WAMU 88.5 : The Diane Rehm Show

Filed Under:

Kofi Annan: "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace"

September 6, 2012
comments

Kofi Annan served two terms as secretary-general to the United Nations beginning in 1997. He was the first sub-Saharan African to lead the international body. In March he stepped out of retirement to take on what many called "mission impossible" -- trying to resolve the conflict in Syria. But his six-point peace plan fell apart and he resigned as special envoy last month. In a new book, Kofi Annan reflects on his successes and failures during 40 years with the U.N. and argues for the U.N.'s continued relevance in the 21st century.

Related Video

Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary-general and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, talked about how his childhood and family background prepared him for a life of diplomacy. Annan said he realized political change was possible while growing up in Ghana during the country's independence movement. He described his father as strict and stoic. "[He] stressed character," Annan said about his father. "That character trumped everything. That you had to know what is right and what is wrong."

Read An Excerpt

Excerpted from INTERVENTIONS by Kofi Annan with Nader Mousavizadeh. Reprinted by arrangement with The Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. Copyright (c) Kofi A. Annan, 2012.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Book News: Kim Jong Un Reportedly Gave 'Mein Kampf' As Gifts

Also: The folly of marathon readings; Tom Wolfe has a new book; VICE apologizes for tasteless photo spread.

Food

WAMU 88.5

After Four Years Of Fighting, D.C. Council Approves New Rules For Food Trucks

The new rules create a long-awaited regulatory framework for what has become a popular and industry made up of over 150 food trucks.

Politics

WAMU 88.5

Virginia Democrats Seek To Chip Away At Republican Majority In House of Delegates

Thirteen first-time Democratic candidates said yesterday that they hoped to unseat Northern Virginia Republicans as part of a plan to get closer to a majority in the House of Delegates.

Technology

NPR

U.S. Automakers Are On A Roll, But Hiring Is Slow And Steady

Profits for the nation's carmakers are on the rise, but after years of doing more with less, higher profits are unlikely to translate into significant numbers of new jobs. There are eight fewer plants and hundreds of thousands fewer workers in the industry than before the Great Recession.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.