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Ufahamu Africa

Education Podcasts

Ufahamu Africa is a podcast about life and politics on the African continent, co-hosted by Kim Yi Dionne, professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside, and Rachel Beatty Riedl, professor of government at Cornell University. Each Saturday, a new episode highlights what is happening in the news, followed by an interview with a diverse thinker or innovator who is deeply ingrained in the life, culture, and politics of the continent.

Ufahamu Africa is a podcast about life and politics on the African continent, co-hosted by Kim Yi Dionne, professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside, and Rachel Beatty Riedl, professor of government at Cornell University. Each Saturday, a new episode highlights what is happening in the news, followed by an interview with a diverse thinker or innovator who is deeply ingrained in the life, culture, and politics of the continent.

Location:

United States

Description:

Ufahamu Africa is a podcast about life and politics on the African continent, co-hosted by Kim Yi Dionne, professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside, and Rachel Beatty Riedl, professor of government at Cornell University. Each Saturday, a new episode highlights what is happening in the news, followed by an interview with a diverse thinker or innovator who is deeply ingrained in the life, culture, and politics of the continent.

Language:

English

Episodes

Ep. 143: Fellow Wanjiku Ngugi interviews artist and historian Wambui Kamiru about art, history, and memory

5/21/2022
In this episode, Wanjiku Ngugi interviews Wambui Kamiru on her journey as an artist and the linkages between some of her work and subjects such as otherhood, cultural expression, womanhood, and the preservation of history. Wambui also highlights the importance of using memory activism to question various perspectives on ethnicity and its impact on social and political determination in Kenya. Wambui Wamae Kamiru Collymore is an installation artist and historian based in Nairobi. She has a...

Duration:00:29:28

Bonus: Hear Laura Seay's review of "The Shadow King"

5/14/2022
Laura Seay tells us this week that The Shadow King, a story about fascists and freedom fighters, emperors, and common people is a must-read on Ethiopia’s history. Listen now to this bonus episode featuring a review from the 2020 African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular. Review read by Ami Tamakloe. Books, Links, & Articles The Shadow King Maaza Mengiste’s The Shadow King is a masterpiece. Here’s why.

Duration:00:07:45

Ep. 142: Fellows Soinato Leboo and Gretchen Walch on how African culture is stolen, shamed, and repackaged into popular culture

5/7/2022
Vulture culture is the practice of stealing something, rebranding it as something else, then selling or forcing it back onto the people it was stolen from. In today's episode, fellows Soinato Leboo and Gretchen Walch ask: How does this dynamic manifest today in music, religion, and intellectual property? Their guests are Oluwatomi and Estegent, classmates of Gretchen's at the University of Global Health Equity. Books, Links, & Articles Laibon: An Anthropologist's Journey with Samburu...

Duration:00:29:59

Bonus: How a new UK program will endanger migrants, not protect them

4/30/2022
Out now from The Monkey Cage: Rachel Beatty Riedl, Eleanor Paynter, and Christa Kuntzelman write "The UK Wants to Send Refugees to Rwanda. That's Become a Trend." Ami Tamakloe reads this article for a bonus episode about how a new United Kingdom program will endanger migrants, not protect them. Books, Links, & Articles The UK Wants to Send Refugees to Rwanda. That's Become a Trend.Ami Tamakloe

Duration:00:09:20

Ep. 141: Fellow Chido Nyaruwata talks to Zethu Matebeni about African queer theory

4/23/2022
In this episode, fellow Chido Nyaruwata speaks to professor Zethu Matebeni , a sociologist, activist, and writer researching African queer theory, sexuality, and gender. Matebeni is a co-editor of Queer in Africa: LGBTQI Identities, Citizenship, and Activism. Surya Monro and Vasu Reddy worked with Matebeni to edit this highly interdisciplinary and rich volume on different aspects of queer life in Africa. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about fighting COVID-19 through music, dangerous...

