The challenge to the scholars and policy makers against the backdrop of all the identified institutional weaknesses, convoluted identities and poor self images is to aggressively participate in global partnerships, at the same time creating an enabling environment that will nurture the emerging identities. Several questions have been put forward in the book. Chief among these questions is what, in a holistic manner, informs and moulds the East African identity. Is it the shared colonial heritage including the legacy of artificial political borders? Is it a product of ethnicity and/or home locale? Could it be the similarity among the languages within the region? Is it the commonality of the struggle of all the peoples of East Africa to take their place in the global village? Is identity the product of self-actualization or a local response to global pressures? These questions, and many more, were parts of the conversations held during the Nairobi Symposium. Certainly, the book does not provide all the answers to these questions. There is the need for continued study and for serious self-reflection by all of the parties and communities involved in the transition process. Likewise, there is need for communities to forge closer ties at all levels and in all areas both within the region and across the seas. The editors hope that this volume will provide useful reading to students of humanities and social sciences. The book should also be of interest to policy makers involved in transforming the dream of East African Co-operation into a reality. It should be of use to development practitioners as well as NGOs involved in the transition of the three East Africa States. Finally, the editors are grateful to some individuals and institutions that have supported both the International Learning Centre, the Symposium, and the production and publication of this book. The Andrew Mellon Foundation (USA) has generously funded the activities of the Global Partners. We would like to thank the Foundation most sincerely. Prof. Crispus M. Kiamba, Vice viii East Africa in Transition : Images, Institutions and Identities, edited by Judith M. Bahemuka, and Joseph L. Over the past decade, there has been a growing awareness in sub-Sahara Africa that institutions of governance are critical to the achievement of sustainable human development. These institutions also play a crucial role in the promotion of democracy and partnership building in all areas that are essential to the advancement of developmental goals. The International Learning Centre (ILC) at the University of Nairobi, with support from the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) and Kalamazoo College, brought together leading scholars from the Universities of Dar-es-Salaam, Makerere and several Kenyan institutions. These were joined by a group of twenty scholars drawn from the collaborating universities and colleges in the United States of America. East Africa in Transition: Images, Institutions and Identities was the theme of the 2001 Symposium. The goal was to challenge the common thinking about countries undergoing transition, to re-examine the process of change as it occurs in all areas of modern life. Several questions have been put forward in the book. Chief among these questions is what, in a holistic manner, informs and moulds the East African identity. Is it the shared colonial heritage including the legacy of artificial political borders? Is it a product of ethnicity and/or home locale? Could it be the similarity among the languages within the region? Is it the commonality of the struggle of all the peoples of East Africa to take their place in the global village? Is identity the product of self-actualization or a local response to global pressures
