Before Boima rides us out this year with West Africa’s best dance tunes, we couldn’t resist including a post with some of the lowlights of 2011.
The Hall of Shame
December 23, 2011 By 10 Comments
Clooney in Africa
February 25, 2011 By 8 Comments
The media buzz (including blogging, tumbling and retweeting, as well as Facebooking) around Newsweek magazine’s ridiculous cover story of film actor George Clooney (title: “On the ground with a new kind of statesman”) highlight the titilating; i.e. Clooney’s sexual conquests of “way too many chicks”). Too bad, since the piece is really about how Clooney has the access and time to jet off to be a presence in nations that may not need him.
In January alone, he’s balanced the rigours surrounding the Academy Awards, hanging out on Mexican beaches with his Italian model/actress-of-the-moment, and giving face-time to South Sudanese. There he is in Sudan (above), method acting Marlow by the river of his destiny.
Do you know Omar al Bashir?
November 19, 2010 By 2 Comments
I recently ask students in a graduate class I teach on ‘media, culture and international affairs’ to do an experiment: take a camera, go outside (really downstairs on the New School ‘campus’) and test people’s knowledge of Darfur and Eastern Congo. Quick context: We had been reading and discussing Mahmood Mamdani’s Saviors and Survivors as well as viewing the film, “Darfur Now.” (The contrast between the two texts could not be more obvious of course. Mamdani’s book is a takedown of Save Darfur, while the film is essentially a fundraising and recruiting tool for the American activist group and its supporters.)
Anyway, we figured we should target students about their knowledge about Darfur (and Congo) since organizations like Safe Darfur (and the Enough Project) claim to have had the most success with young people. It also made practical sense.
Time To Vote
October 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Today marks 85 days until the scheduled southern Sudan referendum for independence, the significance of which cannot be overstated. Just ask George Clooney, new special adviser on Sudan to presidents and policymakers alike.
The two-time Sexiest Man Alive notwithstanding, the next 85 days will be crucial. And while no one can predict what they will look like—yes, that also means you, Kristof—we are all certain of this: the people of southern Sudan are ready.
Junub Sudan, time to vote.
SAVE DARFUR
September 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Onion lampoons US-based Darfur-focused pressure groups.
One question to the panel: How can the people of Darfur thank Americans? Best response: “I would like a clay pot.”
