What I Read Last Week: $30 Aluminum Foil, Blind EOD Swimmer, Powerpoints, Jet Lag, Mother Tongues and Retro Afghanistan

Extreme City The severe inequality of the Angolan oil boom
$30 for a roll of aluminum foil.  A place that makes Nigeria looks like Switzerland.   It's frightening to think how much the myriad global companies dumping in hundreds of millions must be making off this country.  

Powerpoint should banned and this powerpoint explains why
A rehash bash of powerpoints which is always entertaining.  This one is a bit of a deep dive which is refreshing.  I am a big fan of using a powerpoint with no words--only pictures or maps.  RADM Lemmons--a former Director of International Engagement for the Navy used to talk for 45 fascinating minutes off three slides that just had photos and a map on them.  

The Delta.  Navy EOD stud Brad Snyder loses his eyesight to an IED and rediscovers meaning in the swimming pool and a new direction in his life.  

How jet lag hurts diplomats, without them even realizing it
This is probably pretty true.  That's why it's vital that you have sharp people on your country team downrange--as this author aptly points out.  I will say this--don't listen to 'natural health people'--AMBIEN is your friend.  It is vital that you get sleep on that red-eye or on that first night.  

HOW TO WORK A ROOM WHEN YOU’D RATHER WALK OUT OF IT
Focus on the person that you're with.  Ask yourself what connections can I make for other people?!

Leaving The Mother Tongue: Why Languages Are So Hard To Learn And Which Are Easiest
Fascinating read.  "For people like Sagarra who study the way our brains make sense of new languages, the challenge is figuring out when learning actually takes place. When is the brain playing by the new rules? In 2013, Sagarra and her colleague Nick Ellis, of the University of Michigan, foundthrough eye-tracking technology that people’s proficiency level determines where they spend their time concentrating. In that particular study, the investigators focused on adverb-verb congruency (“Yesterday the man eats” versus “Yesterday the man ate”) among English and Romanian learners of Spanish."

Fire on the Mountain
A great retro-read from 2009 on Army COIN work in Afghanistan.  It's illuminating to read in light of where we are today.  

WIRLW Archive:

What I Read Last Week: Pizza in Somalia, Stretching in Your Office, The Trust of the Uniform and Choked Out in Joburg
What I Read Last Week: Trolls, Pirates, Wine Wars, $100 a Paris, Kidnapping and Arab Baptist
What I Read this Week: Thanks for the service, Introvert survival guide and Pivoting a L'Afrique
What I Read Last Week: Leaving the Navy,

Reports on Angola, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan and Kenya

I lifted these links from the excellent blog called Greta's Links.  She harvests foreign policy reports and when able I will repost the ones applicable to Africanists.

Angola’s External Relations in Africa (transcript) 

Chatham House record of proceedings (20 Feb 2012) with Angola Minister Georges Rebelo Chikoti on their foreign policy and standing in Africa.  

Senegal’s Elections—Towards Dictatorship or Consolidating Democracy? 

*Incidentally, if you want to know what it looks like on the ground in Senegal, check out this Olmsted Scholar's excellent blog: Megan's Third Junior Year Abroad.
http://uiscebatha.blogspot.com/

No Place for Children: Child Recruitment, Forced Marriage, and Attacks on Schools in Somalia 

Institute for Security Studies (ISS)

International Law and the Self-Determination of South Sudan 

Kenya and the Pest of Piracy: A Prospective Partner for Peace 

  Somalia: An Opportunity that Should Not Be Missed 

State Dept publishes official history of US in Southern Africa (1969-76)!

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXVIII, Southern Africa

Who even knew the State Department published these types of things--I sure didn't, until today!  I will definitely file this one away to refer to for a paper in the future.  It's 2.4mb and 790 pages (thank God for the "find" function). 

Africa: Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs Release of Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, Volume XXVIII

 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/07/169109.htm

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

July 26, 2011

The Department of State released today Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXVIII, Southern Africa. Additional volumes covering Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa, 1969–1972, are available on the Department of State website. Documentation on U.S. policy towards North Africa, 1973–1976, is scheduled for future publication on the Department of State website.

The volume contains four chapters (entitled Regional Issues, Portuguese Africa, Angola, and Independence Negotiations), each documenting a segment of U.S. policy toward Southern Africa during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. The documentation reveals that both presidents pursued policies designed to maintain stability in the region and to avoid domestic and international criticism of U.S. ties to the white minority regimes in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.

