The world responded immediately to Nelson Mandela (Madiba)’s death: with Facebook posts. Twitter and other social media websites were blown up with pictures and quotes of one of Africa’s most notable contemporary elders. Days later, the status updates have not ceased. One would think that the people of the world are ready for revolutionary systemic […]
“oil fields in our land”: A Testimony of Acaa Magrate Loum
“My name is Acaa Magrate Loum. I’m now 38 years old. Born from Lakang and got married to Loum who is now 40 years old from Lakang in 1992 when i was only 17 years old. At that time, we lived in Lakang without any problem of land dispute. We lived knowing that the land […]
“If you go to one of those third world countries and come back here, you’ll kiss the ground you walk on.”
Have you ever felt the difference between going through something that feels impossibly difficult while knowing you are exactly where you need to be – and going through hell for absolutely no fruitful reason? Since I have last blogged, I have felt both of these feelings intensely, and I haven’t found a way to articulate […]
Coloreds and Collareds: The Origins of Hate
About half a century ago, there was this race-based struggle going on within my country, in which blacks wanted to simply claim they were human beings like the rest of the world. At the present day, many of us look back on the phenomenon of separate drinking fountains and bathrooms as laughable. How could we […]
Making Babies: The Motive for Peace
At the recent burial of one of the Lango tribe’s great mothers, thousands of attendees were graced with the presence of the Won Nyaci (head chief). Burials, and virtually all other functions and events in Uganda, are filled with lengthy speeches from notable community figures such as this old man. The speech was concluded with […]