Author: NLM Correspondent

By Prof John Harbeson Afrobarometer recently proclaimed that an “overwhelming” majority of Ethiopians support democracy and “seek accountable governance.” The surveys’ findings revealed that 90 percent of Ethiopians preferred democracy over the main alternatives: one-man, one-party, and military rule. They ranked governmental accountability to citizens expressed wishes over a government that might actually “get things done” as well as one that fulfills citizens’ wishes over what their elected officials themselves might prefer. The report (afrobarometer.com) is stunningly important news in a country that has never known democracy in its two millennia history of independence under imperial, authoritarian rule nor in…

At this time great social transformation in the country, we are reminded of how, as a people, we should aspire to the standards of our illustrious peers in the West. We are told that the country would be much better if our politicians practiced ideology politics and if the people voted based information rather than sentiment. Even in our schools, we are wired to prefer justice as applied in the West (in fact, there isn’t a Kenyan definition of justice per se apart from the laws and traditions we inherited from our colonial masters and more progressive peers elsewhere). And…

Many major cities in developing countries, especially in Africa, are failing to reap the economic benefits of urbanization. These cities are not able to drive structural transformation, boost growth, create jobs in tradeable industries, and contribute to national economic growth compared with cities in other countries, such as those in China or most developed countries.. As policymakers, urban planners, and development practitioners try to tackle the issues of rapid urbanization, they face numerous roadblocks and constraints. With Africa’s urban population expected to nearly triple by 2050—adding 800 million people—the urgency of addressing these challenges is paramount. Recent African urbanization analyses…

By Victor Adar As the world celebrated women’s day in October, it emerged that despite all the efforts made to protect women and girls, we still have a long way to go. A survey on online violence by Plan International indicates that one in five girls (19%) have left or significantly reduced use of a social media platform after being harassed, while another one in 10 (12%) have changed the way they express themselves just to stay safe. The report, titled “Free to be online? Girls’ and young women’s experiences of online harassment”, is based on a survey of 14,000…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the most stressful year in history and negatively affected the mental health of 78 percent of the global workforce. 85 percent of people say their mental health issues at work negatively affect their home life. 68 percent of people would prefer to talk to a robot over their manager about stress and anxiety at work. 76 percent of people believe companies should be doing more to support the mental health of their workforce 2020 has been the most stressful year in history for the global workforce and people want robots to help, according to a new study by…

By Marietje Schaake Should Twitter censor lies tweeted by the US president? Should YouTube take down covid-19 misinformation? Should Facebook do more against hate speech? Such questions, which crop up daily in media coverage, can make it seem as if the main technologically driven risk to democracies is the curation of content by social-media companies. Yet these controversies are merely symptoms of a larger threat: the depth of privatized power over the digital world. Every democratic country in the world faces the same challenge, but none can defuse it alone. We need a global democratic alliance to set norms, rules,…

By Lerisha Naidu and Sphesihle Nxumalo African competition authorities have collaborated closely in recent years, but the threat of de-globalisation after Covid-19 could change that, explain Lerisha Naidu and Sphesihle Nxumalo of Baker McKenzie. With the confluence of factors including globalisation, the rise of the digital economy, the proliferation of new competition law regimes, and the increasing incidences of cross-border activity on the continent, it is unsurprising that there has been conduct over which several competition authorities have wished to exert jurisdiction. By way of example, a recent single transaction involving GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer has been the subject of consideration by some 20 different authorities…

We’re never going back the way we were—and this will be to the benefit of firms, profitability, clients and lawyers if we make the right technology investments. Here are some specific ways firms can capture these benefits. By Christopher Zegers The forced experiment in change and technology adoption we are all, for better and worse, participating in can pay dividends: lawyers like their new, flexible work from home capabilities. In fact, most (67 percent) report they would like their job to stay remote once it’s safe to return to the office, even if it’s only a few days a week. A substantial benefit…

By Gaopalelwe Mathiba From a multidisciplinary perspective, Exploring the link between poverty and human rights in Africa assembles an impressive group of leading scholars, in their own right, on human rights, sociology and development studies. At the core of this edited volume is the probe into how the African continent has fared in navigating a complex interface between poverty alleviation, on one side of the spectrum and the advancement of human rights, on the other. The volume appreciates the intersectionality of its raison d’être, namely, poverty, an albatross to many Africans, with many dimensions and causes. The obvious good about this appreciation is…

Most legal tech companies understand the influential dynamic law firm staffers play in tech purchases. But law firms must also consider if reluctance to change is fuelling negative staff feedback. By Victoria Hudgins A managing partner or the firm’s executive committee may have the final say in tech purchases, but they are by no means the only decision makers. At the end of the day, law firm staffers wield significant power in advocating and nixing a tech purchase. Legal tech companies, therefore, need to make sure they’re understanding and addressing staffers’ unique challenges to obtain that crucial buy-in. According to the American Bar…