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5th November I watched ‘la Haine’ a movie about Migrants in France. It’s interesting to see how they barely have any rights. I watched it in French without any subtitles so all I grasped was the little understanding of French that I have. What appalled me most was the fact that they do not seem to have any rights concerning what happens to them when they get arrested, and the fact that the French police seemed to terrorize them whenever they were caught. When two of the guys (Said & Hubert) were arrested, it did not seem like there was any hope for them as there was no lawyer to bail them out, and so the only option was to escape from jail after all that torture they had been through. The boys in the story were enraged because of a friend of theirs who had been killed by the police. They had a desire to find justice and justice they thought they would achieve if only they grabbed a hold of guns. At the end of the movie one of them gets killed accidently by a police man who was seemingly threatening him with a gun. It ends with Hubert killing the policeman. But one wonders, has justice been served? How can migrants integrate or assimilate in a society that is seemingly far removed from their own? And should migrants have rights? If so who should enforce these rights? This question may be problematic in France where migrants are becoming a problem. In My ‘Migration and Refugees in International relations’ class, we discuss citizenship, in-groups, and out-groups a lot in the context of migration. As a colleague beautifully summarized, “For yesterday's class we read a chapter from political theorist Bonnie Honig's book Democracy and the Foreigner. The chapter dealt with the love-hate relationship Americans have with immigrants. On the one hand, we have the myth of an America founded on the sheer grit and virtue of immigrants and on the other, we have the view of an "invasion" of "illegals" who steal jobs, form isolated enclaves where "un-American" ideals are fostered, and generally ruin the country for the native-born. Immigrants are seen as both integral to the greatness of America and as a possible force for its undoing. When this tension between xenophilia and xenophobia tilts in the latter direction, as happens during times of economic hardships and war, the "natives" of a country come more rigidly to draw the line between "us" and "them" even when "they" are native-born or have been in the country for years. In circling the wagons, people draw dangerously on insufficient or flawed understandings of that "other" that fuel hatred.”

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1st November Research organization method and why it fits my research writer personality. AS a person am inclined to want to have everything make sense for me to be able to do it. As a researcher I like to have some form of organization. Before I write down a paper or come up with one, I make a kind of diagram with topics of books I have to read, criticisms I need to come up with, arguments I might raise and peer advice concerning the topic, then I spend a few weeks filling in the diagram. At some point in the process there happens a click and at that point I start to write, whether it be my introduction or argument section or conclusion I just write. And when that is exhausted, I go back to the practicalities of searching and keep feeding my paper. This goes on until I come up with a paper, I have a friend who has been through law school and I tend to peer- review with her most of the time which has often worked out well for me. This works well for me because it makes sense but also there is a kind of form to it that I can always come back to. I know where am at as I write down during my brainstorming moments, I can see how far I have gone in the research and I am aware of what I am doing because every day I look at it and see where am stuck, or whether I need to redirect my path.

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31st October The last two days I have had a Yemeni dinner and a Halloween party both with discussions on politics and human rights, the idea that they are inextricably linked came up. I have often taken myself to be one not interested in politics and not having a desire to talk about it. The word has bad connotations for me and today when we talked about it, it appeared that being a Human rights lawyer or activist I am not going to avoid the concept of politics. Maybe the term should be changed ‘the exercise of power’ sounds better. It is this, that causes refugees, and yes it fails human beings in the area of rights. Someone wondered how I could be involved with human rights and not have any political views. I guess it is at such times when I realize I do have political views but then I cannot be bothered to discuss them. Why? I Ask myself, what happens when I share my politic views? nothing will change. How do my views matter at all, and what is point of discussing things that we cannot change? But then I remember that my dreams are to make a difference in the small possible way and when I share my thoughts and views maybe then I can blend in with others who share the same views and create some kind of movement for change, that is probably how everyone else who made a difference, made one. So yes I need to start sharing my views and speaking about what I believe in. I am of the idea that politics has a lot to do with moral values in a practical sense, it is the greed and the selfishness in mankind that corrupts politics and it is morality that creates human rights. The two are linked in more ways than one. Been reading Bernard Levy again, since the time we had to listen to his speech in class I have been more and more captivated by his ideologies and I think like him, ‘I have the writers need for secrecy. I like secrets , compartmentalize a great deal and there are areas of my life that do not communicate’ ‘I tend to watch what I say and say certain things and not others, there are areas of my ideas am very uncomfortable sharing – am not yet sure why but just maybe as I keep writing I may find out why? And it is true for me, as I keep writing I find out what why I don’t want to share some things and why things make and do not make sense. So maybe writing is doing me some good after all.

