Latest news with #diaspora
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Unity Cup final offers identity and bragging rights to London's diaspora
Where are you from? This simple question can be a minefield for anyone with a hyphenated identity. Depending on who is asking, I could be British, Nigerian or Jamaican. In Britain I'm black. In Nigeria I'm an innit innit boy. In Jamaica I'm foreign. I'm from here but I'm not from here. Each layer of my cultural backdrop explains so much and complicates even more. The Unity Cup validates the experiences of many people like me who are a part of London's diaspora communities. The friendly football tournament brings together Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago across five days to compete for nothing more than the love of game, the celebration of culture and the chance to earn unassailable bragging rights. It's a sequel to the 2004 Unity Cup that hosted Nigeria, Ghana and the Republic of Ireland at the Valley in Charlton. Nigeria won the round-robin competition 21 years ago and they will face Jamaica in the final of this year's single-elimination tournament at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium after Jamaica beat Trinidad & Tobago 3-2 on Tuesday and Nigeria beat Ghana 2-1 on Wednesday at the same venue. Former Wimbledon, Watford and Brentford striker Marcus Gayle was at the 2004 edition of the Unity Cup as a commentator after ending his international career with Jamaica two years after the Reggae Boyz reached the 1998 World Cup. For Gayle, now an ambassador for Brentford, the competition is as much about bringing people together as it is about the results on the pitch. 'The last time this happened was 21 years ago, so there are many fans that were not even born [then] who can witness this event and I think that's a healthy thing' he says. 'They can see what their nations can produce [while staying] in their local area.' Gayle was born in Hammersmith to a Barbadian mother and Jamaican father. Despite representing England at youth level, he ultimately decided to play for Jamaica at senior level. It was a decision that was not taken lightly. 'I had to go through some politics at the time,' Gayle remarks. The 54-year-old's response alludes to debates about English-born players with heritage elsewhere playing for England or for their country of origin. 'It's about what's prestigious' says Gayle, referring to England's chances at a major tournament compared to Jamaica's, and the calibre of players in the respective national setups. 'There also should be a sense of pride in who you are, your identity and what makes you.' Once Gayle joined Jamaica's national setup with fellow English-born players such as Fitzroy Simpson, Deon Burton and Paul Hall, he immediately felt at home. 'It was like my DNA connected to the soil,' he says. We felt integrated. There were stories that we all had [in common], but it was just 4,000 miles apart.' He also found himself learning from the homegrown players. Used to the strict nutritional regimen of the Premier League, Gayle ate small portions of pre-match staples such as porridge and a banana while his teammates piled their plates before games. He would ask them: 'How are you going to eat that and then still run around?' Little did he know that the hot conditions would force him to match his teammates with plates full of hard food. 'I was underfueling myself because of how I was brought up in football,' Gayle says. 'I was burning calories galore so I had to adapt. I had to entwine with the culture, which is beautiful.' For Gayle, the Unity Cup is an opportunity for others to connect with their culture in a similar way. 'I hope it will encourage the younger generations to look at representing their countries with pride and dignity,' he says. This sense of pride and dignity has trickled down to the fans who enjoyed a jovial atmosphere at the semi-finals. Jamaica versus Trinidad & Tobago felt more like a carnival than a football game and, if social media is anything to go by, the 'Jollof derby' was just as joyous. Jamaica versus Nigeria is a fitting final as both countries given how much both nations have shaped Britain and its culture, albeit the match represents something of a personal dilemma. Regardless of the score on Saturday, the Unity Cup is fostering a sense of pride among the respective countries and their communities at home and abroad.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Aïda Muluneh on capturing the UK's contradictions: ‘It's hard to imagine there are people going hungry'
Growing up, Aïda Muluneh moved around a lot. She was born in Ethiopia, but also lived in Yemen, Cyprus, Canada and, for a short time, England. There was a spell in Sunderland for about eight months when she was six: 'My mother was dating a guy from the UK,' she says. 'I have very distinct memories of England. I went to school briefly, but I didn't really speak any English. I remember the cold and the grey skies.' More than 40 years later, Muluneh returns to the UK, invited by Impressions Gallery to make new work across Bradford, Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow for this year's UK City of Culture programme. Comprising 22 images, The Necessity of Seeing was made over a month-long road trip. She crammed all her equipment into two cars and a minivan, along with a mobile studio, painted backdrops and clothing brought over from Africa, and five core crew members. 