World Earth Day: Colonialism’s role in the overexploitation of natural resources
Colonialists saw “new” territories as places with unlimited resources to exploit, with little consideration for the long-term impacts
Climate crisis in Africa exposes real cause of hunger – colonial food systems that leave people more vulnerable
The main objective for colonial powers was to transform local food systems. This pushed many African households away from subsistence farming and …
Book Excerpt: Tenochtitlan is testament to the Aztecs’ urban development skills
Stefan Rinke’s ‘Conquistadors and Aztecs’ dispels the myth that the Spanish conquered the Aztecs easily or simply
Mining push continues despite water crisis in Neskantaga First Nation and Ontario’s Ring of Fire
It is exactly the foundation that Canada is built on. It is one of the ways that colonialism not only survives, but thrives
Literature Nobel: Zanzibari Abdulrazak Gurnah declared winner for works on colonialism, refugee experience
2021 Literature Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah’s works feature the cosmopolitan complexity of Africa’s Swahili coast as well as its …
Tracing the history of farming across Africa gives clues to low production outputs
The focus must move from what the developed world dictates to what Africa needs. This requires countries developing production systems and …
Medical volunteers in rural Zambia: Learning from attitudes to angels and vampires
Presence of outsiders has often produced powerful anxieties. White medical doctors in central Africa were often identified as vampires, and …
Book Excerpt: Swahili in German East Africa
Morgan J Robinson's 2022 book explores how Swahili was standardised and eventually became a pan-African language
Of Van Riebeeck and the ‘Big Boss’: European colonisation decimated Cape Buffalo in South Africa, study finds
Several large mammals were hunted to extinction or near-extinction during the 3 centuries of colonial rule in the region
South Africans have starkly unequal access to a healthy diet — the solution requires tackling deep-seated historical injustice
More than 25 years into democracy, South Africa’s food system continues to reflect the highly unequal patterns of power and exploitation …
How a South African community’s request for its genetic data raises questions about ethical and equitable research
How to ensure an equitable balance of benefits between researchers and the community they study? There seems to be no easy answer.
Colourising conservation is a work in progress
It is up to us to ensure that human diversity is represented fairly in our endeavours to protect biodiversity
This is no apology: Congo activists on King Philippe’s words
‘Regret’ is not the right choice of word; and yes, Belgium should pay reparations to the Congo, they say
Kenya at 60: 6 key moments that shaped post-colonial politics
A political scientist brings up often-forgotten moments that shed light on country’s key steps both forwards and backwards
The Global South is on the rise — but what exactly is the Global South?
With an economic shift & enhanced political visibility, countries in the Global South are increasingly asserting themselves on the …
National anthems: How composers in South Africa and India are reimagining them
Modern composers are trying to free anthems from historical baggage to reflect contemporary realities
‘Hong Kong’s lost tigers show us a species once gone, cannot return’
Down To Earth speaks to journalist John Saeki about his upcoming book on the lost tigers of Hong Kong
Win against waste colonialism: US group pledges restorative action after taking back ‘harmful’ report
A 2015 report by US-based Ocean Conservancy blamed 5 Asian countries for plastic waste
British king acknowledges colonial atrocities in Kenya — here’s what could happen next
Public acknowledgements of colonial legacy in east Africa by Britain, German and Belgium can be classified under broad framework of transitional …
Podcast: Colonialists used starvation as a tool of oppression
Before the colonialists arrived in North America and Bengal, both regions were thriving with healthy, wealthy communities. Here's what happened next
Starvation as geopolitical tool has travelled through time. Literature shows oppressors knew what they were doing
Early modern English literature is replete with tales of famine distress & even solutions, but doesn’t reflect on the British stance on …
