Robin Poulton
Dancing Peace Africa & Asia Francais Richmond Chiwara
Robin Poulton
Dancer. Writer. Peace Maker.

Laughing and Loving in Africa - Stories

 

I spent most of my working life in West Africa, and a lot of my childhood as well. So, I wrote about Africa and published over 250 articles in my column Developing Africa in the Guardian Weekly.

These stories show what Africa is really like. Written during the late 1980s early 1990s, these amusing and sometimes tragic stories show a side of Africa that only a few Westerners ever see.

You can follow these stories on Amazon Vella here - we add a new one every few days.

 

Featured Books

 

Family Life in West Africa

50 Stories about Loving Africa

From 1990 to 2002, Robin Poulton wrote about Developing Africa in the Guardian Weekly newspaper. Writing under the pseudonym Robert Lacville, his stories of Africa were popular, amusing, and filled with insights that were new to most of his 350,000 weekly readers. Working in West Africa brought daily inspiration. Africa is exciting, developing, and constantly changing.

The stories are presented here in their original form. They offer a unique experience of African life and love seen through the eyes of Robin and his family. Enjoy!

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I Dance Therefore I Am

A Memoir of Scotland, America and Dancing

This is a book of dancing around the world written for all children and their grandparents, filled with wit and humor, interspersing dances with personal stories, jokes and home-spun lessons from life - enlivened with word pictures of St Andrews, of beautiful Scotland, of kilts and haggis. Robin Poulton celebrates the worldwide friendship of dancers, offering a philosophy of life that promotes "the greatest happiness to the greatest number" through peace and love and dancing. Read and enjoy!

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Peace is Possible

Exchanging Weapons for Development and how we Disarmed the Khmer Rouge with Wit, Bluff — and Balloons

After thirty years of civil war, the 1992 Paris Peace Accords ended fighting in Cambodia - but not yet peace. Cambodia remained full of firearms, explosives and warring factions. Every Khmer Rouge village was armed and fearful. This is the story of how we disarmed the Khmer Rouge, persuading them to give up their firearms in exchange for development projects.

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Sister Cities

A Story of Friendship Between Virginia and Mali

Most early African Virginians came from the lands of the medieval Empire of Mali, founded by the original Lion King. Since the first Africans arrived in 1619, Virginia's history has been linked to Africa and to Mali. Virginia's culture is filled with West African music, food, and other influences—including slavery and colonial domination. Both cities have a victims' cemetery. In this book, we meet the key actors of the Virginia-Mali sister cities adventure—exploring family structures, motherhood, religion, clothing, music, religion, and other aspects of cultural life.

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Sunjata: Children of the Malian Empire

Stories about Malian Children (some of whom grow up) for Teachers and Students of Africa and America’s West African Heritage

These are stories of the experiences of children of ancient and modern Mali, from infant to teenage - a rich treasury of culture, geography, and history that will benefit students of American and African studies at every age. American culture and history is inseparable from its African heritage: the music and food, the language and housing, agriculture and craftsmanship, family life, attitudes to parents and grandparents, and America’s spirituality.

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Paroles Sur Les Crises Au Mali

Book in French (Talking about the Crises in Mali)

Ce livre sur les crises au Mali se veut une contribution à la paix au Sahel. Il donne la voix à 25 Maliennes et Maliens, commençant par une Préface de l’historien Dr Mamadou Fanta Simaga, citoyen d’Honneur de la Région de Ségou. Simaga demande aux Maliens de s’écouter plus et d’accuser moins les autres. La première partie des Paroles résume le contenu et les conclusions d’un livre important en anglais intitulé Les Limites de la Démocratie - qui raconte l’évolution du Mali entre 2000 et 2015. Pour comprendre le coup d’état d’août 2020 et la nouvelle Transition de 18 mois - et pour trouver des solutions pour l’avenir du Mali - ce livre est indispensable.

The first part summarizes in French an important English-language book, published at the end of 2016 in the USA, on the crises in the Sahara and the reasons for the implosion in 2012 of the Malian state.

The second part of the book is composed of Malian “conversations” which took place during research for Robin's book The Limits of Democracy and the Post-Colonial Nation State (Mellen 2016).  We read a wide variety of opinions about the Sahel’s problems and priorities, noting that the women invariably emphasize humanitarian issues and the protection of children, which the men typically ignore.

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Djita, a Malian girl from Virginia:

Djita, une fille malienne de la Virginie

A bilingual booklet for schools. A story to be used by teachers and students in Richmond and in Segou, Sister Cities since 2009.

Cette histoire est pour l’utilisation des enseignants et des étudiants à Richmond et à Ségou, villes jumelées depuis 2009

This is the true story of a small Malian girl who was born in Virginia, and who attends an international school where most children speak two or three languages. It is a ‘flip book’ written in both English and French for children from 7-12 years old, and for their teachers in America and in Africa. The book includes two maps related to the slave trade, and 12 exercises to help teachers and parents to teach about the rich African heritage from which we all benefit. There are beautiful illustrations.

