Prof. Derek Peterson, University of Michigan graces MAK Humanities conference
Drake Nyamugabwa
Makerere University, College of Human and Social Sciences (CHUSS) with other partners as part of university’s cellebration of 100 years, that organized a four-day international humanities conference were graced by various academicians and speakers including Prof Derek R. Peterson from the University, Vice Chancellor Makerere Prof Nawangwe Barnabas among others.
The theme of the conference is ‘knowledge revolution and practices; area cultural and global studies’.
University of Michigan’s Professor Derek Peterson in his key note speech highlighted the role of media that was employed by the Rwenzori rebels in South West Uganda against the dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada the former President of Uganda in the seventies.
Professor Derek Peterson gave a historical series of events of the Rwenzururu rebels during the regime of Idi Amin who he said used modest and slow media publication during their revolution.
The professor used this platform to advocated for the freedom of the Rwenzuru king who together with others royal were subjected to house arrest following the 2016 chaos there.
Professor Derek Peterson is a tutor of history and African studies at University of Michigan, USA. He is an editor at Mawazo and board member of the African Studies Association (UK).
is known for having organized the Uganda government archives and aided in the digitization of an enormous collection of photographic negatives held by Uganda Broadcasting Corporation in 2017 and 2018.
Meanwhile during the opening of the conference, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe the Vice Chancellor of the University stated that humanities tackle situations experienced by people in their day to day lives.
“It is valuable to invest in and treasure humanities and social sciences,” he remarked.
He mentioned that some government programs initially aimed at getting citizens from poverty have not succeeded because of failure to involve the people who understand the public and humanity scholars.
He also highlighted names of personalities with a humanities background, but contributed to the development of their countries namely: Mwalim Julius Nyerere, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Mwai Kibaki, Benjamin Mkapa, Dr. Apollo Milton Obote, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and others all
