The Rwanda Crisis
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • The Only Sensible Deconstruction I've Read
  • 800,000 Killed? Is there any factual basis for this number?
  • An amazing book
  • A horrifying report on how we humans behave
  • Eclipsed, but important
The Rwanda Crisis
Gérard Prunier
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
NonfictionNonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda
  2. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
  3. Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide, Revised and Updated Edition Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide, Revised and Updated Edition
  4. Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak
  5. Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda

ASIN: 023110409X

Amazon.com

Although it occurred only in 1994, the civil war in the tiny central African nation of Rwanda has already slipped from memory. In that country, writes Belgian historian Gérard Prunier, Tutsi and Hutu fell to slaughtering each other at the end of a long history of Belgian, German, and French colonialism that deliberately played on ethnic tensions. The final "historical product" was the murder of perhaps a million people and the displacement another two million, nearly half of the country's population all told. Prunier traces a course through the complex history of unrest and hatred that washed over Rwanda, and he looks deeply into the question of why this horror could have happened in an era of international peacekeeping. His conclusion is disturbing: "Genocides are a modern phenomenon--they require organization--and they are likely to become more frequent."

Book Description

In the spring of 1994 the tiny African nation of Rwanda exploded onto the international media stage, as internal strife reached genocidal proportions. But the horror that unfolded before our eyes had been building steadily for years before it captured the attention of the world.

In The Rwanda Crisis, journalist and Africa scholar Gérard Prunier provides a historical perspective that Western readers need to understand how and why the brutal massacres of 800,000 Rwandese came to pass. Prunier shows how the events in Rwanda were part of a deadly logic, a plan that served central political and economic interests, rather than a result of ancient tribal hatreds -- a notion often invoked by the media to dramatize the fighting.

The Rwanda Crisis makes great strides in dispelling the racist cultural myths surrounding the people of Rwanda, views propogated by European colonialists in the nineteenth century and carved into "history" by Western influence. Prunier demonstrates how the struggle for cultural dominance and subjugation among the Hutu and Tutsi -- the central players in the recent massacres -- was exploited by racially obsessed Europeans. He shows how Western colonialists helped to construct a Tutsi identity as a superior racial type because of their distinctly "non-Negro" features in order to facilitate greater control over the Rwandese.

Expertly leading readers on a journey through the troubled history of the country and its surroundings, Prunier moves from the pre-colonial Kingdom of Rwanda, though German and Belgian colonial regimes, to the 1973 coup. The book chronicles the developing refugee crisis in Rwanda and neighboring Uganda in the 1970s and 1980s and offers the most comprehensive account available of the manipulations of popular sentiment that led to the genocide and the events that have followed.

In the aftermath of this devastating tragedy, The Rwanda Crisis is the first clear-eyed analysis available to American readers. From the massacres to the subsequent cholera epidemic and emerging refugee crisis, Prunier details the horrifying events of recent years and considers propsects for the future of Rwanda.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Only Sensible Deconstruction I've Read.......2007-06-04

This book--dull as a doornail--is the only sensible deconstruction of the Rwandan genocide out there, and believe me, I've read them all. I wept at the calculated coldness that Prunier dissects; I wept at the pieces, and the smooth, hot coals I cradled in my palm. This book gave me blisters.

Toss those easy, primitive theories on Rwandese tribal factions or the wide-eyed machete-wielding Protestant Hutu crying "demon possession, mea culpa": Prunier goes deeper, putting his own horror on the shelf for clear-eyed clarity. He plumbs the history of Rwanda, top to bottom. There's not a nook or cranny of evidence I've heard of that he doesn't explore. He mainly points to the colonialist Europeans who manipulated and separated and created Hutu and Tutsi tribes. Holistic, honest, brilliant, he separates facts and theories from each other with a humble incision. Yet with or without this careful separation it's apparent: his theories hold water AND blood.

