Once again Yilma Tafere Tasew brings together a group of refugees, scholars, activists, and professionals to discuss the very important matter of African refugees.  This book also includes his own autobiographical contribution, providing more details of his experience as a refugee at the Kakuma Camp, in northeast Kenya. Tasew's contribution is heartfelt, blunt and revealing.  For those of us used to encountering refugees in our own comfortable developed countries his writings offer a window into a trauma the majority of us will be spared.

 This collection of diverse essays not only illuminates current refugee issues; it also brings together various perspectives on how best to tackle some of them.

Contributors: Dr Ramon Das, Teresia Teaiwa, Wellington Community Law, Kathy Jackson, Valerie Morse, Marion Maddox, Fantaye A Kashebo, Francoise Ugochukwu, Andrea Useem, L. E Scott, Dr Christopher LaMonica.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Yilma Tafere Tasew was born and grew up in Ethiopia. A teacher by profession, he left Ethiopia in 1991, to exile in Kenyan refugee camps. While in Kakuma Camp he established the first Refugee news bulletin; KANEBU (Kakuma News Bulletin) and helped to publish a book called Tilting Changes, an anthology of refugee writing. In 1997 Yilma was invited by the UNHCR (The UN High Commission for Refugees) to work for the social and community services section in their Kenyan operations base at Nairobi. In July 1999, he moved to New Zealand under the Refugee Quota Programme. Yilma has published two further books Diasporic Ghosts (2005) and Agonising Wounds (2006). He has a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Victoria University of Wellington and is a public speaker on Refugee and Diaspora issues.

CATEGORY

Sociology, Literature, Refugee Studies/AFRICA