Sudan and the Fallacy of Nationhood

Sudan and the Fallacy of Nationhood: How Political Islam Threatens National Unity

Jok Madut Jok, Associate Professor in the Department of History at Loyola Marymount University

(Feb 18, 2009 at Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs)

Jok was born and raised in Sudan and studied in Egypt and the United States. He is trained in the anthropology of health and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Jok is a fellow of Rift Valley Institute and an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Loyola Marymount University in California. He has also worked in aid and development, first as a humanitarian aid worker and later as a consultant for a number of aid agencies.

His experiences have been marked by political instability, dictatorial governments, economic problems, conflict, and exile. After conducting research in Sudan and refugee camps in the neighboring countries, he wrote a book titled Militarization, Gender and Reproductive Health in South Sudan, to chronicle how violence is reproduced within communities and families during times of violent political conflict.

He is the author of three books and numerous articles covering reproductive health, humanitarian aid, ethnography of political violence, gender-based violence, war and slavery, and the politics of identity in Sudan. His latest book Sudan: Race, Religion and Violence, was published in 2007.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• uchannel
• academic
• lectures
• international
• affairs
• sudan
• darfur
• africa
• war
• islam
• religion
• politics
• foreign
• policy

[Elaina238]

I hope the U.S. U.N. United Kingdom any others who do not support such in humanity move in using much more excessive force than used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Conditions in Sudan confirm the so called myth that people indigent to the African contenent are not fit to rule. Half breed caffirs vs caffirs. Half breed niggers against full bred niggers. When does it end. I hope France, America, U.N. take it for the ones who occupy power does not deserve to be in power. Good luck you barbarians

[Esenadus]

Prof.Jok did a wonderful job. If anyone is still confused about race problem in Sudan, please free to let me know and I will either email or direct you to a link where you can read more about it.

[BattleAngel]

This was a great eye opening speech by Jok Madut Jok as always he is a brilliant man and one of the foremost intellectuals to come out of Sudan. He does a good job explaining the "race" factor in Sudanese politics which confuses everyone because all of the people in the conflict are essentially black Africans but he shows that race here is nothing but "a state of mind." Also he shows how even the aid given by the int'l community can be exploited. I reccommend that everyone read his great book!

[horny4bears]

thnx for helping me understand the scene better JSAM. could ya clarify how true, and how much influence china is really having over there? is it by proxy? sorta like how russia helped north korea ages ago, or are they have'n more than a embasy there?

yah i do agree my views are highly limited, and have huge bias fromwhat the speakers intents are 8/ not my most prefered way of formulating much in terms of a foundation, eh

sorry,my intent was to only understand,an trying to think things threw

[JSAM700]

unfortunately your kind of sources are miseducated snob. while they misbelief that arabs or islam is their enemy, they fail to realize the west the would not accept equality with 'em. lol

[horny4bears]

give them food aid, and those who desire, will use it as force labor...even if religion was done away, thru education, seems other issues would be used to wedge people appart, e.g. color of skin/who you were born from.

obviously resources are scarce, if thats addressed to the point of over abundance, or a exodus out to less hostile enviroment for life, it'd be one less obstacle to be addressed

thank you Jok for sharen and clearing up a few of my questions

freedom,i've yet to truely find it

[horny4bears]

i can see why people would need faith and a belief in fables as islam, when living under such dire conditions. yet its also being used against them by political officials and their own parents, in brutal ways.

i really want to state is the need to help such places, and how best to achieve it, bafles myself.

especially after listening to 'marching to hell' where a former CIA felt like he scoffed at the attempts to help this region, which i kinda understand his view better after hearing you