1. “Africa: A Biography of the Continent,” by John
Reader. A wide-reaching and sweeping look at trends and broader
explanations for the way things are, covering history, geography,
anthropology, biology and politics. While it is a thick tome (some 700
pages) it manages to be engaging, interesting and easy to read. This
would be a good place to start for the interested newcomer to African
issues.
2. “Africa Works: Disorder as a Political Instrument,”
by Patrick Chabal and Jean-Pascal Daloz. A lucid and theoretically-rich
exposition of African politics. Describing how systems of patronage
operate within the context of modern states, Chabal and Daloz provide
powerful explanations for conflict, corruption and poor economic
development. It also introduces English-speakers to the rich seam of
francophone research and literature about Africa.
Matthew's
blog, "Managed Decline or Rejuvenation," sparked a quantity and
quality of responses that we don't often get here on the Sustainable Good blog
(although we would love more!) This topic obviously lets loose quite a
bit of emotion and passion from many people -- the young, the middle-aged, the
old, the optimistic, the frustrated, the ones who are both optimistic and
frustrated. The hope is that we continue this discussion -- on this blog
and other places where we meet because dialogue is always the beginning point
for sustainable change.Here are a
few of my disjointed views on the matter:
I
am one who believes whole-heartedly that spiritual discipline and a deep sense
for social justice go hand in hand. I try not to be too dogmatic about
this, but I can be -- only because I believe that Jesus lived his life with the
same message of equality and radical compassion. Even the first Christian
church was founded on similar social values that went against mainstream
culture in order to serve the poor.Unfortunately, mainline Christian churches have been in decline for
decades now because they have been too intimately attached to society's status
quo – Community of Christ is no exception.
Rejuvenate. Verb [trans]. To make young again, to breath new life into.
Following the decolonization of its empire, political commentators have often, tongue-in-cheek, described Britain’s foreign policy as one of ‘managed decline.’ The UK doesn’t want to drop precipitously off the global scene, but recognizes its days as a global superpower are over and it must move slowly to the fringes.
A similar attitude seems to have taken hold among mainline and liberal Christians in the US, particularly in my denomination, the Community of Christ. Mainline Christianity is graying, slowly dying off and keeping out of the way of the growing evangelical and Pentecostal churches.
During my recent visit to Outreach International’s programs in Malawi I heard an interesting sermon by Malawian Community of Christ minister Patrick Gausi on Christian responses to social problems. He reflected in particular on Outreach International’s approach to ending poverty, which maintains people’s dignity and seeks sustainable, rather than stop-gap, solutions.
I think his sermon would make a good resource for church groups studying or reflecting on Outreach International’s work, so I have posted a transcription of it below.
This week I have been attending a film festival in Kampala, Uganda, run by Makerere University Law School and the Refugee Law Project, aimed at spurring discussion on ways forward in the country’s peace process.
While things are more peaceful these days, Uganda has suffered from a devastating conflict in its northern region for some 20 years. Over 1 million people were forcibly displaced into camps by government troops, 25,000 children were abducted by brutal rebel forces that believe they are divinely inspired. The country now faces the challenges of reintegrating former rebels, mostly abducted children. It struggles with hope best to seek justice and accountability while also recognizing the need for reconciliation.
Last night I saw a particularly impressive documentary called Uganda Rising (available from www.ugandarising.com) that delves into the roots of this conflict, tells the story of survivors and provides sophisticated analysis from academics and policymakers.
Last weekend my husband suggested we go see the new Bill Maher movie,Religulous. I immediately said no -- not because I didn't think parts of it would be really funny. Anybody making fun of my favorite subject (religion) has a good chance of making me laugh -- but because I knew the jokes would be based on the age old debate: atheism vs. well.... theism. And that gets me riled up. I'm sick of the debate. It's stupid. It's become the worst dichotomy of dichotomies. I call myself a person of faith but in no way believe in this supreme being/old man in the sky that judges or tells us what to do, which is what the atheists are so much against. (I feel my blood pressure rising right now.)
This video consists of clips from some of the most inspiring statements I have heard. They were given at the 9/11 Unity Walk in Washington DC on September 13th. The walk joined about 1,000 people from many different faith traditions. Listen to Christian, Islamic and Hindu leaders encourage us to move toward unity and ACTION!
What an incredible experience! Yesterday, I got to walk 2 miles with the daughter of Desmond Tutu (the Archbishop of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner), Arun Gandhi (the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi) and 1,000 other people from a wide range of faiths. We walked in the 9/11 Unity Walk in Washington DC.
We started at a beautiful Jewish synagogue, walked to an equally beautiful Muslim center, and ended at Gandhi Memorial. It was an amazing experience of appreciating our differences for the unique gifts we bring, and realizing our similarities. It was a time of joining together in the smoldering heat, with amazing speakers and all-around inspiration. Tomorrow I will post a video that has clips from the best parts of the day. Until then, enjoy a couple pictures of me, Angie, and Karyn's husband Jeff walking in the crowd sporting our Outreach International shirts, and Arun Gandhi speaking in the shadow of the statue of his grandfather. (PS. I even had a great conversation with one of the other walkers about Outreach International and the difference that we make in communities. As an economics person, he was skeptical about how we planned to really make a large difference, but through some deep conversation seemed to come around...We will see if he replies to this post. :) )
