Global South

I had mixed feelings when I learned that Palestine has erected a statue of Nelson Mandela, the iconic South African anti-Apartheid leader.

The world woke up to news of the Panama Papers a few weeks ago.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to Germany in April as Kenya’s head state was more of a display of freedom from the shackles of the International Criminal Court (ICC) than a state visit to pursue genuine interests of bilateral concern.

The concept of partnership, despite being useful in today’s global chain environment, is not yet clearly understood. For example, Tisch (2004) noted that because of poor experiences, 'the concept of partnership' has not been put into practice effectively, especially in Africa.

A great number of African countries are in the early-to-middle stages of the demographic transition with huge potential of an increasing number of youth.

During the long journey to Europe we go through numerous risks. Fear accompanies every single border crossing we are trying to achieve and gets even stronger when we manage to do so.

Mr. Ben Ammar, as a political activist you are committed to the idea of freedom of movement. What comes to your mind when you see that many people are trying to come to Europe?

60 million people are on the run worldwide, the majority coming from countries in the Global South. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), one third of the refugees originate from Africa.

In autumn 2015, Germany enjoyed very much the role of the charitable helper and, as if to defy Heidenau [2], enthusiastically produced pictures of crowds welcoming refugees at train stations. Meanwhile attacks on refugee homes still take place almost on a weekly basis.

In some African cultures, travel is an initiatory act. One becomes a man when he leaves his family to go far to discover other people and other cultures, to confront the real world realities. This means going away from the comfort and care of a mother, far from the protection of a father.