Review of A Dream For Peace
Posted: 23 Sep 2022, 07:57
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream for Peace by Dr Ghoulem Berrah is a memoir which exposes the life of one of (North) Africa's most outstanding leaders. Dr Berrah was born in Aïn Beïda, a small village in Algeria, and was raised amid French colonialism and the incredible Arab communal culture. The first chapter elucidates his birth until he gets to the university. The following chapters expose the challenges of his political, marital, and doctoral explorations.
I was particularly impressed by how much he loved his country and that he was willing to take up arms to break his people away from the oppression of the colonialists, even when he was just a medical student. At one point, he was thrown in jail for fighting on the side of freedom from oppression. After so much struggle (including in his marital life), he finally resigned to propagating peace wherever he worked. His level of discipline and tolerance of others was impeccable throughout his time as a leader in different countries.
A Dream for Peace is a well-structured book that takes you through different periods in the author's life without any confusion. It is adequately expressed too. You would hardly believe English was a second or third language to the author. The way the author travelled from country to country and the way he met with leaders in different parts of the world made me feel like life in the 90s was much easier than it is now. Nowadays, as an African, getting visas to other countries is so hectic and expensive.
Today's student union president may never be able to pull off the fantastic exploits that Dr Berrah performed in his time. Simply put, students are not treated with the same respect, and many African political elites regard meeting with young students as indulging them (much like spoiling a child). Dr. Berrah's family was not the wealthiest in Algeria, nor was his father a prominent figure in the ruling government at the time. Still, despite being a doctor, he was quite successful in politics.
I loved that pictures of various kinds filled many pages of the book alongside the narration. It made the story relatable, even if the events happened so long ago (beginning in the 1930s). This book strikes me more as a documentary about the life and times of Dr Berrah. In fact, throughout his political years, the author put a lot of effort into developing some parts of Africa. If all African leaders had the same sincerity, discipline, and dedication as Dr Berrah, Africa would not be seen as a continent populated primarily by third-world nations.
There was only one error in the entire book, meaning it was edited professionally. Even though the length made me tired of reading, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to people from former colonies worldwide; political activists, ambassadors, religious zealots, and anyone interested in Algerian, Moroccan, Israeli, Palestine, or French history.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream for Peace by Dr Ghoulem Berrah is a memoir which exposes the life of one of (North) Africa's most outstanding leaders. Dr Berrah was born in Aïn Beïda, a small village in Algeria, and was raised amid French colonialism and the incredible Arab communal culture. The first chapter elucidates his birth until he gets to the university. The following chapters expose the challenges of his political, marital, and doctoral explorations.
I was particularly impressed by how much he loved his country and that he was willing to take up arms to break his people away from the oppression of the colonialists, even when he was just a medical student. At one point, he was thrown in jail for fighting on the side of freedom from oppression. After so much struggle (including in his marital life), he finally resigned to propagating peace wherever he worked. His level of discipline and tolerance of others was impeccable throughout his time as a leader in different countries.
A Dream for Peace is a well-structured book that takes you through different periods in the author's life without any confusion. It is adequately expressed too. You would hardly believe English was a second or third language to the author. The way the author travelled from country to country and the way he met with leaders in different parts of the world made me feel like life in the 90s was much easier than it is now. Nowadays, as an African, getting visas to other countries is so hectic and expensive.
Today's student union president may never be able to pull off the fantastic exploits that Dr Berrah performed in his time. Simply put, students are not treated with the same respect, and many African political elites regard meeting with young students as indulging them (much like spoiling a child). Dr. Berrah's family was not the wealthiest in Algeria, nor was his father a prominent figure in the ruling government at the time. Still, despite being a doctor, he was quite successful in politics.
I loved that pictures of various kinds filled many pages of the book alongside the narration. It made the story relatable, even if the events happened so long ago (beginning in the 1930s). This book strikes me more as a documentary about the life and times of Dr Berrah. In fact, throughout his political years, the author put a lot of effort into developing some parts of Africa. If all African leaders had the same sincerity, discipline, and dedication as Dr Berrah, Africa would not be seen as a continent populated primarily by third-world nations.
There was only one error in the entire book, meaning it was edited professionally. Even though the length made me tired of reading, I rate it 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to people from former colonies worldwide; political activists, ambassadors, religious zealots, and anyone interested in Algerian, Moroccan, Israeli, Palestine, or French history.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon