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140 Years After the Berlin Conference

November 15, 2024

It's been 140 years since the Berlin Conference of 1884, where European leaders divided up Africa along the colonial-era borders that we know today.

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DW Sendung The 77 Percent | Okeri Ngutjinazo
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In a special school debate, we find out how high school students learn about their history and hear the story of Kenya's stolen Pokomo drum. And lastly, we meet Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the mayor of Freetown and winner of this year's German Africa Prize.

 

Victor Panwal explains the Berlin Conference
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The Berlin Conference that divided Africa

The borders of African countries were made in Europe. At a 19th century meeting called the Berlin Conference, European leaders divided Africa into many of the countries we know today. The 77 Percent explains the motivation behind the historic carve up that paved the way for Africa's colonization.

 

The 77 Percent School Debate in Dar Es Salaam
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School Debate: How do young Tanzanians interpret colonial history?

In the first of a three part series, The 77 Percent is in Dar Es Salaam to debate with Tanzanian high school students about German colonial rule. It was marked by the brutal suppression of resistance, such as the Maji Maji uprising. We asked the students how it is taught in school and how its threads impact today's young Africans.

 

 

77 Percent | Voxpops - How does colonialism affect you today?
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How does colonialism affect you today?

The 77 Percent went to Namibia and Nigeria to ask if colonialism still matters. While some still feel its impact, others believe it's time to stop looking to the past.

 

 

Pokomo elders in Kenya
Image: DW

Kenya: The Pokomo’s missing drum

The sacred Ngadji drum of the Pokomo community in Kenya was taken by British colonial officers over 100 years ago and is today kept in storage in London’s British Museum. It is just one of thousands of artefacts which are now kept in museums abroad. But no one knows the exact number of missing objects, or where they are today.

 

Prize for mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

The mayor of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, receives the German Africa Prize. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr is being honored for her commitment to the citizens of her city. She transformed Freetown into a livable capital in just 6 years. She improved waste management and water supplies and continues to work to make Freetown even more livable.

 

 

 

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