Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders Publishes New Book on Nigeria

Africa. The second largest and second most populous Continent in the world. Throughout history, many have been fascinated by the vast array of cultures and cultural practices of this great Continent. Hoping to share valuable insight, appreciation, and awareness of endangered African sign and symbols systems specifically Nigeria's Uli practice, Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders publishes a new book, titled The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria.

Dr. Sanders, having lived in Africa for several years, was always struck by the ancestral, socio-historical and educational aspects of certain African cultural practices, especially languages, artifacts, and sign and symbol systems from the Ovahimba in Namibia and Pygmies in Congo, to the Horom, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Fulani of Nigeria. Her experiences on the Continent made her appreciate each and every culture and "its information systems," which in the end she called "communication expressions."

"I truly believe that in order to understand and appreciate someone or another nation, one has to begin to respect and learn about their culture or their system - as everything is a system, and a perspective on life and the world we live in together," states Sanders. "Hence, human cultural communication (one of lectures that I give on FEEEDS issues), I believe is how nations and people can better understand each other."

The book follows eight extraordinary Nigerian women in the December phase of their lives as they try to preserve the meanings of their endangered sign, symbol, and motif system called Uli. Uli is an acknowledgement of their Igbo history, culture and ancestors. Sanders agrees with others scholars who posit that non-text, non-oral forms of communication expressions such as Nigeria's Uli, and other sign and symbol systems throughout the world, particularly in Africa, are just as important or "viable" as the written word and their meanings should be respected and preserved. Endangered cultural practices, like Uli, are just as important to protect as endangered languages as a symbiotic relationship exists between the two.

The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria is a uniquely groundbreaking work. It does not discuss, or view African signs and symbols as art or designs for contemporary clothes or jewelry, but stresses that they communicate. It also argues that world signs and symbol systems like Uli should be included as an area of study within the communication and information system academic field, which she recommends be called "communication expressions" since these systems do communicate the socio-historical aspects of a culture.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com, http://www.blogitrrs.blogspot.com or http://www.ambassadorrobinreneesanders.com.

About the Author
Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders owns FE3DS, LLC, and is also founder of the FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative, which works on economic development and business strategies for Africa. Prior to this, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to several countries (Nigeria and Republic of Congo) and U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization ECOWAS. As an academic while serving in the U.S. Diplomatic Service, Dr. Sanders was the International Affairs Advisor and Deputy Commander of the Eisenhower National Resource College - one of the U.S. military's premier institutions at the National Defense University - where she also taught International Affairs, National Security Strategies and African Studies. Ambassador Sanders served twice as Africa Director at the National Security Council at the White House, and has a range of foreign affairs, public policy, and analytical experience. A noted international lecturer, Dr. Sanders is a Visiting Scholar under the Woodrow Wilson Fellows Program and at Nigeria's National Defense College, and also serves on U.S. EXIM Bank and the U.S. Trade Representative Africa Advisory Committees. Sanders has expertise in African economic and business development, election and democratic processes, food security, education, and the environment and is a distinguished member of the U.S. National Society of Collegiate Scholars for her leadership, academic work, and public service, and recipient of the Medal of Honor from the President of the Republic of Congo.

The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria * by Dr. Robin Renee Sanders
Their Life Stories in Signs, Symbols, and Motifs
Publication Date: November 11, 2013
Picture Book; $131.99; 250 pages; 978-1-4836-7921-1
Picture Book Hardcover; $141.99; 250 pages; 978-1-4836-7922-8
eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4836-7923-5

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