End of the semester...

Well, I am officially at the end of the semester. I just took my East African Politics final yesterday, which consisted of four different essays: Political integration in East Africa, political coups in African governments, power-sharing deals (like the current government in Kenya), and the effectiveness of government intervention in the economy as a way to stimulate growth. This morning I have a final for Democracy and Human Rights, and I have a couple papers due between now and next Wednesday for Faith and Action and Ugandan Politics. Next week we are having elective workshops with some of the USP staff, and I am taking one on Christian Callings with Mark, and one on Peace and Politics with Brooke. I’m actually looking forward to my paper for Ugandan politics, which we have to write on a human rights issue of our choice that is a problem in Uganda. I have decided to write on freedom of the press as a vital human rights, which has really been neglected in Uganda. I’m actually reading a really interesting book right now that I got out of the USP library, called Media and the Rwandan Genocide, which is a collection of articles analyzing the role of journalists and media outlets in the time surrounding the events of the genocide. One article in the book contains a chart which shows that the O.J. Simpson trials got over double the coverage on mainstream news stations than anything to do with Rwanda! 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda, and the news talked more about a celebrity murder case! Another interesting point made was that Bosnia, a similar atrocity, got far more extensive coverage at the same time, because it took place so close to many major news hubs in Europe, and therefore coverage was way easier for journalists. Most foreign reporters in Africa are based out of Nairobi, which is pretty far from action in Rwanda, and there are substantially less present than in a European country. One BBC reporter, Mark Doyle, recounted his time in Rwanda (he was often the only western journalist in the capital city of Kigali during the genocide) and said his editors back in London often tried to dismiss massacres as indiscriminate tribal killings in a chaotic African country. He had to fight to get the right wording put out, that the genocide was a well-organized, systematic method of eliminating political opponents. Anyway, I don’t know if I can get the book in America, since its published in Uganda, but I’m hoping to get it at some point.

If anybody’s interested, here are some articles I’m using for my paper on freedom of the press in Uganda:

http://www.cpj.org/africa/uganda/

Well, tonight at 5:30 we have orientation for our trip to Rwanda because we are leaving next Wednesday! We will be there until May 4 (I think), studying the genocide and visiting memorials, etc. It is actually the 15th anniversary of the genocide this month. We will all need your prayers though, as I’m sure learning about the things that went on, in a country very similar to Uganda not so long ago, will be pretty hard.


I hope everyone had a wonderful easter! Mine was somewhat uneventful, but improved when I got to watch videos my mom sent me of everyone from home saying hi! I also got to talk on the phone with my family (although I didn’t get to talk to my little brother, who I assume was at work). Well, I’m signing off probably until after Rwanda, so have a good two weeks!

Safari!

I just got back yesterday from a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is on the western border of Uganda. In fact, we could see the mountains of the Congo across Lake Edward from where we were staying! It was wonderful, being able to see all these amazing animals in their natural habitats. Over the weekend I saw herds of wild elephants, hippos, warthogs, buffalo, some really large species of deer, antelope (or gazelles, I'm not sure), and mongooses (mongeese?). Oh, and we saw one lion. Just one. At one point, a whole herd of elephants crossed right in front of our van, like 30 feet away!

Besides that, there's not much going on right now. Classes end this week, and finals start soon. I am going to the Ministry of Internal Affairs tomorrow to apply for a special pass to extend my visa for the summer. It is a little strange knowing that all the other USP students are leaving soon, and are preparing for a transition back to America. It is a little hard, because it feels like another four months is a really long time at this point. But, I'm praying a lot and am still confident about the summer. I'm sure by the end it will have seemed like even eight months wasn't enough time in Uganda. I love and miss everyone back home, and don't hesitate to write or email! (Despite the rumors, I do receive letters here lol)

Happy day-after-Palm Sunday!

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."