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1st October Received an email with a video about how Obama is destroying America by promoting gay rights- one wonders why he should be criticized so? Before Obama became President, homosexuals were already advocating for rights, some states had already legalized gay marriages, now Obama is being accused of promoting gay rights by the evangelical Christians. I wonder why we Christians are so engrossed in accusing Obama, he has been in power for a few months and we have backstabbed him. It seems to me that evangelicals have intertwined the church and state. In the same video Obama was being likened to Tony Blair as being charming, persuasive and likeable and because of that he is going to ruin America and make it an anti God country like Tony Blair did to England. I strongly believe that a state can be founded on Christian values and principles but it can never be what everyone in that state believes in. We are individuals and people should have the freedom to choose, does not Christianity base its belief on a free will? In light of homosexuality and abortion, these are issues that people make individual choices about, no matter how illegal they become; human beings will always find a way around things. Euthanasia is illegal in England but people will fly to Belgium, The Netherlands and or Switzerland to do it.

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30th September Read the ICESCR Article 10(3) which provides that states should employ / set age limits below which the paid employment of child labor should be prohibited and punishable by law. Reflecting on those little girls selling jewelry at such a young instead of going to school. It's interesting how we easily let things, important ones at that just slip through. That we are so aware of cracks in the system, but its often our selfish ends that are accomplished as some pay the price.

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29th September Had my second day training at the CMRS library, role played with Jesse the Old librarian on helping students search for books and e-journals. What has struck me has been how much information is available for students in the library. Last year I did not know all this and how I wish someone had been there to walk us through it. I see how important it is to be knowledgeable and surely ignorance is not bliss, knowledge is power and a lot safer. Just started working on my moot court case for the public law class and slept late last night reading through statutes, charters and treaties. So much to read reference and articulate. Am trying o develop a critical mind. How can I defend a country I don’t believe in? Talking with Efe helped me understand that a 'good lawyer should believe in everything and nothing all at the same time,that logic prevails over categorical imperative (The moral principle behind this is behavior determined by duty) So maybe Industria just might win this case at the ICJ! Keep fingers crossed for me

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28th September Had my first library training today with Jesse at CMRS, I love that I am going to have so much accessible to me and I am hoping that I can use it well. I enjoyed the ILLIAD library program and E journal sources system. Learned cataloguing Grey Files, Libguide search systems. I hope that I can master all this so that I can be helpful to library users which Is really my responsibility as the librarian. We had our IHRl 511 class on Skype today, I thought it was a brilliant idea and yet the internet was a menace. I impressed at how patient Dr. Korhonen was with the system, even when we l kept getting cut off and not hearing clearly. It was such an interesting experience and people were extremely cooperative. I found it helpful although reading what kind students were typing for the rest of us who could not hear clearly. On the whole what stood out for me was when she expressed that using our daily life encounters as sources for writing is one of the ways we can build our writing skills. It makes so much sense now as I reflect on what I have experienced or heard people say and how much of that I can use in my writing, I often misunderstood good writing to be based on research rather than what I encounter in my life as an individual and how my attitudes values and background form what I write about.

