Author: Sterling Carter

Sterling Carter writes on the intersection of political economy, arts and culture, and human rights. He has over five years’ experience on African development, violence and conflict with organizations including Human Rights Watch, Global Witness, and Search for Common Ground. He is originally from Flora, Indiana but pulled up stakes long ago.
africa south sudan

Bringing West Africa to South Sudan

08/07/2015

In South Sudan, all of us were reminded of the African continent's sprawling size and rich diversity....

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Africa by palettestudio

Expanding Worlds : Across the Sheer Size of Africa

27/06/2015

Like my wallet, I'm holding cultural currencies with bills from over twenty African nations. ...

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South Sudan : Towards Redemption, Towards Peace

23/05/2015

They wanted peace, a chance to return to their homes....

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West Africa Redux : Twenty Kinds of Awesome in Africa

03/04/2015

'whenever I mention Mali, Ghana, or Sierra Leone, the inevitable question is usually, "What was your favorite place?"'...

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Africa by Jyoti Bindu

Death on an Imagined Afternoon

09/02/2015

One of the things I like most about Nigeria is that I’ve lost the sense of security that seems to pervade all of life in the United States....

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Africa by Jyoti Bindu

Lesotho Breaks, Lesotho Mends. Africa by Bike

24/01/2015

'The longer that I’m on the bike, the more it becomes an extension of myself' ...

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drakensberg, google maps

Bicycling Lesotho : Headed North

06/01/2015

Intentions of making it through Lesotho before the snows came have come to naught....

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Africa by Jyoti Bindu

Hills, Wind and Rain

29/12/2014

After surviving two days of these winds to finally crawl into Hermanus, I'm extra cautious. I respect the winds. Nay, I fear them. Cycling essay, Lesotho...

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locked bikes by Sean

Cast of Characters : The Kid [South Africa]

12/12/2014

The simplicity that exists in the Andy Griffith Show or maybe Leave it to Beaver still exists in the small town life in the Cape...

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Africa by Jyoti Bindu

Cast of Characters : The Mad Cop [Lesotho]

30/11/2014

Tattooed on his meaty forearm was a swastika, black, encircled in blood red. He could wrap his hand around my forearm....

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africa by Todd Quackenbush

We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Passes! Africa by Bike

25/10/2014

The longer I'm on the bike, the more existential the ride seems to get....

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mountains by Tom Lann

Lost in Lesotho

28/09/2014

For a time, I thought about hitching my way back up to Ha Lejone, to save my pride and deny that Lesotho had truly beaten me....

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2 dollar bill

Make the Money, Change the Game [Part 2]

15/08/2014

There's little to prepare you for paying for a drink and getting your change in three different currencies....

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A dollar bill, very faded

Make the Money, Change the Game

24/07/2014

If one had to buy diesel for a car or generator, it was best to buy in the morning, prices could increase many times over by afternoon....

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An Illustration by Dan Booth

Naked from the Waist Down

27/06/2014

'No matter how well prepared you are, you can’t predict all the uncertainties.' A half-naked man proves a metaphor for travel in Africa....

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1950s public domain image

Death of a Salesman – Harare Style

16/06/2014

In Zimbabwe... relationships are still alive, still important. They’re the only thing that carried so many through such trying times....

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afm church, Zimbabwe

Religion: The River of the World

23/05/2014

For the majority of Zimbabweans, however, Sunday is a day of praise and worship, a day that lasts all day whether you like it or not. ...

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africa by Todd Quackenbush

Tito Mojito and the Wealth of Nations

16/05/2014

Work all day, work all night, and study into the wee hours of the morning. In a country like Zimbabwe, you do what you have to do...

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Train on Victoria Falls

On the Right Side of the Tracks

01/05/2014

Wait, what? We can climb on top of the trains?...

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Check Your Privilege

19/04/2014

It’s become a ubiquitous phrase – Check Your Privilege – one that may both encourage and stifle debate, but what is privilege and how does it change?...

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Genocide and Its Aftermath

05/04/2014

In two days, the world will mark the 20-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Let's hope history isn't repeating in CAR....

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Sanctions vs. Tax Havens in the New Cold War

22/03/2014

As long as tax havens reign, Western sanctions will have little effect on Russian aggression....

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A picture of tanks by freedigitalphotos.net/tongdang

Sarcasm, Cynicism, and International Relativism

08/03/2014

Cynicism and sarcasm don't have a place in international affairs. Let's fight for what's right....

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Boycott! Divest! Sanction! Israel and You

01/03/2014

Israeli settlements have come under fire from the BDS Movement. Will the boycotts and sanctions push the country towards a peace deal?...

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A picture of new york by Anders Jilden

Football, Freedom, America

08/02/2014

Last Sunday, America played America in the most American football freedom thing you can ever watch because AMERICA....

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A picture of a tunnel

Macklemore’s Grammy Gold

01/02/2014

After pop rapper Macklemore took Grammy gold, many are crying cultural appropriation. ...

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Cover image of Tinariwen's Emmaar

Tinariwen : Emmaar

28/01/2014

Emmaar is a journey narrative, a walk with the Tuareg nomads through their desert home....

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A dollar bill, very faded

The Drug Dealers and Their Money Men

25/01/2014

Legal marijuana dispensaries can't deposit their money, despite the fact that American banks have conspired with violent drug cartels for years. ...

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A fruit stall, Mbare, Zimbabwe

Touring Mbare Township (Part 2)

14/01/2014

It’s a common problem I've encountered in Zimbabwe. If there’s one person there who is staunchly pro-Mugabe, he or she dominates the conversation, cowing others into quiet agreement....

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A picture of an arrow on a boardwalk

Cleantech Crash? Why Government Should Go Green

11/01/2014

The government has a definite role to play in the promotion of new green technologies and energy sources, no matter what budget hawks like to think....

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