M.

M. Author

The Man in the Mirror.

Why France Created the French Foreign Legion

The main reason the Legion exists was simple, to get rid of them. Or rather, put them to work outside France so they would not mess things up again. But to do so in a way that both served Paris’ global goals, and provided a route, albeit a very dangerous one, for them to become …

Features • Quick Reads|

Why South Sudan Has Five Vice Presidents

South Sudan is one of several countries in the world that have multiple Vice Presidents, and it is often for the same reasons. The briefest answer is: War. The short answer is that it is not just any 5 Vice Presidents, they are mainly representatives of different armies/militias involved in the South Sudan conflict. It …

Profiles • Quick Reads|

The Weirdest Flag in the World

While there are many contenders for the title of the “weirdest flag in the world” depending on which metrics you choose, the Flag of Nepal stands out for the simple reason that it is the only national flag in the world that is not rectangular. It is not unusual just for the sake of it. …

Quick Reads|

The Case Against the Intellectual Dishonesty of David Ndii

David Ndii is an unkind man who should not be in a position of responsibility in these hard times. Because as a whisperer to kings, if what he shows the world is what he truly is, then it is clear why we have wasted so much time, so many precious lives, and so much peace, …

Profiles • Quick Reads|

‘If Gays Didn’t Exist: Inside Kenya’s Dalliance with Homophobia

I In November 1999, Dr. Margaret Ogola, a renowned Kenyan author and paediatrician, walked onto a podium in Geneva, Switzerland. She was there to receive an award, the World Congress of Families (WCF) Award for Humanitarian Service, at the WCF’s second congress. Dressed in a white dress and a white doek, Dr. Ogola’s acceptance speech …

Features • Projects|

The City of No Contradictions

Cape Town owns its identity. There’s something almost aspirational about the imbalance and (lack of) contradictions in this particular city, and they are clear to me when I explore it on foot, on different days and times, and try to understand why my basic feeling is absolute discomfort.

Adventures|