I have infinitely evocative memories of a trip to Timbuktu before the present civil war. Read the full article on Substack The very notion of Timbuktu is that of an intangible city, fabled in legend, myth and language. It is a place that conjures up long journeys to distant and exotic lands. It carries with […]
I’m glad I’ve been to Timbuktu Read More »
In a News24 essay, Hamilton Wende explores the lives of zama zamas trapped between poverty, danger and hope. Rather than reducing illegal miners to headlines, he reveals their humanity, dreams and struggles for a better future. The essay examines the complex social and economic realities driving illegal mining and questions simplistic political responses to the
‘Only God knows how this will end’: Meet the zama zamas dreaming of better lives Read More »
Our creative work should not be judged only by its monetary value. And we should honour that more within ourselves. Read the full article on Substack It was shortly after September 11, 2001. I was part of a news crew filming the unfolding war in northern Afghanistan. Four of us and an Afghan driver were
Creativity Without Reckoning Read More »
With the fragile ceasefire in Iran taking place this week, I thought of the aftermath of another war I witnessed in Cambodia – almost forgotten now but the pain echoes still Read the full article on Substack There is something eerie about the beauty of an old bomb crater at 20 000 feet. I tell
Thoughts in the Aftermath of War Read More »
A trip to the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana was a poignant reminder of how much we have lost in our sundered connection to nature. Read the full article on Substack The orange glow of the kerosene lamp flickered out over the still waters of the Okavango delta. An owl roosted in the darkness on a
The Echoes of the Old Way with Nature Read More »