In what is considered Africa’s last colony, several artists have recognized the potential of creative resistance to achieve social change for the Saharawi people indigenous to the territory of...Show moreIn what is considered Africa’s last colony, several artists have recognized the potential of creative resistance to achieve social change for the Saharawi people indigenous to the territory of Western Sahara. Several Saharawi activists have resorted to non-violent methods to resist Morocco’s occupation and cultivate solidarity in their fight for independence and self-determination of the Saharawi people. This research seeks to complement available literature existing on Saharawi resistance by looking at the works of Saharawi visual artists as methods of creative resistance in the conflict over Western Sahara. By critically analysing available literature on creative resistance, artivism, transnational activism, engaging in different visual artworks and by using narrative interview as a method, this research aimed to understand how Saharawi activists use visual arts as a method of creative resistance to renegotiate identity, challenge prevailing power relations, and generate international awareness of the struggle for the independence and self-determination of Western Sahara. This thesis identified the use of visual art as a way to facilitate social change in the Western Sahara conflict as it grants the Saharawi people the capacity to preserve their identity in the face of cultural genocide, challenge Morocco’s occupation in tactful and effective ways, and mobilize transnational activism. This study could inspire future studies on pro-peaceful narratives to resistance, activism, and social change in conflicts and contexts that involve similar power dynamics.Show less
Tourism is a major economic sector in Tanzania, where safari tourism provides great financial revenue. The impacts of safari tourism on local people and ecosystems are crucial to investigate,...Show moreTourism is a major economic sector in Tanzania, where safari tourism provides great financial revenue. The impacts of safari tourism on local people and ecosystems are crucial to investigate, especially with only eight years left to fulfil the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. As an increasing number of tourists wants to travel sustainably, it is necessary to examine how tourism affects local communities in Tanzania. Hence, this paper provides a qualitative analysis of two safari tourism operators with a claim to being sustainable, Thomson Safaris and Matriarch Africa, to showcase how their initiatives impact local livelihoods. The findings demonstrate the way in which the tourism businesses improve the security of local livelihoods by providing microfinance, hunger relief, educational, and health services. Such initiatives enhance the realization of the 2030 Agenda as they coincide with the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the research also identifies flaws in sustainable tourism initiatives such as restricted land access necessary for some people to maintain themselves, greenwashing of tourists into believing that their vacation is beneficial to locals while the efforts of the operator may be rather poor, and the neoliberalization of local communities that coincides with tourism initiatives.Show less
This thesis focuses on songs by Mzwakhe Mbuli during and after apartheid South Africa to illustrate the importance of songs and cultural orature in the context of a struggle. Analysis is based on...Show moreThis thesis focuses on songs by Mzwakhe Mbuli during and after apartheid South Africa to illustrate the importance of songs and cultural orature in the context of a struggle. Analysis is based on three songs, one during Apartheid and two post-Apartheid. One of the songs is in Zulu to analyse significancy and differences in communication. Mzwakhe Mbuli was considered to be the people’s poet in South Africa, an iimbongi, who had a significant status between South Africans. He has used his music as a cultural resistance against state policies. Mbuli’s music embodies social comments on themes such as peace and nation-building during Apartheid. However, he also remained remarkably critical in the new South Africa because of the government’s broken promises as well as the ills of the society.Show less
Many disciplines have set out to address the environmental crisis as people witness the impact of decades-long negligence and exploitation of nature. In some cases, this directly affects not only...Show moreMany disciplines have set out to address the environmental crisis as people witness the impact of decades-long negligence and exploitation of nature. In some cases, this directly affects not only their personal health but also livelihoods, security, and development. As the WMO report on climate change from 2021 shows, the distribution of the negative impact of environmental crisis is considerably unequal, and certain communities become much more vulnerable. One such example is the Gikuyu community in central Kenya. This thesis will focus on the indigenous epistemology of the environment by closely studying the Gikuyu creation myths in order to illustrate how these sources of oral tradition represent the relationship between humans and nature, and thus highlight the value of nature in African cultures. The main conclusion leading from an ecocritical analysis of the myth will demonstrate how oral tradition can serve as a propagator of ecological values in a particular community.Show less
Over the last decades, African influences on the top tiers of western European football competitions and teams have continually increased. However, a remarkable observation that can be made is that...Show moreOver the last decades, African influences on the top tiers of western European football competitions and teams have continually increased. However, a remarkable observation that can be made is that predominantly players from West Africa are visible in the top teams of western European football, whereas players from the East African region are relatively absent. This research compares how colonial and postcolonial policies and power dynamics have affected football development along with football migration from both regions to western Europe. It shows how French imperial policy has laid foundations for postcolonial power dynamics and ongoing football migration from former colonies to France, whereas British colonial and postcolonial policy has hindered football development in East Africa and prevented the emergence of migration corridors to western Europe such as the ones that can be identified in West Africa.Show less
