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Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Postgraduate Scholarships (South Africa)
Deadline: Aug 28, 2025
Donor: Oppenheimer Memorial Trust
Grant Type: Scholarship
Grant Size: Not Available
Countries/Regions: South Africa
Area: Education, Career Development, Individuals, Leaders, Research
Applicants are now invited to submit applications for the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for postgraduate study at the Master's, Doctoral, and Postdoctoral levels at local and international Higher Education Institutions.
For more information, visit https://www.omt.org.za/postgraduate-study
Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/oppenheimer-memorial-trust-postgraduate-scholarships-south-africa
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Aug, 28, 2025
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Call for Special Issue Submissions: New Histories of the Liberation Struggles
JAMH Call for Papers
Journal of African Military History - Special Issue: New Histories of the Southern African Liberation Struggles
The intertwined wars to bring majority-rule to the Southern African states are rightfully understood in African history both as the triumphs of pan-African solidarity and complex events that interwove both local struggles for authority and global ideological competition. Initial nationalist histories traced the rise and political activities of the liberation fronts while more global views explored the cooperation of African actors with international patrons such as Russia, China, and Cuba in their attempts to leverage Cold War dynamics in an effort to attain their freedom. These often ultimately proved to be more official histories that played up the successes of the liberation struggles against the white redoubt countries as well as the international and Pan-African cooperation that allowed these successes
However, the past decade has seen the continued expansion of historical inquiry into these conflicts. Both on the continent and abroad, critical archives have been opened and their documentation being woven into the historical narratives of the conflicts, such as the emergent work on the ALCORA exercises by Robert McNamara and Felipe Rebeiro de Meneses. Access to a plethora of previously unreachable or forgotten interview subjects has established new narratives of the struggles themselves, such as in the works of Joanne MacGregor, Joceylyn Alexander, Christian Williams, or Marc Thomas Howard. Topics that had not previous been studied in a systemic way, such as African participation in the struggles against the liberation fronts or the logistics of sustaining the far-flung struggles, have been explored, establishing new bodies of knowledge about these complex conflicts. Simply put, while there have been published historical narratives and knowledge about these struggles since the days of their waging, newer work has both enhanced and expanded on these early publications and there remains more new scholarship emerging. The intent of this special issue is continuing these efforts and publishing new scholarly perspectives on the planning, waging, and inherited narratives of the struggles for the final liberation of Africa while at the same time uncovering varied aspects of these intertwined conflicts which have received little or no previous scholarly attention
We are particularly interested in contributions exploring the following topics regarding either side of the conflict:
- Internal alliances and military cooperation;
- Operational planning and direct military engagements;
- Recruitment, mobilization and manpower;
- Veterans and demobilization;
- Labor, industry and sustainment of the struggles;
- Gender, masculinity, and the role of women;
- Resistance, political activism and interment;
- Propaganda, espionage and counterintelligence;
- External connections and interactions;
- Legacy, commemoration and historical memory;
The special issue will consider articles submitted in English.
If you are interested in proposing a paper on these or any other topics, please contact Dr Charles Thomas (charles.thomas.40@au.af.edu) or Dr. Bafumiki Mocheregwa (bafumiki.mocheregwa@usm.edu).
Abstracts should be submitted by 30 November 2025, with completed essays due by 31 April 2026.
Scholars interested in editing future special issues should contact the journal’s managing editors, Roy Doron and Charles G Thomas at doronrs@wssu.edu and charles.thomas.40@au.af.edu
Contact Information
Dr Charles Thomas (charles.thomas.40@au.af.edu) or Dr. Bafumiki Mocheregwa (bafumiki.mocheregwa@usm.edu)
Contact Email
charles.thomas.40@au.af.edu
URL: https://brill.com/view/journals/jamh/jamh-overview.xml?contents=editorialcontent-62994
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Nov, 30, 2025
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Call for Presentation Abstracts
Call for Presentation Abstracts:Towards the CAA 114th Annual Conference (18-21 Feb. 2026), we now welcome the submission of presentation abstracts for the session “Methodological Approaches to Researching Modern Art by African Women Artists.” —Session convened remotely—Session Chairs:Nomusa Makhubu (Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town), and Claudia Marion Stemberger (Department of Art History at the University of Delaware)Session Abstract:The rise of the contemporary in both research and exhibitions of African visual art and material culture has gained significant traction, placing the historically marginalized study of women artists in twentieth-century Africa at a crossroads. The recent growth in online resources pertaining to global modern art, such as biographical notes by AWARE and contextual essays from the MoMA, has helped to reevaluate the narratives surrounding African women artists of the twentieth century. Surveys on African women artists have proposed that gendered practices are multifaceted (Blackmun Visonà 2021), while also underlining the challenges posed by “incongruent methodological approaches to how that gendered history is constructed” (Makhubu 2020). This has opened opportunities to transform research methodologies and fieldwork strategies. In moving forward, however, despite ongoing reflections on the current state of the field (African Arts 2017 & 2024) and revised trajectories of African modernisms (Critical Interventions 2019), there remains a paucity of directions in the analysis of modern art by individual African women artists. The panel discusses methodological innovations and case studies that underpin novel scholarship on women’s artistic production among twentieth-century African art historiography. The scope encompasses accounts of recent shifts and envisioning future inquiry, especially in respect of Africa-centered perspectives. By engaging in debates about the de/canonization of art historical knowledges, this panel illuminates the previously underrepresented histories of African women artists.
Timeline:Proposal submission deadline: 29 August 2025Notification of acceptance: 16 September 2025
Submission Guidelines:Prepare your presentation title and abstract (250 words), in addition to your shortened CV (~2 pages). Presenters will submit through CAA's online forms via this link: https://caa.confex.com/caa/2026/webprogrampreliminary/meeting.htmlFor technical issues, kindly reach out to caa@confex.com
About the CAA Annual Conference:The CAA Annual Conference by the College Art Association (https://www.collegeart.org/) is the largest convening of art historians, artists, designers, curators, and visual art professionals in North America. Each year, CAA offers sessions submitted by members, committees, and affiliated societies offering a wide range of content. As an organization, CAA emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Most sessions and events will be held on location in Chicago only, while a portion of the program will be convened remotely.
Contact Email
cmst@udel.edu
URL
https://caa.confex.com/caa/2026/webprogrampreliminary/meeting.html
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Aug, 29, 2025
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Edited Volume on "Ecocriticism in African Literature"
We are pleased to announce the Call for Abstracts/Chapters for the third volume of our book series, Contemporary Literary Studies on Language and Literature. This volume invites scholars, researchers, and academics to contribute high-quality chapters focused on ecocritical approaches to literary inquiry. We encourage submissions that engage with the relationship between literature, environment, and ecology, and that interrogate how texts represent, critique, or reshape human–nature relationships.
Contributions may focus on novels, poetry, drama, life writing, speculative fiction, and interdisciplinary or comparative literary studies. The volume welcomes submissions in English, German, Turkish, and Azerbaijani.
Suggested (but not limited to) Research Areas:
Ecocritical Literary AnalysisContributions are invited across all literary genres—novels, poetry, drama, life writing, and experimental forms—addressing topics such as environmental ethics, ecological consciousness, climate change, urban ecologies, multispecies relations, and representations of nature in literature.
Postcolonial Ecocriticism: Exploring how environmental concerns intersect with colonial and neocolonial histories. Submissions may consider extractivism, land dispossession, ecological imperialism, and indigenous or Global South perspectives on sustainability, resistance, and resilience.
Ecofeminism and Gendered Ecologies: Examining how gender, ecology, and power are intertwined in literary texts. Topics may include women’s relationship to land, reproductive justice in ecological crises, care labor, and feminist engagements with environmental justice.
Queer Ecologies in Literature: Investigating how nonnormative sexualities and genders intersect with environmental thought. Contributions may address queer kinship, environmental belonging, speculative futures, and critiques of heteronormative environmental narratives.
Ecology, Disability, and the Body: Analyzing how literature portrays disabled bodies in relation to environmental contexts—such as climate vulnerability, accessibility, survival, and resilience in times of ecological crisis.
Ecocriticism and Genre Studies: Re-examining established genres (such as pastoral, science fiction, climate fiction, horror, or utopia/dystopia) through ecocritical lenses. Focus may include the emergence of “cli-fi” and other forms of speculative eco-literature.
Indigenous and Decolonial Ecologies: Engaging with indigenous storytelling traditions and decolonial literary practices that foreground ecological knowledge, land rights, spiritual ecologies, and cultural resilience in the face of colonial and ecological violence.
Other ecocritical, intersectional, and interdisciplinary literary research is also welcome.
