Abdo Shanan, How To Remember Us
In the bombardment of punitive measures unleashed by the US government in recent weeks, it is striking how much South Africa has had to endure. Modest support for the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs has been halted, along with other aid worth half a billion dollars. The extension of the trade agreement between the two countries now seems unlikely. Finally, in mid-March, the South African ambassador to the US was declared persona non grata. Trump surrounds himself with a group of South African...
In the bombardment of punitive measures unleashed by the US government in recent weeks, it is striking how much South Africa has had to endure. Modest support for the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs has been halted, along with other aid worth half a billion dollars. The...
There’s something happening in Algeria. A spark of curiosity has been ignited and a community of photographers are emerging with different perspectives and questions on nationalism, tradition and the lived experiences of the people who exist within the country bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. Award-winning photographer, Abdo Shanan - who was born in the Algerian city of Oran to a Sudanese father and an Algerian mother, partially raised in Libya before later returning to Algeria in his twenties -...
There’s something happening in Algeria. A spark of curiosity has been ignited and a community of photographers are emerging with different perspectives and questions on nationalism, tradition and the lived experiences of the people who exist within the country bordered by the...
A Century of Black Figuration in Painting brings together artworks from the past 100 years in a dialogue between artists and thinkers around the world. With a focus on painting, the exhibition celebrates the myriad ways in which artists from Africa and its diaspora have imagined, positioned, memorialised and asserted African and African-descent experiences. It contributes to the critical discourse on African and Black liberation, intellectual and philosophical movements. The title of the exhibition...
A Century of Black Figuration in Painting brings together artworks from the past 100 years in a dialogue between artists and thinkers around the world. With a focus on painting, the exhibition celebrates the myriad ways in which artists from Africa and its diaspora have imagined,...
Anas Aremeyaw Anas wins defamation case against abusive Ghanaian politician The words of a colleague in a chat group of African investigative journalists said it all: “You’ve made all of us a bit safer, Anas. Thank you.” And indeed, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ victory over a Ghanaian politician in a US court will resonate through political elite circles that are used to intimidating, harassing and even murdering journalists, and not only in Ghana. The undercover documentaries in...
Anas Aremeyaw Anas wins defamation case against abusive Ghanaian politician The words of a colleague in a chat group of African investigative journalists said it all: “You’ve made all of us a bit safer, Anas. Thank you.” And indeed, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’...
A wind of change is sweeping through Senegal’s capital, Dakar, where the recently announced renaming of French colonial-era streets marks part of a broader movement. The new government, led by former opposition activists President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, signals a political rupture and systemic transformation—both in relation to the former colonial power, France, and in domestic affairs. Amid these shifts, Dakar pulses as a hub of new ideas, driven by the ambition to...
A wind of change is sweeping through Senegal’s capital, Dakar, where the recently announced renaming of French colonial-era streets marks part of a broader movement. The new government, led by former opposition activists President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane...
Increased EU imports place South African coal mining on steroids On 13 March 2025, at the European Union-South Africa summit in Cape Town, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged another €4.4 billion to “supporting a clean and just energy transition in South Africa”. Meanwhile, EU companies are sourcing eight times more coal from the same country than they used to in partnership with local companies that are digging up -and poisoning- entire provinces. An investigation. Soot-stained...
Increased EU imports place South African coal mining on steroids On 13 March 2025, at the European Union-South Africa summit in Cape Town, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged another €4.4 billion to “supporting a clean and just energy transition in South Africa”....
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are scheduled to visit Kenya. Under normal circumstances, this would be a moment of shared celebration between two nations bound by a history of trade, agriculture, and development cooperation. As regional hubs, both countries have ports that serve as important channels to large hinterlands, facilitating commerce across continents. But these are not normal times. Deepening crisis Since President William Ruto’s...
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are scheduled to visit Kenya. Under normal circumstances, this would be a moment of shared celebration between two nations bound by a history of trade, agriculture, and development cooperation. As...
[ text in English below ] Beste mensen, ZAM Boekenclub over de nieuwe roman van Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Dream Count. In samenwerking met de Nigerian Youths in the Netherlands (NYN) en hun boekenclub. Tien jaar hebben we gewacht op een opvolger van de succesroman Americanah van de Nigeriaanse auteur Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Maar nu is die er eindelijk, gelijktijdig verschenen in het oorspronkelijke Engels en in een Nederlandse vertaling. De titel is in beide versies: Dream Count. Datum zaterdag...
[ text in English below ] Beste mensen, ZAM Boekenclub over de nieuwe roman van Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Dream Count. In samenwerking met de Nigerian Youths in the Netherlands (NYN) en hun boekenclub. Tien jaar hebben we gewacht op een opvolger van de succesroman Americanah van de...
Photographer Elzo Bonam once again did a great job recording this year’s event. Thanks, Elzo! The below selection provides a tour through the corridors, the Koninklijke Foyer, the Gijsbrecht Bordes and, above all, the Rabo Zaal of the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, where John-Allan Namu delivered his speech. If you were there, you’ll feel the vibe again; if you couldn’t make it at least you’ll get a feel of what turned out to be a very, very successful 5th edition of the Nelson Mandela Lecture...
Photographer Elzo Bonam once again did a great job recording this year’s event. Thanks, Elzo! The below selection provides a tour through the corridors, the Koninklijke Foyer, the Gijsbrecht Bordes and, above all, the Rabo Zaal of the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, where...
In his Nelson Mandela Lecture on Sunday, 16 February, speaker John-Allan Namu expressed optimism about the potential for change across the African continent, attributing it to an ‘upright’ Generation Z that refuses to be held in ‘subservience.’ Amid the many stories of African oppression and conflict, where does Namu find his hope? ZAM offers a bird’s-eye view of a continent where youth—and increasingly, the adult population—are indeed rising up. Mozambique: a crumbling ruling party Mozambican...
In his Nelson Mandela Lecture on Sunday, 16 February, speaker John-Allan Namu expressed optimism about the potential for change across the African continent, attributing it to an ‘upright’ Generation Z that refuses to be held in ‘subservience.’ Amid the many stories of African...
Dutch lobbyist Henk-Jan van Schothorst, affiliated with the right-wing orthodox Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (State Reformed Protestant Party) and founder of Christian Council International, has been instrumental in exporting anti-rights legislation across the African continent. In early 2023, the Ugandan parliament passed a brutal anti-gay law mandating the death penalty for "aggravated cases of homosexuality" and imposing a 20-year prison sentence for the “promotion” of homosexuality. Shortly...
Dutch lobbyist Henk-Jan van Schothorst, affiliated with the right-wing orthodox Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij (State Reformed Protestant Party) and founder of Christian Council International, has been instrumental in exporting anti-rights legislation across the African continent....
In his book The Complicit Camera, photographer Pieter van der Houwen investigates how his images contributed to a (mis)understanding of Africa. This is his preface to the book. As a photographer, I have had the privilege of working in approximately twenty-five countries on the African continent. During a period of nearly thirty years, my approach to photography on this vast and complex landmass has changed as much as the continent itself: from a naïve and youthful photographer fuelled by a “white...
In his book The Complicit Camera, photographer Pieter van der Houwen investigates how his images contributed to a (mis)understanding of Africa. This is his preface to the book. As a photographer, I have had the privilege of working in approximately twenty-five countries on the...
The Glimmers of Hope in the 2025 Nelson Mandela Lecture “The fight for Kenya’s and Africa’s soul is far from over. But for the first time in a long time, we, the people, are reclaiming who we are. We now remember what it means to fight for a better future. More importantly, we know what it feels like to win.” These words, the final paragraph of John-Allan Namu’s Nelson Mandela Lecture, delivered at the International Theatre Amsterdam on 16 February, preceded a standing ovation from the sold-out...
The Glimmers of Hope in the 2025 Nelson Mandela Lecture “The fight for Kenya’s and Africa’s soul is far from over. But for the first time in a long time, we, the people, are reclaiming who we are. We now remember what it means to fight for a better future. More importantly, we know...
English below Achtergronden bij het programma van de 5e ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing Vertaalde teksten, zowel in Engels als Nederlands, alsmede een video-opname van dit programma, komen zo snel mogelijk online beschikbaar op www.zammagazine.com “But, if needs be, for this ideal I am prepared to die” Het programma opent met een korte passage uit het 6 uur durende slotbetoog van Nelson Mandela tijdens het proces dat hem en 8 anderen in 1964 tot levenslange gevangenisstraffen veroordeelde. De foto is van...
English below Achtergronden bij het programma van de 5e ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing Vertaalde teksten, zowel in Engels als Nederlands, alsmede een video-opname van dit programma, komen zo snel mogelijk online beschikbaar op www.zammagazine.com “But, if needs be, for this ideal I am...
Humans adapt, move and connect. Environments change, landscapes can be challenging, and infrastructure is expected to support it all. An exhibition, on view only for one day at the 5th edition of the ZAM Nelson Mandela Lecture on February 16 in Amsterdam, gets into testing the relationship between humans, environment and infrastructure as climate change worsens, affecting those who are on the periphery -the vulnerable- the most. The beautiful Western Cape in South Africa is a home to incredible...