3 out of 5 stars 800,000 Killed? Is there any factual basis for this number?.......2006-01-23

According to Gérard Prunier, "Because of the chaotic nature of the genocide, the total number of people killed has never been systematically assessed, but most experts believe the total was around 800,000 people.


-- I'm sorry, but if the total number was never systematically assesed, then just what did these "experts" base their estimates on?




This includes about 750,000 Tutsis and approximately 50,000 politically moderate Hutus who did not support the genocide. ... Only about 130,000 Tutsis survived the massacres." Some, though, have taken issue with Prunier's (and others') estimates, alleging that the number of Tutsis in Rwanda was lower at the outbreak of the genocide than is generally believed. By these measures, "an estimated 500,000 Rwandan Tutsi were killed, or more than three-quarters of their population. ... The number of Hutu killed during the genocide and civil war is even less certain, with estimates ranging from 10,000 to well over 100,000." (Alan J. Kuperman, "Genocide in Rwanda and the Limits of Humanitarian Military Intervention," unpublished paper, 2000; see also Kuperman, "Rwanda in Retrospect," Foreign Affairs, January/February 2000.)


-- Basically, we're being asked to believe that farmers and peasents and a disorganized, soon-to-be defeated Rwandan military was able to kill almost a million people in a few months, with machetes no less, and then dispose of their bodies in such a way that nothing even close to this number of mass grave burials has been found. This is sheer nonsense, perpetuated by Paul Kagame and gulliable white-guilt westerners who have never asked themselves why no verifiable evidence supporting this hyper-inflated number has ever been discovered. This book, and any number of others simply accept the figure of 500k-1mil without serious question. They have to--Paul Kagame's government will not allow inspection of these imaginary mass graves. Not even for the purposes of prosecuting the ringleaders on trial in Tanzania.

When the Nazis perpetrated their Holocaust in Europe, the victims had names, there were lists, there was a vast amount of clear physical evidence. Where is this evidence in Rwanda? In a tiny church in Nyumbe where thousands of people met their deaths in a building that wouldn't have held more than a few hundred at most? 800,000 victims should have left massive piles of bodies near any settlements of any size. There were no such piles of bodies. 450 people found in a mass grave becomes 40,000. Thousands of political murders (many carried out by PDF) in Kigali become 250,000 deaths. Who are these people, where did they come from, where did they live, why aren't lists of the missing available?

People who don't believe me, feel free to post your proof. Just make sure you include some kind of cite which doesn't rely on simply parroting the 800,000 number and attributing it to unnamed "experts." The Rwanda Genocide was in fact a wave of political killings carried out by paramilitary groups, many of whom traced their loyalties not to "Hutu Power" but to men who are now in positions of great prominence in Rwandan society, both Hutu and Tutsi. Men who owe their prominence to supporting the side which ultimately won: Paul Kagame's PDF, an organization which would later go on to launch *another* invasion, this time into the Congo, and spark wars which have now claimed millions of lives. And unlike the genocide, these lives can be documented, and the mass graves being found in the Congo were filled by PDF (now PDA) military, not machete-wielding farmers.

RstJ
Salem, OR

5 out of 5 stars An amazing book.......2005-04-01

I have read no other book that so dispassionately, logically, and compellingly (and yes, perhaps coldly) simply gives the reader the facts. Not an easy read, as sometimes I had to read the pages twice to fully grasp the meaning, but a great experience. Probably the best book I've ever read.

5 out of 5 stars A horrifying report on how we humans behave.......2005-02-08

This book has plenty of information about Rwanda and the 1994 genocide there. Yes, the book may appear anti-Hutu. But that is because so many of the Hutus were guilty of genocide. The fact that not all Tutsis have always been angels does not change that.

