by Enock Wanderema | 25 Jan 2024 | Africa, History, Politics
The 121 countries of the Non-Aligned Movement agree on one thing: It is time to assert their place in a divided world. A Risk game board of the world with cracks in it. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global...
by Jeremy Solomons | 22 Jan 2024 | Africa, Human Rights, Politics
Britain wants to send migrants to Rwanda. The British court says that’s not safe. For our correspondent Rwanda is home — and a place people come to for safety. Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta shake hands at a...
by Joseph Katusabe | 17 Jan 2024 | Africa, African Leadership Academy, Catholicism, Decoder Replay, Human Rights, Religion, Student Posts, Youth Voices
One parishioner argues that the Church should welcome gay members. The Pope is just now cracking open the door by offering a small blessing. Vatican City with an LGBT flag superimposed to seem waving in welcome. Photo illustration by News Decoder. Editor’s note:...
by Enock Wanderema | 5 Jan 2024 | Africa, Religion
The fusion lifestyle of a modern tribal African. Sunset over Kampala, Uganda. (Credit: Goodman Kazoora/Getty Images) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global news service. It is through articles like this that News Decoder strives to provide...
by Enock Wanderema | 5 Dec 2023 | Africa, Environment
In Uganda and other places, people need to know how climate change actions will benefit their lives now. We have to change how we talk about the environment. Patrick Komakech walks through piles of trees cut for charcoal in Gulu, Uganda, 27 May 2023. The burning of...
by Barry Moody | 10 Nov 2023 | Africa, History, Sports
For South Africans, winning the Rugby World Cup united a nation torn by politics, race and inequality. That’s the power of sports. South Africa’s Siya Kolisi lifts the trophy after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the...
by Jeremy Solomons | 8 Nov 2023 | Africa, Decoder Replay, History, Human Rights, Politics
Modern colonialism was once preached as a force for global good. Now it is seen as a system of exploitation, oppression and enslavement. Britain’s King Charles III, on carpet left, and Kenya’s President William Ruto, on carpet right, attend a military...
by Enock Wanderema | 13 Oct 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Environment
To prove they have what it takes to combat poachers, Uganda rangers race 21 km in scorching heat. They vow: No species will disappear under their watch. A hippo in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, September 2008. (Photo by Bernard Dupont, CC BY-SA 2.0...
Big problems can be addressed with outside-the-box, collective solutions. In this article from guest writer Enock Wanderema, we dive into the world of hippo conservation in Uganda. How can your students also engage locally to support causes that are important to them?
Exercise: After reading the article, students should brainstorm a couple of causes that they care about. Then, they should look up local events and organizations that work to support these causes. How can they get involved with these solutions-based actions? You may consider discussing the importance of civic engagement with your class as a follow-up to this activity.
by Jeremy Solomons | 17 Aug 2023 | Africa, Educators' Catalog, Health and Wellness, Personal Reflections, Religion
We carry complicated identities inside us. But others see only the outside and they carry their own biases. That can result in privilege or prejudice. A man holds a placard. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s...
The way we perceive others and ourselves shapes our lived experiences and may result in privilege or prejudice. In this article, correspondent Jeremy Solomons reflects on his own identity as a Jewish man who grew up in England with Lebanese and Persian heritage.
Exercise: Read the article with your class. Then, introduce the Big 8 Identities as a framework for understanding the complexities of identity. Independently, students should identify their Big 8, then discuss the implications of these identities in small groups of three or four. Which elements of your students’ “Big 8” may grant them privilege or subject them to prejudice? How might this change given various cultural contexts? Note: A level of trust and comfort is required for this activity to run effectively.
by Jessica Moody | 10 May 2023 | Africa, Decoders, Educators' Catalog, Human Rights
Sudan is surrounded by unstable nations. A humanitarian crisis could result in refugees flooding into countries ill-equipped to handle the crisis. 150 evacuees from Sudan on a relief flight returning to Qatar, 5 May 2023. (AP Photo/Lujain Jo) This article was...
Conflict in Sudan is causing a humanitarian crisis. Correspondent Jessica Moody decodes what’s going on in Africa’s third largest country with a look at the past, present and future implications of the conflict. Could what’s happening in Sudan expand throughout the region?
Exercise: In an exercise to grow students’ synthesis skills, have them read the article, then come up with their own headline for the text. Their headline should synthesize the most important takeaways from the article. As a follow-up, ask students to consider how this headline has changed as a result of reading the article. How does students’ view of the Sudanese conflict differ from what they would have said yesterday? (Exercise adapted from Ron Ritchhart’s Making Thinking Visible).