Africa and Academia

Have just finished a book by Dalene Matthee - about the forest in South Africa - where the main character is Big Foot. The book, Circles in a Forest, takes place in Knysna in the late 1880s. It was written in the middle 80s. While many of the themes relate to predjudice and making choices, a major point is the idea of conservation and the destruction of man, when he does not take care of his natural resources. Although the book is 30 years old the themes and characters are relevant today. Matthee died about a year ago. Another book I've read and enjoyed was Fiela's Child. A story about a white child adopted by a black family, also set in South Africa.
Some more on the theme of Africa - In DN today reports about a new hunger catastrophe. Not surprisingly the reports come from East Africa, the new slant is that this time northern Kenya is involved and the newspapers in Kenya are openly critical of the government's policies. This will probably go on and on. I have been in Africa and believe that it is possible to avoid these events, but when will a rational political solution be worked out? Today in UNT a book by Caroline Elkins (Britain's Gulag) is the subject of an essay. She brings to light the massive campaign against members of the Mau-Mau movement in the 50s. It remains to be seen whether or not anything will be done about the new information (other than to debate the truth of the reports).
Finally - Academia. Från Ronny Amjörnsson - ". . . inledde sina forskarstudier vid denna tid, karriärister som vi alla var, med blicken riktad mot högskolans snabbt växande arbetsmarknand . . ." - "I Umeå steg jag, inte minst genom bristen på jämnårig konkurrens, snabbt i graderna . . " Det var 70-talet men kanske även 80-talet på SLU? ". . tolv år som professor skrev jag min avskedsansökan . . . Vad jag vunnit är att jag slipper uppträda." Det känns verkligen sant.