Name
Jonah, James O. C (Interviewee)
Weiss, Thomas G. (Thomas George), 1946- (Interviewer)
Title
Oral history interview with James O. C. Jonah, 2001
Abstract
Early life: Born and raised in Sierra Leone; Suez Canal Crisis leads to interest in international politics Education: Trained in classics, Lincoln University, Joint M.A. International Relations Boston University and Harvard University; PhD Harvard University; Friedrich Fellow; Met George Padmore and Kwame Nkrumah, Career: Secretary General of Sierra Leone Independence Movement (SLIM), United Nation s, Office of Research and Collection of Information; Office of Personnel, Office of the Secretary General, and Assignments in the Middle East and Somalia. Themes: World War II; decolonization; anti-colonialism; African and black experience in the United States; Sierra Leona independence; Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld; United Nations (UN) anti-intellectualism; African nationalism; internationalism; Soviet Union and United States (U.S.) relations; relationship of G-77 and the Economic Commission of Latin America (ECLA) to U.S.; U.S. opposition to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); U.S. relations with Middle East; New International Economic Order (NIEO); global negotiations; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) relationship to UN; international civil service; UN conferences; Secretary-General U Thant; Secretary-General Pérez de Cuéllar; Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali; UN appointments; Kassebaum amendment; UN research; Nyere Commission; end of Communism; human rights; development and security; reminiscences of Somalia coup; and U.S. relationship to U.N.
Collection Name
United Nations intellectual history project (UNIHP)
Subjects
Decolonization--History--20th century; Anti-imperialist movements--History--20th century.--Africa; African Americans--Social conditions; Nationalism--Africa; Non-governmental organizations; Sierra Leone Officials and employees; Sierra Leone Politics and government 1961-; Somalia Politics and government 1960-1991; Jonah, James O. C; United Nations Officials and employees; United Nations. Economic Commission for Latin America; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; United Nations. Secretary-General; Group of 77; United Nations History
Format
oral histories; sound recordings
Genre
Interviews
Date
2001
Note (Biographical)
Former Under-Secretary General of Political Affairs, Former Political Advisor in the Office of the Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General for Personnel Services, and Former Sierra Leone Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Note
Interviewed by Thomas G. Weiss on August 30, 2001
Note (Provenance)
Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Gift, 2009
Language
English
Library Location
Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content
Catalog Record
13683937
Also In
Oral History Archives at Columbia
Time-Based Media
Time-Based Media
Persistent URL
https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-c7v8-zq71
Related URLs
Available digital content for this interview.