I am on the train (my last ride for this trip/extended stay in the US) and heading back to Virginia Beach after three weeks spent in Boston and Vermont. My two weeks on campus at SIT were delightful - even if they were a bit exhausting - and I am excited to get started on my course work and for the rolls of graduate school to finally be turning.
There is a lot going through my mind right now as I prepare to step into the next 'stage' of my life. As a recently engaged graduate student picking back up with USAID/PHARE via Peace Corps Response and with some other things on the back burner - I have a few things to think about! (then again, who doesn't?)
And while my own concerns are often in my mind's foreground - Mali's civil unrest has also made its way to the front of the queue (read more news about the Tuareg rebellion here). I have recently begun to follow a few blogs which I would like to share here since they are exactly what I have been looking for - thoughtful, well-rounded accounts of what is actually happening in Mali (and Africa) rather than abstract news articles that feel a little colder.
Africa is a Country features a wide range of topics concerning Africa - music, politics, culture and sports. I am excited to learn more about other countries through these lenses rather than a strictly political/NGO perspective. Monthly Development Magazine provides "in-depth news and commentary on global trends that affect relief, refugee and development work." Some of their recent articles have touched close to home for me with my current school and work situations. Check out these articles about SIT in Rwanda, World Learning's partnership with USAID and taking learning out of the schoolroom. I also fell upon the African Studies Association website which will be a great resource when I begin more focused research in Mali.
I am grateful to Alex Thurston, a Ph.D candidate in Islam in Africa, and his Sahel Blog which linked me to a couple of the sites I listed above. Definitely not a site to be missed if you are interested in the Sahel region!
God willing I will return to Mali in one week (yay! I finally heard from Peace Corps that my ticket is en route!) and pick back up where I left off in October. There are so many people I am looking forward to seeing (you know who are - I won't list you since I'm afraid I'd accidentally leave someone off!) and things to do. I am refreshed from my time home and ready to get back to work. I will get back on the wagon with my Africa from A-Z series and hopefully add a few new features to the blog once I get settled back in Mali - though who knows how long that will take!
Thanks for reading! Is there anything on your mind these days? Do you have any other blog suggestions?
There is a lot going through my mind right now as I prepare to step into the next 'stage' of my life. As a recently engaged graduate student picking back up with USAID/PHARE via Peace Corps Response and with some other things on the back burner - I have a few things to think about! (then again, who doesn't?)
And while my own concerns are often in my mind's foreground - Mali's civil unrest has also made its way to the front of the queue (read more news about the Tuareg rebellion here). I have recently begun to follow a few blogs which I would like to share here since they are exactly what I have been looking for - thoughtful, well-rounded accounts of what is actually happening in Mali (and Africa) rather than abstract news articles that feel a little colder.
Africa is a Country features a wide range of topics concerning Africa - music, politics, culture and sports. I am excited to learn more about other countries through these lenses rather than a strictly political/NGO perspective. Monthly Development Magazine provides "in-depth news and commentary on global trends that affect relief, refugee and development work." Some of their recent articles have touched close to home for me with my current school and work situations. Check out these articles about SIT in Rwanda, World Learning's partnership with USAID and taking learning out of the schoolroom. I also fell upon the African Studies Association website which will be a great resource when I begin more focused research in Mali.
I am grateful to Alex Thurston, a Ph.D candidate in Islam in Africa, and his Sahel Blog which linked me to a couple of the sites I listed above. Definitely not a site to be missed if you are interested in the Sahel region!
God willing I will return to Mali in one week (yay! I finally heard from Peace Corps that my ticket is en route!) and pick back up where I left off in October. There are so many people I am looking forward to seeing (you know who are - I won't list you since I'm afraid I'd accidentally leave someone off!) and things to do. I am refreshed from my time home and ready to get back to work. I will get back on the wagon with my Africa from A-Z series and hopefully add a few new features to the blog once I get settled back in Mali - though who knows how long that will take!
Thanks for reading! Is there anything on your mind these days? Do you have any other blog suggestions?
My lady, you do have a lot on your plate but I am so thankful that so many of them are wonderful blessings. It is hard to believe you will be heading back to Mali already, yet I am sure it has seemed like ages since you've been there. I am so disappointed we did not get to spend more time together but will make it a priority next time you are in the states. Save travels back to VB!
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