In light of ongoing massive protests in Sudan, their lack of coverage in mainstream media outlets, and the dire need to contextualize these protest within Sudan's own particular political and historical contexts (which many non-Sudanese and non-African people seem to lack knowledge of), we're calling for a #BecauseWeveRead 'Emergency Read' for the month of January to help us better understand what is happening in Sudan right now, and how we can support as needed.
The first book of its kind to approach contemporary popular protests across Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, and other African nations within a broader pan-African perspective, Africa Uprisings provides much-needed insight into the broader historical, political, social, economic, and post-colonial contexts motivating and inspiring these revolts across Africa. This imperative read is based on extensive interviews with activists, artists, community organizers, unemployed, trade union members, and others and delivers comprehensive analysis to explore the questions: "What is driving this new wave of protest?" and "Is it the key to substantive political change?"
* BWR note: for the sake of this Emergency Read (and with only one month to read this book), we recommend starting with Chapters 1 ("Protests and Possibilities"), 4 ("The Third Wave of African Protests") and 8 ("We are Fed Up! Sudan's Unfinished Uprisings") and reading the rest of the book as your capacity allows.
Nisrin Elamin (she/her/hers) is a Sudanese writer, activist and PhD candidate in Anthropology, based in the New York City area. She has over 15 years of experience working with community-based organizations as an educator, organizer and advocate. Most recently, she served as a Director of the Sadie Nash Leadership Project’s summer leadership and social justice program for young women and non-binary folks at City College. She also works part-time with the group African Communities Together, which organizes around immigrant, civil and workers’ rights in New York and in Washington DC. Her dissertation looks at the ways Saudi and Emirati ‘land grabs’ are reconfiguring social relations between landholding and landless communities in central Sudan. In preparation for her dissertation, Nisrin spent a year living in rural parts of the Gezira in central Sudan, working closely with agricultural workers, community organizers and Sufi religious leaders to examine the different political strategies and forms of resistance people are using to contest and negotiate state-driven land dispossession. She had to interrupt her dissertation research in January of 2017 and was one of the first people to be detained under the Trump administration’s Muslim ban, but has recently been able to return to Sudan to complete her research.
EMERGENCY READ ON SUDAN:
AFRICA UPRISINGS
BOOK
+ Africa Uprisings: Popular Protest and Political Change (2015), Adam Branch and Zachariah Mampilly - PDF here for Chapters 1, 4, and 8. Also available for purchase via Zed Books
* BWR note: for the sake of this Emergency Read (and with only one month to read this book), we recommend starting with Chapters 1 ("Protests and Possibilities"), 4 ("The Third Wave of African Protests") and 8 ("We are Fed Up! Sudan's Unfinished Uprisings") and reading the rest of the book as your capacity allows.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
+ #SudanSyllabus, curated by Razan Idris, a brilliant 38-page syllabus filled with links, articles, and other resources for a holistic understanding of Sudan: everything from creative art history to religion to race & slavery to gender and family life!
+ "Recent protests in Sudan are much more than bread riots", essay in The Washington Post co-written by the author of Africa Uprisings (Zachariah Mampilly) and our discussant (Nisrin Elamin)
+ Civil Uprisings in Modern Sudan: The 'Khartoum Springs' of 1964 and 1985 (2016) book, W. J. Berridge
+ "Alien Suite" (poetry/video), the gorgeous poetry of Safia Elhillo (her full book of poetry is called The January Children, and available here)
+ "AfriqUPrising! Protest movements in Africa", (video) panel conversation, 2017
+ "Zachariah Mampilly on Africa Uprising: Popular Protest and Political Change", (video) lecture by author, 2015
+ A list (with links & newspaper sources!) of major popular protests across Africa, 2005-2014
+ Interview with author Zachariah Mampilly, (podcast) New Books Network
+ "30 Sudanese Women You Should Know", list on Teakisi
+ Twitter & Instagram accounts of Sara E, and Twitter accounts @BSonBlast, @YousraElbagir, and @ikushkush
+ Instagram account @Sudan
+ "Young People Lead the Resistance in Sudan", essay on Africa is a Country (Nov. 2018)
+ "The Darfur War: Masculinity and the Construction of a Sudanese National Identity" chapter by Karin Willemse in the book Darfur and the crisis of governance in Sudan
+ AlSudaniya Mentoring, a female-led mentoring program based in Sudan
+ Sudd Institute, an independent research and public po licy organization based in South Sudan
+ "Revolution of the Hungry" Reddit thread updated regularly with photos and reports!