Duration:00:56:21

Ep. 140: Fellow Samah Fawzi interviews Mohamed Shidane, Hassan Jama, and Najih Al-Hilowli about Somalia and Somalis

4/16/2022
From Sudan-based fellow Samah Fawzi, this episode is about about Somalia and Somalis, as they are in real life and real time. Our guests are Mohamed Shidane from Mogadishu, the Capital of Somalia, Hassan Jama from Hargeisa, the Capital of Somaliland, and Najih Al-Hilowli, a Somali based in Sweden. They share with us their views on the current status of affairs in Somalia and Somaliland, the intricate connections binding the Somalis across the globe, and what they believe to be the best...

Duration:00:53:55

Bonus: Hear Laura Seay's review of "Negotiating Public Service in Congo"

4/9/2022
In this bonus episode, hear Ami Tamakloe read Laura Seay’s review of Negotiating Public Service in Congo, a collection edited by Tom De Herdt and Kristof Titeca. The review was published as part of the 2020 African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular (#APSRS20), and this recording is being shared as part of a collaboration with The Monkey Cage, a blog on politics and political science at The Washington Post. Books, Links, & Articles Negotiating Public Serve in Congo Is a Smart and...

Duration:00:08:48

Ep. 139: A conversation with Zainab Usman about climate change

4/2/2022
Zainab Usman is a senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This week, she talks to Rachel about the importance of economic diversification in Africa and how it can contribute to a more climate resilient Africa. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about the killing of a fearless Somali female MP, Kenyan country music, and the Zimbabwean president’s party (ZANU PF) losing support in the polls. Books, Links, & Articles Zainab...

Duration:01:05:12

Ep. 138: Fellows Soinato Leboo and Gretchen Walch have conversations about foreignness and Kenyan identities

3/26/2022
Soinato Leboo and Gretchen Walch are our next fellows! In this episode, they talk to four friends and acquaintances about their experiences of both belonging and otherness in Kenya. Each of their perspectives were unique, but converged in their hopes for Kenya’s future. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about healthcare and a new hospital funded by Bismack Biyombo, the Kenyan political elections, and more. Books, Links, & Articles Suns' Bismack Biyombo Donating Entire 2022 Salary to...

Duration:00:42:15

Ep. 137: A conversation with Mai Hassan about politics in Kenya and Sudan

3/19/2022
This week, Rachel interviews Mai Hassan, an associate professor in political science at the University of Michigan. Hassan's research focuses on the state, autocracy, and regime change. In the news wrap, Kim and Rachel talk about the digitization of Mali's prized manuscripts ("Mali Magic"), the French exit from Mali, and what's going on in the war in Ukraine. Books, Links & Articles Regime Threats and State Solutions: Bureaucratic Loyalty and Embeddedness in Kenya Harry Potter and the...

Duration:00:58:13

Ep. 136: Fellow Chido Nyaruwata interviews Elizabeth Gulugulu about young people and climate change

3/12/2022
Where are the young Africans in climate diplomacy and who is keeping them out? In this episode fellow Chido Nyaruwata speaks to Elizabeth Gulugulu about the processes that shape the international climate regime. Drawing on her reflections as programs manager for the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, Zimbabwe and YOUNGO Global South Focal Point, Gulugulu highlights the need for meaningful youth engagement by governments and civil society organizations as young Africans have limited...

Duration:00:58:51

Ep. 135: Fellow Wanjiku Ngugi interviews Nerima Were about sexual and reproductive health and rights

3/8/2022
Happy International Women's Day! We are releasing this week's episode today in celebration, featuring an interview given by one of our non-resident fellows: Wanjiku Ngugi. Wanjiku's interview with Nerima Were is about women's rights in Africa and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Nerima Were is the deputy executive director at the Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN). She was formerly a program manager of KELIN's sexual and reproductive rights thematic area....

Duration:00:59:43

Bonus: Hear Kim Yi Dionne's review of Robbie Corey-Boulet's "Love Falls On Us"

2/26/2022
In this bonus episode, hear Ufahamu Africa host Kim Yi Dionne read her review of Love Falls On Us: A Story of American Ideas and African LGBT Lives, a book by Robbie Corey-Boulet. The review was published as part of the 2020 African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular (#APSRS20), and this recording is being shared as part of a collaboration with The Monkey Cage, a blog on politics and political science at The Washington Post. Books, Links, & Episodes 'Love Falls on Us' Explores the...

