Albert N. Kimbu, University of Surrey and Michael Z Ngoasong, The Open University Africa has seen the highest growth among businesses run by women in recent years. This would appear to be good news: entrepreneurship is arguably crucial for job creation and economic growth. But the flip side of this data is that businesses run by women are less likely than those run by men to grow because of a higher fear of business failure. This is not because women are bad entrepreneurs. Instead, it’s because they often start from a lower base. They have less start-up and investment capital,…
Author: Pride Team
Dear Dorothy, My wife and I have been married for over twelve years and we’ve had a blissful union until the past several months. I noticed my wife isn’t as respectful as she used to be; these days, she treats me with some measure of disdain. I have also noticed that she paints me in a bad light to her family members and friends. I have taken time to examine myself to figure out if I’m the cause of her change in attitude and behaviour but I can’t seem to identify where I’ve erred. A few months ago, she landed…
Greg Barton, Deakin University When lives are tragically cut short, it is generally easier to explain the “how” than the “why”. This dark reality is all the more felt when tragedy comes at the hands of murderous intent. Explaining how 50 people came to be killed, and almost as many badly injured, in Christchurch’s double massacre of Muslims at prayer is heartbreaking but relatively straightforward. As with so many mass murders in recent years, the use of an assault rifle, the ubiquitous AR15, oxymoronically referred to as “the civilian M-16”, explains how one cowardly killer could be so lethal. It…
The organisers of Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week (PLCEW) invite all creatives across Nigeria to be part of the inaugural edition of the event. PLCEW is premised on a practical week-long creative exercise involving talks, seminars, master classes and workshops, to help creatives in different genres turn their ideas into businesses that are viable, and which have a positive social impact. “The programme throughout the Pride Lagos Creative Enterprise Week delves into several aspects of business and creativity,” said Chukwuemeka Anyiam-Osigwe, Coordinator of PLCEW. “Whether you are a writer, make-up artist, musician, poet, painter or filmmaker, there is something on…
James Stanfield, Newcastle University and Angelika Strohmayer, Newcastle University A recent report has confirmed that simply increasing the number and use of computers in a school is unlikely to result in significant improvement in “educational outcomes”, including in results for reading, mathematics and science. The report, from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), recommended solutions were fairly predictable and included increasing training for teachers and greater use of innovative teaching methods. According to Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s director for education and skills: “Adding 21st-century technologies to 20th-century teaching practices will just dilute the effectiveness of teaching.” We therefore…
Carlos Cordon, IMD Business School and Arturo Bris, IMD Business School This is an article from Head to Head, a series in which academics from different disciplines chew over current debates. Let us know what else you’d like covered – all questions are welcome. Details of how to contact us are at the end of the article. Arturo Bris: Have you ever watched footage from the early 1980s of people trying to explain the internet? They’re sceptical and confused and have no idea how to say “@”, which is comical given what we now take for granted. But that’s where…
Reading 1 Is 55:10-11 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Verse Before the Gospel Mt 4:4b One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the…
Dion Forster, Stellenbosch University South Africans – like millions of people across the world – are seriously susceptible to religious abuse. The local media has once again been abuzz with a litany of shocking stories about manipulation, abuse and fraud by pastors. The latest one, a fake “resurrection” made headlines around the world. A video of Pastor Alph Lukau “raising” a man from the dead went viral and even sparked the #ResurrectionChallenge. Why do South Africans fall for these religious snakeskin oil salesmen (and women)? One possible reason is that faith continues to play a very significant role in South…
Rats are cars with four legs and a tail I call loot, Rats are cars found everywhere. The cars I have seen rest in garages but rats hide in holes. Rats wag their tail to show their greed, to show their breed. Rats run everywhere to reach nowhere. Rats hide treasures where measures lag, They hide booties where armies lag, Holes are tears for rats, pains for rats, scars for rats. Holes are wounds for rats. Rats run everywhere and never get Anywhere, They eat everything and never feed on Anything, They dig everything and never did excavate Anything, Rats…
Holy Humour A first in heaven At the pearly gates, St. Peter greeted a minister and congressman and gave assigned them their rooms. “Pastor, here are the keys to one of our nicest efficiency units. And you, Mr Congressman, the keys to our finest penthouse suite.” “This is unfair!” the minister complained. “Listen,” St. Peter said, “ministers are a dime a dozen up here, but this the first congressman we’ve ever seen.” Sunday Quote “If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss Bank.”— Woody Allen Actual Announcements from Church…