Una: Heart of Africa

UNA (United Nations of Africa) is a work of fiction, but the facts used in its creation are a matter of public record. An English reporter/historian, Edward, is lured to Brazil by a woman who promises information on a man they call the General. Although the General is long dead the opportunity to learn about the man himself is too much of a temptation for a reporter, but once he arrives the tyrannical dictator he expected to find takes an unexpected turn as the monster becomes a man. The woman, who uses the name Esther out of respect for the African missionaries who helped her as a child, takes Edward on an unexpected journey. Esther and others guide Edward away from the tyrant described by the General "s enemies toward a man who led an army of refugees in an attempt to free the continent of Africa from those who wish to profit from its suffering. As they tell their stories about the General and the refugee army, Edward finds his preconceived notion of the General challenged until he can no longer deny the reality. By the end of the story Edward "s notion of puppets and puppet masters turns as I hope the readers of UNA will view the powers of the world in a new light.