Review of A Dream For Peace
Posted: 25 Mar 2023, 17:04
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream for Peace is a memoir by and the autobiography of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah. Dr. Berrah was born in 1938 in Ain Beida, Algeria. In this era, like most African countries, Algeria was under foreign rule. France had colonized Algeria. Dr. Berrah grew up watching with distaste the horrors of colonialism and racism. Imagine going to school and you are taught the history and language of a foreign country while your country's history is regarded as taboo. The intelligent boy he was then earned him a scholarship to France. It was there that the political activist in him could no longer be hidden. He made friends from different African countries who were patriots just like him. He became active in the struggle for freedom and it landed him in prison on occasions. He did not give up on what he believed in.
Dr. Ghoulem Berrah went on to countries like China and the United States while seeking further education. He went as far as becoming the counselor to the President of Cote d'Ivoire. He made a huge impact in world politics. However, his was not an easy journey, as expected of any patriot. He lost his mother along the way. As someone who valued family, this was heartbreaking to him.
Memoirs are not really my thing. However, I was touched and inspired by the life of Dr. Berrah. He lived for everyone suppressed even though he did not know them. He lived a selfless life for others, endangering his own life without thinking twice about it. He is a rare soul. I loved how he did not centre his biography only on his political achievements, but he also talked about his personal life. He grew up from a humble background with a caring mother who instilled values in him that would mold him into the great Ambassador he became. I loved how the author not only preached the gospel but practiced it too. He despised colonialism and racism. Back then, different religions would not intermarry. However, Dr. Berrah was Muslim and he went on to marry a Catholic. I found the pictures that the author put in the book helpful because, considering how lengthy the book was, they helped me visualize what the author was talking about. This in turn helped me keep my focus. I loved how the struggle for freedom brought together people of different cultural beliefs.
A Dream for Peace was exceptionally edited. I failed to find a single error. I felt that this book is a necessity in educating people about how Africa as a whole survived and fought colonial rule. It teaches us how selfless one needs to be to become a great leader. The only thing I disliked about this book is how long it is. I could have lost interest while reading, but the author's humility and the emotions the book gave me kept me going. This is why I still feel it deserves 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this great book to lovers of memoirs. This one is very educative and inspiring. I also recommend it to readers who like politics. Those who are interested in African history should definitely try it. It is suitable for all audiences and religions.
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A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream for Peace is a memoir by and the autobiography of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah. Dr. Berrah was born in 1938 in Ain Beida, Algeria. In this era, like most African countries, Algeria was under foreign rule. France had colonized Algeria. Dr. Berrah grew up watching with distaste the horrors of colonialism and racism. Imagine going to school and you are taught the history and language of a foreign country while your country's history is regarded as taboo. The intelligent boy he was then earned him a scholarship to France. It was there that the political activist in him could no longer be hidden. He made friends from different African countries who were patriots just like him. He became active in the struggle for freedom and it landed him in prison on occasions. He did not give up on what he believed in.
Dr. Ghoulem Berrah went on to countries like China and the United States while seeking further education. He went as far as becoming the counselor to the President of Cote d'Ivoire. He made a huge impact in world politics. However, his was not an easy journey, as expected of any patriot. He lost his mother along the way. As someone who valued family, this was heartbreaking to him.
Memoirs are not really my thing. However, I was touched and inspired by the life of Dr. Berrah. He lived for everyone suppressed even though he did not know them. He lived a selfless life for others, endangering his own life without thinking twice about it. He is a rare soul. I loved how he did not centre his biography only on his political achievements, but he also talked about his personal life. He grew up from a humble background with a caring mother who instilled values in him that would mold him into the great Ambassador he became. I loved how the author not only preached the gospel but practiced it too. He despised colonialism and racism. Back then, different religions would not intermarry. However, Dr. Berrah was Muslim and he went on to marry a Catholic. I found the pictures that the author put in the book helpful because, considering how lengthy the book was, they helped me visualize what the author was talking about. This in turn helped me keep my focus. I loved how the struggle for freedom brought together people of different cultural beliefs.
A Dream for Peace was exceptionally edited. I failed to find a single error. I felt that this book is a necessity in educating people about how Africa as a whole survived and fought colonial rule. It teaches us how selfless one needs to be to become a great leader. The only thing I disliked about this book is how long it is. I could have lost interest while reading, but the author's humility and the emotions the book gave me kept me going. This is why I still feel it deserves 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this great book to lovers of memoirs. This one is very educative and inspiring. I also recommend it to readers who like politics. Those who are interested in African history should definitely try it. It is suitable for all audiences and religions.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon