Review of A Dream For Peace

Brown_Sucre · Post by **Brown_Sucre** » 07 Sep 2022, 16:51

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

4 out of 4 stars

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In his early twenties, Berrah decided to become an activist due to his upbringing in a colonized country and his daily exposure to prejudice. He had worked to establish numerous activist organizations at the time, including the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), the General Union of Algerian Muslim Students (UGEMA), and many others, while studying medicine in Bordeaux. Berrah joined MLA after leaving his homeland as a result of circumstances. He advocated for an Algerian student scholarship in America before enrolling at Indiana University to further his education. Along with leading DNA medical research, he later assumed a diplomatic position with Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the president of Côte d'Ivoire, and risked his life to advance peace. He later collaborated with the PLO and the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (ICIPP), among other groups. To find a mechanism to bring Israeli and Palestinian delegates to the negotiating table for peace talks, he sat in think tanks alongside people like General Peled and Dr. Isam Sartawi. As an envoy for the peace talks between Israel and Palestine, he traveled to religious places, including Mecca and the Vatican. He also made a concerted effort to foster a climate of respect and collaboration among those who practice other religions.

The informative and historically informed memoir, A Dream for Peace, by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah about a career in international diplomacy, makes a sincere appeal for peace. Berrah is precise with details, capturing a sweeping view of twentieth-century history via his perspective while writing with the mindset of an optimist focused on the broader picture. The book explains how Berrah became active in activism, how French invaders obliterated Algeria's history, and how he made the move from science to politics. It also includes documentation of encounters with world leaders, including Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro, the history of the Biafra War, and other events.

I enjoyed how vividly and precisely the locations in the novel were described. I was intrigued and drawn in by how Berrah's experiences were described. The text, although primarily made up of generalizations and clichés, was also quite conversational and quenched my hunger for knowledge. The book's chapters were laid out and easy to follow, and they included images that occasionally helped to make the author's narration clear.

Although Berrah's writing style is quite thorough, at some point it got too much and slowed down the story. Often, the author's socially embedded discourse gave more attention to the larger world than it did to Berrah. This was a little annoying.

I gave the book four out of four stars because of its superb editing; in my assertion, the problem I had with it did not warrant taking away a star from the rating. I advise anyone intrigued by world history to make this pick.

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A Dream For Peace
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