Djita is seven years old. Her life is different from a typical Malian girl, and different from a typical American - yet she is both Malian and American. Her story supports the Sister City relationship between Richmond in Virginia, and Segou in Mali, created by a group of friends seeking to change the slave-dominated history of relations between Virginia and the Empire of Mali from which many early Virginians came (unwillingly).

 
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The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State:

Mali's Democratic Experiment Falters, while Jihad and Terrorism Grow in the Sahara

Robin Edward Poulton and Rafaella Greco Tonegutti.

Second Edition published in paperback and as ebook May 2021.

Professor Jeremy Keenan writes from SOAS in London: “… (ref) your Sahara book. I must say that it is absolutely superb - a brilliant piece. It really is an excellent - eye-opening - piece of work. And I love the layout - chapter structures, headings and conversations, etc. I cannot praise it too highly. It is without doubt the best work ever written on contemporary Mali. Congratulations on a fabulous piece of work.”

Publications

Personal Memoirs

  • 2020 en préparation La France que J’aime – mémoire

  • 2019 I Dance Therefore I Am – a Memoir of Scotland, America and Dancing: on Amazon

  • 2013 OUR Island Story – Poulton-Garnett family memoir co-written and co-edited with Peter Jay, March and July 2013 (2nd edition Nov 2013, privately published)

  • 2008 DDR or 3D4R – Lessons Learned from the Field on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration – Series No 3 on the EPES Mandala website

  • 2007 Civil Society organizations (CSO) compose the Second Pillar of the State, EPES Mandala Lessons Learned Series No 2 on the EPES Mandala website

  • 1988 Putting people first: voluntary organisations and third world development co-edited with Michael Harris Macmillan, London; http://books.google.com/books?id=tXDaAAAAMAAJ&q=putting+people+first&dq=putting+people+first&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=wQmYUo3CIMvzoASQ6YGgCw&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw

Books about Asia

  • 2020 Peace is Possible: Exchanging Weapons for Development and how we disarmed the Khmer Rouge with wit, bluff and balloons. Amazon.

  • 2010 not yet published Disarming Cambodia – land of beauty, land of smiles, land of hidden terror Building peace in Cambodia after 30 years of war – a book about how we collected weapons of war from the Khmer Rouge and helped produce peace.

  • 1980 Afghanistan Que sais-je ? co-authored with Michelle Elcoat Poulton Presses Universitaires de France, Paris

  • 1979 Village afghan dans le Hindou Kush: traditions sociales et économiques face au développement Robin Edward Poulton and Michelle Elcoat Poulton, thèses de Doctorat, 3 tomes, EHESS et UCI, Paris,

  • 1975 Briefing sur L’Afghanistan – Radio France Internationale

Books about Africa

  • 2021 The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State: Mali's democratic experiment falters, while jihad and terrorism grow in the Sahara. Poulton, Robin Edward and Rafaella Greco Tonegutti. (2016. Mellen Press: Lewiston NY & Lampeter, UK.) Second Edition, May 2021 on Amazon.

  • 2021 in preparation/on hold Peoples of the Mali Empire - came out of my Osher courses at UR

  • 2021 en préparation La Société civile, le capital social et la paix au Mali Deme, Kane, Maiga, Poulton à paraître (La Sahélienne avec l’Harmattan)

  • 2021 in preparation Lacville Laughing and Loving in West Africa for Amazon.

  • 2020 Sunjata – Children of the Mali Empire ~ Then and Now. Stories about Malian Children (some of whom grow up) Second Edition, February 2020 on Amazon

  • 2019 Sister Cities: A story of friendship from Virginia to Mali. Richmond in America and Segou in West Africa: the first ten years of citizen diplomacy and international friendship: Brandylane, Richmond, VA

  • 2019 Paroles sur les Crises au Mali et Les Limites de la Démocratie - Expériences et Analyses pour Favoriser la Paix. Bamako : La Sahélienne and Amazon.

  • 2017 Sunjata – Children of the Mali Empire ~ Then and Now Stories about Malian Children (some of whom grow up) Kindle version for Teachers and Students of Africa and America’s West African Heritage

  • 2013 Silenzio su Bamako. Il golpe del Mali e l'intervento armato, co-authors Raffaella Greco & Robin Poulton Rome: Eds Ruitini,

  • 2013_ Briefing on Mali and the Sahara at http://murteza.tumblr.com/post/27429522375/briefing-on-mali-and-the-sahara

  • 2011 Djita, a Malian girl from Virginia (French & English) second edition. AuthorHouse publications, Bloomington, Indiana.

