Gussai H. Sheikheldin

On Voting

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Voting does not change the power structures in any given society. This is a general rule. The powers-that-be are typically so entrenched in the economic and political strata, as well as the mainstream culture, that the act of casting a ballot would not be able to remove them from rule, change hierarchies, and transform the big picture. There may be exceptions, you say?… More

Field Research: Challenges of Entering the Field

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As a student researcher, arriving to a country to do field research is quite a different experience from arriving for a visit of leisure or volunteer, or even for a work contract of some sort. As soon you step foot in the country that is your field, you are mostly your own supervisor. Steps are calculated towards a particular goal (mostly collecting as much relevant and efficient data as possible).… More

Amilcar Cabral on Decolonization and Culture (and Sudan)

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“A people who free themselves from foreign domination will not be culturally free unless, without underestimating the importance of positive contributions from the oppressor’s culture and other cultures, they return to the upwards paths of their own culture. The latter is nourished by the living reality of the environment and rejects harmful influences as much as any kind of subjection to foreign cultures.… More

Statements that Matter (to me)

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– Morality is the explicator of human agency. In our daily lives we make multiple moral decisions, and these choices may be the only aspects of our circumstances to which we are justly accountable. We generally do not choose our genotype, phenotype, health, economic/social status, etc., but we are assumed to choose our morals and understand their consequences. It follows that moral discourse cannot be called “ideal” without dehumanizing daily ‘human’ activities.… More

Islam: An African Religion

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The history of Islam in Africa is rich, substantial, and full of contradictions. While some would agree that Islam has a large positive heritage in Africa, others would disagree. In either case, it cannot be denied that Islam is now entrenched in many African cultures – almost inseparably – but also has a history of influencing many negative trends and forms of oppression, such as slavery, racism, and sexism. … More

The Eye

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Said the Eye one day, “I see beyond these valleys mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not beautiful?”

The Ear listened and after listening intently awhile, said, “But where is any mountain? I don’t hear it.”

Then the Hand spoke and said, “I am trying in vain to feel it or touch it, and I can find no mountain.”

And the Nose said, “There is no mountain.

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What is Africa?

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“The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial and military look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa – giving the world a more human face.”– Steve Biko.

Not too long ago, the late Dr. John Garang was asked once, regarding the name of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army/Movement, “liberation from whom?”… More

Reflecting on “The End of Poverty?”

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“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”
– Nelson Mandela

‘The End of Poverty?’ (with the question mark) is a November 2008-release documentary film that traces the roots of poverty in modern human societies.… More