Between ritual and theory, memory and present-moment awareness, I find myself caught in the polarity of wanting to belong—and daring to speak in my own voice. I find myself suspended in a gap—a chasm between worlds where ritual once held sacred meaning, and another realm where such gestures are reduced to abstractions, empty of their … Continue reading In the Tug and Pull: A Gestalt Reflection Across Cultures
Articles
Generative AI and Language Diversity: Opportunities and Challenges
Photoshop montage of Firefly generated images Language proficiency is crucial for participating in the digital economy. However, large language models, which are currently driving AI, tend to favor certain types of language use over others. AI researchers facilitating wider involvement focus on capturing, organizing, designing, and processing data with the expectation of creating positive impact … Continue reading Generative AI and Language Diversity: Opportunities and Challenges
A Passage in Art
A paint brush is a compelling object, and rather an intimidating one to touch, for it has a purpose that is best understood by the artist, its unquestionable master. The hand that mindlessly selects a paintbrush and dips it into a colour of choice initiates contact with a practice set by the early human race. … Continue reading A Passage in Art
Artificial Intelligence – ሰው ሰራሽ የማሰብ ችሎታ
Artificial intelligence (AI) makes better sense in the simplicity of Amharic - ሰው ሰራሽ የማሰብ ችሎታ (a thinking capacity created by humans) than when defined with scientific sophistication and perfection in English, of course is also relatable in a simplified English language definition: “technology containing or entailing (human-like) intelligence”. Mind you, humans have multiple thinking … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence – ሰው ሰራሽ የማሰብ ችሎታ
Yvonne Owuor Adhiambo
It doesn't have to be, but it is rare to come across an openly, poetically and eloquently well versed philosopher such as Yvonne. She identifies as "Yvonne, writer." She remembers the rewarding praise her mentor, Biniavanga Wainaina, late author of How to Write about Africa showered upon her. Her book Dust (2014) reads like a … Continue reading Yvonne Owuor Adhiambo
Our Blossom
Our Blossom's concept of a community-service start-up is rooted in an idea that emerged from a conversation between Addis-born Dorina Asmanio and her daughters, Abiyan, Gioia, and Melah, while collecting seeds for their private garden in Silver Spring, Maryland (USA). The busy fingers picked out the best for the bank while soft voices spoke imaginatively … Continue reading Our Blossom
Meaning is use: Wittgenstein on the limits of language
Tim Rayner
The Storyteller from Meskelo
ዛሬም የደሀናና የጋዝጊብላ እናቶች የወላድነት አደራን ሊወጡት አልቻሉም። አባት የ13/14 አመቱን ጨቅላ ከማጨት በሕግ ቢከለከልም ያን ከማድረግ አላረፉም። ትምህርት ላይ መስፈንጠር የቻሉት ከእምዬ መሬት ቁጣ ቢላቀቁም ስለታቸው አሁንም የሚገባው ለደብረወይላ ቤተክርስትያን ነው። ለነሱ ላሊበላ የጦርነት መታሰብያ ወይንም የቱሪስት መዝናኛ፣ ለኛ ላሊበላ የታሪካችን ቅርፅና የውበታችን ማጌጫ፣ ለዛች ለጋ ወጣት ግን ጋሜናዋ ለተደፈነው ላሊበላ ድንጋይ ነው። ፀሎትዋን … Continue reading The Storyteller from Meskelo
An Adventure with Ants
Ants aerate the soil, which helps plants grow. Katherine L. Stuble, a doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, studied ant community behavior in relation to global warming. She examined coexistence among ant species in eastern deciduous forests and tried to find out what effects warming may have on ant foraging activity. Her findings show … Continue reading An Adventure with Ants
Adwa – A Landmark Event
Sinedu Gebru, first female member of parliament, Ethiopia