking it off is fellow Stanford Cardinal and return guest, Stacy Kirk (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/154). Stacy has over 15 years of experience helping organizations and entrepreneurs achieve their visions through technology and process optimization. She specializes in strategies that drive sustainable growth and scalability, with a passion for supporting diverse, small businesses. Stacy excels at turning visionary ideas into practical solutions, enabling success for her clients. Her dedication to innovation and inclusion continues to make a lasting impact in the business world. As the founder of QualityWorks (https://qualityworkscg.com/) , she empowers visionary entrepreneurs to achieve their go-to-market goals through technology, AI, and an iterative release process. Continuing to expand on her tech activism Stacy is increasingly dedicating her craft to social impact and human progress for all. She recently teamed up with another fellow Stanford Alum, Dr. Anndretta Lyle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anndretta) as co-founder of Thrive Culture Box (https://www.thriveculturebox.com) which is all about empowering families and educators to change the ways that we are building knowledge in Black communities. Where to find Stacy? (@posture)https://www.postured.io (@Quality Works Consulting Group)[https://qualityworkscg.com] On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacynkirk/) On (Instagra)[https://www.instagram.com/sweetstace21/] What’s Stacy Reading? Life Is a Comeback : 299 Inspiring Success Stories of Redemption, Determination, Second Chances, Forgiveness, and the Amazing Force of the Human Spirit (https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Life-Comeback/Daron-Dr-Comeback-Fordham/9798218407988?id=9284812808941&gQT=0) byDaron “Dr. Comeback” Fordham (https://www.news-journal.com/daron-dr-comeback-fordham-award-winning-filmmaker-screenwriter-poet-and-former-tech-ceo-releases-life/article_39bc7621-3d58-5f0c-812e-80c306558a9a.html) Other topics of interest: Thrive Culture Box in Black Enterprise (https://www.blackenterprise.com/mompreneurs-collaborate-to-launch-thrive-culture-box-for-black-children/) Black Arts Camp (https://my.blackartscamp.com) The Bionic Woman Series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bionic_Woman) Special Guest: Stacy Kirk.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week’s episode has been in the making since Episode 122 guest, Natasha Moore introduced us last spring. I’m joined by interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, scholar and educator, specializing in dance forms of the African Diaspora, Winston Benons, Jr. He has extensive training in Afro-Cuban, Haitian, Afro-Brazilian, and Bomba dance, complemented by studies in Horton and Dunham modern dance techniques. He has curated and led intensive programs in culture and dance techniques in both New York City and Cuba. He is the Founder and Director of tRúe Culture & Arts, an organization dedicated to facilitating cultural exchanges, workshops, and academic residencies. His works have explored the intersections between Theater and Performance Studies, Curation and Visual Culture culminating in a thesis entitled Marked: The Racialization Of African Phenotypes And Creation Of An Embodied Archive. Also an educator, he served as a lecturer at Pace University and an adjunct faculty member at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has also held guest faculty positions at Ballet Hispánico, Peridance, Djoniba Dance & Drum, and Cumbe. He is currently the US/MS IB Dance educator at Brooklyn Friends School. Recent choreography and direction credits include http://%22%E2%80%8C%22 and http://%22%E2%80%8C%22 with On Site Opera, where he also served as the cultural advocate. Most recently, he developed and performed part 1 of a series entitled Conversations with Rothko at the SMART Museum in Chicago. Where to find Winston? the-culturalist.com (https://www.the-culturalist.com/) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/winston-benons-jr-b131074/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/wbenonsjr/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tRueCultureArts/?view_public_for=142096181671) What’s Winson watching? Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (https://a24films.com/films/moonlight) and other works Dianne Reeves (https://diannereeves.com) Other topics of interest: From British Guiana to Guyana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyanese_people) The Country of Five People (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyanese_people) Madeira Islands What’s The Highline (https://www.thehighline.org)? How Chemical Bank became Chase ASWAD - Assocation for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (https://www.aswadiaspora.org/) Wideman Davis Dance (http://widemandavisdance.org/)

Greetings Glocal Citizens! As I head back to the Continent, I can’t help but to train my mind on what it takes to seed and sow solutions in Africa’s best interest. This week’s guest has also been invested in these types of solutions for his entire career. A serial social entrepreneur, innovation consultant, service designer, learning scientist and startup coach, Femi Longe is passionate about helping individuals and organizations be and do their best to enable a better world. Born in the UK, raised in his Nigera and now based in Ireland, Femi currently works on the Financial Freedom team at the Human Rights Foundation (https://hrf.org) as Global Bitcoin Lead, driving strategy and execution of the HRF’s Bitcoin Development Fund, This is a fund dedicated to growing adoption of Bitcoin and adjacent freedom technologies especially in countries under repressive regimes. Previously, he was the CEO of QALA Africa (https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/09/05/jay-z-and-jack-dorsey-funded-btrust-acquires-african-bitcoin-talent-firm-qala/) — acquired by Btrust and transformed into Btrust Builders, which is an engineering training programme helping African software developers transition to careers in Bitcoin & Lightning development. Prior to joining the Bitcoin ecosystem, Femi co-founded and remains a non-executive Director at Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) (https://cchub.africa), Africa’s leading social innovation centre and tech hub. Earlier in his career, he gained experience at the UK's foremost social innovation centre, The Young Foundation, where he established the UpRising Leadership Programme. As the transitions between the Stone Age to Bronze Age, and various different human technologies delivered us to the Industrial Age and presently the Information Age, all contributing the imprint that is humanity today, I am extsatic to be a storyteller with the ability to share perspectives like these. Stories that support and inspire a borderless mindset and are indeed manifesting a new world. Where to find Femi? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-longe/) On YouTube (https://youtu.be/05Pfg89FZkg?si=mJcdPT8VDdRrS3k4) What’s Femi watching? Wicked (https://www.wickedmovie.com) Emilia Pérez (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia_P%C3%A9rez) What’s Femi reading? Start with Why (https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/) by Simon Sinek Other topics of interest: Ilesa, Nigeria (https://www.osunstate.gov.ng/about/major-towns/ilesa/) Ijesha tribe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijesha) About AIESEC (https://aiesec.org/) Silk Road (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road) Satoshi Nakamoto’s Bitcoin Vision (https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf) Meme Coin Spoils (https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/trumps-meme-coin-made-nearly-100-million-trading-fees-small-traders-lost-money-2025-02-03/) Sam Bankman-Fried (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bankman-Fried) and the collapse of FTX What happened to Silcon Valley Bank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Silicon_Valley_Bank) About South Korean crypto currency entrepreneur Do Kwon (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7r8xr3v76o) Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziGD7vQOwl8) On Moring Pages (https://www.urbanwildstudio.com/blog/2024/2/21/benefits-of-morning-pages-artists-way-graphic-notes) Special Guest: Femi Longe.