Rwanda is a country of a little over 10,000 square miles, with several million people. At the beginning of 1994, about ten percent of its people were Tutsis and almost all of the rest were Hutus. There were about 900,000 Tutsis. In the space of a few weeks, 800,000 of the Tutsis were brutally murdered, many of them by their neighbors, who generally used machetes to slaughter them. This was a carefully planned extermination. There was a long period of incitement. And even the word "inyenzi" (literally, "cockroaches") used by Hutu extremists to describe Tutsis started as a reference to violent armed men who tended to move at night. It was not merely a term of derision, but also one which helped produce a reaction of fear that encouraged the massacres.

The author explains that had it not been for the success of a Tutsi army in eventually (but too late) taking the capital city, the leaders of the genocide probably would have gotten away with it completely. There might have been a brief and partial UN boycott, with France discreetly violating it, followed by a restoration of international ties with the government.

The differences between Tutsis and Hutus had made a big impression on European colonialists a century earlier. The Tutsis were usually considerably taller and thinner than the Hutus. The Tutsis typically had narrower noses and lighter skins as well. Europeans had put Tutsis in control of the land in spite of the fact that the Hutus were a big majority. However, when Rwanda obtained independence, the Hutus gained control and the Tutsis were almost entirely unrepresented in the government or military leadership.

Although most of the Tutsis in Rwanda were killed, several hundred thousand Tutsis who lived outside Rwanda moved into that country when the Tutsi army gained control of it. And well over a million Hutus fled Rwanda.

Prunier makes many interesting points. One is that although many people claimed that the Tutsis were much richer than the Hutus, the average incomes of Tutsis and Hutus were about the same. Another is about the role of France in supporting the Hutus. There is a revealing quote of a French minister who was asked about this and gave a very unconvincing denial: "Me! Accuse me of having got people to train death squads! Let's be serious! In all these crises some people always find a way to attack France."

When some French troops finally showed up in the area, the Hutus applauded them in a big way. Radio announcements told Hutu girls to "wash yourselves and put on a good dress for our French allies. The Tutsi girls are all dead so you have your chance."

These sorts of things, along with some amazing official French comments about the Hutus and Tutsis killing each other, as though there were simply victims and no criminals, make it appear that France was a big part of the problem. The United Nations forces, with their instructions not to stop any of the atrocities, were worse than useless.

I learned quite a bit from this book. It is a sobering look at our species.

5 out of 5 stars Eclipsed, but important.......2002-11-16

From an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer, Rwanda.
This book seems to have been eclipsed by Gourevitch's journalistic account. Prunier was there and writing at the time that this happened. This book is basically a compilation of his observations of the genocide in Rwanda as it was occuring. It is, perhaps, less passionate than other accounts, but that only makes it more chilling. It traces the origins of the Rwanda genocide, the horrors of preparation and execution. This is an important book.
Touched By Fire: Doctors Without Borders in a Third World Crisis
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Level Appraisal
  • Level Appraisal
  • The clearest explanation of "why" aid workers do it.
Touched By Fire: Doctors Without Borders in a Third World Crisis
Elliott Leyton
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
CulturalCultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Home & Community HealthHome & Community Health | Nursing | Medical | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. In the Shadow of "Just Wars": Violence, Politics, and Humanitarian Action In the Shadow of "Just Wars": Violence, Politics, and Humanitarian Action
  2. Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders
  3. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

ASIN: 0771053053
Release Date: 1998-04-20

Book Description

When the rapes and massacres, the plagues, the famines, the floods, or the droughts erupt in far-off places, the world stands still. MSF does not.

They are the “smoke jumpers” among international aid organizations. While others are often stymied or delayed by bureaucratic red tape, the men and women of Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF) move in. They provide food and clean water. They dig latrines. They set up first-aid stations and field hospitals. They treat all-comers according to need. Often they are the last to remain in situations abandoned by others as too dangerous.

The risks they take are moral and ethical as well as mortal. They are acutely aware that giving aid is controversial. Does it really do any good to save a child from murder one day when it will probably starve in the weeks ahead? Is it appropriate to bring expensive western medicine into a country that, in the long run, can’t afford it? Should relief be given to civilians who are being starved on purpose, as part of a cynical political game, by a local warlord?

