The first part of this three part series about Africa today focused on the historical roots of contemporary problems. I thought it an excellent course which fulfilled all my expectations and more. It included video clips, thought provoking input from the tutor and plenty of discussion. We were encouraged to ask questions, to dig a little deeper and challenge our own misconceptions and prejudices about Africa. The tutor left us with many web sites and book titles to investigate in our own time which I will certainly follow up. I am already looking forward to the second part of the series on the condition of Africa in the post colonial era.