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There is a lot happening in Africa all the time, and we are looking for bloggers to write on these…
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Reclaiming our future: three takeaways from the Asantehene’s Howard University address
On 25 August 2026, Cramton Auditorium at Howard University in the United Sates of America hosted a meeting of academic…
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Restoring the balance: why the United Nations (UN) adopted the the Togo-Equal Earth Projection (TEEP) world map
Led by Togo, 164 nations vote to correct the global map, while only the United States votes against. As leaders…
What Children Have to Say: A Love Letter to Eswatini’s Children, and a Gentle Rethink
Umtfwana longakhali ufela embelekweni. A child who does not cry will die on the baby carrier. I write this as…
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Designing philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual approaches in research
When writing a research proposal, report or publication manuscript, one of the most important choices you make is how to…
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‘Come through the door, not the window’: The San Code of Research Ethics (San Code)
The San Code: A great resource for social and development workers Cite the Code as: South African San Institute (SAAI)…
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How do I live Ubuntu if it is not my people’s philosophy?
Ubuntu is a philosophy developed and carried by diverse groups of Black African communities over thousands of years, including the…
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This is the decade of Africa in global social work and social development. Why? An answer from Mtandao with options for the next decade
Africa’s philosophy of Ubuntu has anchored the global agenda for social work, an African city has hosted the largest gathering…
Saving as a foundation for development: lessons from Econet Group founder Strive Masiyiwa’s mother
In a recent conversation with John Hope Bryant, Strive Masiyiwa, founder and executive chairman of Econet Group, spoke about the…
How Annonciata Niyibizi Muhayimana created the Ingata of Life Narrative Model
IN HER OWN WORDS: I am a Rwandan narrative therapist, community work practitioner and psychosocial wellbeing consultant with over 15…
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When Resilience Becomes a Burden: The Hidden Struggles of Women Researchers in Africa
We often celebrate research at its final stage: when a paper is published, findings are presented at a conference, or…
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Borderless borders: how Dangote’s African Renaissance Group is putting muscle behind Mbeki’s African Renaissance Theory
For decades, the idea of an African Renaissance has stood as an intellectual framework calling for a continent that reclaims…
Social Development Award Statement by Vongai P Mangwiro
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Africa Social Work and Development Network for nominating me to…
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Development Worker of the Year 2026 Statement by Bikila Tesfaye
Bikila Tesfaye is an Ethiopian sociologist, humanitarian practitioner, researcher, and development professional committed to advancing social justice, community development, and…
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IASSW membership and engagement survey (External communication)
Dear Colleague, The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) is conducting a membership and engagement survey targeting both…
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Aliko Dangote’s vision of Africa’s future: Implications for developmental social work curriculum, teaching, learning and practice
In the interview below, taken from a longer YouTube video, Erik Schatzker, Editorial Director and anchor at Bloomberg Television, interviews…
Comparing Ubuntu-grounded research ethics: the African Research Ethics and Malpractice Statement (AREMS) and the San Code of Research Ethics, and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
Research involving African communities has long borrowed its ethical scaffolding from elsewhere. Two frameworks rooted in Ubuntu, the African Research…
Decolonising Awards Speech by Linda Harms-Smith: Work on decoloniality means disrupting dynamics of ongoing coloniality
Thank you so much for this honour. By affirming decolonial scholarship, and here, the small part that my work contributes,…
New online submission portal for the Journal of Development Administration (JDA)
Submit your manuscript We are pleased to announce that the Journal of Development Administration (JDA), People Centred, has launched a…
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How to Ace Your Job Interview: Tips Every Graduate Needs to Know
Master proven strategies to ace your job interview as a recent graduate. Learn the STAR method, research techniques, virtual interview tips, common mistakes to avoid, and how to follow up with confidence. Land your first role faster.
Students as knowledge creators: Reflections on the 16 June Day of the African Child Conference for Students (DACCS2026)
Please note this post is longer than usual posts that we publish on the Mtandao platform. Every year on 16…
DACCS 2026, we are ready for 16 June: 152 registered participants, 28 speakers
By Lwazi Mavuso, Chair of the Day of the African Child Conference for Students (DACCS) On 16 June 2026, we…
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More than just showing up: how to get the most out of a conference
This is a long post. It covers every significant reason to attend a conference and how to make the most…
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Advocate Bokang Moshoeshoe, Lesotho: New legal mind strengthening the African Independent Ethics Committee for improved safe research in Africa
ASWDNet appointed Advocate Bokang Moshoeshoe to the African Independent Ethics Committee (AIEC) as its legal member. Advocate Moshoeshoe is a…
Call for Editor: Conclusions Africa
Conclusions Africa is an ASWDNet initiative established in 2020. It is a serial publication positioned between a professional magazine and…
Join Mtandao’s exhibition at the Joint World Social Work and Development Conference 2026
Our biggest initiative of 2026: ASWDNet and the African Journal of Social Work (AJSW) will exhibit at the Joint World…
Mpatapo: Third space methodology
Mpatapo, an Adinkra symbol that means the ‘knot of pacification and reconciliation..
Nsoromma: Spirituality
The Nsoromma symbol is deeply rooted in Akan cosmology and represents the intricate relationship between the human soul, the universe,…
Bese saka: Privilege and power
Translated from Akan as a “sack of cola nuts,” this symbol represents privilege, affluence, power, abundance, plenty, and togetherness. The…
Ese ne Tekrema: Deep interdependence
Translated from Akan as “the teeth and the tongue,” this symbol represents friendship, peaceful coexistence, and deep interdependence. It serves…
Wawa aba: The hard, resilient seed
The Wawa Aba is the seed of the Wawa tree, one of the hardest woods in the West African forest….