Elliot Leyton and Greg Locke saw something of the implications of these and other questions when they travelled to Rwanda in the fall of 1996. There they found themselves plunged into a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Hundreds of thousands of people were on the move. Armed militias and hostile armies lurked in the background. Mass starvation, plague, and an eruption into civil or criminal violence were immediate possibilities. The two Canadians, one an internationally recognized expert on the psychology of killing, the other an experienced photo-journalist, had a rare opportunity to observe MSF in action at a time when the stress was enormous and its resources were stretched to the limit.

They watched and listened, to the perpetrators of violence and their victims, to the survivors and those who gave them assistance, and, above all, to the people of MSF who dedicate themselves to saving lives because, in the words of one MSFer: “The world can afford a humanitarian ideal.”

The result of Leyton and Locke’s research is an extraordinary written and visual record of small miracles performed in the midst of catastrophe.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Level Appraisal.......2001-12-29

The criticisms I can aim at this book are few: there's some needless reiteration of points made early on and some loss of context in the wash of events described. Both are stylistic and really just matters of taste.

Knowing only what an outsider can glean about MSF, this seems a wholly objective, balanced assessment of the group(s), its membership(s) and the circumstances, compromises, and pervasive questions attendant to both. The very real limitations and dangers of international aid are presented frankly, as is the selfless dedication of the MSF staff. Individuals are not squeezed into comfortable categories; the complexities, even the occasional flashes of swagger or ugliness, of each participant are served up with relative detachment.

As an introduction to the politics and human costs of genocide (admittedly from a singular, but coherent political perspective), it's hard to beat.

The photographs, which portray a parallel narrative, are likewise honest, and both stories are rendered with sufficient feeling expose what is truly uplifting about MSF.

5 out of 5 stars Level Appraisal.......2001-12-29

The criticisms I can aim at this book are few: there's some needless reiteration of points made early on and some loss of context in the wash of events described. Both are stylistic and really just matters of taste.

Knowing only what an outsider can glean about MSF, this seems a wholly objective, balanced assessment of the group(s), its membership(s) and the circumstances, compromises, and pervasive questions attendant to both. The very real limitations and dangers of international aid are presented frankly, as is the selfless dedication of the MSF staff. Individuals are not squeezed into comfortable categories; the complexities, even the occasional flashes of swagger or ugliness, of each participant are served up with relative detachment.

As an introduction to the politics and human costs of genocide (admittedly from a singular, but coherent political perspective), it's hard to beat.

The photographs, which portray a parallel narrative, are likewise honest, and both stories are rendered with sufficient feeling expose what is truly uplifting about MSF.

5 out of 5 stars The clearest explanation of "why" aid workers do it........1998-12-30

Of all the texts I have read concerning Africa and its political/economic problems, this is the best contribution to understanding the motivations of those involved in providing humanitarian assistance. It represents ultimately a message of hope which counters the many pessimistic texts covering this area. The hope is neither misplaced or naive, but is a product of a level of understanding on the part of the authors rarely grasped I think by similar authors. Highly recommended.
The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Path of a Genocide: The Rwanda Crisis from Uganda to Zaire

    Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Democratic Republic of CongoDemocratic Republic of Congo | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
    RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
    UgandaUganda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
    Central AfricaCentral Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
    Human RightsHuman Rights | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    RelationsRelations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Darfur: A Short History of a Long War (African Arguments) Darfur: A Short History of a Long War (African Arguments)
    2. The Order of Genocide: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda The Order of Genocide: Race, Power, and War in Rwanda
    3. A People Betrayed: The Role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide A People Betrayed: The Role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide
    4. The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair The Fate of Africa: From the Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair

    ASIN: 0765807688
    Crisis in Rwanda (New Perspectives)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Crisis in Rwanda (New Perspectives)
      Charles Freeman
      Manufacturer: Raintree
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Library Binding

      AfricaAfrica | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
      RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
      Central AfricaCentral Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 0817250204
      The crisis in Rwanda: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, second session, May 4, 1994
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        The crisis in Rwanda: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, second session, May 4, 1994
        United States
        Manufacturer: For sale by the U.S. G.P.O., Supt. of Docs., Congressional Sales Office
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Unknown Binding
        ASIN: 0160468434
        Genocide and Crisis in Central Africa: Conflict Roots, Mass Violence, and Regional War
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Genocide and Crisis in Central Africa: Conflict Roots, Mass Violence, and Regional War
          Christian P. Scherrer
          Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          Democratic Republic of CongoDemocratic Republic of Congo | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
          RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
          African StudiesAfrican Studies | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
          Civil Rights & LibertiesCivil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          DemographyDemography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          Human GeographyHuman Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          Ethnic StudiesEthnic Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          Human RightsHuman Rights | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books
          AfricaAfrica | History | Humanities | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
          All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          HistoryHistory | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          LawLaw | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          NonfictionNonfiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
          All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
          ASIN: 0275972240

          Book Description

          Scherrer examines the ethnicized conflicts, periodic war, and genocide in Rwanda and Burundi. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda may have resulted in the murder of a million Tutsi and moderate Hutu, while the mass killings in Burundi, especially in 1993 when some 200,000 Hutu and Tutsi were killed, and the current ongoing war in the Congo appear to have the potential to escalate into another round of genocide in the region. Scherrer explores the background to the conflicts in the Great Lakes Region as well as what the international community might do to break this tragic cycle of violence and despair. Following a chapter on the history of the region before independence in 1960/61, he examines the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the subsequent attempts to promote justice, reconstruction, human rights work, and genocide prevention. Scherrer pays particular attention to the role of the Western powers, the UN, and the aid system--and he is critical of all of these institutions. He also analyzes what is happening in neighboring Burundi and the Congo. An important research for scholars and policymakers involved with Central African affairs and ethnicized conflict.
          The Rwanda Crisis, 1954-94
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Wonderful, but Horrible
          The Rwanda Crisis, 1954-94
          Gerard Prunier
          Manufacturer: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          HolocaustHolocaust | Jewish | World | History | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 1850652430

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Wonderful, but Horrible.......2004-05-22

          This book is one of the greatest sources I could have imagined to find. It is clever and insightful. Throughout the book are psychological truths that the author has obviously made based on what he has seen, examined, and understood. Reading this book and learning about the genocide has changed my view of the world, and along with it, my life.
          The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide
            Gerard Prunier
            Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback
            ASIN: B000OPCJ0A
            Rwanda: Fierce Clashes in Central Africa (Children in Crisis)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Rwanda: Fierce Clashes in Central Africa (Children in Crisis)
              John Isaac , and Keith Elliot Greenberg
              Manufacturer: Blackbirch Press
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Library Binding

              AfricaAfrica | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              AfricaAfrica | Explore the World | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              NonfictionNonfiction | Violence | Social Issues | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
              GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
              ASIN: 1567111858

              From the Publisher

              A behind-the-scenes glimpse at the brutality and terror between the Hutus and the Tutsis, which left countless families shattered and thousands of children orphaned and destitute.

              Here is a unique opportunity to experience world events through the eyes of internationally acclaimed photographer John Isaac. The stirring images of the Children In Crisis series connect you to the struggles and triumphs of children and families from the world's most troubled regions. As they take you in close, these books offer a special perspective on today's most important news headlines: they bring you the personal and emotional side of each story. Accompanying Mr. Isaac's vivid photographs are his first-person narratives. Each provides an eyewitness account of people caught in dramas and events that made history.