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! It’s the eve of the Lunar New Year - the year of the Wood Snake, which in combination represent growth, flexibility, tolerance, wisdom, intuition, mystery, and cunningness with hints of furtiveness. These themes are a fitting context for this two-part conversation with Ghanaian-Brit, Akua Ofosuhene. Akua is an active and vocal plant medicine advocate and a psychedelic guide specializing in Psyliosibin (magic mushrooms) and Ayahuasca. Advising on intentions and integration she helps her clients get the most out of the psychedelic experience by teaching them other supporting healing modalities furthering healing and growth. She has spoken at the UK's largest psychedelic conference, Breaking Convention where she is also on the management board, Oxford University, UCL, Drug Science, Psychedelic Society UK, and at many other events and podcasts. As the founder of African Spiritual Practices Events and Retreats she will be facilitating her first Ayahuasca retreat in Ghana, with plants grown locally in Ghana, February 16-22, 2025. The podcast is no stranger to this sector, listen and learn more from mental health futurist, Sara Reed (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/guests/sara-j-reed) and stay tuned for an upcoming conversation with writer and professor, Dr. Nicholas Powers about his newest work, Black Psychedelic Revolution (https://www.blackpsychedelicrevolution.com). Where to find Akua and register for the upcoming retreat? https://www.akuao.com/ On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/akuaofosuhene/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/akuaofosuhene/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/akua.ofosuhene.7/) On TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@akua.ofosuhene) On X (https://twitter.com/AkuaOfosuhene/status/1861006456579133447) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@akua1969/featured) What’s Akue reading? Addiction Expert, Gabor Maté (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabor_Mat%C3%A9) and his book Hold on to Your Kids (https://drgabormate.com/book/hold-on-to-your-kids/) Diane Benscoter (https://dianebenscoter.com) and Shoes of A Servant (https://dianebenscoter.com/books/) What’s Akua watching? The Real Housewives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Housewives) Other topics of interest: Who was Okomfa Anokye? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okomfo_Anokye) About Mampong (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mampong#:~:text=History,-See%20also:%20Asante&text=Agona%2DAkrofoso%2C%20often%20regarded%20as,Botaase%2C%20later%20known%20as%20Mampong) Gyetiase Village (https://ashantidevelopment.org/2024/11/ashanti-developments-museum-in-gyetiase/) Yaa Asantewaa War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Golden_Stool) A brief history of Denim Styles in the 1970s (https://www.denue.ca/blog/history-class/a-brief-history-denim-in-the-1970s) About Camden Lock Market (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Market) About Carnaby Street (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnaby_Street) A Punk Perspective (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpcu.12698) Kirikou and the Sorceress (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirikou_and_the_Sorceress) Animated Film Social-economic Impacts of Ebola in West Africa (https://www.undp.org/africa/publications/socio-economic-impact-ebola-virus-disease-west-africa) EMDR - Rapid Eye Movement Therapy (https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/treatment/emdr-therapy) EFT Tapping (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eft-tapping) African Perspectives on Igoba (https://www.iceers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ENG_ICEERS_IBOGA_Phase-2.pdf) Creator of eutaptics® FasterEFT™, Robert Gene Smith (https://skillstochange.com/pages/meet-robert-g-smith?srsltid=AfmBOoqtgZt2x111Qsrm6jONzm3vrFbU9L8yQa54YEnZQU6MaLWd4GtP) Byron Katie and The Work (https://thework.com) Ayahuasca Plant Science (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQmakP3ihA) The Ayahuasca Manifesto (https://doorofperception.com/wp-content/uploads/Ayahuasca-Manifesto_Anonymous_May-1st-2012.pdf) Special Guest: Akua Ofosuhene.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! It’s the eve of the Lunar New Year - the year of the Wood Snake, which in combination represent growth, flexibility, tolerance, wisdom, intuition, mystery, cunningness, and with hints of furtiveness. These themes are a fitting context for this two-part conversation with Ghanaian-Brit, Akua Ofosuhene. Akua is an active and vocal a plant medicine advocate and a psychedelic guide specialising in Psyliosibin (magic mushrooms) and Ayahuasca. Advising on intentions and integration she helps her clients get the most out of the psychedelic experience by teaching them other supporting healing modalities that furthers healing and growth. She has spoken at the UK's largest psychedelic conference Breaking Convention where she is also on the management board, Oxford University, UCL, Drug Science, Psychedelic Society UK, and at many other events and podcasts. As the founder of African Spiritual Practices events and Retreats she will be facilitating her first Ayahuasca retreat in Ghana, with plants grown locally in Ghana, February 16-22, 2025. The podcast is no stranger to this topic listen and learn more from mental health futurist, Sara Reed (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/guests/sara-j-reed) and stay tuned for an upcoming conversation with the a writer and professor, Dr. Nicholas Powers about his newest work Black Psychedelic Revolution (https://www.blackpsychedelicrevolution.com). Where to find Akua and register for the upcoming retreat? https://www.akuao.com/ On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/akuaofosuhene/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/akuaofosuhene/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/akua.ofosuhene.7/) On TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@akua.ofosuhene) On [X}(https://twitter.com/AkuaOfosuhene/status/1861006456579133447) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@akua1969/featured) What’s Akue reading? Addiction Expert, Gabor Maté (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabor_Mat%C3%A9) and his book Hold on to Your Kids (https://drgabormate.com/book/hold-on-to-your-kids/) Diane Benscoter (https://dianebenscoter.com) and Shoes of A Servant (https://dianebenscoter.com/books/) What’s Akua watching? The Real Housewives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Housewives) Other topics of interest: Okomfa Anokye (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okomfo_Anokye) Mampong (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mampong#:~:text=History,-See%20also:%20Asante&text=Agona%2DAkrofoso%2C%20often%20regarded%20as,Botaase%2C%20later%20known%20as%20Mampong) Gyetiase (https://ashantidevelopment.org/2024/11/ashanti-developments-museum-in-gyetiase/) Yaa Asantewaa War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Golden_Stool) A brief history of Denim Styles in the 1970s (https://www.denue.ca/blog/history-class/a-brief-history-denim-in-the-1970s) About Camden Lock Market (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden_Market) About Carnaby Street (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnaby_Street) A Punk Perspective (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jpcu.12698) Kirikou and the Sorceress (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirikou_and_the_Sorceress) Animated Film Social-economic Impacts of Ebola in West Africa (https://www.undp.org/africa/publications/socio-economic-impact-ebola-virus-disease-west-africa) EMDR - Rapid Eye Movement Therapy (https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/treatment/emdr-therapy) EFT Tapping (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eft-tapping) African Perspectives on Igoba (https://www.iceers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ENG_ICEERS_IBOGA_Phase-2.pdf) Creator of eutaptics® FasterEFT™, Robert Gene Smith (https://skillstochange.com/pages/meet-robert-g-smith?srsltid=AfmBOoqtgZt2x111Qsrm6jONzm3vrFbU9L8yQa54YEnZQU6MaLWd4GtP) Byron Katie and The Work (https://thework.com) Ayahuasca Plant Science (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqQmakP3ihA) The Ayahuasca Manifesto (https://doorofperception.com/wp-content/uploads/Ayahuasca-Manifesto_Anonymous_May-1st-2012.pdf) Special Guest: Akua Ofosuhene.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! I had the pleasure of hosting this conversation late last year and it’s now right on time as my guest, Elizabeth Solaru and her team hosted their 2025 Diversity in Luxury Awards (https://diversityinluxury.com/awards/) last week in London. Born and raised between the UK And Nigeria, Elizabeth is an author, international keynote speaker and award-winning entrepreneur. Formerly a scientist and headhunter, she honed her expertise in understanding luxury clients having successfully founded the world-renowned and multi-award-winning atelier Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium (https://elizabethscakeemporium.com) and the Luxury Business Emporium. Author of the best-selling book, OPULENCIA (https://elizabethscakeemporium.com/book/), Elizabeth is the co-host of the Luxury Business Podcast (https://luxurybusinessemporium.com/luxury-business-podcast/) and Luxury News Weekly Podcast (https://luxurybusinessemporium.com/luxury-news-weekly/), a humorous and informative news commentary podcast focusing on luxury news and the business of luxury. Creator of the first million-dollar cake NFT, she is considered to be a leading expert in the world of luxury selling. As an international speaker, she has spoken in 30 cities around the world and her latest book, The LUXpreneur: How to start and build a successful luxury brand (https://a.co/d/82fEQhe) extends that global reach changing the narrative on how to build a luxury business by providing an in-depth analysis of luxury entrepreneurship and client psychology. Where to find Elizabeth? www.luxurybusinessemporium.com (https://luxurybusinessemporium.com/about/) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-solaru-1ba901/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethsCakeEmporium/) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqOSZGvG5unX6e9EXO6VPSw) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/elizabethscakeemporium/) On TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@luxurybusinessguru) What’s Elizabeth reading? Clarity (https://jamesclear.com/quotes/clarity-is-freedom-know-what-is-important-to-you-and-it-will-grant-you-the-freedom-to-ignore-everything-else and books by James Clear) Other topics of interest: About Pimlico, London (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimlico) About Barnet, UK (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Borough_of_Barnet) Lady Elizabeth Anson (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/world/europe/lady-elizabeth-anson-dead.html) Bain’s Luxury in Transition Report (https://www.bain.com/insights/luxury-in-transition-securing-future-growth/) NFT 101 (https://nftnow.com/guides/what-is-nft-meaning/) Chanakya School of Craft (https://chanakya.school) Tea at The Dorchester (https://www.dorchestercollection.com/london/the-dorchester/dining/afternoon-tea) Tea at the Ritz (https://www.theritzlondon.com/dine-with-us/afternoon-tea/) About Tea at sketch (https://www.laurashumbleabode.com/laurashumbleabode/blog/review-afternoon-tea-at-sketch-london) Tea at the Shard (https://www.the-shard.com/news-events/events/2022/skyline-afternoon-tea-at-ting/) Tea at the Taj (https://www.taj51buckinghamgate.co.uk/en/dine-central-london/kona-afternoon-tea/) Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley (https://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/restaurants-bars/cedric-grolet-at-the-berkeley/) Special Guest: Elizabeth Solaru.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! After spending the new year chasing Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights (linkhttps://www.space.com/15139-northern-lights-auroras-earth-facts-sdcmp.html) in the North of Ireland and communing with friends and family there and in the UK, I’m back in NYC grounding and self-caring for a bit. The not so great news is that I just missed seeing the Northern Lights live, but now I’m that much more prepared for the next time. The great news is that I was able to catch up with this week’s guest, Ghanaian actor, producer and casting director, Agbeko “Bex” Mortty before he heads to the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (https://miscifi.com) representing Ghana with The B.A.T.U. Project: ADAM THE FIRST, Ghana’s first feature length science fiction film. He has stared in films and series like the Tribeca Film Festival award winning film Children of the Mountain, Shampaign, Men Don’t Cry, The Cursed Ones, and the world No. 1 Netflix Original Sci-Fi TV series AWAY, staring Hilary Swank and Josh Charles. His production titles include Children of the Mountain, Amerikafuo and The B.A.T.U Project: ADAM THE FIRST. As casting director his projects include FREETOWN, PARADISE and Children of the Mountain. In addition, he is also an IT consultant and an enstooled chief in Ghana’s Volta Region, which Bex tells us all about in this in depth tour of his experiences as a returnee. Where to find Bex? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/agbeko-bex-mortty-a64638/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thebexstage/?hl=en) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thebexstage/) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@bexthethespian9369) What’s Bex reading? Producing Independent Feature Films That Make Money (https://a.co/d/6LllH3K) by Rick Jenkins Other topics of Interest? About Tamale (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIdiT-cory2qFeq4pjLV70iWEUiDyj7YN&si=LwI04yRgHKqfaS-O), the Dagomba People (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagomba_people) and Dagbani language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagbani_language) The Yaa Centre in London (https://www.facebook.com/YAACentreW9/) About Gbledi (https://www.facebook.com/AfadjatoViaGbledi/?locale=da_DK), in Hohoe, Volta Region Ghana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohoe) Ghana Inaugurates, John Dramani Mahama as President (https://www.youtube.com/live/qSbNx_ZAZwM?si=FmM60e4aD9xLEse9) Africa Cinema Summit (https://africacinemasummit.com) About Filmmaker M. Sayibu (https://www.atfmovie.com/cast-crew#:~:text=Writer%2FDirector-,M.,ultimately%20achieved%20under%20his%20helm.) About Silver Star Tower, Accra (https://www.silverstartowers.com) and their Corporate Run Ghana Initiative (https://thebftonline.com/2024/08/11/14th-global-media-alliance-japan-motors-corporate-run-and-walk-launched/#google_vignette) Where did my Aurora chasing take me in Ireland? (https://youtu.be/S8cFHfOzeEE?si=ODxBM2hix5bq-eFj) Special Guest: Agbeko “Bex” Mortty.

