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By Daniel Sauvé

I first met Francis Bok in New York seven years ago. He was soft-spoken and chose his words carefully as he recounted the ten years he lived as a slave in Sudan. At that time he had been in the US for four years and was still working on his English. Originally resettled in Fargo, North Dakota, Bok moved to Ames, Iowa before being invited to work with  the American Anti-Slavery Group in Boston. Bok began speaking for AASG and in 2003 published his autobiography Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America. He had come to New York as part of a book tour.

Flash forward to March 2010 and Francis Bok is standing in front of a bright yellow wall lined with bookshelves at West Side Books in Denver. He is speaking of slavery not as a historical fact, but he speaks as a living reminder that slavery is ongoing. In fact, Bok says, more people are in slavery now than ever crossed the Atlantic during the slave trade.

This Francis Bok seems quite different than the one I met in New York. He seems more confident and at ease, no longer unsure of his words. But he is still thoughtful and gracious. When asked to comment on U.S. foreign policy he simply says, “All I can say is the U.S. has been good to me.” However, he is not so kind to the Government of Sudan and President Al Bashir. He was hopeful the upcoming elections would see a change in regime, but that was before key opposition parties dropped out of the race. Regardless, Bok is determined to bring awareness to the issue of slavery, in his homeland Sudan, and around the world.

Bok’s visit to Denver was sponsored by the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, an organization whose mission is to raise awareness of genocides past and present and take action to stop genocides present and future. The book singing at West Side Books was hosted and moderated by Pastor Heidi McGinness, Director of Outreach for Christian Solidarity International-USA.

Pastor Heidi McGinness introduces Francis Bok, author of Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America

Al Lackner of the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action speaks about current affairs in Sudan. http://www.ccgaa.org/

Francis Bok fields questions about Sudanese politics ahead of Sudan's upcoming elections.

Pastor Heidi McGinness and Francis Bok with West Side Books owner Lois Harvey

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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o book reading in Ft. Collins, CO from MetroAfrican on Vimeo.

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In the past 10 years the concerts by the CU West African Highlife Ensemble (CUWAHE) have featured renowned guest artists along with highly energetic, tightly knit tradition, neo-traditional, and pop music from Africa. Unlike all other presentations of African music and culture, CUWAHE has audiences dancing in the aisles to the sounds of contemporary Afropop and highlights the aspects of traditional African music that still can be found in the highly energetic sounds of traditional drumming and dance. CUWAHE is the only ensemble in the US to perform contemporary African pop music.

There is no better way for CUWAHE to commemorate this magnificent milestone than by combining traditional with contemporary in one concert bringing African music, new and old, to audiences of all ages and walks of life.

The ensemble is made up of students (music and non-music alike) from the University of Colorado and tickets are on sale now.

For further information please contact:
Laima Gaigalas
CU Presents Marketing Manager
Laima.gaigalas@colorado.edu
(303) 492-4247

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When the time came to get his picture taken Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o did not say “cheese”. He said “githeri” – the name of a popular Kenyan dish. The renowned author takes every opportunity to slip into Kiswahili and Kikuyu languages switching from English to either with ease.

Wa Thiong’o was in Fort Collins this week to help kick start the Uhuru Film Festival, a festival dedicated to screening African films. On Thursday wa Thiong’o discussed his novel Wizard of the Crow with a crowd that had gathered at Readers Cove book store. The novel was first written in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's native Kikuyu and then translated to English and other languages.

It is important to wa Thiong’o that his writing carry the wisdom of his Kikuyu people. “Languages carry our treasures” wa Thiong’o said. Even after translation to English, Wizard of the Crow maintains some of the Kikuyu approach to phrasing and imagery, which does not happen when a book is written first in English.

After reading several passages from Wizard of the Crow Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o answered questions from the audience and signed copies of his novel.

On Friday night wa Thiong’o attended a screening of Who’s Afraid of Ngugi, a documentary film that follows Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o as he and his political activist wife Njeri journey back to Kenya after years of exile. As they are welcomed home by joyous and hopeful crowds, they also must cope with those who still find their revolutionary words and deeds threatening. Wa Thiong’o was not involved in the production of the film, but was on hand to answer questions about the context of the events depicted.

The Uhuru Film Festival continues tonight with three films from East Africa. Ugandan films A Meal to Forget and Battle of the Souls play at 3pm and 5pm, while All Girls Together from Kenya winds up the festival at 7:30. Visit uhurufilms.org for more details on these and all previous films from the 2010 Uhuru Film Festival.

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Boulder, Colo. December 14, 2009 — Educate!, a Colorado and Uganda-based organization that empowers youth across Uganda to transform their communities by addressing poverty, disease, and ignorance, is throwing an event to raise money for students in Uganda: Educate!’s Annual Ball – For the Future of Uganda with special musical guest FACE on Saturday February 6, at Rembrandt Yard Art Gallery & Event Center, 1301 Spruce Street, in Boulder from 5:30-11 p.m. The Ball will include hundreds of Colorado supporters, dancing, live music, a silent auction, raffle and refreshments.

“We’re thrilled to hold an event that gathers our community together and at the same time helps our students in Uganda to transform their communities,” Says Eric Glustrom, Co-founder/Executive Director of Educate!. “Our hope for the event is to connect our supporters here to the Educate! students in Uganda and raise funds to empower our students to solve the critical challenges facing their communities.”

Boulder native, Glustrom, founded Educate! in 2002 at age 17 after a visit to Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Impressed by the potential and drive of the African youth to solve the numerous challenges facing their community from poverty, to malaria and corruption, Glustrom started Educate! to equip the next generation of leaders in Uganda.

