Africa Addio
A screening of 'shockumentary' Africa Addio which depicts the turmoil following the fall of colonialism.
Saturday 25 April 2009, 2pm
NFT1, BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT
A panel discussion with Colin Prescod of the IRR and Mark Goodall, 'mondo' historian, will follow this screening.
Tickets: £5.
Ayoub mzee with sammy Wanjiru
Ayoub mzee with Martin Lel
A screening of 'shockumentary' Africa Addio which depicts the turmoil following the fall of colonialism.
Saturday 25 April 2009, 2pm
NFT1, BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT
A panel discussion with Colin Prescod of the IRR and Mark Goodall, 'mondo' historian, will follow this screening.
Tickets: £5.
Ayoub mzee with sammy Wanjiru
Ayoub mzee with Martin Lel
Lel and Wanjiru are ready to battle again
The Kenyans Martin Lel and Sammy Wanjiru are ready to challenge for title of champion of champions at Flora London Marathon on Sunday (26 April).
Lel, seeking to achieve an unprecedented fourth Flora London Marathon victory on Sunday, summed up the atmosphere with four days to go before the showdown:
"What makes London unique? It's the cream, it can invite the strongest athletes from all over the world and you know that if you win you are the strongest - you become the champion of champions. It's been an unforgettable part of my life."
The Kenyans Martin Lel and Sammy Wanjiru are ready to challenge for title of champion of champions at Flora London Marathon on Sunday (26 April).
Lel, seeking to achieve an unprecedented fourth Flora London Marathon victory on Sunday, summed up the atmosphere with four days to go before the showdown:
"What makes London unique? It's the cream, it can invite the strongest athletes from all over the world and you know that if you win you are the strongest - you become the champion of champions. It's been an unforgettable part of my life."
The memory of last year's epic contest - when Lel, runner-up Wanjiru and the third man home, Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri, sank to their knees shortly after crossing the finish line- has already claimed its niche in athletics history.
On that occasion it was the lanky Lel who produced his trademark finishing kick but his fellow Kenyan Wanjiru gained revenge at the Beijing Olympics later in the year, winning the gold medal with a performance that has a strong claim to be the greatest marathon ever run in a championships. Lel, his preparations hindered by a bout of malaria, finished fifth so this is indeed a re-match in their amicable rivalry.
On that occasion it was the lanky Lel who produced his trademark finishing kick but his fellow Kenyan Wanjiru gained revenge at the Beijing Olympics later in the year, winning the gold medal with a performance that has a strong claim to be the greatest marathon ever run in a championships. Lel, his preparations hindered by a bout of malaria, finished fifth so this is indeed a re-match in their amicable rivalry.
Yet Wanjiru has a warning for any rival on Sunday: "My target is to break the world record and be the world number one. If the pace is good on Sunday, I'll try to break the world record."
Given the manner in which he wore down his rivals to become the first Kenyan man to win the Olympic marathon title, Haile Gebrselassie's world record of 2:03:59 is certainly on the agenda. Pacemakers for the leading group have instructions to run at 2:04:00 tempo, while a second group of pacers will be going for 2:07:30.
Comparing their form in the build-up to London doesn't favour one Kenyan marvel over the other. Wanjiru ran 61:25 for seventh place at the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 22, disappointing for a man who holds the world record for the distance of 58:33, although the 22-year-old emphasises his ability to peak at the right time:
"I wasn't doing speed work at the time, I was concentrating on long distance. If the pace is 61:50 on Sunday, that would be good for me and we could break the world record."
Given the manner in which he wore down his rivals to become the first Kenyan man to win the Olympic marathon title, Haile Gebrselassie's world record of 2:03:59 is certainly on the agenda. Pacemakers for the leading group have instructions to run at 2:04:00 tempo, while a second group of pacers will be going for 2:07:30.
Comparing their form in the build-up to London doesn't favour one Kenyan marvel over the other. Wanjiru ran 61:25 for seventh place at the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 22, disappointing for a man who holds the world record for the distance of 58:33, although the 22-year-old emphasises his ability to peak at the right time:
"I wasn't doing speed work at the time, I was concentrating on long distance. If the pace is 61:50 on Sunday, that would be good for me and we could break the world record."
In contrast, Lel won the Lisbon Half Marathon in 59:56 and after solid preparation in Kenya, unlike the previous year when civil unrest forced him to switch to a training base in Namibia, all seemed to be on schedule. Although he's been troubled by a slight hip injury in recent days, he relishes the pressure of aiming to go one better than the Mexican Dionicio Ceron's hat-trick of wins from 1994 to 1996:
"I know the Flora London Marathon is one of the most competitive races but it's normal for me to have pressure – pressure is actually good for me. I'm ready to go with the pace, especially if my friend Wanjiru tries something, I'll be there."
