ABOUT

About Mwahaki King: 

Mwahaki King is by profession a policy analyst and international programming specialist, with experience in university administration and international student programming. She holds a master's degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, where she focused on the administrative inner workings of international organizations such as The United Nations and European Union, as well as the thematic issues of socioeconomic development in The Caribbean and foreign policy in the Middle East.

Ms. King has professional experience working with non-profits on development issues, and with universities and high schools on administration, admissions, and international student programming. She is comfortable working in dynamic, fast-paced multi-cultural environments and able to multitask efficiently. She works well both independently or as part of a team. 

Ms. King also has several years of experience in bookselling & publishing. She has served as an Advisor for the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA). She is deeply passionate about reading and the transformative power of books to impact people's lives in a positive way. This passion has given her extensive knowledge of frontlist and backlist titles in the following genres: Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Children's Illustrated. 

Ms. King also works on freelance projects as a Photographer, GIS Mapping Specialist, Book Reviewer, Copywriter, and Copy Editor. Literary recommendations she has provided to magazines and news outlets, samples of the maps she has made using ArcGIS software, articles she has written, and a portfolio of her photography can all be found on this website. References are available upon request.

Valentine’s Day Reading: A Review of Josie Silver’s “One Day in December”

Now you may be wondering why I would recommend a book for Valentine’s Day if it has December in the title, but trust me Josie Silver’s debut novel is full of enough charm, realism and tender moments to melt even the iciest hearts this Valentine’s Day. Across London, Scotland, Bali and Australia, we follow the friendship and foibles of Laurie, Jack and Sarah for almost ten years. While the central story is an emotional connection between Laurie and Jack with the romantic fervour to rival Love Actually; “One Day in December” is so much more than a simple love story. It is a highly relatable tale of one’s twenties, wherein Silver expertly addresses the themes of friendship, change and overall turbulence the decade carries in shaping the people we become.

Saving South Asia: How the Negative Effects of Climate Change in South Asia Will Create Some of the Greatest Security Challenges of the Twenty-First Century

Mwahaki King

Spring 2015

B.A. Diplomacy and World Affairs || Occidental College

M.A. Law and Diplomacy ||  The Fletcher School, Tufts University 

Saving South Asia: How the Negative Effects of Climate Change in South Asia Will Create Some of the Greatest Security Challenges of the Twenty-First Century

Background

This paper proceeds from the assumption that addressing the effects of climate change in South Asia will be one of the greatest but also one of the most important challenges of the twenty first century. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), temperatures are predicted to rise worldwide by 0.6 to 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st Century. Specifically for South Asia, the temperature is expected to rise on average by 3.3 degrees (Celsius) but could reach a maximum of 4.7 degrees (Celsius).Temperature rises on the Tibetan Plateau have already started glacial retreats in the Himalayas. Furthermore, these increased temperatures will have a profound effect on sea levels. Sea levels are expected to rise between 0.18 and 0.59 meters, and that is without taking into account the possible rapid changes from ice flows. The IPCC predicts that the cities of Thatta and Badin in Sindh, Pakistan will be entirely submerged by 2025. Today, sea level rises have already submerged low-lying islands in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Sundarbans in Bengal. The Sundarbans is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, covering approximately 10,000 square kilometers and thousands of people have already been displaced due to increased sea levels. This information provides the statistical foundation for the progression of this paper. 

Restorative Justice, Gender and the National Psyche: A Review of Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa

Mwahaki King

Autumn 2015

B.A. Diplomacy and World Affairs || Occidental College

M.A. Law and Diplomacy ||  The Fletcher School, Tufts University 

Restorative Justice, Gender and the National Psyche: A Review of Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa 

Antjie Krog’s Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgeiveness in the New South Africa, is a searing literary and psychological analysis of the complex nature of the apartheid system in South Africa. As a renowned poet and journalist, Krog expertly weaves prose and poetry with her journalistic coverage and personal experiences to examine the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa. Krog also insightfully brings the notion of gender into her analysis, a feature that is often lacking in examinations of South Africa’s TRC. 

Protoje’s Powerful New Single - Blood Money

“Come take a look inna Jamaica, injustice in the place. If what you see nuh really faze you, then you ah di problem weh we face too.”- Protoje

Video Source: Protoje’s YouTube Channel | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYZo7CbLJjjfEOqYwknzzow

If you are Jamaican or have any ties to the country, you’ll know that it has been a harrowing time for the nation recently. Despite its reputation, Jamaica has been anything but paradise in the past months as the tropical isle is once again being choked by the vice-like grip of crime and violence. Now, high levels of crime and violence are hardly a new phenomenon for the country. According to the United Nations, Jamaica had the highest murder rate globally in 2005 and it remains one of the highest today[1]. 

Violent elements of the nation’s history are seen in “Blood Money” with references to the Tivoli Incursion of 2010[2] and the long-standing institutionalized nature of corruption through patronage politics[3]. Historically, such political corruption has cost Jamaica approximately US$18 billion[4]. However, although high levels crime and violence are not new, this does not make them acceptable. Furthermore, crime and violence should not be allowed to spiral out of control unchallenged. As Protoje states, “If you build it pon crime then crime will haffi find you, and that’s how it’s been always. That nuh frustrate you like it do to me?”

It should be said that while violent crime levels in Jamaica were higher than others with a similar per capita profile, they were on the decline nationally until recently. Now, there is a different atmosphere in the air. The general lawlessness, not to mention the elevated abduction and murder of women and girls has struck a chord with the populace. The volatile situation has inspired small scale protests and widespread fear throughout the island. 

Moreover, while the situation in Jamaica is alarming; violence, political corruption and socioeconomic stratification are not solely Jamaican issues. As such, Protoje’s single “Blood Money” could not have come at a more appropriate time. Its articulate depiction of the current state of affairs in the country and its call for change are sure to resonate with concerned Jamaicans, reggae aficionados and contemporary viewers of global politics alike.

A Delight for Both Bibliophiles and Music Lovers: Mitch Albom's The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Image Source: Mwahaki King Photography

Well, Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven) has captured our hearts and imaginations once again! This time with his latest novel, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. The story is narrated by the talent, Music, as it recaps the life one of its favorite prodigies, Frankie Presto. We follow Frankie, orphaned after a tumultuous birth in war-stricken Francoist Spain, as he is mentored by an elderly blind guitar teacher until turmoil and danger force the teacher to send Frankie away to America at nine years old, with nothing but a guitar. Frankie soon learns that when he plays the guitar in dire circumstances, the strings turn blue, and his music can change and even save lives. 

Winter Staple | Jobedu Hoodies

Image Source: Mwahaki King Photography

For today, I am discussing the Jobedu clothing line that I learned about while I was in Jordan. I was studying Arabic at the University of Jordan in Amman when some friends told me about this quirky store in Jabal Weibdeh that sold fun and interesting clothes that embodied the city’s growing youth culture. I had complimented the T-Shirt that one of my friends was wearing at the time; a black shirt adorned with the phrase “Parental Advisory: Jordanian Content”, and the conversation flowed from there. A few days later, a group of us were walking down the white cobbled streets of Jabal Weibdeh heading towards the Jobedu store. The buildings around us were all a similar blend of limestone and cement with a view of Downtown Amman in the distance, but we managed to find the store with ease. Outside, the powerful afternoon sun illuminated the streets, casting its light on roadside Nescafe and Tea vendors; but it left the Jobedu store in shadow making it difficult to see what lay inside. I pushed open the glass door and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I was enthralled by the brightly coloured fabrics that lined the walls from the floor to the ceiling.