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27th September We left Sinai at about 3pm and the journey was relatively comfortable, the drive cheated us and the Egyptians on the bus were so mad at him, one even got furious and even wanted to fight with him. He dumped as way out of where he said he would drop us off. It was a very enlightening gesture to have people on our bus take interest in the fact that we were not being treated right. I find that every time I experience Egyptians there are a whole range of views. This was very kind; I saw them in a different light and starting to realize that it would be wrong to judge people from a onetime experience. The last year I was here, I did not have that opportunity, I had tailored trips which AUC organized and then the one we took to Dahab we had our own car pick us up from the apartment. So I was detached from the locals and viewed them from stories I had from others and a few harassment experiences I encountered.

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25th September Last night we left Cairo with the same click I went with to Khan Khalili for Tarabin village in Sinai. It’s very nice out here, no pollution and the Red Sea is amazing, spent the afternoon swimming and drunk so much of the salty water that has made my throat coarse. This afternoon as we sat out on the beach. Two Bedouin sisters’ ages about 12 and 9 years walked up to us, selling jewelry they make with their mother. Their job is to sell it to tourists and anyone else who wants to buy it. My heart went out to them. These girls do not attend school and have no thought of doing it, they know that their life’s work is to trade and one day be married off. They have rights, but who fights for them? Am not sure about the Egyptian policies on education but I am going to do my best to find out. I know Uganda introduced Universal primary education where everyone from the age of 5 to 12 goes to primary school for free. I hope that the Egyptian government can exercise that and that girls will have an opportunity to get some kind of education.

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22nd September Went to Khan Khalili with three of my West African friends, it was such an interesting evening. The guys seemed so uninterested in doing anything and just when we were able to find what we wanted, the scarfs were so expensive and it was ridiculous that someone wanted to sell us one scarf for 300le. Everywhere we went people yelled, ‘where are you from questions?” for some reason am sure they mean well but it kind of gets a bit irritating as that’s the question I have to face every single day I get out of my flat. I did the personality test and I turned out to be an INTJ which I find fitting. The professions in social science that the test came up with were Law and librarian. And true to that those are the two things that best suit me, apart from my undying desire to be a writer and do it for a living. I love the intensity of Law, am hoping I can excel and acquire all the knowledge I need to be a good Human rights lawyer. I just got a library job, working as a Library specialist for the CMRS library. It’s exciting for me as there is so much resource available to me for my research. I have training in a few days and am looking forward to it.

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21st September Today I decided to watch Entourage, a TV series I have become addicted to. Spent the evening at Beanos because for some reason there is no internet in my apartment, a starting to get wary of calling the DSL people as everything seems to be so bureaucratic. You would think that the Computer age would make things and systems better than they used to, it only seems to make things a little bit more complicated. Or maybe it is us humans who want to make things much complicated that they really are. I spent the evening taking lemon mint drinks at Beanos, love it! Did some of my reading and typing there. It’s such a nice warm and cozy café that I find refreshing, different air from being locked up in my apartment all day long. The waiters seem a lot more friendly and honest compared to Cilantro which is only a few blocks away. Is it that the managerial policies are different or is it that the temperate of the place determines how the waiters treat customers? I finally decided to attend the Evangelical church behind Mogamma where my Landlords have invited me to. I enjoyed it, still the same stares, I might as well get used to them. The struggle was listening to the sermon on the headphones which had the English version of the sermon. I knew that the interpreter was not translating word for word that put me off. It was not making as much sense as I thought it would if she did not let some words pass. My motivation therefore to learn Arabic. On my way to the church I did the most un-lady like thing, a group of about six Arab boys walk up to me while I waited to cross the road. One of them came right in front of my face- in my space and starting saying things about my color. I lost it, putting in mind that I had faced enough this week I decided to slowly take my earphones off, looking at him straight in the eyes, raised my hand and slapped him. He ran so fast and I can’t even remember what happened to his friends, they kind of just disappeared. The moment I did that I felt un-lady like and wondered whether it was the right thing to do. Yet am sure emotions overrode logic today. Maybe it was just fine after all.

