On January 10, Lieve Joris, writer-in-residence at NIAS, will talk about her book-in-progress.
About the Seminar
Lieve Joris: “In 1999, when I was living in the war-torn Congolese city of Kisangani, the Duseja brothers opened a store in the city center. In this town, where European entrepreneurs were leaving and being replaced by the UN and Western NGOs, these two young Indian brothers saw all kinds of economic opportunities. The Congolese made the most of the new situation as well: local merchants were setting up new trade routes, flying to Dubai and the Chinese city of Guangzhou to buy supplies.
After several years of burrowing through the tunnel of my colonial past and having achieved a complex, intimate relationship with the Congolese, I felt that I’d come to the end of a story. But the story seemed to continue further east. The doors of Fortress Europe might be slamming shut; the gates to Asia were opening.
I will take you along the increasingly busy pathway between Africa and China, tell you about the people I encountered and share my thoughts about a relationship that the Chinese call a win-win situation and some Westerners see as a new form of colonization.”
Lieve Joris kindly welcomes any questions or comments the seminar participants might have.
About the Speaker
Lieve Joris is a non-fiction writer, having travelled extensively in Africa, The Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Cheikhna (owner of a shop in Brazzaville, on the right) is trading with Sandy (Chinese trader, on the left), in Guangzhou, China. Copyright photograph by Lieve Joris.
About NIAS Seminars
NIAS Seminars are organised by the Rector of the Institute. They are meant to appeal to interested parties from a wide range of backgrounds and are aimed to encourage closer contact within the Dutch academic world.
NIAS Seminars take place in the Lecture Room (NIAS, Meijboomlaan 1, Wassenaar, telephone 070-512 27 00). This Seminar starts at 16.00 hours and ends at 17.30. Everyone is welcome to attend the seminar and join the discussion. However, since changes in the programme may occur, please let us know if you wish to attend. For further information, contact Communication.