Reading Resources


The readings posted here are gathered from a wide array of researchers and contexts. They are not only informative but meant to facilitate reflection in classrooms.

Ethnic diversity is of particular importance to African Nations; how do we co-exist within colonial borders that split ethnic communities into two, three or even four countries? What answers do we have towards preventing ethnic violence and genocides in the present day? What opportunity does pluralism as an ethic of respect for difference present? How do educators address vexing questions often hanging unanswered in class rooms such as; how can a national identity be cultivated and enhanced in a multi-ethnic situation? Is ethnicity in Africa a political and social construct?

The readings invite educators to turn the ethnic diversity in their countries and classes into a resource.

May 8, 2014

What is the problem of Ethnicity in Africa?

What is the problem of ethnicity in Africa? Is there indeed a problem of ethnicity? Conventional wisdom suggests that ethnicity is phenomenally problematic in Africa It is held partly responsible for the 'irrationalities' of the development project, for political instability and weak national identity.
May 7, 2014

Kofi A. Annan: Universal values can help bridge the world’s divides

London – In a keynote speech, Kofi A. Annan will today warn that globalisation has brought immense opportunities but also risks and dislocations, which must be urgently addressed by all segments of society, from the community to international level.
May 6, 2014

“It Is Better to Be a Refugee Than a Turkana in Kakuma”: Revisiting the Relationship between Hosts and Refugees in Kenya

The article echoes stories and perceptions of the hosts to the refugees in their day-to-day relations in Kakuma refugee camp with little emphasis on academic abstraction of refugee protection contained in international instruments but rather on the realities on the ground.
May 5, 2014

Lupita Nyong’o is right: erasing her afro hair exposes the extent of prejudice

Fashion has always been political. How people dress, what they choose to wear, is a reflection of their innermost tastes and preferences. Fashion is an extended form of self-advertisement. For centuries women have used their appearance as a means to exert political influence.
May 4, 2014

Achille Mbembe writes about Xenophobic South Africa

Afrophobia”? “Xenophobia”? “Black on black racism”? A “darker” as you can get hacking a “foreigner” under the pretext of his being too dark — self hate par excellence? Of course all of that at once! Yesterday I asked a taxi driver: “why do they need to kill these “foreigners” in this manner?”.