Author: Patrick Wanakuta Baraza
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 168
Book Description
Rival Claims for the Soul of Africa
Author: Patrick Wanakuta Baraza
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 168
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 168
Book Description
Drumming up Dialogue
Author: Patrick Wanakuta Baraza
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1462016219
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
If, as they say, we all come out of Africa, then somewhere in Kenyas Rift Valley we first learned to live as human beings and we quickly learned to quarrel, too. Migration patterns within Kenya are as complicated as any in the U.S. or Europe and its multi-ethnic history is much, much longer. Fr. Baraza, knows both the brightness of human progress in a peaceful countryside as well as the shadows left by war and fighting. He writes about how to resolve conflicts and difficulties by people who have had long life experience. Drumming Up Dialogue applies the thinking of three leading writers in the field of conflict management to the Bukusu community of Kenya: philosopher Martin Buber, political scientist Fred Charles Ikl, and cultural anthropologist William Ury. These three theorists address the creating of peace between individuals, between opposing factions, and between countries and cultures. Drumming is a traditional Bukusu way of communication. Fr. Baraza uses the drum as a metaphor for the different ways dialogue can be used and interpreted. Baraza presents one of the very few studies of culture of the Bukusu people and the only one to address dialogue through their religions. Based upon the personal experiences and Barazas ongoing contact with his Bukusu people, Drumming Up Dialogue seeks to awaken us to the cultural values of the Bukusu and offer an alternative way to conflict resolution. Hilary Martin, PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1462016219
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 421
Book Description
If, as they say, we all come out of Africa, then somewhere in Kenyas Rift Valley we first learned to live as human beings and we quickly learned to quarrel, too. Migration patterns within Kenya are as complicated as any in the U.S. or Europe and its multi-ethnic history is much, much longer. Fr. Baraza, knows both the brightness of human progress in a peaceful countryside as well as the shadows left by war and fighting. He writes about how to resolve conflicts and difficulties by people who have had long life experience. Drumming Up Dialogue applies the thinking of three leading writers in the field of conflict management to the Bukusu community of Kenya: philosopher Martin Buber, political scientist Fred Charles Ikl, and cultural anthropologist William Ury. These three theorists address the creating of peace between individuals, between opposing factions, and between countries and cultures. Drumming is a traditional Bukusu way of communication. Fr. Baraza uses the drum as a metaphor for the different ways dialogue can be used and interpreted. Baraza presents one of the very few studies of culture of the Bukusu people and the only one to address dialogue through their religions. Based upon the personal experiences and Barazas ongoing contact with his Bukusu people, Drumming Up Dialogue seeks to awaken us to the cultural values of the Bukusu and offer an alternative way to conflict resolution. Hilary Martin, PhD, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA
Rival Claims for the Soul of Africa
Author: Patrick Wanakuta Baraza
Publisher: Turnkey Press
ISBN: 9781934454022
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 96
Book Description
While Africa is the continent on which human life began, it is also a continent that has been invaded throughout the history of mankind. Christianity was firmly established in North Africa by the third century CE only to be extinguished when Islam invaded North Africa in the 7th century CE. Once the Portuguese sailed around Africa, the rest of Western Europe followed and Christianity bloomed in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the centuries Christianity and Islam have attempted to convert Africa. However, Africa's own traditional religions have remained ingrained in the culture and in the hearts of its people. Today, all three religions have been integrated into the continent's cultures. In turn, Africa has made these religions "African" by infusing them with her own traditional religions and values. This book will bring to light the history behind Africa's three great religions, as well as explaining the ebb and flow of these religions and how both religion and culture have brought together a unique way of life.
Publisher: Turnkey Press
ISBN: 9781934454022
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 96
Book Description
While Africa is the continent on which human life began, it is also a continent that has been invaded throughout the history of mankind. Christianity was firmly established in North Africa by the third century CE only to be extinguished when Islam invaded North Africa in the 7th century CE. Once the Portuguese sailed around Africa, the rest of Western Europe followed and Christianity bloomed in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the centuries Christianity and Islam have attempted to convert Africa. However, Africa's own traditional religions have remained ingrained in the culture and in the hearts of its people. Today, all three religions have been integrated into the continent's cultures. In turn, Africa has made these religions "African" by infusing them with her own traditional religions and values. This book will bring to light the history behind Africa's three great religions, as well as explaining the ebb and flow of these religions and how both religion and culture have brought together a unique way of life.
Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC
Author: William Mervin Gumede
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
ISBN: 1770225463
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 625
Book Description
As a spokesman for a country, a continent and the developing world, Thabo Mbeki played a crucial role in world politics, but to many people he remained an enigma throughout his presidency. Is this simply because he was a secretive man, or were there complicated political factors at play? Who was the real Mbeki? In this book, multiple-award-winning journalist William Mervin Gumede chronicles Mbeki’s spectacular rise to dominate Africa’s oldest liberation movement. He explores the complex position that Mbeki occupied – following in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps, holding together an alliance with deep ideological differences, and ruling an intensely divided country. Revealing the political and personal tensions behind the scenes, Gumede explains how Mbeki sought to mould the ANC into his image through tight control, and exposes the intrigues behind the battle for succession. Covering Mbeki’s attempts to modernise the economy and kick-start an African Renaissance, and investigating his controversial stance on issues from AIDS to Zimbabwe, the book offers invaluable insights into the arcane machinations behind political decisions that touch the lives of millions every day.
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
ISBN: 1770225463
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 625
Book Description
As a spokesman for a country, a continent and the developing world, Thabo Mbeki played a crucial role in world politics, but to many people he remained an enigma throughout his presidency. Is this simply because he was a secretive man, or were there complicated political factors at play? Who was the real Mbeki? In this book, multiple-award-winning journalist William Mervin Gumede chronicles Mbeki’s spectacular rise to dominate Africa’s oldest liberation movement. He explores the complex position that Mbeki occupied – following in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps, holding together an alliance with deep ideological differences, and ruling an intensely divided country. Revealing the political and personal tensions behind the scenes, Gumede explains how Mbeki sought to mould the ANC into his image through tight control, and exposes the intrigues behind the battle for succession. Covering Mbeki’s attempts to modernise the economy and kick-start an African Renaissance, and investigating his controversial stance on issues from AIDS to Zimbabwe, the book offers invaluable insights into the arcane machinations behind political decisions that touch the lives of millions every day.
The Soul of Central Africa
Author: John Roscoe
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 1132
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 1132
Book Description
Great Soul
Author: Joseph Lelyveld
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307389952
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
A highly original, stirring book on Mahatma Gandhi that deepens our sense of his achievements and disappointments—his success in seizing India’s imagination and shaping its independence struggle as a mass movement, his recognition late in life that few of his followers paid more than lip service to his ambitious goals of social justice for the country’s minorities, outcasts, and rural poor. “A revelation. . . . Lelyveld has restored human depth to the Mahatma.”—Hari Kunzru, The New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winner Joseph Lelyveld shows in vivid, unmatched detail how Gandhi’s sense of mission, social values, and philosophy of nonviolent resistance were shaped on another subcontinent—during two decades in South Africa—and then tested by an India that quickly learned to revere him as a Mahatma, or “Great Soul,” while following him only a small part of the way to the social transformation he envisioned. The man himself emerges as one of history’s most remarkable self-creations, a prosperous lawyer who became an ascetic in a loincloth wholly dedicated to political and social action. Lelyveld leads us step-by-step through the heroic—and tragic—last months of this selfless leader’s long campaign when his nonviolent efforts culminated in the partition of India, the creation of Pakistan, and a bloodbath of ethnic cleansing that ended only with his own assassination. India and its politicians were ready to place Gandhi on a pedestal as “Father of the Nation” but were less inclined to embrace his teachings. Muslim support, crucial in his rise to leadership, soon waned, and the oppressed untouchables—for whom Gandhi spoke to Hindus as a whole—produced their own leaders. Here is a vital, brilliant reconsideration of Gandhi’s extraordinary struggles on two continents, of his fierce but, finally, unfulfilled hopes, and of his ever-evolving legacy, which more than six decades after his death still ensures his place as India’s social conscience—and not just India’s.
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307389952
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
A highly original, stirring book on Mahatma Gandhi that deepens our sense of his achievements and disappointments—his success in seizing India’s imagination and shaping its independence struggle as a mass movement, his recognition late in life that few of his followers paid more than lip service to his ambitious goals of social justice for the country’s minorities, outcasts, and rural poor. “A revelation. . . . Lelyveld has restored human depth to the Mahatma.”—Hari Kunzru, The New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winner Joseph Lelyveld shows in vivid, unmatched detail how Gandhi’s sense of mission, social values, and philosophy of nonviolent resistance were shaped on another subcontinent—during two decades in South Africa—and then tested by an India that quickly learned to revere him as a Mahatma, or “Great Soul,” while following him only a small part of the way to the social transformation he envisioned. The man himself emerges as one of history’s most remarkable self-creations, a prosperous lawyer who became an ascetic in a loincloth wholly dedicated to political and social action. Lelyveld leads us step-by-step through the heroic—and tragic—last months of this selfless leader’s long campaign when his nonviolent efforts culminated in the partition of India, the creation of Pakistan, and a bloodbath of ethnic cleansing that ended only with his own assassination. India and its politicians were ready to place Gandhi on a pedestal as “Father of the Nation” but were less inclined to embrace his teachings. Muslim support, crucial in his rise to leadership, soon waned, and the oppressed untouchables—for whom Gandhi spoke to Hindus as a whole—produced their own leaders. Here is a vital, brilliant reconsideration of Gandhi’s extraordinary struggles on two continents, of his fierce but, finally, unfulfilled hopes, and of his ever-evolving legacy, which more than six decades after his death still ensures his place as India’s social conscience—and not just India’s.