Duration:00:07:20

Bonus: Hear Laura Seay's review of Nwando Achebe's "Female Monarchs and Merchant Queens in Africa"

2/19/2022
In this bonus episode, hear Ufahamu Africa host Kim Yi Dionne read Laura Seay’s review of Female Monarchs and Merchant Queens in Africa, a book by Nwando Achebe. The review was published in last year's African Politics Summer Reading Spectacular (#APSRS20), and this recording is being shared as part of a collaboration with The Monkey Cage, a blog on politics and political science at The Washington Post. Books, Links, & Articles Nwando Achebe's New Book Is a Fascinating Look at Africa's...

Duration:00:07:37

Ep. 134: A conversation with Emmanuel Balogun about how to fight coups

2/12/2022
How can ECOWAS and the African Union combat ongoing coups in Mali and Burkina Faso? We spoke with international relations scholar Emmanuel Balogun about the tools that ECOWAS and the AU have at their disposal to fight coups and about the obstacles the intergovernmental agencies will face in trying to use them. Books, Links, & Articles Emmanuel BalogunWorldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-DeterminationBorn in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World,...

Duration:00:45:28

Ep. 133: A conversation with Naunihal Singh about coups

2/5/2022
Coups are on our minds this week, especially with recent events in Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau. Kim and Rachel talk about their own views on "coup contagion" and how their perspectives have changed over time. Then, Kim talks to coup expert Naunihal Singh, who breaks down what coups are, shares how he began studying them, and what we should know about what's happening on the continent now. Books, Links, & Articles Seizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military CoupsNaunihal Singh"Burkina...

Duration:01:12:21

Ep. 132: A conversation with Bamba Ndiaye of the Africanist podcast

1/29/2022
Bamba Ndiaye is a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society for the Humanities and the Music Department at Cornell, and also our guest this week! He's at work on a book project called "Black Social Movement and Digital Technology," and we talk to him about democracy in Senegal, his work on "neo pan-Africanism," and more! Books, Links, & Articles The Africanist PodcastBamba NdiayeOne in 10 Black People Living in the U.S. Are Immigrants, New Study ShowsEmmanuel FeltonWGAPE @ Cornell Call for...

Duration:00:49:51

Ep. 131: A conversation with Yang-Yang Zhou of the Scope Conditions Podcast

1/22/2022
As fans of the Scope Conditions podcast, we're excited to share this interview with Yang-Yang Zhou, one of the hosts of the show. Scope Conditions features cutting-edge research in comparative politics from across the world, so we took this opportunity to talk to Zhou about her own cutting-edge work studying the effects of migrants on host communities. Take a listen to this great conversation between Kim, Rachel, and Yang-Yang Zhou! Books, Links, & Articles Scope Conditions...

Duration:00:44:06

Ep. 130: A conversation with Nkatha Kabira about the past, present, and future of African law

1/15/2022
African legal scholar Nkatha Kabira joins us this week for a conversation about the past, present, and future of African law. Kabira is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and was the fall 2021 Distinguished Africanist Scholar at Cornell University's Institute for African Development. In our conversation, Kabira shares her vision for a conference on the future of law in Africa and makes recommendations for how legal education and practice can be developed on the continent when formal...

Duration:00:44:18

Ep. 129: Looking back on Ufahamu Africa in 2021 and ahead to 2022

1/8/2022
Welcome back to a new year of Ufahamu Africa! Kim and Rachel talk about some of your and our favorite episodes of 2021, the big events that affected Africa in 2021, and more! Books, Links, & Articles Ufahamu Africa on Foreign Policy PlaylistThe Lawfare Podcast: Making Sense of the Crisis in EthiopiaThe Enemy in Her Imagination: A Fable Take the Soul from Everyone, and the Liberty of AllThe West Africa Autocratization TrackerSenegal’s violent protests reveal that its long-stable democracy...

Duration:00:30:42

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