Where can one find a beacon of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence? In Senegal. This West African nation is widely recognized for its vibrant culture and democratic tradition.
by Senator Amadou Thiam With a population that is over 90% Muslim and around 5% Christian—primarily Roman Catholic—the country of Senegal, since its independence in 1960, has nurtured a remarkable culture of interfaith dialogue and social cohesion. Muslims and...
“The African Dream?” Is there an African equivalent to the American Dream? How is it similar? How does it differ? Why does it matter? It does indeed matter! It's part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. From Gorée’s Shadows to Dakar’s Digital Dawn: Teranga, Ubuntu, and the New African Dream are rapidly emerging.
The “Door of No Return” on Gorée Island is more than a relic — It is an ugly scar on the world’s conscience—a place where, for centuries, West Africa’s sons and daughters were torn from their homeland and thrust into the unknown. That shadow is long. But today, a new...
Quiet Revolution. Booming Consequences. The Nexten Summit Series begins in Africa. An African born entrepreneur believes the world is at a tipping point, and that the series of "Nexten Summits," beginning in West Africa in December 2025, is a hinge-point for upward momentum.
Madou Sylla, educated in, and a citizen of the USA. Born in Senegal, West Africa. Co-Founder and CEO of international fintech, Prime Dash, his is the bright mind and the driving force behind the Nexten Summit Series, beginning in Dakar, December 2025. The senior...
The Long Shadow of Gorée Island. The Dawn of the New Deal for Africa. Many African slaves were forced through the Door of No Return at Gorée Island. It is a stark reminder of the barbarism of the slave trade to the Americas, from the 1500's to the late 1700's.
While we think about the intentional rise of Africa as a center of technological innovation and human flourishing, it is important to keep the brutal past in our privileged 360° “modern” view. 1. Gorée Island was a major West African slave trading post. Located...
A New England Mother’s Thoughts on Memorial Day: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their … half-gaiters?” What?! "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" is more dramatic and poetic than "Don't fire until you see the whites of their half-gaiters!" But the latter is the historically accurate version.
The air was thick with gunpowder and fear as I crouched behind the rough earthen walls we’d scrambled to build atop Breed’s Hill in these last hours of June 17, 1775, and the British were coming — red coats glinting like blood in the summer sun. General Israel Putnam...
I was in Rome the day the 2025 Papal Conclave convened. It raised thoughts of the “body of Christ.” Where Catholics are one piece of a global faith puzzle, who and what does God truly care about? These questions are not about individual grace or redemption. God says He will gather all His faithful children to Himself. I'm certain that He cares in that way, but ... what else does He care about?
Over my left shoulder is where Cardinal Robert Prevost showed himself to the world as the new pope, Leo XIV, less than 24 hours after this image was taken. I was just a dot in the midst of the gathered crowds and frenetic media scrum. There I was, just a dot amongst...
Is the World Ready for Emerging Africa? It’s Coming, Ready or Not! Most media dialogue about super-powers and competing economic regions focuses on the trifecta of Europe, USA, and China (with BRICS as a bench player). Generally, Africa doesn't get a mention ...
… but the Convenor and Executive Chairman of the Nexten Summit 2025 being held in Dakar, Senegal, says that’s about to change. In fact, according to Madou Sylla, the world is turning, and Africa is the pivot point. Details about the Nexten Summit 2025 can be found at...
Route 66 as a Symbol of the Elusive But Compelling American Dream: Hope. Toil. Sacrifice. Failure. Triumph. Enduring Faith. No one can definitively describe the American Dream. It is a little bit different for everyone. But whatever it is, it has never been easy. Often elusive, it has always demanded work and sacrifice.
Footsteps to the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The western end of Route 66 runs to the shores of the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, California. From the shores of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes Region to the Pacific Ocean, the circa 2,500 mile highway known as Route...
Easter. Christmas. Sabbath. Passover. Memorial. “Holiday.” Holy Day. Day of Remembrance. Today. Every Day. God, scripture, reverence, worship, gratitude and service are not "part-time gigs" — they are the heart, the soul, the very substance of self and our connection with God and the God-created universe.
While we can always celebrate or bow our heads or kneel or look up or fold our hands or raise our hands or read scripture or sing hymns and carols with others as they acknowledge each and every memorial day, there is no limitation placed on any of us from engaging in...
