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Africa usually only features tangentially during events commemorating the First World War. But this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, two endeavours take a fresh look at the continent’s role.
The first is a production by renowned South African artist William Kentridge who attacks the idea that the Great War was a “world war”. His new art project focuses on the impact this "European War" had on the African colonies of the principal countries. Michael Godby argues that it's an impact that was ignored at the time, and subsequently written out of history.
The war is also examined from the vantage point of South Africa in an article by Martin Plaut. He looks at how Afrikaners faced the difficult decision of whether or not to back Great Britain. It was a tough choice given that the bitter Anglo-Boer war had only recently ended. No such dilemma faced black and coloured South Africans who seized the opportunity to show loyalty to their country and British Crown. They were, unsurprisingly, never rewarded for this.
Investing in saving Africa's lions will do much more than simply curb the decline of continent’s iconic predator. It will also beef up conservation efforts that in turn will save thousands of other species. And it carries the potential to pull surrounding communities out of poverty and drive growth. Luke Hunter explains how investing $1 billion annually can make this happen.
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William Kentridge.
Goodman Gallery
Michael Godby, University of Cape Town
For William Kentridge, searching and erasure serves as a model for understanding our place in the world.
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Delville Wood Memorial in Cape Town.About 2300 white soldiers died in the First World War battle.
Shutterstock
Martin Plaut, School of Advanced Study
For black South Africans, the hard lesson was the same as it had been during the Boer war: support for Britain would bring few rewards.
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Energy + Environment
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Luke Hunter, University of KwaZulu-Natal
A billion dollars a year would secure Africa's lions and its landscapes as well as millions of people living nearby.
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Health + Medicine
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Celia van der Merwe, University of Cape Town; Benyam Worku Dubale, Addis Ababa University; Dr Nathaniel McGregor, Stellenbosch University
There's been significant advances in mental health genetics research, but Africa has largely been excluded.
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From our international editions
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Thomas Kochan, MIT Sloan School of Management
The walkout by thousands of Google employees around the world was historic, both because of who was protesting and what their demands were. It may even mark the start of something new.
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Daniel Palazzolo, University of Richmond
The odds favor a big year for Democrats, but the extent of their gains is still in doubt.
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Christina Bellantoni, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
A record number of women are poised to win public office in 2018. But don't look to California for help shifting the gender balance in Congress during the 'year of the woman.'
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Suzanne Robbins, University of Florida
Is money the root of all evil in politics? It’s easy to see a correlation between winning and fundraising – money flows to likely winners and competitive races. But correlation is not causation.
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