In 2015, amid the greatest displacement crisis since World War II, a million refugees and migrants arrived on Europe’s shores. [...] In November 2015, as the crisis peaked, European leaders met in Valletta, Malta to try to reach a unified response.

Drought in a developing country can mean many things: a lack of water, a lack of food and nutrition, and a lack of economic growth that puts even more pressure on impoverished communities relying on farming for their livelihoods. For women and girls, it also means a lack of protection. [...] But a new initiative in rural northern Kenya turns to technology and members of the community to make the region safer, and put an end to gender-based violence.

Many analysts and scholars have said that Addis Ababa is emerging as a major actor in the Sub-Regional, Continental, and even global scenes by mentioning material growth indicators such as economic growth, military advancement or demographic evolution. [...] Ethiopia's impeccable peacekeeping exploits can serve as an influence whilst enhancing the country's standing in the diplomatic table as a soft power.

It is hard to imagine Africans would record and release an album of music with the name White African Power. But that is the title of an album released this month by the Tanzanian Albinism Collective, a group of amateur musicians from Africa who have albinism — a rare genetic condition that results in a lack of pigment in skin, hair or eyes. [...] White African Power is the newest in a string of projects produced by Brennan that seek to give voice to people who are normally voiceless.

The total amount of soft loans that India has committed in the past 14 years is about $24.2 billion, in over 60 developing countries. [...] The fact that India has loaned out capital amounting to nearly 1% of its current GDP is a clear indicator of  the primacy of ‘aid’ as a diplomatic tool. “If you are seen by most people as playing a benign developmental role, then you strengthen your credentials of contributing to global good…If you want to be seen as a leader, then you must act like one,” said a senior MEA official.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. In line with the global designation, Zimbabwe launched last week, the Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development under the theme, “Travel, Enjoy and Respect”. It is my sincere hope that this launch, albeit done mid-year, should be used as a way of bringing all stakeholders to exchange ideas to foster sound partnership to advance tourism for sustainable development and poverty eradication in Zimbabwe.

Former Ethiopian health minister Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has been chosen as the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). He was nominated by the government of Ethiopia and elected by the WHO member states to begin his five-year term as director-general on 1 July 2017. He succeeds Hong Kong’s Dr Margaret Chan, who has held the position since 2007. [...] His successes with these two organisations included securing increased funding to fight life-threatening diseases in Africa. 

Morocco is illustrative of a rising power that has cannily deployed its soft power toolbox, including investments, human development projects, media, culture and religion to boost stability in the Sahel and Africa. In an article on the World Politics Review on the contribution of four main players in the security arena in the region, Morocco was distinguished by the author, Anouar Boukhars, for succeeding to tap into the potential of soft power in its ties with African states.