New Year Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week we meet Aimée Wallin, co-director at the non-profit Ghana Food Movement. Born of Swedish and Mallian heritage, since completing her studies in Ghana, she calls Ghana home and finds herself a political foodie advocating for local eating, sustainable production methods and preservation of black food cultures. Ghana Food Movement is a network for food actors in Ghana with the vision of a resilient local food system that provides jobs and nutritious food for all Ghanaians. At the end of December, they celebrated the opening of their food education hub in Accra, check out the festivities here (https://www.instagram.com/ghanafoodmovement/reel/DEFxbIGiS0T/). The kitchen is open! Where to find Aimée? Ghana Food Movement (https://www.ghanafoodmovement.com/ourevents) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimée-wallin-a74167153/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/aimee.wav/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/awallin1) What’s Aimée reading? Butter Honey Pig Bread (https://a.co/d/hgTcgix) by Francesca Ekwuyasii (https://youtu.be/czTFnvrH2FI?si=hJMOjxnatdq9pHHq) Jollof and Other Revolutions (https://a.co/d/dHZOguL) by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi (https://ogunyemi.net) Other topics of interest: About Mali (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali) Sweden through the Ages (linkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden) Agricology (https://www.organicresearchcentre.com/our-research/research-project-library/agricology/) On Food Insecurity (https://www.fao.org/4/al936e/al936e00.pdf) Malian Cuisine (https://mintteatrails.com/malian-food/) Try Fonio Flakes (https://www.instagram.com/nourimeal/) The Blue Skies (https://blueskies.com/our-story/) Story Perspectives on Sankofa (https://sankofa.org/about) Food Sovereignty Ghana (https://www.facebook.com/FoodSovereigntyGhana/#)

New Year’s Eve Greetings Glocal Citizens! As we bid 2024 farewell, we have another Glocal Citizen to thank for our connection with this weeks guest. This fall in Accra, Rita Kusi (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/guests/rita-kusi) and her team hosted their Global Conference on Human Resources in Africa 2024 (https://gchrafrica.com/) where this week's guest was a featured panelist sharing her expertise as a leading business leader in the technology space. Ghanaian born and raised, Deborah Asmah is a trailblazing expert in digital governance and fintech, whose contributions have significantly impacted Ghana's fintech landscape. Her innovative approaches have enabled seamless access to payment tools, promoted financial inclusion, and driven digital transformation in various sectors. She is co-founder of Npontu Technologies Ltd (https://npontu.com/), a tech company specialising in the use of AI for the provision of financial solutions and digital transformation. As a Certified Information Privacy Manager with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), she is also an ardent activist for Public Policy. With extensive research experience at the intersection of technology and financial inclusion she is passionate about leveraging digital tools and platforms to bridge social divides and promote financially inclusive, sustainable societies. Where to find Deborah? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-asmah-cipm-8524585a/?originalSubdomain=gh) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/deborahasmah/) On X (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://twitter.com/mameasmah&ved=2ahUKEwjKtK_MlsmKAxWnPjQIHTM8IB4QFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3wI8aQ_5IYLeo9v9_lWKip) What’s Deborah listening to? Jubilare Group (https://www.jubilaregrouplbg.com/) Other topics of interest: Winneba, Ghana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winneba) Ghana Skills and Knowledge Bank (https://gksb.gov.gh) Ghana’s Ministry of Communications and Digitization (https://moc.gov.gh) On the Digital Financial Landscaape in Ghana (https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2022/09/digital-financial-inclusion-and-security-the-regulation-of-mobile-money-in-ghana?lang=en) About National Service in Ghana (https://www.nss.gov.gh) What are WAEC and BECE (https://waecgh.org/history/)? Stanford Seed (https://stnghana.org/about/) Special Guest: Deborah Asmah.

Season’s Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week on the podcast, our first guest, Cordie Aziz is back with fresh insights from her work and life changes since our first conversation. Cordie, now a mother of three is Founder and Executive Director of Enviornment360 an NGO that has successfully executed sustainable waste management projects in urban and coastal communities in Greater Accra and Kumasi. Cordie’s achievements include creating of the first successful community plastic collection program in Accra; developing the first waste picker-run sorting center in West Africa; and successfully partnering with local and national agencies as the recycling coordinator for the city of Accra, to name a few. We recorded this conversation during the ramp up to their 10th anniversary celebration at their new headquarters. In this conversation, we catch up on how Cordie is designing her work-life balance with purpose, allowing her to continue to evolve as an entreprenuer while staying rooted in her new role as a working mother. Where to find Cordie? Check out the show notes (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/252) from her first appearance. Other topics of interest: Jackson State University (https://www.jsums.edu) GhScientific (https://ghscientific.com) About Australian Aid (https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/australian-aid-brochure.pdf) What is Verra (https://verra.org)? Special Guest: Cordie Aziz.

