The ancient city of Harar in the far north eastern corner of Ethiopia is a dreamland. Hanging on a hilltop 1800 meters above sea level the city presents a breathtaking panorama bursting with layers of history and influences, coalescing in a proud mixture of Islamic and indigenous culture dating back to the 7th century.
Before the age of the internet the conventional mail was king. The postal stamp was a perfect platform for public advocacy. Today the postal service is no longer what it once was. Think of Britain’s Royal Mail or of the United States's Federal Mail and the global reach they once commanded.
There were songs in those days that lifted the spirits of young people from across the globe as in their hundreds they hurried to Spain to defend the beleaguered country against Franco’s fascism. Years later a Frenchmen would pay tribute to them in a splendid and tender movie documentary To Die in Madrid.
The four years I spent at Makerere were its golden period. The College attracted outstanding scholars to its Faculty. A considerable amount of money poured in to strengthen its medical, agriculture and social science faculties. Many gifted graduate students from prestigious universities overseas came to work on their doctorates.
Last week diplomats at the UN were amazed when Saudi Arabia did what no country had done before; turned down the seat it had just won on the Security Council.
About a month ago, the United States was poised to go to war in the Middle East. This threat of war was triggered by the allegation that President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria crossed the red line President Obama argued was set, not by him, but by the international community against the use of chemical weapons
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