'It was basically like getting a crash course in UK history and contemporary life,' says Muluneh. The resulting images explore themes such as gender, labour, religion and diaspora. Incorporating pieces of each city's architectural landmarks – from cathedrals and mosques to cotton mills and war memorials – Muluneh connects historic wounds with contemporary struggles. The decline of industry, the history of labour union movements, women's rights, and the exploitation of immigrants: in these images, as in reality, everything is connected. This work is now part of a touring exhibition, Nationhood: Memory and Hope, shown alongside A Portrait of Us, 15 black-and-white portraits of 'unsung heroes' in each city, made by Muluneh, as well as a presentation of seven emerging British photographers. Muluneh's journey around the UK required a lot of planning, as well as learning, talking and translating her reflections into art. 'Being prepared allows me to tap into another part of my mind,' she says. 'Along the way, I'd find other things I hadn't expected, just from simple conversations.' These conversations, as well as each city's unique social and urban fabric, make up all the layers of meaning in Muluneh's work. 'I'm creating my own universe within an existing reality and reshaping it to reflect how I was feeling at the time,' she says. The title, The Necessity of Seeing, is emblematic of the deep political awareness driving Muluneh's work. 'Growing up displaced has given me a kind of anger that fuels my work,' she says. 'I've always been drawn to communities dealing with division and cultural identity. My aim wasn't to come here and try to reflect something I don't fully understand. I can only reflect my experiences of trying to understand the complexity of the UK – what I saw, witnessed and felt.' What she felt most of all, Muluneh says, was division. 'But within that, everyone is facing the same challenges,' she says. 'I was looking at what women and children went through in the Industrial Revolution, while also thinking about slavery and colonial history. What I realised is that these shared histories have the potential to connect people, rather than divide them.' The Handmaid of Hunger, 2024 (main picture above)'For many of us in Africa, it's hard to imagine that a country like the UK has people going hungry. This image is a comment on that contradiction of being in a wealthy country, yet still seeing people who rely on food banks.' Reflections of the Seeker, 2024'I was fascinated by how visible and strong the Muslim culture is in Bradford,' says Muluneh. 'I heard a story from a woman whose daughter went to school there. She said her daughter felt really comfortable wearing a hijab, because no one stared at her. That really stayed with me.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The Edge of Tomorrow's Memory, 2024'This was shot in Bradford, but it speaks to Belfast, a city that felt like an open wound. The most striking things were the walls. You can still feel the trauma of recent history.' The Present Past, 2024'In Glasgow, there's a lot of architecture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He wasn't alive when this building [the House for an Art Lover cultural centre] was constructed but there's something powerful in interpreting someone's vision years later. This image plays with the idea of bringing the past into the present.' The Necessity of Seeing was commissioned by Bradford 2025 City of Culture and Impressions Gallery, with Belfast Exposed, Ffotogallery, Cardiff, and Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow; it is touring 5 June to 18 January.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Cook Islands PM leads seabed minerals dialogue in Australia
By Losirene Lacanivalu , Cook Islands News Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown Photo: Tiana Haxton Prime Minister Mark Brown will lead a 11-member delegation to Australia this week for an "open dialogue" on seabed exploration activities. The Cook Islands government held a similar consultation tour in New Zealand in November last year, which Brown, also the Minister for Seabed Minerals, declared a significant success. According to the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), the delegation will travel to Australia from 28 May to 6 June to engage Cook Islands communities in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne. The face-to-face sessions will focus on the Cook Islands' journey towards a "science-led, environmentally responsible, and sovereign approach to seabed minerals exploration". In a statement, SBMA said that this engagement marks the next step in strengthening the relationship between government and diaspora, "built on a shared commitment to sustainable progress and guardianship of our moana". The consultation is facilitated by SBMA in collaboration with community leaders "clarifying what is happening, what is not, and how Cook Islanders remain at the centre of this seabed minerals journey". Brown said that this was not about extraction or shortcuts. "This is about science, stewardship, and sovereignty. We are exploring, carefully, transparently, and with the future of our people and ocean in mind." Brown reiterated that no mining has been approved. All current activities are exploratory only, governed by Cook Islands legislation and robust environmental frameworks, and informed by global best practices, he added. "These conversations reaffirm who we are and what we stand for. Our diaspora carries our culture and pride with them. They are part of our national direction, and their voice matters," Brown added. According to SBMA, this national strategy is about building Cook Islands capacity to lead in environmental science, global research and sustainable ocean economies. "Public trust, transparent governance, and cultural legitimacy underpin every step of the process," SBMA said. "The Cook Islands vision is clear: to be a leader and steward in a sustainable minerals future, delivering benefits not just in revenue but in knowledge, capability, and intergenerational wellbeing." Consultation will start on 29 May in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and ending in Melbourne on 5-6 June. -This article was first published by Cook Islands News .