Anniversary Greetings Glocal Citizens! We’ve been coming together nearly every week for five years. On this day in 2019, this two-part interview with my first guest launched the podcast. In celebration and commemoration, stay tuned for episodes throughout the year revisiting past guests and catching up “Where are they now?” style. This week it’s a flashback to the very beginning with our first guest, environmentalist and social entrepreneur, Cordie Aziz. It’s delighting that this conversation stands the test of time and is as relevant then as now. Check out the show notes for Cordie’s other episodes to find out more about her then. And come back next week to catch up on Cordie’s now. Where to find Cordie? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordie-aziz-917b9a7/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/environment360/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/intellectualgoddess) On X (https://x.com/goneiighana) What’s Cordie reading? Discerning the Voice of God (https://www.cokesbury.com/9780802450128-Discerning-the-Voice-of-God?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_t4OyS1wxydHbmB2Eq85Vichy5_&gclid=CjwKCAiAmfq6BhAsEiwAX1jsZ1wS8QDq7tosbeE_VnxrRzxbNt3srDVs2nkUOSFipmwQFEaDq5co3BoCbhcQAvD_BwE) by Priscilla Shirer Topics of interest: On Dumsor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumsor) Kwasia! (https://quizlet.com/gb/414844637/twi-curses-flash-cards/) Take a trip to Dodowa Market (link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp8TmtS1Nbw) What is waste picking (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_picker)? About GIZ Ghana (https://accra.diplo.de/gh-en/mittler-giz-1097526) What is PET (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/polyethylene-terephthalate)? A bit about the recycilng lifecycle of a plastic bottle (https://www.rts.com/blog/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/#:~:text=The%20recycling%20process%20has%20several,goods%2C%20including%20new%20water%20bottles!) Special Guest: Cordie Aziz.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week is the finale of our writing as activism series at the 2024 Pa Gya! Literary Festival (https://writersprojectghana.com/pagyafest/). It has been such a pleasure bringing the works and words of these writers to a wider audience. It has been a wonderful multi-generational compilation of wisdom across genres. Joining us this week is Ivana Akotowaa Ofori, a Ghanaian storyteller. Known also by the alias, “The Spider Kid,” she is a weaver of words in many forms, including fiction, non-fiction and spoken-word poetry. Akotowaa has been nominated for various awards for her prose writing. Her work is included in the Flash Fiction Ghana anthology, Kenkey for Ewes and Other Very Short Stories, and the Writivism anthology, And Morning Will Come. She is also included in the Africa Risen Anthology 2022 (http://Tor.com) with her short story, “Exiles of Witchery”. Akotowaa’s debut novella, The Year of Return (2023) (https://www.android-press.com/product-page/the-year-of-return-paperback) has been published in the US with Android Press and in West Africa with Smartline publishers. Writing aside, Akotowaa spends much of her time looking for excuses to make everything purple and this imaginative, playful spirit definitely shines through our conversation. Where to find Akotowaa? On Akotowaa’s Blog (https://akotowaa.wordpress.com/) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivana-akotowaa-ofori-60b54620a/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/akotowaa/?hl=en) On X (https://x.com/_akotowaa?lang=en) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Akotowaavimusic/) What’s Akotowaa watching? Dr. Who (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who) Sherlock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_(TV_series)) What’s Akotowaa reading? The Color Purple by Alica Walker (https://alicewalkersgarden.com/books/book-the-color-purple/) How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (https://safiyasinclair.com/home-how-to-say-babylon) Saltwater Slavery by Stephanie E. Smallwood (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674030688) Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (https://jennifermakumbi.net/portfolio-item/manchester-happened-lets-tell-this-story-properly/) Nighbloom by Peace Adzo Medie (https://www.peacemedie.com) Other topics of interest: Black Girls Glow (https://blackgirlsglow.org) and the KOSHKA Sound Residency (https://youtu.be/NAG6rKJEoE4?si=NScETAJX-wS8lMDf) Burma Camp, Accra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_Armed_Forces) About Roald Dahl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl) Ananasesem (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1762627273941978&id=142243112647077&set=a.1201015243436520#) About Kente Cloth (https://umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum/teacher-resources/games-crafts/kente-cloth-project/#:~:text=The%20origin%20is%20explained%20in,use%20materials%20to%20weave%20kente.) Special Guest: Ivana Akotowaa Ofori.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! We are nearing the end of our Writing As Activism series @ the Pa Gya! Literary Festival in Accra. This week in our second to last installment, Ghanaian writer and editor who has won acclaim as a children's author, poet, broadcaster and novelist, Nii Ayikwei Parkes joins the conversation. Winner of multiple international awards including the ACRAG (Arts Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana) award, his novel Tail of the Blue Bird won France's two major prizes for translated fiction – Prix Baudelaire and Prix Laure Bataillon – in 2014. Nii Ayikwei is the founder of flipped eye publishing (https://flippedeye.net), a leading small press; serves on the boards of World Literature Today and the AKO Caine Prize; and was chair of judges for the 2020 Commonwealth Prize. Translated in multiple languages, he has also written for National Geographic, Financial Times, the Guardian and Lonely Planet. His most recent books are poetry collections The Geez and The Ga Picture Alphabet and Azúcar (https://www.peepaltreepress.com/books/azucar), a novel. Currently Producer of Literature and Talks at Brighton Festival, he is the author of two collections of poetry The Makings of You (2010) and The Geez (2020), both published by Peepal Tree Press. In this conversation, we journey with Nii through his works, his entreprenuership, his love for food and rum, and much more! See Nii in converation at Pa Gya! here (https://www.youtube.com/live/fEFByAZDgwo?si=Cp2R4hSp5XcNiOva). Where to find Nii? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/niiayikwei/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/niiayikweiparkes/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ayikweiparkes/) On X (https://x.com/BlueBirdTail) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/NiiParkes_A) On Tik Tok (https://www.tiktok.com/@niiayikweiparkes) On BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/niiayikwei.bsky.social/post/3kbj5pcnbso2l) What’s Nii listening to? Gene Noble (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCRUMqB8CNGlFwJpwjALL-w) Blues Man Robert Cray (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cray) The Roots (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roots) Cody Chesnutt + The Roots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKw_umLS56A) and Headphone Masterpiece (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Headphone_Masterpiece) Nii’s Pan-African Activism Essential Reading list: Howard W. French, Born In Blackness (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/oct/26/born-in-blackness-howard-w-french-review-africa-africans-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world) Mongo Beti’s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongo_Beti), The Poor Christ of Bomba (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poor_Christ_of_Bomba) Ama Atta Aidoo’s, no Sweetness Here (https://www.feministpress.org/books-n-z/no-sweetness) Franz Fanon, Black Skin, White Mask (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Skin,_White_Masks) You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town (https://web.facebook.com/watch/?v=804875960113686), Zoë Wicomb Kofi Awooor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofi_Awoonor), This Earth My Brother Other topics of interest: Historical Jamestown, Accra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown/Usshertown,_Accra) Oto Blohum, Old Accra (https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/geography/old_accra.php#google_vignette) North Kaneshie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaneshie#:~:text=Kaneshie%20is%20a%20suburb%20in,beginnings%20as%20a%20night%20market.) Thornton Heath, UK (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Heath) About Courttia Newland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courttia_Newland) Learn more about Nii’s uncle Frank Kobina Parkes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kobina_Parkes) Nkyinkyim (https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/symbols/nkyinkyim/#:~:text=Nkyinkyim%20is%20an%20Akan%20word,symbol%20of%20dedication%20to%20service.) in the Adinkra (https://www.adinkrasymbols.org) On Ghana’s Chop Bars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_bar) About Spanish-Caribbean Rum (https://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/spirited-history-caribbean-rum/) About Rhum Agricole...

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week writing as activism is taking us to a land with a long history of activist thought ans action - Ireland. Born and raised in Nigeria, Dagogo Hart migrated to Ireland at an early age to complete his studies and now calls it home along with his young family. He is a poet, playwright, and spoken word artist whose words have wowed audiences from bar basements to electric picnic stages. He started performing in Dublin in 2016 in open mics and poetry slams, which saw him win the Slam Sunday grand slam and become an All Ireland poetry slam finalist. Since then he has performed for festivals like Electric Picnic, St. Patricks, Dublin Fringe, Drogheda literary festival, Cuirt International Poetry Festival, and First fortnight. He is one-third of the collective WeAreGriot - a poetry collective that curates art events around poetry. His personal works include, The Home Project (a series of poetry films), RedBeard Paddy (a poetry short film), Mmanwu (a play in the 2023 Dublin Fringe Festival), See True (a spoken word variety show) and Boy Child (a spoken-word play), the last two co-written with FeliSpeaks, Talkatives; a hip-hop and poetry slam as part of WeAreGriot. As you’ll learn in our conversation and glean from his works, his poetry is inspired by his hometown in Lagos, Nigeria, and his experience since moving to Ireland. See Dagogo on stage at Pa Gya! 2024 performing his words here (https://www.youtube.com/live/Oovils3mV7o?si=Dl9TE-EqGvvNV0vK) and in discussion about his works here (https://www.youtube.com/live/fEFByAZDgwo?si=s32fQt58aspsPkOQ). Where else to find Dagogo? WeAreGriot (https://www.brinkerhoffpoetry.org/poets/wearegriot) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagogo-dagogo-hart-830774108/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dagogo_hart/?hl=en) On [X}(https://x.com/dondagz?lang=en) What’s Dagogo watching? Fences (film) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fences_(film)) Shōgun (series) (https://shogun.fandom.com/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dgun) What’s Dagogo listenining to? Alice Smith sings “I Put a Spell on You” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz506sFHeJY) Other topics of interest: Surulere, Nigeria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surulere) Tralee, Ireland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tralee) Cork, Ireland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cork_(city)) Visit Dublin, Ireland (https://www.visitdublin.com/things-to-do/arts-culture) and the Clondalkin Tower (https://www.dublinsoutdoors.ie/round-tower-clondalkin-village/) The Abbey Theatre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Theatre) and The Gate Theatre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_Theatre) Port Harcourt Tourist Beach (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Harcourt_Tourist_Beach) More on Chucky Ar la (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiocfaidh_%C3%A1r_l%C3%A1) Inshallah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inshallah) Where are the Irish language speaking towns in Ireland? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaeltacht) Special Guest: Dagogo Hart.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week our Writing as Activism @ Pa Gya! 2024 continues in conversation with Liberian novelist, journalist, film critic, curator, speaker and lecturer of African Literature and Arts at Leiden University in the Netherlands, Vamba Sherif. Vamba has written several novels, including The Emperor's Son (2024), a novel about emperor Samori Touré, The Witness (2011), Bound to Secrecy (2007), The Kingdom of Sebah (2003), Land of My Fathers (1999), and the memoire Unprecedented Love (2021). He has curated several anthologies, including the bestselling Black: Afro-European literature in the Netherlands and Belgium. His work, which has been translated in many languages, deals with themes such as migration, belonging, love, the history of slavery, colonialism and the African resistance to it, and the mysteries of existence. These are all themes that Vamba brings to vivid life in our discussion. Click the and check out Vamba’s Pa Gya! session (https://www.youtube.com/live/GIP5DqSjC_k?si=uV_GjrsM0mwn_wJK) centering his latest book The Emperor's Son. Where to find Vamba? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vamba-sherif-50767755/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vamba.omarsherif/) On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vamba.sherif) On X (https://x.com/vambasherif) Vamba’s essential Pan-African activism reading list: [The Radience of the King)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheRadianceoftheKing) by Camara Laye (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camara_Laye) and excerpt to the introduction by Toni Morrison (https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2001/08/09/on-the-radiance-of-the-king/?srsltid=AfmBOoqxwN5ZH14QIhyQGo80szFC7bLl7aF7ogRxSVSw6N6M5oh1mwJc) Other topics of interest: Who was Samori Touré (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samori_Ture)? Kolahun, Liberia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolahun_District) Liberia’s First Civil War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Liberian_Civil_War) About Edward Wilmot Blyden, father of Pan-Africanism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wilmot_Blyden#:~:text=As%20a%20writer%2C%20Blyden%20has,of%20the%20%22African%20race%22.) About the Gulf War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War) Senegalese filmmaker, Ousmane Sembène (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ousmane_Semb%C3%A8ne) About Groningen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groningen) Why lekker (https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/why-dutch-always-lekker) is so sweet… The Comet (https://youtu.be/aQzgZTmwAPc?si=O9t7qHFyV2PeYLYa) by W.E.B Dubois

