Africans' Memories and Contemporary History of Africa

Globalization and Socio-Cultural Processes in Contemporary Africa

“…Traditional culture does not in itself have necessarily negative connotations in Uganda. 19 But many youth expressed deep ambivalence about many of the practices and ideas associated with the traditional realm, particularly as those ideas shaped their interactions with parents and other elders. Traditional extended families presented a paradox for youth who relied on these relationships as means of financial support throughout their school years and afterward, but who also resented the demands and obligations that such relationships imposed.…”

“…Subsequently, he launched a vast conquest against "non-Muslims" from the 1850s to 1860s and conquered three Bambara kingdoms. 18 After El-H à jj Umar Tall was defeated by the French colonial power in 1864, a new phase began with the arrival of a new generation of Sufi Islamic leaders such as Amadu Bamba Mback é and El-H à jj Malick Sy who "reinterpreted Islamic reforms and Sufism for their followers" 19 and advocated for a new form of Jihad, referred to as the "Greater Jihad." 20 According to Brenner, 21 the term "Greater Jihad" came from a hadith of the Prophet Mohammad, often cited by Sufis, in which the Prophet would have remarked, upon return from a battle against his opponents:…”

“…It is important to note that some of the individuals who lure these youth pretend to be online pen pals and then demand nude pictures with promises of financial reward, helping to bring the girls abroad, or finding them partners for marriage. 19 These developments have resulted in a moral panic among the public at large, leading to calls for action by legislators, religious leaders, and various civic groups. 20 One senior Christian cleric intimated that "something grave is going to happen to this country if steps are not taken to fight this abomination [which is] undermining efforts to control the HIV/AIDS scourge."…”

La mémoire au prisme du politique

“…Non seulement les pratiques collectives de transmission et d'invocation du passé seraient menacées par les nouvelles conditions d'existence des Africains dans un continent déstabilisé au plan politique, économique et social, mais l'assertion de politiques mémorielles à visée hégémonique, pilotées par les gouvernements, fragiliseraient les mémoires collectives et les entraîneraient vers l'oubli (ibid). Pourtant, le travail incessant de la mémoire dans le présent des sociétés africaines est incontestable (Chrétien & Triaud 1999 ;Jewsiewicki & Mudimbe 1993). Certes reconfigurés pour s'ajuster aux conditions du présent, les processus mémoriels qui sont à l'oeuvre aujourd'hui témoignent de la vitalité des mémoires dans leur rapport aux phénomènes politiques qui traversent l'Afrique au sud du Sahara.…”

Writing trans-Saharan history: Methods, sources and interpretations across the African divide

“…27 Critics of oral sources, starting with anthropologists, associated oral traditions with mythmaking. 28 Eventually, even Vansina modified his position regarding the treatment of oral traditions by admitting that, as with all documents, these could be manipulated by the intent of the rapporteur. 29 Nevertheless, the efforts of historians of Africa positively influenced the historical profession to the extent that oral sources of all kinds are now recognised forms of evidence.…”