Finextra
20-05-2025
- Business
- Finextra
UK challenger Afin Bank chooses Nivo for broker ommunications
Afin Bank, a new bank created to help people from Africa and other foreign national communities living in the UK to get mortgages, has partnered with Nivo to implement its broker facing technology through a solution which promotes simplicity and speed. 0 Utilising Nivo's technology solution to handle all broker interactions, Afin Bank's brokers will spend less time gathering data and documents by unifying all communications through one preferred channel when the lender fully launches later this year. Inefficient communication between brokers and lenders has long been a challenge in the specialist mortgage industry. Most lenders rely on email communication, but this requires additional effort, causes time lags and results in back-and-forth between various parties chasing for missing information. Using Nivo's broker facing solution, which tackles all interactions from initial enquiry to fully packaged case, Afin Bank will be able to offer a quicker and more efficient service to its intermediaries, helping more borrowers get the mortgages they need. Borrowers from Africa and other diaspora communities living and working in the UK often struggle to get mortgages from mainstream lenders because of issues such as their visa status or lack of UK credit history. While designed with foreign nationals in mind, Afin Bank says its lending products may also be suitable for UK resident customers including high-net worth borrowers and self-employed workers. Afin Bank says the Nivo solution ensures clarity throughout the application process and provides the certainty needed to help underserved customers overcome the barriers they normally face trying to secure a mortgage. Alan Davison, Chief Commercial Officer of Afin Bank commented: "This partnership with Nivo highlights Afin Bank's commitment to brokers and underserved borrowers. We're building a lender from the ground up and that means selecting the best technology to support them. 'Nivo's messaging-first platform means brokers don't have to learn a new system and it fits neatly with how they already work. It's fast, intuitive and removes the pain points of traditional portals that make brokers bristle." Matthew Elliott, Founder of Nivo, added: 'Brokers don't want to juggle multiple logins, learn new interfaces, or be forced into using rigid workflows. Email persists because it's the path of least resistance, but with Nivo, brokers get the best of both worlds; a seamless, structured messaging experience that feels as simple as email but without the inefficiencies. Using Nivo's Verified Identity Messaging service, further speed, clarity, certainty and security are afforded to Afin Bank's customer-base.' Alan Davison added: 'Our goal is to remove barriers, make processes simpler and deliver an experience that brokers prefer, helping them to help their customers. With Nivo we're ensuring that brokers can work seamlessly while maintaining security, compliance and efficiency. It's the best way to enter the market with a broker-friendly proposition." While some lenders have invested in portals to mitigate issues, brokers often resist the introduction of these new systems due to the increased login fatigue, rigid workflows and additional unnecessary steps which disrupt the brokers' natural way of working. Largely, brokers prefer more conversational, flexible ways to engage which fit their existing workflow. At the heart of Nivo is a central shopping list where all documents and outstanding actions are visible to involved parties in one place, keeping everything organised and easy to track. As the broker-facing solution is built on Nivo's core platform, Afin Bank will be instantly accessible to hundreds of brokers who already use the system daily. Afin Bank received its banking licence Authorisation with Restrictions1 (AwR) in October last year and is backed by African reinsurer WAICA Re, which has committed £62m to setting up the bank. It will offer a range of residential and buy-to-let mortgages this year2 alongside FSCS protected savings accounts.
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Leveraging the contribution of Basotho diaspora to Lesotho sustainable development
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Sub-regional Office for North Africa (SRO-NA) and Sub-regional Office for Southern Africa in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, organized a workshop on Thursday 15 May in Maseru, Lesotho, on leveraging the contribution of the Basotho diaspora to the country's sustainable development. The mission aimed to engage with key stakeholders, support the integration of remittances into national development strategies, explore ways to channel diaspora savings into investment for sustainable development, and establish a national technical working group to guide the program's implementation. The workshop was attended by 55 representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Central Bank of Lesotho, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Home Affairs, United Nation System in Lesotho (RCO, IOM, UNDP), and representatives from academia, private sector, diaspora association, civil society and the banking sector. The meeting was held as part of ECA's programme on 'Strengthening the Migration-Development Nexus in Africa', which aims to provide technical support and strengthen the capacity of African countries to include the diaspora's contribution into national plans and socio-economic policies and develop adequate framework and tools to better channel remittances to productive investment. In his opening remarks, Mr. Khaled Hussein, Chief of the Sub-Regional Initiatives Section, SRO-NA, extended his appreciation to national partners for the constructive engagement over the past three days of the fact-finding mission. He underscored the vital role that remittances play in Lesotho's economy, noting their resilience amid global uncertainties. 'Despite international challenges, remittances have remained a stable domestic resource,' he said, reaffirming ECA's commitment to supporting Lesotho through continued technical assistance. 'It is time for Lesotho to broaden the scope of diaspora contributions and more effectively channel them toward sustainable development,' stated Ms. Maseeiso Lekholoane, Director of Private Sector and Financial Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond traditional remittance flows. She called on participants to take full advantage of the workshop, urging them to engage in meaningful dialogue, share insights, and collaboratively identify strategies that can fully harness the potential of the Basotho diaspora for national development. The workshop concluded with the agreement to establish a national technical working group (NTWG) that will operate under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, based on the pre-established group on Migration by including more relevant stakeholders, and the identification of key areas of technical support to better leverage the contribution of remittances in Lesotho. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