Greetings Glocal Citizens! Next up in our Writing as Activism series, this week’s episode, recorded at the 2024 Pa Gya! festival (in case you are wondering, this is the session taking place during our interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urYu7IA0ENE), features Nigerian poet and children’s book author, Aduke Gomez. Aduke embraced writing in the past decade after a career in law and finance. She now utilises her legal and advisory skills to assist in business and creative development. Commencing her career in legal practice with the law firm of Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, she later worked for many years in various leadership roles within Ecobank Nigeria Ltd and Leadway Pensure PFA. She is regularly called to speak and moderate on topics related to her interest in history and culture and these have included sessions at Cornell University; The Institute of Africa and Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos; the Lagos State Record and Archive Bureau; the annual conference of the Lagos Studies Association; the Ake Festival; and the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) amongst others. Her published collection of poems have featured as festival books for both the LABAF and the Ake Festival. And her children's books have also featured at previous editions of LABAF and Akada Children's Book Festival. She is currently the Chair of the Steering Committee of Art4Life (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWjtk1Z9L6RlaKbZ88sy5w) - an initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Health established to introduce art and the practice of art into the entire healthcare process. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Open House Lagos as well as the Advisory Board of Lagos Biennial. She volunteers on the Board of Child Life Line (https://www.childlifeline.org/mission) - an NGO established for the welfare of street children. In this conversation we not only get to know how Aduke pivoted into arts and public service, we also get to know more about her local in the context of her paternal ancestor's return from Brazil to Lagos. This speaks volume to the idea of activism as a way of being. Where to find Aduke? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aduke-gomez-503668/?originalSubdomain=ng) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/adukegomez/?hl=en) OnX (https://x.com/duksyg) Who is on Aduke’s essential Pan-African reading list? Mariama Bâ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariama_B%C3%A2), in The Paris Review (https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/05/13/feminize-your-canon-mariama-ba/) and more (https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/library-weekly/mariama-ba) Ama Atta Aidoo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_Ata_Aidoo) Buchi Emecheta (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchi_Emecheta) Florence “Flora” Nwapa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_Nwapa) Other topic of interest: Return migration: Brazilians in Nigeria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilians_in_Nigeria) The Nigerian Brazillian Project (https://nigerianbrazilianproject.org/aduke-gomez/) About the Emanicapados of Brazil (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2512522) Who are Tabom peoples? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabom_people) Biola Alabi Media (https://biolaalabimedia.com/about-us/) Special Guest: Aduke Gomez.

New Month Greetings Glocal Citizens! The first Tuesday in November represents the official US election day. As polling evolves for higher participation and greater inclusion, most states offer early voting so millions have already cast thier votes. Throughout this year of elections across the globe, the build up to the two where I have a say, the United States and Ghana, has played a critical role in inspiring my most activist self to move the dial in different ways toward manifesting a new world. Coincidentally, this week on the podcast kicks off our Writing as Activism series in coordination with the Pa Gya! Literary Festival in Accra. Recorded live at the eighth installment of the festivaland in the days that followed, starting the panel, Writing as Activism: Ghanaian Voices and Pan-African Perspectives Across Genres, the conversation starts with a distinguished voices covering works of poetry, screenwriting, and nonfiction scholarship with: Nicole Amarteifio is an acclaimed Ghanaian-American TV/film writer, director, and producer. She successfully launched the hit web series 'An African City’ - dubbed by CNN and the BBC as Africa’s answer to ‘Sex and the City’. Returning Glocal Citizen, Nydia A. Swaby is a Black feminist artist, researcher and curator. Her practice engages archives, autoethnography, photography, the moving image, and the imagination to explore the gendered, diasporic and affective dimensions of Black being and becoming. In addition to curating artistic programmes, she creates visual narratives, research and performance texts. Nydia's first book, Amy Ashwood Garvey and the Future of Black Feminist Archives, was published by Lawrence Wishart in October 2024 as part of LW's Radical Black Women book series. She is also developing an artist film, Amy and Me in the Archive, which will be screened at the forthcoming Singapore International Photography Festival 2024. And Poet Laureate of Jamaica, Kwame Dawes, author of numerous books of poetry and other books of fiction, criticism, and essays. His most recent collection is Sturge Town (Peepal Tree Press, UK 2023). Dawes is Professor of Literary Arts at Brown University. He teaches in the Pacific MFA Program and is the Series Editor of the African Poetry Book Series, Director of the African Poetry Book Fund, and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. He is a Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Kwame Dawes is the winner of the prestigious Windham/Campbell Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature. In 2022 Dawes was awarded the Order of Distinction Commander class by the Government of Jamaica. He is the Poet Laureate of Jamaica (2024-2027). Click through to find out more about the Pa Gya! Literary Festival and the Writer’s Project Ghana (https://writersprojectghana.com/pagyafest/) and watch this and other festival panels at WPGTV (https://www.youtube.com/@wpgtv3685). Where to find Nicole? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleamarteifio/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amerleyproductions/) On Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/nicolelovesghana/?_rdc=1&_rdr) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/AnAfricanCity) On X (https://x.com/allthingsafrica) Where to find Kwame? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwame-dawes-2a23943b/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kwame.dawes/?hl=en) On X (https://x.com/kwamedawes?lang=en) On Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/KwameDawes/?_rdc=1&_rdr) Where to find Nydia? On Glocal Citizens (https://glocalcitizens.fireside.fm/guests/nydia-swaby) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nydia-a-swaby-85a04132/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nydiaswaby/) On X (https://x.com/NydiaSwaby) Other topics of interest and the Essential Pan-African Activism reading list coming soon! *This audio recording has been edited for clarity from the original video recording. Special...

