In Journey from Kamalpur, Shabbir Cheema narrates his life, from growing up in a mud house in rural Pakistan – suffering a decade of sickness, poverty, and sectarian prejudice as a child and teenager – to becoming a leading scholar of and advocate for democratic governance at the United Nations, the U.S. State Department’s East-West Center, and Harvard University. In his compelling memoir, Cheema interweaves stories of his own struggles, perseverance, motivation, and self-realization, recounting the opportunities provided to him by the United States and Pakistan, and reconciling, as an immigrant, the cultural differences between his two worlds. He discusses his life as a Muslim American after 9/11; the political turmoil in Pakistan and relations between the U.S. and Pakistan. He describes his efforts to give back by engaging in American public diplomacy programs in Iraq and Pakistan and in the United Nations initiatives to alleviate poverty, improve urban slums, and build democratic institutions in Asia, Africa, and the Arab region. He makes the case for continuing the struggle for social justice, good governance, and the rule of law.