Humans adapt, move and connect. Environments change, landscapes can be challenging, and infrastructure is expected to support it all. An exhibition, on view only for one day at the 5th edition of the ZAM Nelson Mandela Lecture on February 16 in Amsterdam, gets into testing the...
The protest movement should not betray women On 10 December 2024, I joined thousands of feminists in a nationwide anti-femicide march in Kenya. More than 100 recent reports of women being murdered—most at the hands of their intimate partners—prompted us to spotlight the connections between gender-based violence, poor governance, and the economic crisis, including the rising cost of living. This marked the second march against gender-based violence in Kenya in 2024, following the first in February....
The protest movement should not betray women On 10 December 2024, I joined thousands of feminists in a nationwide anti-femicide march in Kenya. More than 100 recent reports of women being murdered—most at the hands of their intimate partners—prompted us to spotlight the connections...
In March this year, the Dutch royal family will travel to Kenya, a state visit that has sparked considerable controversy. Why is the Dutch government sending its ceremonial representatives to a country where human rights are systematically violated? In Kenya, street protests against soaring prices of food, fuel, and internet access—burdens that weigh heavily on ordinary citizens while the political elite maintains its opulent lifestyle—have been met with extreme police violence in recent months....
In March this year, the Dutch royal family will travel to Kenya, a state visit that has sparked considerable controversy. Why is the Dutch government sending its ceremonial representatives to a country where human rights are systematically violated? In Kenya, street protests against...
The Slavery Heritage Guide of The Cape (Gids Slavernijverleden van de Kaap) 2025, the latest instalment in the Mapping Slavery series on sites impacted by Dutch slavery and authored by Nancy Jouwe and Carine Zaayman, will be launched on 26 January at the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam. “With the book launch we want to (…) bring into conversation the history and afterlives of Dutch colonialism in the Cape, but also how it shapes contemporary life in both the Cape and the Netherlands, as well as how it...
The Slavery Heritage Guide of The Cape (Gids Slavernijverleden van de Kaap) 2025, the latest instalment in the Mapping Slavery series on sites impacted by Dutch slavery and authored by Nancy Jouwe and Carine Zaayman, will be launched on 26 January at the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam....
(English below) Het is bijna zover … De 5e editie van de ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing is er bijna: in het Internationaal Theater Amsterdam op zondag 16 februari! Kom luisteren naar een nietsontziende speech door de Keniaanse onderzoeksjournalist John-Allan Namu. Over de opkomst van een nieuw Afrikaans zelfbewustzijn, de schreeuw om verandering van opkomende, jonge protestbewegingen op het continent en de bouwstenen voor een nieuwe relatie tussen Afrika en Europa. Namu heeft een uitdagende en...
(English below) Het is bijna zover … De 5e editie van de ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing is er bijna: in het Internationaal Theater Amsterdam op zondag 16 februari! Kom luisteren naar een nietsontziende speech door de Keniaanse onderzoeksjournalist John-Allan Namu. Over de opkomst van een...
(English below) Het programma van de 5e editie van de ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing op zondag 16 februari in het Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) is bekend! John-Allan Namu | Fra Fra Sound | Mthunzi Mvubu | Adriaan van Dis | Femke Halsema | Ikenna Azuike Het woord is tijdens deze onweerstaanbare manifestatie van solidariteit aan de Keniaanse onderzoeksjournalist en opiniemaker John-Allan Namu . Kom luisteren naar een vlammend betoog over het oplaaiende verzet van veelal door ‘Generatie Z’...
(English below) Het programma van de 5e editie van de ZAM Nelson Mandela Lezing op zondag 16 februari in het Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) is bekend! John-Allan Namu | Fra Fra Sound | Mthunzi Mvubu | Adriaan van Dis | Femke Halsema | Ikenna Azuike Het woord is tijdens deze...
ZAM’s 2025 Nelson Mandela Lecture event will, besides the main address by Kenyan investigative journalist John-Allan Namu, also feature a once-off performance of the legendary migration-themed song “Stimela”, composed by the late South African jazz great Hugh Masekela. The song, which portrays Black migrant workers who are separated from home, family and loved ones by an arduous train journey that ends at the cities’ coal mines, is especially relevant today as migration from poorer countries to...
ZAM’s 2025 Nelson Mandela Lecture event will, besides the main address by Kenyan investigative journalist John-Allan Namu, also feature a once-off performance of the legendary migration-themed song “Stimela”, composed by the late South African jazz great Hugh Masekela. The song,...
