African Interest

Brief Summary A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts: Sudan and South Sudan's Bitter and Incomplete Divorce. What happened after Africa's biggest country split in two? When South Sudan ran up its flag in July 2011, two new nations came into being. In South Sudan a former rebel movement faces colossal challenges in building a new country. At independence it was one of the least developed places on earth, after decades of conflict and neglect. The '"rump state'," Sudan, has been debilitated by devastating civil wars, including in Darfur, and lost a significant part of its territory, and most of its oil wealth, after the divorce from the South. In the years after separation, the two Sudans dealt with crippling economic challenges, struggled with new and old rebellions, and fought each other along their disputed border. Benefiting from unsurpassed access to the politicians, rebels, thinkers and events that are shaping the Sudans, Copnall draws a compelling portrait of two misunderstood countries. A Poisonous Thorn in Our Hearts argues that Sudan and South Sudan remain deeply interdependent, despite their separation. It also diagnoses the political failings that threaten the future of both countries. The author puts the turmoil of the years after separation into a broader context, reflecting the voices, hopes and experiences of Sudanese and South Sudanese from all walks of life. ISBN:9781849043304 Author:James Copnall

Brief Summary ART OF UNLEARNING is a masterfully illustrated 130 page graphic novel about a young adventurer known as Gituma, son of the dictator King Ego, who discovers his father’s role in a notorious genocide. He is unable to outrun his traumatic past and realize his creative potential until he is challenged by three wise teachers who hold the keys to unlock his mind from the past. Unlearning is simply an inverse vision of learning. Whereas the traditional view of learning was about accumulating information, unlearning recognizes the abundance and ubiquity of digital information and therefore emphasizes instead how we can discover our innate potential or passion and share it. Passion is the rocket fuel behind all learning pursuits. Unleashing this energy is the purpose being The Art of Unlearning. To illustrate this better, consider the very delivery of this book to you. It has meant consuming volumes of books and articles on such diverse subjects as: crowdfunding, exponential technologies, spirituality, and the similarities between dark-room photography and ink illustration. It has meant sitting still and integrating remarkable experiences with human beings all around the world. It has meant failing forward and living simply in rural Eldoret with my parents for the many months of creation, a time I cherish all the more now that my Dad is far away recovering from cancer treatment. It has meant appreciating nature. It has also shown me the power of community. Most of all, I ‘found’ my number one crazy nut fan — and the love of my life, Sarah. Passion is the true power of the polymath. In this series of Blog Posts about The Art of Unlearning, I will explore the bliss and inevitable blisters of finding a new learning path for a new generation of digital natives who are negotiating the most transformational period in human history without a map. But wait! We do have a map, dumbo! Comics and graphic novels have been raving for decades about a post-singularity and post-scarcity humanity who having achieved energy abundance, universal connectivity and near-omniscience. Without the arousal of survival anxiety which so animates us at present, how will these beings flower? Will they be a boundlessly creative and generous community untethered from ignorance, disease and war? Science fiction writers have also explored the unsettling potential dangers of making human labour redundant to the goals of capital, as has been done to our environment already. ISBN:ArtofUnlearning001 Author:Chief Nyamweya

Brief Summary Evelyne Ongogo is a Kenyan teacher, writer and one of the notable poets today. Her other collections of poetry include: "Dichol and Other Poems” and "The Eye of the Rising Sun.” In this text, Ongogo capitalizes on the use of song tradition and narration to confront, dissect, question, satirize and address various issues in the current social-political and economic dispensation. Such issues include: sexuality, religious hypocrisy and theft, alcoholism, love, modernity, traditions, plight of women and male chauvinism among others. The complexity of these issues, their influence on human character and how we should handle them are presented in 37 long poems in which Ongogo wears different masks to create characters and contexts that matter in her quest to argue her case as a woman, a conservatist, a parent, a believer and a lover. Her anger and critical attitude in most poems define her as a rebel or activist of some sort. It is also important to note that most of these poems are basically versified conversations in the sense that responses to issues raised in one poem are provided in another. ISBN:BeautifulShards001 Author:Evelyne Ongogo

Brief Summary Why South Sudan Matters. Not a day goes by that there isn’t news coverage of a war breaking out somewhere in the world, or violence, or terrorism, or human trafficking, or child soldiers . . . the sheer volume of the reports is almost desensitizing. It isn’t that we don’t care or feel, even if briefly, for those living through these horrors, it is just that . . . well, it doesn’t impact our lives—or does it? In author Garang Malong’s authentic, captivating book, Why South Sudan Matters, he takes the reader along on his harrowing, childhood journey in a country constantly at war— a journey that no child should have to endure. This book is chilling, heart-rending, and riveting. Thanks to the author’s gift of storytelling, the reader will live through his trials with him, experience the love the South Sudanese have for their country, and in learning about the future possibilities for South Sudan, feel the connection we have to one another. One thing is certain. No one who reads this book will remain unchanged. ISBN:9780692776735 Author:Garang Malong

Brief Summary A Woman of Firsts: The midwife who built a hospital and changed the world. Edna saw first-hand how poor healthcare, lack of education and ancient superstitions had devastating effects on Somaliland’s people, especially its women. When she suffered the trauma of FGM herself as a young girl at the bidding of her mother, Edna’s determination was set. The first midwife to practise in Somaliland, Edna became a formidable teacher and campaigner for women’s health. As her country was swept up in its bloody fight for independence, Edna rose to become its First Lady and first female cabinet minister. She built her own hospital, brick by brick, training future generations in what has been hailed as one of the Horn of Africa’s finest university hospitals This is Edna’s truly remarkable story. " ISBN:9780008305352 Author:Edna Adan Ismail

Brief Summary It's the greatest story never told: that of a boy who met Jesus and dared to ask Him all the questions that have consumed mankind since the dawn of time. His name was Segatashya. He was a shepherd born into a penniless and illiterate pagan family in the most remote region of Rwanda. He never attended school, never saw a bible, and never set foot in a church. Then one summer day in 1982 while the 15-year-old was resting beneath a shade tree, Jesus Christ paid him a visit. Jesus asked the startled young man if he'd be willing to go on a mission to remind mankind how to live a life that leads to heaven. Segatashya accepted the assignment on one condition: that Jesus answer all his questions-and all the questions of those he met on his travels-about faith, religion, the purpose of life, and the nature of heaven and hell. Jesus agreed to the boy's terms, and Segatashya set off on what would become one of the most miraculous journeys in modern history. Although he was often accused of being a charlatan and beaten as a result, Segatashya's innocent heart and powerful spiritual wisdom quickly won over even the most cynical of critics. Soon, this teenage boy who had never learned to read or write was discussing theology with leading biblical scholars and advising pastors and priests of all denominations. He became so famous in Rwanda that the Catholic Church investigated his story. The doctors and psychiatrists who examined Segatashya all agreed that they were witnessing a miracle. His words and simple truths converted thousands of hearts and souls wherever he went. Before his death during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Segatashya continued his travels and conversations with Jesus for eight years, asking Him what we all want to know: Why were we created? Why must we suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? When will the world end? Is there life after death? How do we get to Heaven? The answers to these and many other momentous, life-changing questions are revealed in this riveting book, which is the first full account of Segatashya's remarkable life story. Written with grace, passion, and loving humor by Immaculée Ilibagiza, Segatashya's close friend and a survivor of the Rwandan holocaust herself, this truly inspirational work is certain to move you in profound ways. No matter what your faith or religious beliefs, Segatashya's words will bring you comfort and joy, and prepare your heart for this life . . . and for life everlasting. ISBN:9781401935832 Author:Immaculee Ilibagiza