It Chooses You
Author: Miranda July
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 9780857862549
Category : Dealers
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
In the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the "PennySaver," the iconic classifieds booklet that reached everywhere and seemed to come from nowhere. Who was the person selling the "Large leather Jacket, $10"? It seemed important to find out--or at least it was a great distraction from the screenplay. Accompanied by photographer Brigitte Sire, July crisscrossed Los Angeles to meet a random selection of "PennySaver" sellers, glimpsing thirteen surprisingly moving and profoundly specific realities, along the way shaping her film, and herself, in unexpected ways. Elegantly blending narrative, interviews, and photographs with July's off-kilter honesty and deadpan humor, this is a story of procrastination and inspiration, isolation and connection, and grabbing hold of the invisible world.
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 9780857862549
Category : Dealers
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
In the summer of 2009, Miranda July was struggling to finish writing the screenplay for her much-anticipated second film. During her increasingly long lunch breaks, she began to obsessively read the "PennySaver," the iconic classifieds booklet that reached everywhere and seemed to come from nowhere. Who was the person selling the "Large leather Jacket, $10"? It seemed important to find out--or at least it was a great distraction from the screenplay. Accompanied by photographer Brigitte Sire, July crisscrossed Los Angeles to meet a random selection of "PennySaver" sellers, glimpsing thirteen surprisingly moving and profoundly specific realities, along the way shaping her film, and herself, in unexpected ways. Elegantly blending narrative, interviews, and photographs with July's off-kilter honesty and deadpan humor, this is a story of procrastination and inspiration, isolation and connection, and grabbing hold of the invisible world.
The Book that Made Your World
Author: Vishal Mangalwadi
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1595554009
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 466
Book Description
Understand where we came from. Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization. Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi reveals the personal motivation that fueled his own study of the Bible and systematically illustrates how its precepts became the framework for societal structure throughout the last millennium. From politics and science, to academia and technology, the Bible's sacred copy became the key that unlocked the Western mind. Through Mangalwadi's wide-ranging and fascinating investigation, you'll discover: What triggered the West's passion for scientific, medical, and technological advancement How the biblical notion of human dignity informs the West's social structure and how it intersects with other worldviews How the Bible created a fertile ground for women to find social and economic empowerment How the Bible has uniquely equipped the West to cultivate compassion, human rights, prosperity, and strong families The role of the Bible in the transformation of education How the modern literary notion of a hero has been shaped by the Bible's archetypal protagonist Journey with Mangalwadi as he examines the origins of a civilization's greatness and the misguided beliefs that threaten to unravel its progress. Learn how the Bible transformed the social, political, and religious institutions that have sustained Western culture for the past millennium, and discover how secular corruption endangers the stability and longevity of Western civilization. Endorsements: “This is an extremely significant piece of work with huge global implications. Vishal brings a timely message.” (Ravi Zacharias, author, Walking from East to West and Beyond Opinion) “In polite society, the mere mention of the Bible often introduces a certain measure of anxiety. A serious discussion on the Bible can bring outright contempt. Therefore, it is most refreshing to encounter this engaging and informed assessment of the Bible’s profound impact on the modern world. Where Bloom laments the closing of the American mind, Mangalwadi brings a refreshing optimism.” (Stanley Mattson, founder and president, C. S. Lewis Foundation) “Vishal Mangalwadi recounts history in very broad strokes, always using his cross-cultural perspectives for highlighting the many benefits of biblical principles in shaping civilization.” (George Marsden, professor, University of Notre Dame; author, Fundamentalism and American Culture)
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1595554009
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 466
Book Description
