Mali: A Prospect of Peace? (Oxfam Country Profiles Series)

Most people in the industrialized world have heard of Timbuktu, even if they could not find this ancient centre of civilization on the map. In fact, it is in Mali, a West African country which is rapidly coming to terms with the modern world. In 1991 the people of Mali overthrew a military dictatorship; democratic elections were held; a free press is flourishing; the nation is struggling with the effects of an economic structural adjustment program and inter-ethnic tensions which brought it to the brink of catastrophe. This book looks at the lives of ordinary Malians and asks how they are surviving the changes which are transforming their nation. It also celebrates the culture of Mali, from village story-tellers to world-famous film makers and musicians like Salif Keita and Ali Farka Tour.