Newswise — John Garang, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, credits his education in Iowa as an influence in his fight for peace in Sudan. Garang, (then known as John de Mabior), received a bachelor's degree in economics from Grinnell College in 1969.
"Maybe it's the liberal values of Grinnell College that have been talking in me," he said during a visit to Grinnell, Iowa. Garang credits his time in Iowa as a driving force behind his peace efforts. And with the end of the 20-year Sudanese civil war in sight, Grinnell College contacts offer an insight into the man who has led the rebel forces in Sudan, the largest nation in Africa.
1. Jack DawsonProfessor Emeritus of Economics
"¢ African economics; friend and former professor of John Garang, Sudan People's Liberation Movement
With research focus on African economics, Dawson has visited the African region as a representative of Grinnell College and with the World Bank. While the visiting professor of economics, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Dawson developed a friendship with John Garang, leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement, and former student. After graduating from Grinnell College with a degree in economics, Garang lived with Dawson and his wife in 1970 while Dawson was in Africa. "Garang was one of about 20 Africans at Grinnell College in the 1960s who were the first of their generation to receive university degrees," Dawson said. "They all knew they were headed back to high office in their countries."
2. Robert GreyProfessor of Political Science
"¢ Mass attitudes and behavior in Africa
A former professor of John Garang's (or John de Mabior, as he was then known) at Grinnell College, Robert Gray has published numerous books and articles on Africa and its politics and has taught African politics for more than 30 years. He has spent a number of years in the region, most recently in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he directed the Associated Colleges of the Midwest Program on Nation-Building in Africa.
3. Jack MuttiSidney Meyer Professor of International Economics
"¢ International economics and public finance
Jack Mutti's area of research includes international trade, economic development, taxation, foreign investment, and international finance. A prolific writer on the subject, and a long-time educator, he is particularly interested in policy questions; in the case of the Sudan, these include issues that arise in the establishment of a monetary system and the blessing/curse of oil discoveries.
4. Wayne MoyerRosenfield Professor and Director of the Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights
"¢ International implications of Sudanese Civil War
With a research focus on international relations, U.S. foreign policy and international law and organization, Wayne Moyer can help put a focus on how the end of the long civil war in Sudan will affect the African continent. Will U.S. foreign policy change?
Web Address: http://www.grinnell.edu/
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