Mahmood Mamdani has, in his usual provocative manner, ignited a relevant and appropriate debate on Darfur in his new book Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror (Pantheon Books, 2009). Until recently, foreign activists had a near-monopoly on publicity and, in doing so, they defined not only the immediate response to Darfur, but also all the issues surrounding Sudan. Political, humanitarian and security issues were all defined in the media by this activist constituency.

Perhaps you are familiar with those seminars in Washington D.C. that address challenges typically associated with Africa—HIV/AIDS, inadequate healthcare, famine, poverty, war, dictatorship, poor infrastructure, low agricultural productivity, gender inequity, insecurity—the list is long though quite predictable. You may have noticed, too, that the "expert" orators at these gatherings are fairly consistent and essentially constitute a circle of recycled speakers that speak to an equally consistent bunch of recycled listeners.

For 10 million African-born emigrants, the word “home” is synonymous with the United States, Britain or another country outside of Africa. Personally, I have continuously lived in the United States for the last 30 years. My last visit to Africa was 17 years ago.

Spend a few minutes with Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin and you will know that she is a woman of great substance. A truly soulful personality, she is ambitious, vivacious, and focused. Currently, Eleni and her team are in the process of building an institution that may completely transform the way agricultural commodities are traded in her native country of Ethiopia.

Brother Ishmael Tetteh is the Founder and Director of the Etherean Mission, a trans-denominational metaphysical organization established in Ghana in 1973. For over three and half decades, Bro. Ishmael has been teaching philosophies and practices that are based on ancient African mystical practices.

Established in 2006 by Emmanuel Ande Ivorgba, the New Era Educational and Charitable Support Initiative (NEEDCSI) is a Nigeria–based, registered non-profit organization. NEEDCSI is committed to the revival of human values that transcend religious, ethnic and cultural differences. These values include a sense of belonging to a common humanity, respect and consideration for all people, compassion and non-violence, a commitment to preserving the natural environment, and a social service ethic.

"We all incarnated on Earth at this time to experience the closing of a 5,128 year cycle of history and help initiate the opening of a new cycle. This period of transition and transformation is known as “The Shift”.