415 (830 in 2010) Educate! students are currently enrolled in the Educate! Experience—a two-year curriculum focusing on social change, mentorship, and leadership that equips students with the skills and confidence necessary to transform their communities. Students have started a variety of self-sustaining initiatives and enterprises including a business that turns waste paper into bulletin boards, a jewelry business that provides employment to women in their community, and a tree nursery enterprise that helps the environment.

Tickets are $50 per person, $40 for students and $90 per couple. Each ticket sponsors a student through two months of the Educate! Experience and all proceeds go directly to Educate! to empower students in Uganda through an innovative social change curriculum. For more information about Educate!’s Annual Ball visit: www.experienceeducate.org/Annual-Ball

About Educate!

Educate!, founded in 2002, empowers students across Uganda to drive the social, political and economic development of their communities. We teach a two-year curriculum on how to lead social change, provide long term mentoring, and create a life-long, national network that equips students with the skills and confidence necessary to transform their communities. Educate! students create locally-grown, market based initiatives that solve the challenges of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation.

Today, Educate! is empowering 415 (830 in 2010) young leaders at 24 high schools across Uganda and has impacted over 10,000 people. A recent winner of the Champions of Quality Education in Africa competition, a collaboration between Ashoka’s Changemakers and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Educate! was also recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as one of 100 Brilliant Companies in 2009, by DoSomething as an organization started by one of America’s top five change-makers under 25 and by the Echoing Green fellowship, recognizing the highest potential startup social change ventures worldwide.

Educate! Mission: To educate and empower the next generation of socially responsible leaders in Africa. For more information on Educate! visit: www.experienceeducate.org

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Roger Winter: Is a United Sudan Possible? The Comprehensive Peace Agreement Today from MetroAfrican on Vimeo.

The graduation of this inaugural class of the Leadership Institute of New Sudan will take place this Saturday at 5pm at DU’s Newman Center. Visit www.sudanlions.org for more information.

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by Leadership Institute of New Sudan (LIONS)

DENVER, COLORADO – December 8, 2009 – Despite the snowy chilly evening, an audience of 70 individuals, including both Sudanese and American activists, students, professors, media, and interested parties, came to learn about and discuss the future of Sudan with notable guest Roger Winter. The event was a highlight of the Leadership Institute of New Sudan (LIONS) 2009 Leadership Institute being held at the University of Denver.

Winter is currently an advisor to the Government of Southern Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). A well known leader in international aid and refugee affairs, Winter is recognized for his outspoken support for the people of Southern Sudan, Abyei, Nuba Mountains, and Southern Blue Nile regions. He is a former Representative to Sudan for the U.S. Department of State and was a key negotiator of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005  that ended a civil war that resulted in the deaths of 2.5 million people and the displacement of 4.5 million people.

“We (the Sudanese people) refer to Roger as ‘Uncle Roger.’ Winter is a true friend to the Sudanese people and has done what uncles do by paying this important visit,” LIONS Executive Director Mangar Amerdid said, “I truly appreciate his endorsement of LIONS and his willingness to be part of our Advisory Committee.”

Winter briefly discussed the history of Sudan, the 21-year civil war, and its devastating consequences on the people of Sudan. He explained the CPA that brought the peaceful transition period and its specific provisions including the “holy grail” of the referendum that calls for democratic elections. The elections have been continually pushed back and undermined by the Khartoum government but are currently scheduled for April 2010. Winter, who acknowledged that his views were biased, chastised the Khartoum government and their atrocities toward the Sudanese people. He reiterated that most people in Sudan do not support a united Sudan but instead want separation from the Khartoum government.

“Unity has not been made attractive and with only thirteen months until the referendum, it is too late to make it so,” he stated.

He commented that U.S. foreign policy toward Sudan under the Obama administration has unfortunately become  friendlier toward the Khartoum government and has destabilized the situation for the leadership in southern Sudan. The event concluded with a vibrant question and answer session in which audience members, many of whom were Sudanese refugees, asked Winter specific questions regarding his assessment of prospects for the future of their country.

Sponsored by the LIONS, the event was part of the 2009 Leadership Institute. LIONS was established as a vehicle to develop Sudanese leaders to serve in the transition to full democracy in Sudan. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado with an office opening in Juba, Sudan, its core mission is to identify, develop, and train leaders to prepare and assist those who wish to participate in a dedicated role in communities throughout Sudan. In doing so, LIONS’ goal is that the people of New Sudan will experience the virtues of prosperity, civil rights, and social equality.

Co-sponsors of the event included Humanity United and the University of Denver and was made possible in collaboration with Project Education Sudan, the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness, and Africa Today Associates.

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An audience sensation at film festivals worldwide, I Bring What I Love takes you behind the scenes and into the world of Africa’s most famous musician: Youssou N’Dour. This never-before-told story follows N’Dour at a turning point in his life and career, as he releases his most personal and controversial album Egypt. But the singer’s hope for promoting a more tolerant face of Islam erupts in scandal and outrage in his native country that rejects the album and denounce it as blasphemous. Part explosive documentary, part stirring drama, I Bring What I Love is an unforgettable musical journey with an artist whose courage and conviction shook the music industry and ultimately awakened the world.

You don’t want to miss this exclusive one week engagement at the Starz FilmCenter in Denver. Screenings are daily at 5 and 7:30pm from November 6 to 12, with weekend matinees at 2:30. A third screening has been added for tonight at 9:30. Check showtimes and buy tickets at Starz FilmCenter.

Starz FilmCenter
November 6-12
Daily: 5, 7:30
Sat & Sun matinee: 2:30

Official Film Website

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