Register here by 24 September 2024
STIAS Artist-in-Residence Godfrey Mwampembwa, graphic journalist and independent editorial cartoonist, animator and TV producer from Kenya will present a public lecture with the title:
The Martyr: A Graphic Comic Novel
Abstract: Since the mid-2000s, the East Africa region has witnessed a troubling rise in youth radicalization, primarily driven by extremist groups like Al Shabaab, which has connections to global terror organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS. The Coast region of Kenya which comprises of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu Counties, is the main reason for Kenya’s geo-political influence in East and Central Africa. However, the region has lagged behind economically and in terms of access to quality education.
For a region that depends mainly on tourism for its economic revenues, Kwale County specifically, has suffered heavy losses in recent times as a result of terror attacks throughout the 2010s and from the effects of COVID-19 from 2020.
Drawing from personal experiences and a deep-rooted understanding of East African coast’s communities. The Martyr, A graphic Novel will zoom-in on Kwale county specifically and unravels the complex web connecting social-economic inequality, marginalization, radicalization and violent extremism. It intends to interrogate the existing narratives on radicalization and drivers of Violence extremism. The Martyr traces the story of a fictional character Bakari Mwagoza, a young Kenyan man who joins the Al Shabaab, travels to Somalia for training and returns to Kenya with the sole aim of bombing one of Nairobi’s prominent shopping malls to become a martyr.
Lots of reports in the media and research tend to define and describe the majority of young people from communities affected by radicalization and violent extremism from a single and narrow dimension. In addition, there has been a blanket view and occasional over-emphasis (by the media and different reports) on the role of marginalization in the recruitment of young people on the East African coast.
Bio: Cartoonist Godfrey Mwampembwa, a.k.a Gado was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August 6, 1969. Gado is a graphic journalist and independent editorial cartoonist, animator and TV producer, His works have been published in the The EastAfrican Standard and Daily Nation (Kenya), Le Monde and Courrier International (France), Deutsche Welle (Germany), The Continent (Jo’burg), among others.
He is the Co-Founder of Buni Media, an independent multi-media company based in Nairobi. A Classical Animator from Vancouver Film school, Gado is a creator and producer of the weekly satirical puppet show, The XYZ SHOW, which has been running on Kenya TV networks since 2009.
Gado is a 2007 Prince Claus Laureate. He is also a winner of Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Lifetime Achievement Award In Journalism in 2018. Gado is a recipient of the prestigious Cartoon for Peace 2016 International Editorial Cartoon Award. In 2011 Gado was among 12 extraordinary leaders to receive a Visionaries Award from Ford Foundation for their innovative efforts on the frontlines of key social issues. In 2014 and 2016, Gado was named as one of the 100 most influential people in Africa by one of Africa’s leading publication, NewAfrican. In May 2022, Gado was awarded with Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of the Arts and letters), by the French Government.
Gado is a member of Cartoonists Rights Network (CRN), Cartoonist For Peace and Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and a 2016 Bellagio Fellow.