              Grades 3-7; 7 1/2" x 9"; 32 pages; Over 40 color photos; Sturdy library binding
              Uganda: Hurtling Toward a Rwanda-like Crisis
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Uganda: Hurtling Toward a Rwanda-like Crisis
                Chamonges Kericho
                Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Spiral-bound

                GeneralGeneral | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
                RwandaRwanda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
                UgandaUganda | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
                Central AfricaCentral Africa | Africa | History | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                ASIN: 155212097X

                Book Description

                Uganda has had a troubled history, and there seems to be no light at the end of the dark tunnel. Right from the time of its inception as a country in 1891, those who have led the country have used violence, deception, and foreign forces to maintain power. Lugard, a representative of the Imperial British East African Company (IBEAC), used force to get Mwanga to sign a treaty of protection. The British government used violence and deportations to suppress the struggle for independence. Obote manouvered and manipulated the system to shift power from the kingdoms and districts to the central government. Amin lived by the rule 'kill before you get killed'. And now Museveni, with his National Resistance Movement (NRM) machine, uses economics to disenfranchise entire tribes, lies, and has institutionalized tribalism and corruption to stay afloat.

                The book questions the validity of the 1967 and 1995 constitutions. The introduction of the 1967 constitution was underhanded, but it was ratified by a duly elected multi-party legislative assembly. The NRM which parented the 1995 constitution has a legitimacy problem. It was ushered into power by Rwandese refugees, and once in power, installed Resistance Committees (RCs) for the sole purpose of aiding the NRM to manipulate elections. For this reason, the ligitimacy of the constituency assembly elections is questionable.

                This book exposes the root of the political disaffection in Buganda and the turmoil in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Specifically, it examines the issues concerning the Buganda Agreement of 1900, and the 1962 constitution. It is the author's belief that the solution to the political problems of the country lie in revisiting the 1962 constitution and amending it to the satisfaction of all kingdoms, districts and territories. There is a lack of political maturity at the central government level to allow fair distribution of the national cake equitably to all parts of the country, and only federal jurisdiction can address this. Like an active volcano, the frustration resulting from the lack of a political process that allows peaceful change of government is building up pressure to a point where tragic mass violence is likely to occur. The tremors of Uganda's political volcano are about to turn into a massive eruption.

                The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                • A life changing, life enhancing read
                The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                David Suzuki , and Amanda McConnell
                Manufacturer: Greystone Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                EcologyEcology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                Similar Items:
                1. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
                2. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
                3. Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature
                4. Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet
                5. Tree: A Life Story Tree: A Life Story

                ASIN: 1550549634

                Book Description

                The economy and global competitiveness are the bottom line for society and governments, or so says conventional wisdom. But what are the real needs that must be satisfied to live rich, fulfilling lives? This is the question David Suzuki explores in this wide-ranging study. Suzuki begins by presenting the concept of people as creatures of the Earth who depend on its gifts of air, water, soil, and sun energy. He shows how people are genetically programmed for the company of other species, and suffer enormously when we fail to live in harmony with them. And he analyzes those deep spiritual needs, rooted in nature, that are also a crucial component of a loving world. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others who have put their beliefs into action, The Sacred Balance is a powerful, passionate book with concrete suggestions for creating an ecologically sustainable, satisfying, and fair future by rediscovering and addressing humanity’s basic needs.

                Customer Reviews:

                5 out of 5 stars A life changing, life enhancing read.......2006-06-12

                The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place In Nature by David Suzuki offers a conceptual understanding of the human condition and an ecologically sustainable, satisfying and honorable way of life in the world enveloping us all in this day and age. Providing readers with a complete grasp of nature and its most fulfilling values, The Sacred Balance intuitively presents a new direction with which one might rightfully prosper in balance with nature and one's surroundings. As a unique and concise interpretive understanding of nature and each individual's placement amidst an ever-growing and progressing nature, The Sacred Balance is very strongly recommended as a life changing, life enhancing read.
                The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                • an eye-opener
                • Excellent, enlightening and a "should read"
                • for a sacred balance...
                • Seamless, just like its subject
                • Sane Science
                The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                David Suzuki , and Amanda McConnell
                Manufacturer: Mountaineers Books
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                EcologyEcology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                GeneralGeneral | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                Similar Items:
                1. Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature Wisdom of the Elders: Sacred Native Stories of Nature
                2. Tree: A Life Story Tree: A Life Story
                3. The David Suzuki Reader: A Lifetime of Ideas from a Leading Activist and Thinker The David Suzuki Reader: A Lifetime of Ideas from a Leading Activist and Thinker
                4. Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet Good News for a Change: How Everyday People are Helping the Planet
                5. The Sacred Balance: A Visual Celebration of Our Place in Nature The Sacred Balance: A Visual Celebration of Our Place in Nature

