East & Central Africa in the Post-Colonial Era

Where you see *** it indicates materials *not required* thought recommended if you have the time and inclination.

The Global Refugee Crisis, Region By Region — New York Times, 8/26/15
“A look at hot spots in what the United Nations says has become the worst migration crisis since World War II.”

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A Brief History of European Colonization in Africa–The material covered in this brief video is essential for understanding the situation in Uganda and the past half-century of violent conflict across the continent (4 min.):

Decolonization and Nationalism Triumphant — I’ve set this to play only the last few minutes of the video, but rewind it from the beginning if you like…

The author of Beasts of No Nation talks about the legacy of colonialism in Africa:

*** A British newsreel on Ugandan independence in 1962 (6 min.):

*** Idi Amin’s infamously brutal rule from 1971 to 1979 (23 min.):

The Lord’s Resistance Army–“Our Children Are Killing Us.” This short summary of a longer piece published in The New Yorker (1998) is a historically-grounded look at Joseph Kony and the LRA.

*** The infamous Kony 2012 video (30 min.):

*** “The Problem with Invisible Children’s Kony 2012″: A balanced critique of the video.

*** “Who the Hell is Joseph Kony?”: A defense of the video and subsequent viral campaign.

Congo and Africa’s World War (13 min.):

Conflict Minerals, Rebels, and Child Soldiers in Congo–Only the first 6 minutes is required viewing, but you may find it hard to stop watching. This video shows how 21st-century electronic gadgetry–mobile phones, laptops, tablets, etc.–set off the latest scramble for resource extraction in the region. Everything old is new again. (38 min.):

A brief history of the conflict in South Sudan

***Kenya: An African Success Story?

*** We may watch some clips from War/Dance in class, but if you want to see it in its entirety here it is. The resolution isn’t great but at least it’s free.

*** An interview with the filmmakers

*** Watch “War Dance Returns” on Vimeo–a follow-up to War/Dance (15 min). The filmmakers return to the Patongo refugee camp to screen the film there for the first time.