{"id":3548,"date":"2008-05-01T00:00:59","date_gmt":"2008-05-01T05:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/?p=3548"},"modified":"2021-07-01T19:29:14","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T23:29:14","slug":"may-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/2008\/05\/01\/may-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"May 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

@ William F.S. Miles (*)<\/strong> has edited a volume on \u201cPolitical Islam in West Africa: State-Society Relations Transformed\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner; 221 p., ISBN 978-1-58826-527-2), to which he contributed the opening chapter (\u2018West African Islam: Emerging Political Dynamics\u2019), and a concluding section (\u2018West Africa Transformed: The New Mosque-State Relationship\u2019). Other contributors include Robert Charlick (*)<\/strong>, with a chapter on \u2018Niger: Islamic Identity and the Politics of Globalization\u2019 and Leonard Villal\u00f3n (*)<\/strong> writing on \u2018Senegal: Shades of Islamism on a Sufi Landscape\u2019.<\/p>\n

@ C\u00e9lestin Monga(*)<\/strong> was invited to deliver the annual Bradford Morse Distinguished Lecture sponsored by the African Studies Center at Boston University. The title of his presentation, given on 22 April, was : “Is Africa Really at a Turning Point? : The Economics and Politics of Hope\u201d. C\u00e9lestin Monga\u2019s latest book, \u201cUn Bantou \u00e0 Washington<\/em>\u201d (Paris:PUF, 2007; 204 pages -ISBN-10: 2130565050 \/ISBN-13: 978-2130565055- \u20ac14,00)* carries a dust jacket that reads: \u201cFrom Cameroun\u2019s jails to the World Bank\u201d. Such is indeed the unusual, but not altogether illogical itinerary of a man who, 18 years ago, as an up-and-coming banker in Douala, became an overnight cause c\u00e9l\u00e8bre<\/em> when he was jailed for publishing a scathing open letter to President Paul Biya, the man who has ruled Cameroun for over 25 years and shows no sign of wanting to leave power. A campaign orchestrated by exiled Camerounian writer Mongo Beti eventually led to Monga\u2019s release \u2013 and to his departure for the United States where he was affiliated with Harvard University, MIT and Boston University, while simultaneously completing a doctoral degree in France.<\/p>\n

Throughout those years, Monga wrote abundantly. His \u201cAnthropologie de la col\u00e8re<\/em>\u201d (1995) was translated into English as \u201cThe Anthropology of Anger<\/em>\u201d. \u201cL’argent des autres<\/em>\u201d was published in 1998, and \u201cSortir du pi\u00e8ge mon\u00e9taire<\/em>\u201d (co-authored with J.C. Tchatchouang) in 1999. He also contributed a continous flow of articles, opinion pieces and interviews in the Camerounian press as well as in the diasporic media.<\/p>\n

Disillusioned \u2013but not dispirited- by the failure of the democratization process in Cameroun, Monga concentrated on his career as an economist after he was recruited by the World Bank. In 2001, he received the President\u2019s Award for Excellence for his work in Burkina Faso. He subsequently worked on Central Asia and the Baltic states before being promoted to the rank of Lead Economist attached to one of the Bank\u2019s vice-presidents. In May 2006, he was awarded the coveted \u201cGood Practice Award\u201d by the then President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, he has kept his hand in the affairs of his native Cameroun, not only through his writings, but also through his support for the independent Universit\u00e9 des Montagnes<\/em> at Bangangt\u00e9 in the Western part of the country. In April, he wrote a long and impassionate \u201copen letter\u201d to the Camerounian artist Lapiro de Mbanga (aka<\/em> \u201cNdinga Man\u201d) whose protest songs, released over a 30-year career, have led to his imprisonment. Monga concludes his letter by quoting Martin Luther King\u2019s words: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (v.:\u201cLettre ouverte \u00e0 Lapiro ou le proc\u00e8s du r\u00e9gime Biya\u201d<\/em> http:\/\/www.cameroon-info.net\/cmi_show_news.php?id=22470<\/a><\/p>\n

* \u201cUn Bantou \u00e0 Washington<\/em>\u201d is followed by (and derives its title from) \u201cUn Bantou \u00e0 Djibouti<\/em>\u201d, a personal notebook written while Monga was working as a banker in that former French enclave some twenty years ago (and long since out of print).<\/p>\n

# Alice Sindzingre(*)<\/strong> a sign\u00e9 un article initul\u00e9 \u201cRelativiser le poids de l’histoire\u201d \u00e0 propos des th\u00e9ories du d\u00e9veloppement dans Le Monde- \u00c9conomie<\/em> du 14 d\u00e9cembre 2007.<\/p>\n

(*) Names listed in the GRAF Directory \/ Noms figurant \u00e0 l’annuaire du GRAF<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

# Boubacar Boris Diop (*), dont le dernier ouvrage \u201cL\u2019Afrique au-del\u00e0 du miroir\u201d<\/em> (Paris: \u00c9ditions Philippe Rey, 2007; 190 pages -ISBN : 9782848760681-\u20ac16,00) s\u2019attache \u00e0 d\u00e9construire une image du continent noir colport\u00e9e par les m\u00e9dias, a particip\u00e9 avec 22 autres co-auteurs \u00e0 la r\u00e9daction de \u201cL’Afrique r\u00e9pond \u00e0 Sarkozy : Contre le discours de Dakar\u201d<\/em> (Paris: \u00c9ditions Philippe Rey, 2008; 478 pages -ISBN-10: 2848761105 \/ ISBN-13: 978-2848761107- \u20ac 19,80).<\/p>\n

# Marie-Ange Somdah (*)<\/strong> a \u00e9t\u00e9 choisi comme chef du d\u00e9partement d’Anglais \u00e0 l\u2019Universit\u00e9 de Djibouti et invite les membres du GRAF \u00e0 le contacter \u00e0 l\u2019adresse de l\u2019universit\u00e9: Avenue Georges-Cl\u00e9menceau, Djibouti-Ville, R\u00e9publique de Djibouti (ou, par courriel, \u00e0 l\u2019adresse: msomdah@gmail.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

@ William F. Miles (*)<\/strong> was a guest speaker in the Spring session of the Walter Rodney Seminar Series (offered since 1979 at Boston University\u2019s African Studies Center) with a lecture titled: “When Ph.D. Meets G.I.: The Format and Ethics of Africanist Consulting for the U.S. Military”<\/em> Later in the same series, Boubacar Boris Diop (*)<\/strong> gave a talk (\u201cAfrican Intellectuals Respond to Nicolas Sarkozy\u201d<\/em> ) dealing with the continuing reactions to Nicolas Sarkozy\u2019s controversial \u2018Dakar speech\u2019 of July 2007. Two days later, Diop<\/strong> offered another lecture Harvard University on: \u201cLa litt\u00e9rature face au g\u00e9nocide des Tutsi du Rwanda\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

@ Theodore Trefon (*)<\/strong> who heads the Contemporary History Section of Belgium\u2019s Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, in addition to holding visiting appointments at the KUL (Catholic University of Leuven) and at the University of Kinshasa, has taken up the directorship of the Belgian Reference Centre for Expertise for Central Africa\/ Centre belge de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence pour l\u2019expertise sur l\u2019Afrique centrale (E-CA \u2014 CRE-AC). On 21 & 22 February, the Centre held an inaugural international conference on: \u201cCongo: State, Peace, Economy & Well-Being\u201d at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. E-CA \u2014 CRE-AC\u2019s aim is to promote improved access and dissemination of knowledge about central Africa in order to ensure an efficient mobilization of the expertise needed by central Africa for its development. The Centre is a policy-oriented development tool and a catalyst for networking. It is mandated to provide a better understanding of the region by promoting dialogue and the exchange of information between the scientific and academic spheres, NGOs, government and the private sector. Information on E-CA \u2014 CRE-AC can be found at http:\/\/www.eca-creac.eu\/index.php?en-home<\/a> and the final report of the February conference is available at: http:\/\/www.eca-creac.eu\/downloads\/conference\/eca-creac_conference-rapport_final.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trefon<\/strong>\u2019s latest publication (co-authored with Balthazar Ngoy) is: \u201cParcours administratifs dans un Etat en faillite: R\u00e9cits de Lubumbashi (RDC)\u201d<\/em><\/strong> [Tervuren\/Paris: Les Cahiers de l\u2019Institut Africain\/L\u2019Harmattan, 2007 \u2022 162 pages – ISBN-10: 229-6-03686-4 \/ ISBN-13: 978-2-296-03686-4 \u2022 \u20ac 15,00 \u2022 Coll.: \u201cCahiers africains\u201d, n\u00ba 74].<\/p>\n

Rwanda: litt\u00e9rature et arts graphiques dans la pr\u00e9histoire d\u2019un g\u00e9nocide\u201d. Par ailleurs, Pierre Halen<\/strong> signe un texte intutul\u00e9:\u201cBwiza ou la beaut\u00e9: quelques documents sur la fascination tutsie\u201d (pp. 61-88) dans la collection que Jacques Walter et lui ont r\u00e9uni sous le titre:\u201cLes langages de la m\u00e9moire. Litt\u00e9rature, m\u00e9dias et g\u00e9nocide au Rwanda\u201d<\/em><\/strong>. Les contributions r\u00e9unies dans ce volume \u00e9tudient la mani\u00e8re dont la litt\u00e9rature, les m\u00e9dias, la bande dessin\u00e9e ou le th\u00e9\u00e2tre ont affront\u00e9 ces questions, tentant de dire malgr\u00e9 tout quelque chose, et l’essentiel si possible. L\u2019ouvrage est \u00e9dit\u00e9 par le Centre \u00c9critures<\/em>, Universit\u00e9 Paul Verlaine-Metz. (Litt\u00e9ratures des mondes contemporains, s\u00e9rie Afriques n\u00b0 1, 366 pages \u2022 22,00 \u20ac. Pour la table des mati\u00e8res, voir: http:\/\/www.univ-metz.fr\/recherche\/labos\/ecritures\/collection-lmc\/Couverture–TM-Rwanda.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dans la m\u00eame s\u00e9rie figure \u00e9galement unouvrage r\u00e9dig\u00e9 par Charles Djungu-Simba K. \u201cLes \u00e9crivains du Congo-Za\u00efre. Approches d’un champ litt\u00e9raire africain\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (s\u00e9rie Afriques n\u00b0 2, 329 pages \u2022 19 \u20ac,00 . Table des mati\u00e8res: http:\/\/www.univ-metz.fr\/recherche\/labos\/ecritures\/collection-lmc\/CouvertureTM-Congo-Zaire.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pour commander ces ouvrages:<\/p>\n