“A Silent Monument to Slavery”: The Ivory Tower confronts its Past
Like their US counterparts, Canadian universities are coming to terms with unsettling parts of their histories. In recent weeks two of the country’s oldest...
Zera Yacob’s Hatata. African Precursor to Enlightenment Liberalism
By Bonny Ibhawoh
There has been resurgent interest in the seventeenth century Ethiopian philosopher and thinker, Zera Yacob (also identified as Zara Yacob).
Africanists historians and philosophers have...
Rethinking Human Rights in Africa
By Bonny Ibhawoh
Discussions of human rights in Africa are often reduced to simplistic narratives of ruthless violators and benevolent activists. In my new book, Human...
Unlearning Prejudice: History can teach, but we must be willing to learn
By Bonny Ibhawoh
In this fascinating personal account, Charles Dew, a professor of American History at William's College reminds us that racism, like a genetic...
Revisiting Biafra: War and Humanitarian Crisis
By Bonny Ibhawoh
"The Biafran Humanitarian Crisis."
A new book by my former PhD student. Dr Arua Omaka (now lecturer at Federal University, Ndufu Alike, Ikwo,...
Making Impossible Peace
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
I reflect on the possibilities and perils of peacebuilding in an uncertian and conflicted world.
Winston Churchill: Wartime hero and an Uncertain Legacy
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
Winston Churchill has been written into the history books as a heroic wartime leader. His resolute stand against Nazism rallied Britain and...
20 years since Rwanda genocide: Never Again
It's been 20 years since the genocide in Rwanda. The lesson for the world is a simple one. Never again. Here, my reflections on...
The Moral Verdict of History
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
It was Rev. Martin Luther King who stated: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” There...
“How to Write About Africa”
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
This article by the Kenyan author BINYAVANGA WAINAINA was originally published in the Journal "Granta." The scathingly ironic article captures the often unspoken truth...
John Humphrey: The man behind the UDHR
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
A bullied "one-armed youngster" drafted a world-changing document ...
A central figure in the development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was...
“There will be fewer, but better citizens”
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
One of my favorite movies is the 1930s comedy, Ninotchka starring Greta Garbo. In the movie, three Soviet agents are dispatched to Paris to...
HAITI: Media Reporting and the need for Historical Contextualization
The outpouring of global support and assistance for the people of Haiti following the devastating earthquake in that country has been heartening. The people...
Congo Mission
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
A documentary on the ravages of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Apartheid: Just Like Yesterday
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
It’s been two decades since the end of Apartheid in South Africa. Today I encounter University students who know nothing about Apartheid...
Quote of the Week
“The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
“Killing Fields” torturer on trial in Cambodia
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
After so many false starts, it is gratifying to see that those responsible for the Cambodian genocide (the forgotten genocide) are finally...
The world watches and hopes
By Bonny Ibhawoh,
“The world watches and hopes” This editorial of the Guardian (London) coming a day after the inauguration of Barack Obama is an...
OBAMA’S GIFT
Here is a moving letter I received from one of my former students a day after the election of Barack Obama. It is a...