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19th September Scars, marks, after a whole the pain will go, the wounds will heal, but the scars, they remain. Some fade, disappearing into tanning skin but there are those that remain, they remind you of what was. And life is like that, so many cracks, pains and struggles, but the wounds should not be a hindrance, in spite of them I will keep climbing. No matter what it takes I have to move. I have had an appetite since I came to Egypt and I realize that am starting to cook for emergency purpose, for the times when I find myself extremely hungry and I have no energy to get something to eat ASAP.

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12th September We had the Law Students Association Faluka ride today; it was beautiful seeing the sights of Cairo from the Nile at night. We were a bunch of foreigners and no Egyptian well is sure there was one Egyptian born and raised in America. It’s always interesting being in a University in Egypt with no locals in my class. I wonder what implications this has, on the university and the country?

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10th September Went to Natalie’s Iftar, Sudanese, Americans, Canadians, English, Ethiopians, and Egyptians filled the boat house, such lovely people too. It’s always nice to meet a group of warm people in the midst of the harshness of Cairo. MG came over with her boyfriend, she is not the Assistant Director at AMERA, and she gave me such a boost when I told her I was thinking about working for AMERA and doing an internship. She suggested that it was a good idea and would most likely turn into a job especially if I am in Cairo for a long time. Met an African American From St. Thomas and he shared much about what he had expected coming to African but has been disillusioned by being in Egypt as a country in Africa and how African descent people are treated as foreigners. Being African and raised in Africa, I do not spend time focusing on racism as an issue, I have faced it but have learned to ignore it and move on. It is different for African Americans, African Brits and even Nubians in Egypt. I think it is because in many ways they face it in a place that to them is home without an option, I have faced it in countries not my own. I have to learn to not judge them because I started to feel like,’ please move on it will always be there’ but that is not being sensitive to the issue on their hearts. So am trying so hard to view it from the perspective of them searching for what they call home and being accepted in that place called home.

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9th September Went out with my roommate to a typical traditional Egyptian café In Horreya (Café Baladi) my Italian roommate has a wealth of Egyptian friends that I would otherwise have never met, if I had never met her. Being at AUC is a good thing although it keeps one away from the locals. The cultures and races are diverse that we end up mixing with the foreigners because we seem to share the same ideas and thoughts about being a country not our own. At this Café, Local celebrities hang out, music bands and ordinary Egyptians. Of course being black I drew much attention, An Arab man in a Galabiya smoking shisha called out to me ‘Idi Amin” I wondered how on earth he had found out where I was from. Later I realized that my roommate told this one person who kept telling everyone else who asked where I had fallen out from and in a short while I was the Ugandan in the place. It’s interesting how people associate Uganda to Idi Amin, makes me wonder whether that’s all we are known for? Bad stuff? Maybe it’s time to change our face.

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8th September Had my first class, I am hoping I can excel in my writing skills. The professor seems really positive and it’s often good to have someone who has experience in the field, Am looking forward to learning everything from her. She also sounds like an optimistic person and am glad I am taking that class cause optimism is what I need right now. Leaving for Katameya desert w here the New campus is, every time I have been I get sick, the heat must be too intense for me, and the journey there is a bit hectic too especially when the traffic is heavy. Also this increase my eczema and am coming to the realization that I may never be able to work in Sudan- a country and place I have always wanted to work and live in. Tiidy a lady I met at AUC, who had lived and worked there, said the heat is so great that once she saw a candle being sold in the market place light up by the strength of the heat. The sun has a terrible effect on me; I get crazy headaches and gag. My desire to be there is slowly fading as a result of how the heat affects my skin. The eczema I have at the moment from the heat of Egypt is beyond what I can handle right now. So for now I will let that dream rest. Am learning to ignore the harassment on the street. Naseem and I went to El Borsa for the evening, people stare at me like I just fell out of space. Someone them literally top and just look. I always thought staring was rude, but it does not seem to be the case in Cairo. I found the lemon mint drink very nice! I hope I can learn to make it for myself. I just need a substitute for sugar.