BIOGRAPHY
A confirmed curmudgeon and teller of tall stories, Coen is ready to disagree with any proposal and idea and come up with a reason why it can't work. He is known for doing things the hard way, such as driving from Morocco to South Africa down the west coast while other people take a plane. He wastes his pension money on a sailboat that has made it into the water about twice a year, and he teaches his grandchildren new ways of naughtiness they have not discovered by themselves.
In between he writes, edits students' theses, and works on his wife's nerves. Having lived through several different political systems he is not impressed by politicians or their promises. On the other hand young people who are out to change the world will always get his support.
Coen writes about people, situations and developments, mostly in Africa, but also about the similarities with other regions and countries. He loves travel, reading and photography.
LATEST OPINIONS
A Tale of Two Countries
June 29, 2020
Age of Consent: A New Renaissance
June 26, 2020
Forward to the Past -- Ethical Policing Is Possible
June 18, 2020
Spy versus Spy – Looking Glass Wars
June 13, 2020
A Lonesome Hallelujah
June 05, 2020
Avoiding the Issue, Writing About the Easter Bunny
May 30, 2020
Political Systems -- Fit for Purpose?
May 24, 2020
Solidarity in the Face of Crisis
May 15, 2020
Strategic Threat in Mozambique
May 13, 2020
Africa - the Epidemic and the Future
May 02, 2020
COVID and the Social Contract
April 26, 2020
COVID 19:Two Options
April 20, 2020
The End of the Beginning?
April 16, 2020
When Societies Take Stress, Strange Things Happen
April 10, 2020
Equinox: A Time of Change
April 01, 2020
Islamism Surges as Governance Fails
April 01, 2020
African Response to Crisis
March 20, 2020
A Global Pandemic - And Then?
March 13, 2020
Epidemics Can Be Beaten
March 04, 2020
Is Peace Possible in the Sahel?
February 27, 2020
Endings and Beginnings
February 20, 2020
An African Market – Slow Progress
February 17, 2020
Of Presidents and the Law
February 06, 2020
Prevention of Terrorism - An African Perspective
February 01, 2020
The Law of the Land
January 24, 2020
Is There a Worm in the Apple?
January 17, 2020
Thoughts on The Iranian Situation
January 11, 2020
Something New From Africa
January 01, 2020
An Underwater Epiphany
December 28, 2019
Of Mermaids And Sharks – A Simpler Life
December 21, 2019
Now For Some Dark Humor
December 14, 2019
Cobalt – Cleaning Up the Act
December 07, 2019
Here We Go Again – Societal Collapse in Zimbabwe
November 30, 2019
Is the Long Night Coming?
November 30, 2019
I Want My Day In Court! But Not Today.
November 24, 2019
Communicating With Extra-Terrestrials
November 17, 2019
United In Sport - Maybe?
November 08, 2019
Political Collapse and Reformation
November 01, 2019
Botswana Elections - A Sign of Things to Come?
October 20, 2019
Mozambique - Hope Deferred?
October 19, 2019
The Vleiloerie Calls
October 10, 2019
The Coming Collapse – And It’s Not What You Expected
October 04, 2019
Elections In Diamond Country
September 27, 2019
Migration And Control: The Coming Crunch
September 21, 2019
Competition and Peace
September 15, 2019
Where Has the Rainbow Nation Gone?
September 08, 2019
Three Deaths - and You Can Take It With You
August 27, 2019
On Love and Happiness
August 25, 2019
Libertarians and Samaritans
August 18, 2019
Movement in Mali
August 07, 2019
The End of a War, the Beginning of Peace
August 03, 2019
The Seasons March On
July 28, 2019
Concentration Camps – Owning Victimhood?
July 21, 2019
Death of Satire?
July 14, 2019
It’s Raining in the Richtersveld
July 10, 2019
Economics and the Magic of Currencies
July 07, 2019
The Swinging Pendulum
June 30, 2019
The Road to Reconciliation
June 22, 2019
He’s a Bastard
June 16, 2019
The Sahel Is In Crisis, And Africa Is Watching
June 08, 2019
Greening Mama Africa
June 01, 2019
Market Madness
May 26, 2019
Nepal, Caught Between Realities
May 19, 2019
Elections in South Africa.
May 12, 2019
Politics Can Be Fun
May 03, 2019
Kenneth After Idai: More Terror For Mozambique
April 26, 2019
Random Thoughts After The Fire At Notre Dame
April 21, 2019
Of Fences and Gates
April 13, 2019
To A Climate Change Denier
April 05, 2019
When Societies Unravel
March 29, 2019
When Nature Rages Angels Bring Help
March 27, 2019
Message From a Terrorist: Build Bridges
March 23, 2019
Freedom Denied
March 16, 2019
Political Progress or Return To The Past?
March 10, 2019
The Flower Grandchildren Are Angry
March 01, 2019
King Looy and the Duke of Bilgewater and Modern Democracy
February 21, 2019
The Art of the Lie
February 16, 2019
Time For a Joke
February 08, 2019
Is Our Political System Fit For Purpose?
February 03, 2019
We Are Not Alone In An Unfriendly Universe
January 27, 2019
Zimbabwe: Here We Go Again
January 20, 2019
Make Bucks, Not War
January 12, 2019
To Label Is To Limit
January 05, 2019
You Can’t Close Pandora’s Box
December 28, 2018
Two Christmas Gifts
December 25, 2018
Love Your Neighbor. But Who Is It?
December 23, 2018
When Taxpayers Lose Trust
December 16, 2018
Congo Fever Strikes
December 09, 2018
Boko Haram, Rising From the Ashes
December 02, 2018
Forward to the Past, or Making Sense of Brexit
November 24, 2018
Fake news? False Prospectus?
November 17, 2018
In Remembrance of Corporal Willy McHardy
November 10, 2018
And Now for the Good News
November 04, 2018
Rumblings on the Islands of the Moon
October 28, 2018
Congo – Heading for the Rapids
October 20, 2018
Updating, Upgrading Apps
October 14, 2018
An Epidemic, A Breakdown Of Order
October 05, 2018
A Story, a Parable, a Whimsy
September 28, 2018
Politics of Survival
September 22, 2018
China and Africa
September 13, 2018
Slavery in Paradise
September 08, 2018
Tourism: You Can’t Go Back
August 31, 2018
African Industrialization
August 25, 2018
Spring in Zimbabwe?
August 19, 2018
Land of My Fathers
August 11, 2018
Blame it on Ulpian
August 05, 2018
Constitutional Stability in the Great Lakes Region
July 28, 2018
A Story on the Wind
July 21, 2018
Career Politicians, Political Careers
July 14, 2018
Making fun of the Belgians
July 08, 2018
Surprised by Nigeria?
July 01, 2018
Africa Dreams of Democracy
June 23, 2018
Spring in the Congo
June 17, 2018
Monuments, an Unknown Legacy
June 09, 2018
Congo - Mining in Darkness
June 02, 2018
In Praise of Older Women
May 25, 2018
Ebola Outbreak
May 20, 2018
Chinguetti
May 11, 2018
Meeting in the Desert
May 05, 2018
Exorcising Apartheid
April 28, 2018
Hope for Democracy in Africa
April 20, 2018
Is War in Our Genes?
April 13, 2018
Don't Let Me Catch You Praying!
April 08, 2018
Sunset Over Africa
April 04, 2018
We The People, but Not Them
March 29, 2018
Morning, Brother!
March 23, 2018
“Slow Down, You Move Too Fast” (Simon and Garfunkel)
March 17, 2018