+ Radio Dabanga
+ Sudan Tribune
+ "Womens Rights and the Women's Movement in Sudan" (essay), Samina Al-Nagar
+ "Beyond the pan-Africanist agenda: Sudanese women’s movement, achievements and challenges" (essay), Amira Osman
+ "John Garang: And the Vision of New Sudan" (book), Roba Gibia & ed, Jennifer South
+ "Identity, Citizenship, and Violence in Two Sudans: Reimagining a Common Future" (book), Amir Idris
+ "Sudan: Race, Religion, and Violence (Short Histories)" (book), Jok Madut Jok
+ Twitter, @BecauseWeveRead
+ Subscribe to our email updates!
(Use the hashtag #BecauseWeveRead and tag us to join the conversation on social media!)
+ "Recent protests in Sudan are much more than bread riots", essay in The Washington Post co-written by the author of Africa Uprisings (Zachariah Mampilly) and our discussant (Nisrin Elamin)
+ Civil Uprisings in Modern Sudan: The 'Khartoum Springs' of 1964 and 1985 (2016) book, W. J. Berridge
+ "Alien Suite" (poetry/video), the gorgeous poetry of Safia Elhillo (her full book of poetry is called The January Children, and available here)
+ "AfriqUPrising! Protest movements in Africa", (video) panel conversation, 2017
+ "Zachariah Mampilly on Africa Uprising: Popular Protest and Political Change", (video) lecture by author, 2015
+ A list (with links & newspaper sources!) of major popular protests across Africa, 2005-2014
+ Interview with author Zachariah Mampilly, (podcast) New Books Network
+ "30 Sudanese Women You Should Know", list on Teakisi
+ Twitter & Instagram accounts of Sara E, and Twitter accounts @BSonBlast, @YousraElbagir, and @ikushkush
+ Instagram account @Sudan
+ "Young People Lead the Resistance in Sudan", essay on Africa is a Country (Nov. 2018)
+ "The Darfur War: Masculinity and the Construction of a Sudanese National Identity" chapter by Karin Willemse in the book Darfur and the crisis of governance in Sudan
+ AlSudaniya Mentoring, a female-led mentoring program based in Sudan
+ Sudd Institute, an independent research and public po licy organization based in South Sudan
+ "Revolution of the Hungry" Reddit thread updated regularly with photos and reports!
+ Radio Dabanga
+ Sudan Tribune
+ "Womens Rights and the Women's Movement in Sudan" (essay), Samina Al-Nagar
+ "Beyond the pan-Africanist agenda: Sudanese women’s movement, achievements and challenges" (essay), Amira Osman
+ "John Garang: And the Vision of New Sudan" (book), Roba Gibia & ed, Jennifer South
+ "Identity, Citizenship, and Violence in Two Sudans: Reimagining a Common Future" (book), Amir Idris
+ "Sudan: Race, Religion, and Violence (Short Histories)" (book), Jok Madut Jok
SOCIAL MEDIA
+ Instagram, @BecauseWeveRead+ Twitter, @BecauseWeveRead
+ Subscribe to our email updates!
(Use the hashtag #BecauseWeveRead and tag us to join the conversation on social media!)
DISCUSSION GROUPS
Because Emergency Reads are immediate responses to current affairs, most discussion group hosts may not be able to host a specific in-person discussion group for this topic in addition to the monthly discussion they are already hosting for the original book of the month (Our November/December unit is on Policing, Prisons, and Abolition). Instead, please join us on Youtube live for our global discussion with everyone.
YOUTUBE LIVE DISCUSSION
Don't worry about finishing the book in time for the discussion -- just read as much as you can and you're welcome to learn and discuss with us!
DATE: Saturday, January 19th, 2019
TIME: 10:00 AM CST
PLATFORM: Youtube Live (linked here, and embedded below)
TIME: 10:00 AM CST
PLATFORM: Youtube Live (linked here, and embedded below)
DISCUSSANT: Nisrin Elamin
Happy reading, and looking forward to discussing with you soon! Be sure to tag us & hashtag #BecauseWeveRead to join the club & conversation!
Want to sponsor/support this project and help get more books into more hands of communities in-need internationally? Donate to us via venmo (@hoda-katebi) or paypal-- be sure to write #BecauseWeveRead in the memo so we can be sure to allocate your donation toward this project accordingly!
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