                ASIN: 0898868971

                Book Description

                "Consume and compete!" The message of the economic treadmill is loud and constant. But in this seminal work, David Suzuki argues that the real bottom line, and society's challenge today, is not debts and deficits, but the need to live full and meaningful lives without destroying the Earth's biosphere, which supports all life.

                Suzuki explores the physical, social, and spiritual needs that form the basis of any society that aspires to a sustainable future and a high quality life for its citizens.

                Those fundamental requirements are rooted in the Earth and its life support systems. They are worthy of reverence and respect; they are sacred.

                Customer Reviews:

                5 out of 5 stars an eye-opener.......2005-04-26

                It is hard to say whether all Suzuki's facts are absolutely valid or not, especially when his discussion turns to what the Earth's true carrying capacity for humans is - but that is slightly beside the point here. The most important part of environmentalism is to wake people up and make them realize the effects that their everyday actions have on the world around them. Suzuki does this by explaining 1) how everything in this world is connected, 2) pollution of one area will invariably affect another area, and 3) we really do not understand all the elements needed for the proper functioning of the environment. This should make any person reflect on their own actions. The world's environmental problems (which in turn are deeply connected to human problems) will not be solved by governments' imposing regulations and all this Kyoto b.s. (not that Kyoto is bad... it's just a very small step and it is disgusting to see that both USA and Canada are stalling), change will only come when each individual makes sure their OWN actions do not make the situation worse. Buy organic when you can afford it, reduce or cut out meat entirely from your diet (I think 80% of farmland is used to keep livestock alive), buy local products, recycle, compost, reduce energy consumption. This isn't hippy crap - hippies never had that much self-restraint - this is about being a responsible person so that your grandchildren will be able to go outside and play without gas masks. Suzuki's book was what opened my eyes when I was 17... and it should do the same for most reasonable people.

                5 out of 5 stars Excellent, enlightening and a "should read".......2005-03-25

                This is an excellent and enlightening work about the general state of the planet, humanity as a species, where we belong on the planet and what it means to us in terms of sustaining us as a species for the long run. Well-written and divided into chapters which could be summarized as humanity, air, earth, water, fire, community, love, spirituality and balance, this book paints an accurate state of the world picture with facts as well as metaphors. It always presents its concern about the greater picture without losing sight of the details. A great balance of general science and spirituality, with just enough facts and personal stories of many to make the points convincing, this book also is threaded with impacting and eye-opening quotes and poetry from a variety of sources and people. A superb book, overall, from someone who has seen a lot of what he wrote about. This book should be on the curriculum for senior year high school so that the future generations can get a good grasp of the world as they become contributing adults in that world which they will own and determine, more impacting than ever, for future generations. No matter how much or how little they will get from it, every bit helps at a time when that is truer than ever in the past from every one of us living today. Don't get me wrong, though, it's not the book that's profound. It's what you do with what you learn from it which will be.

                3 out of 5 stars for a sacred balance..........2004-12-14

                While Mr Suzuki is an interesting educator, and hopefully a concerned citizen, I do question some of his facts. If everyone here wants a true sacred balance, read from both sides of the fence...pickup eco-imperialism by paul driessen, and the skeptical enironmentalist by bjorn lomberg. I'm not saying to take their stuff as gospel, but at least read them.They are eye openers... and both are extremely referenced and researched.One of them is endorsed by the the actual founder of Greenpeace, and the other is written by a former greenpeace member.

