The
Scramble for Africa analyzes the current humanitarian
crisis in Darfur and the activist movements
surrounding it, thereby taking on both the U.S.
Government and the Save Darfur coalition alike. The
authors present the basic information on the
political and military aspects of the conflict,
examine the options, and suggest ways forward, always
with a concern for the broader international
implications and for the hundreds of thousands of
victims.
This
meticulously-researched work gives the history of
Sudan, and especially the Darfur region, in relation
to U.S. and Western objectives, discussing, at
length, the immensely harmful role the U.S. played in
Sudan in the 70s and 80s through Washington's support
of repressive regimes in Khartoum.
Alongside
this, some of the more dubious aspects of the Save
Darfur Movement in the U.S. is examined, such as the
sidelining of Muslim and Sudanese voices, the
lobbying for questionable goals, and the perceived
support of the Bush administration's policy
objectives. Considering, in the end, how activists
concerned with playing a positive role might engage
the movement.
Finally,
the authors also assess the analysis presented of the
Darfur conflict by those on the radical left and
evaluate the merits of their opposition to the use of
UN peacekeepers on anti-imperial grounds.
This
excellent book is exactly what is needed and I
hope it is very widely read. I will recommend it
to everyone. --Justin Podur, writer and activist
The
Scramble for Africa, clearly written, and
scholarly without losing its skeptical
edge…offers a fresh analysis of Darfur in
its larger geopolitical context. It belongs on
every Darfur activist's bookshelf. --David Morse,
activist and journalist
See more
testimonials ...
Table of Contents
KEVIN
FUNK earned degrees in Journalism, Political Science,
and Latin American Studies from the University of
Pittsburgh. An activist himself, Funk writes
frequently on U.S. foreign policy. STEVEN FAKE is an
activist and political commentator, and is also a
graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and a
member of the Lucy Parson Center.
344
pages, bibliography, index
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-55164-322-9 $19.99
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-55164-323-6 $39.99
Politics
October
2008