The chapter on Regional Issues covers South Africa, which both administrations viewed as a bulwark against Communist expansion in the region. The documents illustrate the tensions between the Nixon administration and the Congressional Black Caucus and between the administration and the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs in dealing with South Africa’s apartheid regime. They also show a preference by Nixon and Henry Kissinger to avoid direct involvement in the growing unrest.

The chapter on Portuguese Africa reflects the evolution of U.S. involvement in Angola and Mozambique. Anxious to avoid alienating a key NATO partner, the Nixon administration sought to persuade the Portuguese Government to address the grievances of the black nationalist movements, while quietly granting limited assistance to the Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile (GRAE) and National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) leader Holden Roberto. U.S. involvement increased dramatically in January 1975, when Portugal granted independence to its African colonies. Concerns about Soviet expansion and Cuban involvement led the United States to provide covert support to anti-Communist forces in Angola.

The chapter on Angola chronicles the continuation of U.S. support to anti-Communist forces after the Portuguese departed in November 1975. Despite substantial assistance and support from South Africa, Zaire, Zambia, and others, the U.S. was unable to turn the tide in Angola. Congressional passage of the Tunney Amendment in December 1975 cut off aid to Angola and effectively ended U.S. support.

The chapter on independence negotiations chronicles Kissinger’s effort to broker a negotiated settlement to the conflicts in Namibia and Southern Rhodesia.

This volume was compiled and edited by Myra Burton. The volume and this press release are available on the Office of the Historian website at http://www.history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v28

 http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76v28

Copies of the volume will be available for purchase from the U.S. Government Printing Office online at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/

Starvation, Births, Diamonds and How to Pack Like a Spy: FUUO's recommended daily dosage

Starvation, Births, Diamonds and How to Pack Like a Spy: FUUO's recommended daily dosage

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/features/reading-lists  Some of these are a bit old (2009) but there are some more recent ones as well.  Regardless of the date, they are a good jumping off point for a wide range of topics and countries.  Sadly, there is not a specific Africa one.  HOWEVER, I have an extensive one here on this blog:  http://fuuo.blogspot.com/p/foreign-area-officer-fao-book-list.html

How to Travel Safely - Tips from a Former Agent.  This is a great little video that highlighted a couple of things I don't always think about when traveling abroad.  Worth the 5 minutes out of your day.  Also, if you are a member of FAOWeb you can access all of STRATFOR's material for free!

http://www.stratfor.com/content/video-travel-safe?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110714&utm_term=sweekly&utm_content=bluebox&elq=83d7ea8073534425807404526f892de7>

Africa: Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Hearing on Somalia - Assessing the Consequences of the Failed State of Somalia http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/rmks/2011/168614.htm

Sudan Updates: Two New Sudans: A Roadmap Forward http://www.state.gov/s/sudan/rem/2011/168657.htm

Poet of the Week from Zaire (DRC)/Angola: Makuzayi Massaki

Updated 27 November with information from a comment by a family member.

Poet of the Week from Angola (though he was born in DRC): Makuzayi Massaki:

Strangely enough I chose this poet (and poem in particular) as my poet of the week because of a Somali cab driver.  This past Saturday my lovely bride and I grabbed a cab down to Chinatown (big mistake by the way…we managed to snag the most lethargic driver in DC…and one with the worst decision making skills—he took us down 7^th the whole way instead of going down 9^th and cutting over).  However, the lengthy drive did allow us to have a lengthy discussion with our driver about his background. 

He hadn’t been back to Somalia in 18 years.  He moved here from Dallas to work a four-year contract at the Somali Embassy.  When that expired he was able to claim some type of asylum and recently became an American citizen.  That whole process was a little hazy and I thought it best not to ask too many questions.  Plus he was one of the slowest drivers in DC...I think the speed of the cab was inversely proportional to the speed of his mouth.

Anyway, the point of all this is that now that he has his American citizenship he is excited that he can finally return to visit his country.  I personally can’t imagine how hard it would be to not have returned to your country in almost two decades.

Side Note:  We also got into an interesting discussion into the long-suffering native Jewish population that used to exist in Ethiopia as well as a discussion on his Orthodox Christian background…but that’s for another post.

Regressado*, yes, I am by Makuzayi Massaki

Regressado, yes I am

For my gestures reveal my ties

To the land of my memory

Regressado, yes I am

For return has always been the goal

Of my life in exile

Regressado, yes I am

For it was there from whence I return

That I organized the struggle

To liberate this land

Regressado, yes I am

For my name rhymes with Kimpa Vita

Nzinga, Buta, Ekwikwi and Mandume Y

Regressado, yes I am

For only where my ancestor sleeps

Can I build my house

Regressado, yes I am

For have done nothing else but return

To my point of departure.

