Continent of Mothers, Continent of Hope: Understanding and Promoting Development in Africa Today

Front Cover
Zed Books, 2003 M06 14 - 260 pages
Cutting through the Western media's stereotype picture of Africa as a continent wracked only by civil conflict and AIDS, Torild Skard has written an engrossing introduction to a continent in change. Based on her extensive travels through the region, Skard combines eyewitness accounts, lively description and deeply informed insight to portray the human reality of Africa today. With honesty, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment especially to women, she frankly describes the social, health, and other problems experienced by its people, but also the sources of hope for the future represented by courageous individuals, community-level projects, and programs being implemented in the region.

From inside the book

Contents

Bereavement What Do We Mean by Bereavement?
1
The Merciless
16
Stopping the Ravages of
30
Chasing Childhood Killer
41
Towards the Goal
52
Breaking Centuries
65
Experiments
77
Ruthless Exploitation of the Weakest
94
Progress with Simple Means
103
Hard Work with a Meagre Outcome
139
Western Models and African Realities
153
Modernization with
168
Undervalued Traditional Culture
183
Mixture of Traditional
199
Is a Renaissance Possible?
215
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2003)

Torild Skard is a well-known public figure who has built a significant reputation as a writer, researcher and politician in her own country, Norway, as well as internationally.

Bibliographic information