The Global Centers in Nairobi is situated in a region characterized by a cultural tapestry encompassing many languages, vibrant arts, and rich traditional practices. We deeply appreciate and celebrate the heritage that envelops us. We take great pride in fostering these diverse forms of expression, whether through creative and liberal writing or the visual and performing arts. As a Center, we are dedicated to serving as a dynamic platform for cultivating these artistic skills, where we actively advance and impart knowledge through specialized training programs and initiatives promoting cultural diversity.
Our Programs
Speaker Series
The art of storytelling has been used in the African culture over centuries to educate, caution and entertain various generations. How can we ensure that this tradition is preserved? For a start, our Center has provided a platform known as the African Book Talk Series, where African writers and authors documenting African content can engage a global audience. The Center has hosted over 15 accomplished authors who have engaged audiences by sharing insights into their work and discussing how their personal, political, and cultural experiences have shaped and fueled their storytelling.
Other past events
What does moving through a world designed to limit and exclude you feel like? What are the joys and pains of holidays for people of color when guidebooks are never written with them in mind? How are black lives today impacted by the othering legacy of colonial cultures and policies? What can travel tell us about our sense of self, home, belonging, and identity? Why has the world order become hostile to human mobility, as old as humanity itself, when more people are on the move than ever? Nanjala Nyabola is constantly exploring the world, working with migrants, confronting complex realities, and challenging common assumptions – hers and others. From Nepal to Botswana, Sicily to Haiti, and New York to Nairobi, her sharp, humane essays ask tough questions and offer surprising, deeply shocking, and sometimes funny answers. It is time we saw the world through her eyes.
Mordecai Ogada and John Mbaria note that Western paradigms and values have dominated Kenya's management and conservation practice for several decades. Dr. Mbaria and Dr. Ogada critique the number of resources devoted to promoting extrinsic values, like tourism, while ignoring or actively suppressing indigenous ecosystem values. In their book, the writers also touch on the seldom-visited question of racial prejudices in the Kenyan conservation sector, which alienate indigenous peoples- the most important conservation partners. "The Big Conservation Lie" confronts the historical, political and ethical challenges currently facing conservation practice in Kenya through the insights of two individuals who have observed it from completely different perspectives.
In this genealogy of political modernity, Mahmood Mamdani argues that the nation-state and the colonial state created each other. In case after case around the globe-from the New World to South Africa, Israel to Germany to Sudan-the colonial state and the nation-state have been mutually constructed through the politicization of a religious or ethnic majority at the expense of an equally manufactured minority.
House of Stone is a sweeping epic that spans Rhodesia's fall through Zimbabwe's turbulent beginnings. It explores the persistence of the oppressed in a young nation seeking an identity but built on forgetting. Pulsing with wit, seduction, and dark humor, House of Stone is a masterful debut that explores the creative—and often destructive—act of history-making.
The Nairobi Center and the No-Boundaries Committee hosted the 2018/2019 No-Boundaries International Art Exhibitions, themed 'One Tree, One City.' The exhibition featured children's artwork from Kenya, Brazil, China, the USA, and France, promoting global awareness and social responsibility.
The exhibition aims to enlighten future generations on global awareness and social responsibility through art education, cultivating them to become socially responsible global citizens. The event highlighted children's ideas on environmental preservation and the importance of sustainability.
The Nairobi Center hosted the launch of "The Youth of God" by Hassan Ghedi Santur, a Columbia Journalism School alum. The event drew a full house eager to hear about this gripping novel.
Set in Toronto’s Somali neighborhood, the book follows Nuur, a gifted Somali-Canadian teenager, as he navigates the balance between faith and intellect. It’s a poignant allegory of the struggle for Islam's soul in modern times.
The launch included an engaging discussion led by Nairobi-based reporter Adbi Latiff, a friend and fellow alum. They shared stories from their time at Columbia University and how Santur's experiences shaped the novel. Santur, who emigrated from Somalia to Canada at 13, highlighted the influences of his dual cultures and the significance of Islam in his life and work.
The Nairobi Center hosted ‘Beyond the Music,’ an event featuring a panel of musicians discussing their social work beyond their music careers. Moderated by activist and writer Kevin Mwachiro, the panel included Victoria Kimani, King Kaka, Anto NeoSoul, Fena Gitu, Patricia Kihoro, and Avril.
The event aimed to address societal issues, particularly those facing youth. The artists discussed their mentorship roles, emphasizing hard work, skill-building, and partnerships. They also tackled mental health and the importance of vulnerability in connecting with young people.
Key themes included patriotism, Kenyan culture, self-confidence, perseverance, and personal development. The panel suggested action points for CGC Nairobi, such as creating programs focused on mental health, including youth in decision-making, and establishing a fund to support young people's interests.