  • 2009 Djita, a Malian girl from Virginia (French & English) Virginia Friends of Mali, Richmond & Segou, Dec 2009

  • 2006 Bound to cooperate – Conflict, Peace and People in Sierra Leone; written by leaders of civil society in Sierra Leone, second edition; co-edited with Anatole Ayissi UNIDIR, Geneva,

  • 2006 The role of women for peace building in Somalia: lessons learned and strategies proposed Essay written with Ms Kawther Elmi: EPES Mandala Lessons Learned Series No 1

  • 2003 (not yet published) Leila’s Love of Learning the story of a girl who wanted to go to school in Timbuktu - translated from the French/Bambara of El Haj Mamadou Haidara

  • 2000 Bound to cooperate – Conflict, Peace and People in Sierra Leone written by leaders of civil society in Sierra Leone co-edited with Anatole Ayissi UNIDIR, Geneva,

  • 1999 Collaboration internationale et construction de la paix en Afrique de l’Ouest: l’exemple du Mali UNIDIR, Geneva, co-authored with Ibrahim ag Youssouf and Jacqueline Seck

  • 1999 La Paix de Tombouctou: gestion démocratique, développement et la construction d'une paix africaine 2ème édition française (réactualisée) avec préface de Kofi Annan, UNIDIR, Geneva, 1999

  • 1998 A Peace of Timbuktu: democratic governance, development and African peacemaking, with a preface by Kofi Annan, UNIDIR, Geneva,: launched by the Secretary-General 17 March 1998 in Geneva; co-authored with Ibrahim ag Youssouf

  • 1989 Femmes, Entreprises et Développements ACTES d'un séminaire UCI co-edited with Guy Bédard, Hallassy Sidibé. ASSCOD - Archives des sciences sociales du développement 1989 vol 1, Collège Coopératif, Paris et Université Coopérative Internationale Paris,

  • 1983 Expériences coopératives de Bourem, Mali co-edited with Hallassy Sidibé, AMRAD et UCI, pour ACORD, mai 1983; Publication basé sur une cassette d’entretiens avec les coopérateurs, émanent d’un processus de recherche-action dans la Région de Gao (Mali); Association malienne de recherches-actions-développements (Bamako); Université Copérative Internationale (Paris); ONG ACORD (London)

Journalism

Starting in 1990, Poulton became a columnist in a number of newspapers:

  • The Guardian Weekly;

  • Cauris (Bamako);

  • Tarik (Bamako);

  • The Analyst (Monrovia);

  • The Nation (Lagos);

  • The Comet (Lagos);

  • and occasional other articles for Le Monde Diplomatique; West Africa; Jamana.

He has been interviewed often on BBC, RFI, Al-Jazeera, NPR WRIR & WCVE, and African radio/TV stations.

Dr Poulton is a widely-read author specialising in peace, disarmament and development issues, as well as aspects of West European and West African culture. He is a member of the Malian and Swiss Romande centres of International PEN and of the TRANSCEND Peace Journalism network. Because of his professional obligations with governments and the UN, Poulton has used various pseudonyms including Wangrin, Tall, and – especially for the Guardian Weekly – Robert Lacville.

Major Reports

compiled for the United Nations, European Union and other agencies

  • 2015 : Re-enforcement of regional peace and democratic governance in Central Africa – EU Gabon

  • 2014 : Design for civilian disarmament and a peace mouvement in Mali – UN / MINUSMA Bamako

  • 2013 : Manuel pour La Recherche-Action – une méthodologie participative pour assurer la redevabilité externe dans le cadre de la Réforme de la Police Nationale Congolaise – DfID Kinshasa

  • 2012 : Security Sector Reform and Sexual Violence in the Congolese Police in DRC – DfID Kinshasa

  • 2011 : Results-Oriented Monitoring and Evaluation of peace/development projects in SE Nigeria - EU

  • 2010 : €70 mil project design for Nigeria’s fight against drugs and organised crime – EU

  • 2010 : Evaluator of ECOWARN early warning system for conflict prevention – ECOWAS /Austria

  • 2010 : Evaluation of Assistance to Justice in post-conflict Burundi – Belgium / DfID

  • 2009 : Program design for reducing trans-Atlantic arms and drug smuggling to Europe - EU

  • 2009 : Evaluation of IANSA international action small arms control network - DfID

  • 2009 : Evaluator of the DIAG program to disarm Afghan private militias – UNDP Kabul

  • 2008 : Design of civil society projects to relaunch the peace economy of Liberia – UNDP Monrovia

  • 2007 : Lessons Learned from the Afghan disarmament program 2003-2006 – UNDP / Japan

  • 1999-2006 : EU-ASAC project for SSR, weapon managemnt and disarming the Khmer Rouge – EU

  • 1998 : Assessment of small arms and risk of violence in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast - UN

  • 1994-1999 : Mali peace and ECOWAS arms and negotiations – UNIDIR / UNDP Geneva & Bamako