Barrie has lectured at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the international politics of Africa. He has recently submitted a PhD on the war in Rwanda 1990-1994 and is writing a book on the subject.

Barrie grew up in South Africa and became politically active as a student in Johannesburg in the late 70s and early 80s. He investigated the issue of forced population removals and worked with organisations resisting removal. He avoided military conscription by moving to the ‘independent’ Transkei region where he produced a bulletin detailing what was happening to political detainees. He left South Africa in 1986.