Understand where we came from. Whether you're an avid student of the Bible or a skeptic of its relevance, The Book That Made Your World will transform your perception of its influence on virtually every facet of Western civilization. Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi reveals the personal motivation that fueled his own study of the Bible and systematically illustrates how its precepts became the framework for societal structure throughout the last millennium. From politics and science, to academia and technology, the Bible's sacred copy became the key that unlocked the Western mind. Through Mangalwadi's wide-ranging and fascinating investigation, you'll discover: What triggered the West's passion for scientific, medical, and technological advancement How the biblical notion of human dignity informs the West's social structure and how it intersects with other worldviews How the Bible created a fertile ground for women to find social and economic empowerment How the Bible has uniquely equipped the West to cultivate compassion, human rights, prosperity, and strong families The role of the Bible in the transformation of education How the modern literary notion of a hero has been shaped by the Bible's archetypal protagonist Journey with Mangalwadi as he examines the origins of a civilization's greatness and the misguided beliefs that threaten to unravel its progress. Learn how the Bible transformed the social, political, and religious institutions that have sustained Western culture for the past millennium, and discover how secular corruption endangers the stability and longevity of Western civilization. Endorsements: “This is an extremely significant piece of work with huge global implications. Vishal brings a timely message.” (Ravi Zacharias, author, Walking from East to West and Beyond Opinion) “In polite society, the mere mention of the Bible often introduces a certain measure of anxiety. A serious discussion on the Bible can bring outright contempt. Therefore, it is most refreshing to encounter this engaging and informed assessment of the Bible’s profound impact on the modern world. Where Bloom laments the closing of the American mind, Mangalwadi brings a refreshing optimism.” (Stanley Mattson, founder and president, C. S. Lewis Foundation) “Vishal Mangalwadi recounts history in very broad strokes, always using his cross-cultural perspectives for highlighting the many benefits of biblical principles in shaping civilization.” (George Marsden, professor, University of Notre Dame; author, Fundamentalism and American Culture)
My Traitor's Heart
Author: Rian Malan
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN: 0802193900
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 315
Book Description
An essay collection that offers “a fascinating glimpse of post-apartheid South Africa” from the bestselling author of My Traitor’s Heart (The Sunday Times). The Lion Sleeps Tonight is Rian Malan’s remarkable chronicle of South Africa’s halting steps and missteps, taken as blacks and whites try to build a new country. In the title story, Malan investigates the provenance of the world-famous song, recorded by Pete Seeger and REM among many others, which Malan traces back to a Zulu singer named Solomon Linda. He follows the trial of Winnie Mandela; he writes about the last Afrikaner, an old Boer woman who settled on the slopes of Mount Meru; he plunges into President Mbeki’s AIDS policies of the 1990s; and finally he tells the story of the Alcock brothers (sons of Neil and Creina whose heartbreaking story was told in My Traitor’s Heart), two white South Africans raised among the Zulu and fluent in their language and customs. The twenty-one essays collected here, combined with Malan’s sardonic interstitial commentary, offer a brilliantly observed portrait of contemporary South Africa; “a grimly realistic picture of a nation clinging desperately to hope” (The Guardian).
Publisher: Open Road + Grove/Atlantic
ISBN: 0802193900
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 315
Book Description
An essay collection that offers “a fascinating glimpse of post-apartheid South Africa” from the bestselling author of My Traitor’s Heart (The Sunday Times). The Lion Sleeps Tonight is Rian Malan’s remarkable chronicle of South Africa’s halting steps and missteps, taken as blacks and whites try to build a new country. In the title story, Malan investigates the provenance of the world-famous song, recorded by Pete Seeger and REM among many others, which Malan traces back to a Zulu singer named Solomon Linda. He follows the trial of Winnie Mandela; he writes about the last Afrikaner, an old Boer woman who settled on the slopes of Mount Meru; he plunges into President Mbeki’s AIDS policies of the 1990s; and finally he tells the story of the Alcock brothers (sons of Neil and Creina whose heartbreaking story was told in My Traitor’s Heart), two white South Africans raised among the Zulu and fluent in their language and customs. The twenty-one essays collected here, combined with Malan’s sardonic interstitial commentary, offer a brilliantly observed portrait of contemporary South Africa; “a grimly realistic picture of a nation clinging desperately to hope” (The Guardian).
Say You're One of Them
Author: Uwem Akpan
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316032522
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
An Oprah's Book Club selection: this "electrifying" book (Washington Post) pays tribute to the wisdom and resilience of children even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord. In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa. Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent. One of the best books of the year: Wall Street Journal, People, Bloomberg News, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post Book World, and Entertainment Weekly
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316032522
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 212
Book Description
An Oprah's Book Club selection: this "electrifying" book (Washington Post) pays tribute to the wisdom and resilience of children even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord. In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa. Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent. One of the best books of the year: Wall Street Journal, People, Bloomberg News, Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post Book World, and Entertainment Weekly