Educational Media Reviews Online

Each of these three documentaries examines a country or region of postcolonial Africa facing the pressures of contemporary globalization through the decidedly non-Western perspective of the Japanese NHK Documentary production company. The first program details the realities of life in present day Somalia in Northeast Africa. With no real reconstruction efforts made by either the US or the UN after their botched intervention in the Somali civil war, the country was left in a state of anarchy that continues to this day with numerous warlords vying for internal control at the same time they either resist or embrace the overtures of external forces, both from other African countries and from the neighboring Arab region.

The second program documents the steadily expanding influence of Islam in Africa. From the time of its introduction to the region in the 8th century by Arab merchants, the spirit of mutual aid and great networking power of Islam has helped its religious message to spread quickly, especially in the face of the poverty and suffering of the area. An examination of the growth, influence, and power of the Islamic Mouride (or Murid) Brotherhood in Mali and Senegal is the central focus of this program.

The third program compares the current status of race relations between blacks and whites in South Africa and Zimbabwe and finds little fundamental difference, or reason for hope, in either country. Although South Africa outlawed apartheid, its policy of reconciliation ensured that the economic power of the white minority has remained with the concomitant enduring disparities and conflicts. Likewise, in Zimbabwe blacks gained political control but not ownership of the land that was promised them. Now the Mugabe government pursues a policy of annexation of land held by whites, while also turning a blind eye to the veterans of the war for independence who coordinate unsanctioned seizures of farms that have resulted in driving a quarter of white landowners out of Zimbabwe.

The technical quality of these fast-paced programs is excellent (although they would have benefited from closed-captioning during several instances of dialogue). The material is very current, is appropriate for all age groups over Junior High school level and, by providing a perspective on African issues that is not generally represented in the mainstream Western media, would be useful in presenting information directly or in eliciting class discussion.