海角大神

When it first opened its doors in 1971, the Ivory Coast鈥檚 Museum of Civilisations in Abidjan was celebrated as one of the richest collections of African art in the world. Sadly during the country鈥檚 civil war in 2011, the museum was brutally looted. About 120 items 鈥� including some of the museum鈥檚 major works and some pieces considered sacred 鈥� were taken.

This month the museum is mounting its first new exhibition since it reopened to the public this summer. The new show is called 鈥淩enaissance鈥� and it will feature 100 of the museum鈥檚 finest remaining pieces.

鈥淲e鈥檙e living through a renaissance 鈥� with cultural and artistic development,鈥� museum director Silvie Memel Kassi told the Agence France-Presse.

Ms. Kassi admitted that it鈥檚 hard not to feel bitter about the museum鈥檚 losses. But museum staff members are focusing on the future, setting aside special spaces to celebrate contemporary artists.

鈥淲e wanted to show that the artists whose creations are today regarded as 鈥榓ncient works鈥� are the very same as Africans producing contemporary work,鈥� says Kassi.

Consider it just one more example of the amazing resilience of the human spirit.

Now for our five stories showing resoluteness, shifts in thinking, and a search for solutions.