Episode Nine: Permanent Minorities and the Politics of Survivors: A conversation with Mahmood Mamdani
The podcast series “African Voices, African Arguments” features African scholars, writers, policy makers and activists on issues of peace, justice and democracy, and is produced by World Peace Foundation and presented in partnership with African Arguments and The Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University.
In Episode 9 of the podcast series, Alex de Waal speaks with Mahmood Mamdani, Ugandan academic, author, and political commentator. His new book is Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities, Harvard University Press (November 2020).
"Colonialism created boundaries inside the society, political boundaries, specifically race and tribe, in order to ensure effective colonial governance of that society.""
Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan academic, author, and political commentator. He currently serves as the Chancellor of Kampala International University, Uganda. He is the director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), the Herbert Lehman Professor of Government at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University and the Professor of Anthropology, Political Science and African Studies at Columbia University. His latest book, Neither Settler nor Native: The Making and Unmaking of Permanent Minorities, was released November 2020.
Alex de Waal is the Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Considered one of the foremost experts on Sudan and the Horn of Africa, his scholarly work and practice has also probed humanitarian crisis and response, human rights, HIV/AIDS and governance in Africa, and conflict and peace-building.