Review of A Dream For Peace

Mayang Bature · Post by **Mayang Bature** » 01 Dec 2022, 11:16

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]

5 out of 5 stars

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A Dream for Peace is a memoir that begins with one man's desire for knowledge and ends with his great contribution to his country and people. The author, Dr. Ghoulem Berrah, was born in a small Algerian town during a period when Algerians were colonized as they fought for independence.

As a child, he adored his mother, who was always there for him. Dr. Berrah encountered adversity throughout his life. After losing his mother, he was jailed alongside Antoinette, a woman from Cote d'Ivoire who later became his first wife. Since he was in Morocco to aid the citizens, his time in prison did not deter him from pursuing peace. He worked as a doctor and a veterinarian while studying for a law degree, which he had to abandon in order to study and become a scientist at the University of Indiana, where he had to learn English. Before returning home, he worked on important projects with Nobel laureates. He had returned to Côte d'Ivoire to work with President Houphouët-Boigny. Later in life, he met the love of his life but was unable to marry her at first because he was a divorced man and they were of different faiths.

His friendship with President Houphouët-Boigny grew stronger as they collaborated. On the road to peace, they grew increasingly invested in their mutual objective of serving their people, particularly in their interactions with the cocoa trade between Algeria and Cote d'Ivoire.

One thing I loved about Dr. Berrah was how he utilized his power to interfere in situations where peace was threatened in African countries, despite religious differences between his wife and him. There is a moral here: regardless of your position or religious affiliation, you owe it to the least fortunate members of your community. Dr. Berrah recognized this earlier, which made him oversee the construction of a church and a mosque in Côte d'Ivoire.

For me, the most interesting aspect of the story was when he went on a pilgrimage with his wife to Jerusalem and observed the beliefs and laws of the land. His story is a thorough journey that describes his experience with education and how he used it as a tool to change the world, beginning with Africa.

Nelson Mandela once stated, "Education is the most effective weapon you can employ to change the world." The story of Dr. Ghoulem Berrah is living proof of that remark. If you want to change the world, don't sit still. Follow the urge to be educated, become active, and partner with like-minded folks to accomplish that change. You are not too small to make a difference.

The descriptive component of this narrative was so detailed that you felt like you were traveling alongside the author through all of his journeys and adventures. While reading, I saw no errors or obscene terms, indicating that this book was professionally edited. However, there were words in foreign languages without meanings that left me perplexed. Regardless, I give this book a rating of five out of five stars. The aforementioned flaw did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

This book will be most appreciated by activists, law students, educators, and historians. There are several references in here that can be used to assist people in these professions in achieving effective change.

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A Dream For Peace
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