Mandela paper assignment

February 8, 2008

Choose and research one of the following questions:

1. Nelson Mandela went to prison when he was in his forties and was not released for over 27 years. Where did Mandela find the strength to survive almost three decades in one of the world’s harshest prisons? What strategies did he employ to do so? What impact did his time in prison leave on him and on the anti-apartheid struggle?

2. Trace Mr. Mandela’s beliefs regarding non-violent protest throughout his life. Analyze the factors that influenced and changed his views and strategies - why did they change? How might different strategies have changed the effectiveness of the anti-apartheid movement, for good or for bad? Was violent protest necessary?

3. What is Nelson Mandela’s legacy? Don’t just write a laundry list of many things - make an argument with an overarching theme. You might be interested to research the Truth & Reconciliation Commission or Mandela’s post-presidency - what he’s been doing since he stepped down.

I’m happy to talk with you and offer guidance on these questions.

You may suggest another topic and write on it ONLY if I approve your topic. I’ll be available during E2 and after school today to discuss. If you email me over the weekend, I may not be able to respond, so do not begin writing on your own topic unless you’ve received approval from me.

Summary of requirements:

A draft or significant outline is due on Monday - write over the weekend.
The paper is due on Wednesday.
Late papers lose a letter grade a day. Turn your paper in on time.

Make a formal, structured, and concise argument.
Length requirement: at least 4 pages.
You may double-space.
Use 12-pt Times New Roman as your font.
Use the standard Word margins (left & right: 1-inch, top & bottom: 1.25-inch).
Proofread your paper for errors.

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

BBC program vanishes - read here instead

February 5, 2008

The BBC website’s RealPlayer files are not only difficult to play, they’re also apparently prone to vanishing into thin air.

Tomorrow I will assign excerpts for you from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, primarily from the sections about his 27 years in prison at Robben Island. While imprisoned, he wrote much of the book on little scraps of paper and hid them from the prison warders.

You’ll be responsible for reading those excerpts over two nights of homework; if you want a head start, they’re online here.

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

Apartheid in practice

January 31, 2008

In class today, we read some of the laws of apartheid together on the smartboard; here’s a handout of that document for you to print and read:

Apartheid in practice

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

A short history of South Africa

January 30, 2008

Read for homework:

A short history of South Africa on the country’s official gateway site. Be sure to click “next” at the bottom of each page to read all eight pages, covering pre-colonialism to post-apartheid. Pay special attention to the colonial factors that contribute to South Africa’s divisive history of racism. You do not have to outline this reading but should be prepared for a potential big picture quiz over its contents.

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

Post-Rwanda readings

January 29, 2008

Print and read the following for homework:

An account of the Gacaca courts in Rwanda
(this page is a transcript of a radio program with photos; you can also listen to the program on the same page)
A BBC overview of the situation in Sudan’s Darfur region
A MAP International overview of the situation in Kenya

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

Ghosts of Rwanda

January 25, 2008

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Response paper assignment

Outline/draft due Monday
Paper due Tuesday – at least 4-5 pages, single-spaced
Address the following questions in a serious, structured paper. You’re encouraged to write about your own thoughts and feelings, but make sure to zoom out and consider the larger perspective and issues too.

1. React, vent - what stood out for you? What issues does the story of the Rwandan genocide raise?
2. Where is the hope? In the face of such bleak desolation, where can we find nuggets of hope?
3. What lessons did you learn or should we learn from the Rwandan genocide?

We will discuss the issues mentioned in #1 on Monday & Tuesday. #2 hints at one of the major themes of the course.

Background

The PBS/Frontline site has a viewer’s guide that includes a timeline, glossary (confused about Hutu vs. Tutsi?), and narrative of the broad progression of the documentary. If you’re having trouble remembering the names of the people you met in the documentary itself or if you want a reminder of what you watched, go here.

The main Ghosts of Rwanda site also includes video interviews, background about some of the people in the documentary (e.g. Captain Mbaye), links to analysis, etc. Explore a little.

For a more in-depth background, try the Human Rights Watch site.

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

1/22 assignments, updated syllabus

January 22, 2008

African Studies assignments for 1/22/08

Please turn in to the substitute any outlines you didn’t give me last week.

Read & outline pages 58-71 (the impact of colonialism through independence) in the text for classwork/homework.

I’ve also placed a document called “Stanley Finds Livingstone” on the class website for you to print & read – follow this link.

Updated syllabus that reflects these assignments:

AS E1 Syllabus 01.22.08

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

Stanley finds Livingstone

January 22, 2008

Students: print & read this document (no outlining necessary), which provides a fuller description of H.M. Stanley and David Livingstone, plus an extended excerpt from Stanley’s account of the “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” meeting. This document supplements the PowerPoint / notes from Friday.

Stanley finds Livingstone

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies

The White Man’s Burden + Berlin Conference

January 16, 2008

Here’s the in-class handout of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” and excerpts from the 1885 General Act of the Berlin Conference partitioning Africa amongst the European powers:

The White Man’s Burden / the Berlin Conference

Posted by Duncan Brook | Filed Under African Studies