Gen Z Movements and CSOs in Kenya and Madagascar: Friends or Foes?

Gen Z movements in Kenya and Madagascar both worked with civil society organizations (CSOs) to achieve political change, but collaboration faced challenges in both cases. Lena Gutheil examines the latter and how social movements and CSOs balance complementarity and autonomy.

Megatrends Policy Brief 53, 01.10.2026

doi:10.18449/2026MTA-PB53

Africa Needs Better Investment, Not Just More Investment

China, Europe and the US rank differently as investors in Africa, depending on what is measured. But the development impact of FDI depends on how much investment is attracted and how effectively it expands productive capacity, jobs, technology transfer and domestic linkages.

Megatrends spotlight 87, 25.09.2026

• Narine Karapetyan
• Karoline Eickhoff

Transactional Deal-Making: The Promise and Perils for Peace Mediation

Transactionalism elicits strong views on both its utility and impact on peace mediation. Narine Karapetyan and Karoline Eickhoff argue that in order to better understand transactional approaches and their effects, we need to focus on the shifting role of third-party interests.

Megatrends spotlight 86, 24.09.2026

Africa’s Evolving Red Sea Security Dynamics and Implications for Europe

As Gulf rivalries extend into the Red Sea, African states are gaining strategic value while facing new pressures on their room for manoeuvre. Priyal Singh examines what the evolving security order means for Africa’s collective agency and Europe’s regional role. 

Megatrends spotlight 85, 16.09.2026

• Lena Gutheil
• Benedikt Erforth

Agree to Disagree: Why the AU and the EU should Engage in Pragmatic Partnerships

The AU–EU partnership should embrace the plurality within both unions, make interests transparent, and enable pragmatic cooperation between coalitions of willing countries, helping to bring proclaimed ambitions closer to actual practice, explain Benedikt Erforth and Lena Gutheil.

Megatrends spotlight 84, 10.09.2026