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week is the final installment in our collaboration with Bisi Bright’s Livewell Initiative and the Women of Africa Post-Pandemic Empowerment and Advocacy Programme with support from Gilead Sciences USA. In a fitting conclusion, Aggrey Aluso, the Director, Africa Region and global policy lead for the Pandemic Action Network, driving strategic advocacy efforts in Africa and globally joins the conversation. Born, raised and currently based in Kenya, Aggrey also serves as the incoming Executive Director of Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA), PAN’s networked advocacy partner, where he is mobilizing advocates to champion an Africa-centric, globally-facing resilience agenda. He brings over 15 years of experience in advancing intersectional justice, using citizen-led, rights-based approaches in Africa. Previously, he served as an Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa’s (OSIEA) Health and Rights program senior manager. He also coordinated the Open Society Africa (Pan Africa) Vaccine Justice to advance Africa’s vaccine-related research, development, and manufacturing. He served as the University of Manitoba’s Global Institute for Public Health’s East African Policy and Advocacy Manager. Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic, Aggrey offers excellent insights into the current M-pox crisis as well as a thoughtful discussion on the global policy landscape around elevating health as a human right for all. All are invited to join this week’s program on Thursday, October 31st at 1PM WAT using this link (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85846014227?pwd=yy9uV1BDt0xefbDsQ4ZbXVmvrWxp9m.1) Where to find Aggrey? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggrey-aluso-108a89130/) On Instragram (linnk https://www.instagram.com/aggreyaluso/) On Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/aggrey.aluso/?_rdc=1&_rdr) On X (https://x.com/aggrealuso) What’s Aggrey reading? As a Man Thinketh (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81959.As_a_Man_Thinketh) by James Allen 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and other books (https://www.ynharari.com/book/21-lessons-book/?_gl=1cbq9a_upMQ.._gaNDYxMDg1NjIyLjE3MzAwNzE0MTY._ga_3VXWK7L4ZR*MTczMDA3MTQxNS4xLjAuMTczMDA3MTQxNS4wLjAuMA..) by Yuval Noah Harari Whats Aggrey watching? The Lincoln Lawyer (https://www.netflix.com/gh/title/81303831) New Amsterdam (https://www.netflix.com/gh/title/80241181) Other topics of interest: Nyanza, Kenya (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyanza_Province) More on Mpox (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mpox) and zoonotic diseases (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/zoonotic-diseases) UN Summit of the Future (https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future) The Global Fund (https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/) Kenya Finance Bill Protests (https://www.africanews.com/2024/06/26/kenyas-finance-bill-this-is-what-led-to-the-protest//) About Wangari Maathai (https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai) About the Mpox Joint Action Plan ([https://www.afro.who.int/news/african-cdc-and-who-launch-joint-continental-plan-scale-mpox-outbreak-response#:~:text=Priority%20actions%20are%20outlined%20for,comprising%20members%20from%20key%20partners.&text=About%20Africa%20CDC-,The%20Africa%20Centres%20for%20Disease%20Control%20and%20Prevention%20(Africa%20CDC,prevention%20and%20control%20of%20diseases.](https://www.afro.who.int/news/african-cdc-and-who-launch-joint-continental-plan-scale-mpox-outbreak-response#:~:text=Priority%20actions%20are%20outlined%20for,comprising%20members%20from%20key%20partners.&text=About%20Africa%20CDC-,The%20Africa%20Centres%20for%20Disease%20Control%20and%20Prevention%20(Africa%20CDC,prevention%20and%20control%20of%20diseases.)) The Man Died (https://youtu.be/9nHTlAgL1SM?si=zUHR1lsPkyPIy4xe) Film Special Guests: Adebisi Bright and Aggrey Aluso.

Greetings Glocal Citizens! I met this week’s guest in Accra at a Women Wellness Africa (https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenwellnessafrica/?originalSubdomain=gh) breakfast early this year and was happy to be able sync our travel schedules to reconnect in one of the places she calls home, London. Marielle Legair is a speaker, certified NLP and hypnotherapy Coach, LinkedIn Top Voice, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. She's leading career empowerment through cutting-edge neurological research and behavioural science. Her expertise goes beyond coaching, focusing on arming audiences with the tools to break barriers, overcome limiting beliefs, and thrive in their careers. With a background in corporate storytelling, executive visibility, and entrepreneurship, Marielle offers unmatched guidance to individuals and companies seeking to excel and leave a lasting impact. Global giants like Amazon, BP, Diageo, EY, LinkedIn, Macquarie, Microsoft, and Yale University have sought her for inspiring talks and workshops that drive transformative change. Before founding her company, Marielle honed her skills on both sides of the Atlantic, spearheading impactful C-suite publicity campaigns in London and New York for corporate giants such as Deloitte Global, Grant Thornton, Experian, and Golin. Her strategic acumen in elevating CEOs and senior leaders has earned acclaim in top-tier media outlets like the BBC, CNBC, Forbes, Financial Times, and Glamour. As you’ll hear, Marielle’s roots are in St. Vincent and the Grenadines which was hard hit by Hurricane Beryl last summer. Follow the links below to connect with Marielle about continuing efforts to support those impacted. Where to fine Marielle? marielelegair.com (https://www.mariellelegair.com/) On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlegair/) On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mariellelegair/) On YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@mariellelegair) What’s Marielle reading? Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One (https://a.co/d/aKsPwYh) by Dr. Joe Dispenza Steal the Show: From Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, How to Guarantee a Standing Ovation for All the Performances in Your Life (https://a.co/d/5kUIkwi) by Micheal Port Other topics of interest: About Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines) About Nottingham, home of Robin Hood (https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk) Historic Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Hill,_Brooklyn) 30 Rock aka 30 Rockerfeller Plaza (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Rockefeller_Plaza) Toastmasters (https://www.toastmasters.org) About Neuro-Linguistic Programming (https://www.nlp.com/what-is-nlp/) Creatures of Passage (https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/creatures-of-passage/) by Morowa Yejidé Special Guest: Marielle Legair.