                5 out of 5 stars Seamless, just like its subject.......2004-10-02

                John Muir wrote something like "if you try to isolate one thing in nature, you find that it's connected to everything else." (Sorry for the paraphrase, but I can't find the original quotation.) Suzuki's book puts us back in the natural scheme of things (where we belong) and finds the inevitable threads to physical health, mental health, spiritual wellbeing, and, by inference, a public policy agenda. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

                5 out of 5 stars Sane Science.......2004-10-01

                Humanity is creating problems of a size and magnitude unprecedented in Earth history. We are razing the forests, causing mass extinctions, and have befouled earth, sky and water with with deadly toxins. While clinging to faith in science and progress, deserts quietly creep in on our venerated civilization. Within the human economy (community sounds too hospitable) as well, we see signs of collapse: some "800 million people go to bed hungry every night; and in wealthy industrialized nations, chronic unemployment, violence, social alienation, drug abuse, crime, unhappiness and the disparity between rich and poor appear to be rising. The sense that something is wrong is pervasive... People seem to feel helpless and pessimistic about the future." All of this, it must be added, in an era that many historians and pundits tout for "unprecedented scientific and technological progress." Suzuki believes that, although abundant with information and technique, we lack a working worldview and have utterly disconnected ourselves from the living planet. "What we need," he says, "is a new kind of science that approaches the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities." What we need is a new story, sense of place, deep connection and meaning - and that's exactly what this book provides. Suzuki's life-affirming narrative explains who we are, where we came from, and our proper place is in this complex, interdependent world. A beautiful blend of ancient wisdom and modern scientific thought, The Sacred Balance provides nothing less than the complete picture.

                A MUST READ

                j.w.k.
                Sacred Balance : Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Sacred Balance : Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                  David; McConnell, Amanda Suzuki
                  Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin Pty., Limited
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: 1864484144
                  The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature
                    David Suzuki , Amanda McConnell , and Adrienne Mason
                    Manufacturer: Greystone Books
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    Similar Items:
                    1. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

                    ASIN: 1553651669

                    Book Description

                    In this extensively revised and enlarged edition of his best-selling book, David Suzuki reflects on the increasingly radical changes in nature and science — from global warming to the science behind mother/baby interactions — and examines what they mean for humankind’s place in the world. The book begins by presenting the concept of people as creatures of the Earth who depend on its gifts of air, water, soil, and sun energy. The author explains how people are genetically programmed to crave the company of other species, and how people suffer enormously when they fail to live in harmony with them. Suzuki analyzes those deep spiritual needs, rooted in nature, that are a crucial component of a loving world. Drawing on his own experiences and those of others who have put their beliefs into action, The Sacred Balance is a powerful, passionate book with concrete suggestions for creating an ecologically sustainable, satisfying, and fair future by rediscovering and addressing humanity’s basic needs.

                    Books:

                    1. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert
                    2. The Tyranny of Tolerance: A Sitting Judge Breaks the Code of Silence to Expose the Liberal Judicial Assault
                    3. The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World
                    4. The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
                    5. Understanding Street Gangs
                    6. Understanding the Constitution
                    7. United Nations: The First Fifty Years
                    8. Utopia (Penguin Classics)
                    9. Victory on the Potomac: The Goldwater-Nichols Act Unifies the Pentagon (Texas a & M University Military History Series)
                    10. Walden and Civil Disobedience (150th Anniversary) (Signet Classics)

                    Books Index

                    Books Home

                    Recommended Books

                    1. Doing Business Internationally, Second Edition: The Guide To Cross-Cultural Success
                    2. The Gardener's Year
                    3. Los Albores de la Economia Americana
                    4. Seed Development, Dormancy, and Germination
                    5. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
                    6. Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog
                    7. The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World
                    8. The Lord of the Rings 2005 Calendar
                    9. Ready Notes for Use With Intermediate Accounting
                    10. Flashman and the Mountain of Light