Such is the quality of the field in London yet again, that the 2007 World Champion Luke Kibet concedes that a fast pace would leave him concentrating on improving his personal best of 2:08:52, set when finishing third in Eindhoven four years ago.
He still has harrowing memories of the unrest in Kenya last year but regained his winning touch at the Singapore Marathon last December. Now recovered from a minor tendon injury, Kibet wants to improve on 11th place in London 12 months ago:
"Last year I ran badly but the weather wasn't good and that didn't suit me. Now I've prepared well and I want to run my personal best in London."
Sunday's race will also be significant for Wanjiru and Lel in the 2008-2009 World Marathon Majors series. Wanjiru leads the men's rankings with 40 points while Lel is third with 26, four adrift of Deriba Merga of Ethiopia, who moved into second place thanks to his splendid victory in the Boston Marathon on Monday.
"I know the Flora London Marathon is one of the most competitive races but it's normal for me to have pressure – pressure is actually good for me. I'm ready to go with the pace, especially if my friend Wanjiru tries something, I'll be there."
Such is the quality of the field in London yet again, that the 2007 World Champion Luke Kibet concedes that a fast pace would leave him concentrating on improving his personal best of 2:08:52, set when finishing third in Eindhoven four years ago.
He still has harrowing memories of the unrest in Kenya last year but regained his winning touch at the Singapore Marathon last December. Now recovered from a minor tendon injury, Kibet wants to improve on 11th place in London 12 months ago:
"Last year I ran badly but the weather wasn't good and that didn't suit me. Now I've prepared well and I want to run my personal best in London."
Sunday's race will also be significant for Wanjiru and Lel in the 2008-2009 World Marathon Majors series. Wanjiru leads the men's rankings with 40 points while Lel is third with 26, four adrift of Deriba Merga of Ethiopia, who moved into second place thanks to his splendid victory in the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Fully funded PhD Studentships
The politics of Ethnic Diversity
Institute for Social Change
Deadline for applications is 11th May 2009
The Institute for Social Change has three fully funded PhD studentships commencing in 2009, covering fees and an annual maintenance stipend of £11,800.
The Institute for Social Change is an interdisciplinary research centre in the School of Social Sciences that offers an outstanding environment in which to study for a PhD. Sociological research at the University of Manchester was ranked joint first in the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise, producing the highest proportion of ‘world leading' research of any UK institution. PhD students will have the opportunity to apply for places on the prestigious Harvard-Manchester graduate summer programme, and may be able to spend time at Harvard in the course of their research project.
We welcome proposals from outstanding candidates for empirical research projects into the causes and consequences of change in contemporary societies, particularly in the areas of inequality, immigration, religion, the workplace and civic engagement.
We are particularly keen to fund projects in The politics of ethnic diversity - the role of context in shaping aspects of political or civic participation of ethnic minority groups or immigrants.
To discuss your proposal, contact the head of postgraduate research, Professor David Voas (http://uk.mc245.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=voas@manchester.ac.uk)
You can apply online at http://www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/howtoapply
For information on how to apply contact Vicky Barnes (http://uk.mc245.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vicky.barnes@manchester.ac.uk).
Website: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/socialchange/
The politics of Ethnic Diversity
Institute for Social Change
Deadline for applications is 11th May 2009
The Institute for Social Change has three fully funded PhD studentships commencing in 2009, covering fees and an annual maintenance stipend of £11,800.
The Institute for Social Change is an interdisciplinary research centre in the School of Social Sciences that offers an outstanding environment in which to study for a PhD. Sociological research at the University of Manchester was ranked joint first in the 2008 UK Research Assessment Exercise, producing the highest proportion of ‘world leading' research of any UK institution. PhD students will have the opportunity to apply for places on the prestigious Harvard-Manchester graduate summer programme, and may be able to spend time at Harvard in the course of their research project.
We welcome proposals from outstanding candidates for empirical research projects into the causes and consequences of change in contemporary societies, particularly in the areas of inequality, immigration, religion, the workplace and civic engagement.
We are particularly keen to fund projects in The politics of ethnic diversity - the role of context in shaping aspects of political or civic participation of ethnic minority groups or immigrants.
To discuss your proposal, contact the head of postgraduate research, Professor David Voas (http://uk.mc245.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=voas@manchester.ac.uk)
You can apply online at http://www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/howtoapply
For information on how to apply contact Vicky Barnes (http://uk.mc245.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vicky.barnes@manchester.ac.uk).
Website: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/socialchange/