*Literally, one who returns whence he came, used pejoratively of those returning to Angola after the war of independence.

Makuzayi Massaki was born in Matadi, Congo (formerly Zaire) in 1950 and died in March 2003, a few month after his book "Le Conflit Angolais" was published.   His father was a journalist and founded the early socialist party, the PDA (they thought people should have the right to hold hands wherever they wanted).  While in exile Massaki taught Angolan refugee children in Kinshasa.  He then returned and joined the military wing of the FNLA 1974.  He also wrote a book entitled Le Conflit Angolais (The Angolan Conflict).

FUUO Past Poets of the Week:
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/05/african-poets-of-week-compilation.html

Poet of the Week from Angola: Jofre Rocha

Poet of the Week from Angola: Jofre Rocha 


Jofre Rocha is my poet of the week.  I thought this poem was an appropriate one because the author captures the sentiment of loss, lost opportunity, lost experience perfectly.   As someone who has never been forced to flee my country, I am unable to imagine just how difficult and heart-wrenching this ordeal would be.  However, in reading the lines of Rocha's poem I can start to imagine and relate.  For the millions throughout the middle east and North Africa who have been exiled (or are still exiled) this poem must be an especially poignant one.    And that last quatrain, such power and bubbling anger; Rocha's parting shot: 'a thread of anger snaking from their eyes.'

Poem of Return

When I return from the land of exile and silence
do not bring me flowers.

Bring me rather all the dews,
tears of dawns which witnessed dramas.
Bring me the immense hunger for love
and the plaint of tumid sexes in star-studded night.
Bring me the long night of sleeplessness
with mothers mourning, their arms bereft of sons.

When I return from the land of exile and silence,
no, do not bring me flowers...

Bring me only, just this
the last wish of heroes fallen at day-break
with a wingless stone in hand
and a thread of anger snaking from their eyes.

Some of my favorite poetry books:

Poet of the Week from Angola: Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro

Okay, next week I will  get back into more conventional poetry, but for this week enjoy a very 'socialist' sounding national anthem from Angola.  In case you didn't know, Angola adopted this to celebrate their independence from Portugal in 1975.  It boggles my brain to think about it but yes, there were still colonies in Africa in the 70's...

This anthem was written by Manuel Rui Alves Monteiro who lives today in Angola as a lawyer, professor and writer. 

Angolan National Anthem: Angola Avante!

Forward Angola!

CHORU
O Fatherland, we shall never forget
The heroes of the Fourth of February.
O Fatherland, we salute your sons
Who died for our Independence.
We honor the past and our history
As by our work we build the New Man.
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS
Forward, Angola!
Revolution through the power of the People!
A United Country, Freedom,
One People, one Nation!
(repeat chorus)

Let us raise our liberated voices
To the glory of the peoples of Africa.
We shall march, Angolan fighters,
In solidarity with oppressed peoples.
We shall fight proudly for Peace
Along with the progressive forces of the world.
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS

Ó Pátria, nunca mais esqueceremos
Os heróis do quatro de Fevereiro.
Ó Pátria, nós saudamos os teus filhos
Tombados pela nossa Independência.
Honramos o passado e a nossa História,
Construindo no Trabalho o Homem novo,
(repeat previous two lines)

CHORUS
Angola, avante!
Revolução, pelo Poder Popular!
Pátria Unida, Liberdade,
Um só povo, uma só Nação!
(repeat chorus)

Levantemos nossas vozes libertadas
Para glória dos povos africanos.
Marchemos, combatantes angolanos,
Solidários com os povos oprimidos.
Orgulhosos lutaremos Pela Paz
Com as forças progressistas do mundo.



Past Poems of the Week:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/poem-of-week-moroccan-national-anthem.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/poem-of-week-potw.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/07/potw-black-woman-by-senghor.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-i-sing-of-change-by-niyi-osundare.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-noliwe-by-senghor.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-in-small-hours-by-wole-soyinka.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/06/potw-and-we-shall-be-bathed-my-love-by.html
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/04/lawful-magic-why-i-will-have-poem-of.html

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/angola/index.html

FUUO Past Poets of the Week:

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/05/african-poets-of-week-compilation.html

Some of my favorite poetry books: