PODCAST: Journalist Peter Tinti discussing Mauritanian elections, legacies of slavery, and pop culture with Erin Pettigrew and Nasser Weddady

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is holding elections today that are certain to re-elect current President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. To learn more about today’s elections and some of the social dynamics driving Mauritanian politics today, journalist Peter Tinti spoke with The Africa Collective contributor Erin Pettigrew, a PhD student at Stanford University who specializes in Mauritanian history, and Nasser Weddady, a Mauritanian-American activist who is best known for his use of social media during the Arab Spring. Continue reading →

Securing Ghanaian Economic and Energy Independence and Prosperity

When the Akosombo dam was built to generate electricity for Ghana, the Ghanaian population at that time was under ten million, and some of the electricity was even sold to Burkina Faso for a profit. Now, approximately fifty years later, the Ghanaian population has almost tripled and the Ghanaian government is now purchasing gas from outside the nation’s borders. The Ghanaian government went to great lengths to provide electrical power to the entire nation for Ghana’s first 2014 FIFA World Cup match against the United States. Electricity in Ghana was rationed prior to the game, causing power shortages throughout the nation. This post examines the ways in which Ghana can overcome its energy problems with the resources it has. Continue reading →

Term-Limits for Winners and Losers: Constitutional Democracy & Republicanism

In a democratic society, how many times should an individual, particularly a standard flag-bearer, run for the presidency? At what point is the defeated individual’s attempts to run for office a personal attempt to accumulate power or simply a strong conviction that he or she is the right person to lead the country forward? Furthermore, what does that individual think of the judgment and will of the people if they have rejected his or her overtures twice? Continue reading →