standards

The Journal is the editorial arm of AfroManifesto. It publishes essays, manifesto spotlights, and reflections on African political memory. Where the archive preserves documents without comment, the Journal exists to provide context — to explain how manifestos are written, how political language evolves, and how to read these documents with the care they deserve.

The Journal is not a news platform. It is not a commentary site. It is not advocacy. The standards below govern what it publishes and what it deliberately does not.

The Journal operates by five principles.

The Journal operates by five principles. Non-partisanship. The Journal does not endorse, oppose, recommend, or rank any political party, candidate, coalition, or government. Where parties are discussed, they are discussed structurally and contextually — never evaluatively. Historical framing. The Journal’s central interest is in manifestos as historical documents. Essays examine what manifestos reveal about the political moment that produced them, not whether the policies they propose are sound. Source-led writing. Every claim about a party, manifesto, or election is supported by a verifiable source. Where a Journal essay draws on a manifesto in the archive, the manifesto is linked. Where it draws on a third-party source, that source is named. Restraint on contested matters. On contested political situations — disputed elections, unresolved territorial questions, ongoing conflicts — the Journal describes the structural facts and identifies the disagreement, but does not adjudicate it. Transparency on uncertainty. Where the Journal cannot verify a claim, it says so. Where a position is the writer’s interpretation rather than fact, it is identified as such.

What the Journal publishes

Long-form essays. Researched pieces, typically 1,500–3,500 words, examining a theme across multiple manifestos, parties, or election cycles.

Manifesto spotlights. Close readings of a single manifesto — its language, its structure, the political moment it emerged from. Spotlights do not assess whether the policies are good or workable. They describe how the document is making its case.

Political memory reflections. Shorter pieces, typically 600–1,200 words, drawing connections between historical and contemporary manifestos.

Archive notes. Brief institutional updates — newly acquired documents, completed country coverage, methodology updates.

The Journal does not publish breaking news, opinion pieces on current political controversies, candidate profiles, or election predictions.

Contributor standards

Journal contributors include AfroManifesto’s editorial team and external writers — researchers, academics, journalists, and archivists with subject expertise. All contributors are named. External contributors are commissioned, not self-published. We do not accept unsolicited submissions for publication, but we welcome pitches. Pitches should describe the proposed piece, the manifestos or documents it would draw on, and the writer’s relevant background. Every Journal piece is reviewed by at least one editor before publication for accuracy, sourcing, and tone.

Corrections to the Journal

If a Journal piece contains a factual error, we correct it. Corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected piece with the date the correction was made and a brief description of what changed. We do not silently edit published essays. If you believe a Journal piece contains an error, please flag it.