Special presentation by Abye Tasse, PHD Vice President Vice-President for Strategic Planning and International Affairs Addis Ababa University

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
4:00 PM
TBA
Los Angeles, CA 90095

The iconic figure of Che Guevara romanticized the guerrilla fighters in 60s and the 70s. Since the 80s they have lost their ability to appeal but even as the image of guerrilla fighters has deteriorated, multiple actors have continued to engage in armed struggle globally. Much has been written about of their struggles but, when it comes to the understanding the significance of the movements, apart the official histories--that are often derived from the political movements themselves, their supporters or by their opponents--very few scholars have paid attention to guerrilla fighters from an academic perspectives. Furthermore, few studies exist about the lives of hundreds of thousands of guerrilla’s fighters -during the armed struggle, after the victory or the defeat of the movement in which they participated. This situation is exacerbated by the political protagonists dividing themselves into heroes and demons.

This presentation will deconstruct the monolithic representation of guerrilla fighters. Focusing on the example of Ethiopia and studying the life trajectory of former guerrilla fighters (before engagement in guerrilla life, life in guerrilla and after) occupying multiple social position currently, Tasse will attempt to present and discuss: the process of engagement in the armed struggle movement as a commitment for social Justice; life in the guerrilla as highly disciplined and civil and multiple modalities of transformation of former guerrilla fighters in civilian life.

Professor Abye Tasse is currently Vice-President for Strategic Planning and International Affairs at Addis Ababa University (AAU); Dean of the Graduate School of Social Work; Project leader on Capacity Building at AAU; Member of the Senate and Executive Committee of the Senate of AAU; and President of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW). Professor Tasse has also acted in several other capacities: Associate Professor; Chair of Department; Deputy-Director at the Institute of Social Work of Echirolles (Grenoble) in charge of Academic Affairs; and Director General of the Institute for Social Development (Rouen) in France. Tasse specializes in immigrant policy and refugee issues; social work education and policy, human resources development; and restructuring of institutions of higher education. His main areas of academic research are social work, migration and ethnicity.
 

Location to be announced

Cost : Free and open to the public

www.international.ucla.edu/africa

Sponsor(s): African Studies Center