#Malawians went to vote 2 days ago. Main presidential choices were incumbent Lazarus #Chakwera & Peter #Mutharika. Against a background of high inflation, shortages of forex, petrol & other essentials, #Mutharika appears to be way ahead & possibly on track to get an outright majority.

A lot of people and organizations have stayed on X because many members of their audience are still there. But for most of them, their engagement is steadily falling. Even for bigger accounts. This is by design. They’re wasting time when they could be rebuilding elsewhere. It’s sunk cost fallacy.

Fresh off the press Interactive voice response surveys as a method for increasing the representativeness of rural respondents in a mortality mobile phone survey: Findings from Malawi - Tlhajoane - Tropical Medicine & International Health - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

It's incredibly delicate to post about Israel to US / CA / EU audiences, the indoctrination to be loyal and overlook its decades of criminal actions runs deep amongst the public. All we can say is, do your best to deprogram from "I stand with Israel" and move toward "I stand with international law."

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST STAND FIRM. We must not be dragged into Netanyahu’s illegal war against Iran.

It took Netanyahu 29 years, but he finally found an American president who was itching to go to war with him against Iran.

Before parroting Israel’s talking points on Iran, know this: 🚨 Israel bombed Iran first 🚨 Iran hasn’t invaded another country in over 200 years 🚨 It signed the nuclear deal—Israel opposed it 🚨 U.S./Israel backed Saddam in the Iran-Iraq war 🚨 Israel has nukes, Iran doesn’t

any story on Israel saying Iran can never get the bomb should mention that Israel is itself a rogue nuclear state.

@kkosec.bsky.social @tallmanfromzomba.bsky.social

We find that any given woman has relatively more influence in group deliberations when women make up a larger share of the group. This change is driven by men's improved assessments of women's influence as deliberations shift to aspects of the problem within women's domains.

I'm happy to share a new publication on women's representation in deliberative fora w/ Amanda Clayton, Boniface Dulani, and Katrina Kosec. We randomize the gender composition of groups tasked with discussing deforestation in Malawi. Published open access: doi.org/10.1111/ajps...

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions - rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking steps to make sure students can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope others follow suit.

There is no “novel legal theory” about a third term, as some reporters are parroting. It’s not legal, and the idea of seizing permanent power isn’t a “theory,” it’s just what dictators do.

CARTOON OF THE DAY 😕🇺🇸 (From @BillBramhall )

If African countries raised their tax-to-GDP ratios to the levels of Asia or LatAm, they could entirely replace foreign aid. But the economic predominance of natural resource exports led by tax-dodging multinational companies makes this difficult gchelwa.substack.com/p/ending-aid...

This guy has destroyed America for all the world to see. We used to be a great nation. No one booed our national anthem. Now we're regarded as a shithole nation all around the world.

American credibility is dead—and the economic cost will be massive. U.S. economic partners are thinking: - "We can’t trust America." - "The U.S. is a predatory state." In business, trust is everything—and America just shattered it. This betrayal won’t be forgotten.

The issue includes case studies of democratic backsliding (& resistance), including: 🇮🇳 #India by @milanv.bsky.social 🇻🇪 #Venezuela by @lgamboa.bsky.social 🇹🇷 #Turkey by @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social & 🇲🇼 #Malawi by @tallmanfromzomba.bsky.social and yours truly. journals.sagepub.com/toc/anna/712/1

Africa's top survey network, @afrobarometer.bsky.social has joined Bluesky:) 🌟🌟🌟Help spread the word. @dadakim.bsky.social @joeasunka.bsky.social @malawi24.bsky.social

Our paper with Joao Conduto and Calum Fisher titled 'Elite Party Formation amid Fragmentation: The Case of Joyce Banda’s People’s Party in Malawi' is out in Journal of Southern African Studies: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Obama and Biden may think they are honoring the office of the presidency by keeping quiet at a moment like this — if so that’s just preening vanity — they owe it to the office and to the Republic that until last month it served to speak up loudly and clearly and without relent.

Trump is an evil man.

@freedomhouse.bsky.social - Now is the time to make the case for democratic institutions in the USA.

#Malawi has been going through crippling fuel shortages for several months now...this brings back memories of the economic hardships that culminated in the ouster of #PeterMutharika from the presidency in 2020...next elections are on Sept 16th this year

My new year resolution? Abandon new year resolutions once and for all | Moira Donegan

Happy New Year to all friends across the world. May 2025 bring good health, joy, and new friendships.

Likoma district comprises of two #islands which belong to #Malawi, but are located in #Mozambique waters of #Lake #Niassa. Enjoy the beautiful and clean beaches. #Likoma is ideal for couples and honeymooners. https://buff.ly/49edgti #Travel #Tourism #VisitMalawi

#LiwondeNationalPark. #VisitMalawi

Game-changing HIV prevention injectable set to reach several African countries. While HIV infections have decreased by 60% in 2023 since the peak in 1995, new infections continue to emerge, particularly among women and girls in Africa

With #Malawi gearing up for elections in 2025, here's a recent paper co-authored with @danbanik.bsky.social and #johannahSofiaAdolfsson #UniversityOfOslo doi.org/10.1080/0803...

Looking forward to hosting my #Afrobarometer survey team colleagues in #Malawi to reflect on our work and brainstorm on what new ideas to bring forward in the new year.

Now Steve Sharra presents his paper on Thandika Mkandawire’s thoughts on African intellectuals and higher education.

Paul Tiyambe Zeleza gives keynote address to open a conference in honor of the late Thandika Mkandawire.