Submission Guidelines:
Abstract: Minimum 250 words (including a short bio of the scholar)
Full Chapter Length: Minimum 4,000 words
Formatting: Times New Roman, APA 6th Edition citation style, justified texts, 1.15-line spacing
Languages Accepted: English, German, Turkish, and Azerbaijani
Plagiarism and Similarity Policy:
All submissions will be screened using Turnitin. Works with a similarity index above 20% will not be considered. Authors are advised to pre-check their work for originality.
Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 September 2025
Full Chapter Submission Deadline: 30 November 2025
Estimated Publication Date: January / February 2026
There will also be publication fees charged
Submission Emails:
Please submit your abstract and full article (once accepted) by attaching it in an email sent to all of the following addresses:
Dr. Gülşah Kıran Elkoca (Editor): gulsah.k@adu.edu.tr
Kanan Aghasiyev (Editor, M.A.): kaasiyev@gmail.com
Prof. Dr. Habib Tekin (Editor): habib.tekin@marmara.edu.tr
You may reach the publication history of the series at the following link:https://www.maurer.press/kategorie/bucher/contemporary-studies-on-language-and-literature/
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Sep, 15, 2025
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Workshop on Southern Africa (conference) - Call for Papers
This is a call for papers and discussants for the first annual Workshop on Southern Africa (WOZA!) Conference, to be held Friday May 1 - Sunday May 3, 2026. In 2024, the organization formerly known as North Eastern Workshop on Southern Africa (NEWSA) changed its name to WOZA! to acknowledge that it is no longer composed only of scholars based in the northeastern part of North America. With our new name, we hope to carry on NEWSA’s long-established spirit of community, intellectual seriousness, and warm engagement with new scholarship. For more information, please see our website: https://sites.google.com/view/workshoponsouthernafrica/home
Submission deadline, October 1, 2025
About the Conference:
WOZA! is an interdisciplinary conference open to scholars at all stages of their careers. We encourage scholars from all disciplines who are currently working on southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, the Indian Ocean Islands, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) to submit proposals.
WOZA! is organized around intensive discussion of pre-circulated papers. There are also many opportunities for informal conversation about work in progress. This workshop model is designed to give southern Africanists the opportunity for close discussion of work across a wide variety of scholarly fields.
We aim to prioritize scholarship, regardless of discipline or topic, that is evidence-based and grounded in analysis of African discourses and concepts. The program committee encourages submissions from advanced graduate students and junior faculty. We especially encourage participation from African professionals, scholars and graduate students, including those currently based outside the continent.
Participants may: (a) present a paper (b) propose a panel of three or four papers, or (c) serve as a discussant. Because of the high demand for participation relative to the size of the conference facility, and our desire to maintain the workshop atmosphere, we can only allow attendees who are presenting papers or serving as discussants, and we expect attendees to be present for the majority/all of the sessions.
Logistics:
We will host the 2026 meeting, our first in-person gathering as WOZA!, at the Isabella Freedman Center in the Connecticut Berkshires (https://adamah.org/retreat-centers/isabella-freedman/ ), from May 1-3, 2026. Located on 400 acres with a private lake and a working farm, the Isabella Freedman Center provides an ideal location to continue the NEWSA/WOZA! tradition of a scholarly retreat. Conference registration will include communal meals and on-site accommodation. This venue will also enable us to accept a limited number of virtual/online participants.
For conference costs please see website
Hybrid/online option:
WOZA! hopes to continue NEWSA’s tradition of in-person, retreat-style engagement, where many productive conversations happen informally, in addition to the scheduled sessions. But we also recognize that a variety of barriers can make it challenging for people to attend in person. We have a limited number of spots available for online (remote) participation, which you may request when submitting your abstract/proposal. These spots will be allocated when we accept proposals. Because we need to pay for our venue, we cannot permit last-minute switches to online participation.
Submission Instructions:
The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2025. We will notify accepted participants by the end of October, and ask that if accepted, you confirm attendance and pay your registration fee by December 15, 2025, so that we may finalize our booking with the conference venue.
Please use this submission form to submit: https://forms.gle/GkjzKf1zHySGQZwi9
Individual Paper Submission Instructions: Your abstract should explain the argument you intend to make, the source of your evidence (e.g., archival, fieldwork, survey), and the contribution your paper makes to understanding significant problems in southern Africa, to furthering conceptual debates, and/or to producing new knowledge in Southern African Studies. WOZA! papers should not be previously published, and will ideally be at a stage of preparation that allows for incorporation of the feedback received during the workshop. The maximum length for the abstract is 500 words.
Panel Submission Instructions: If you wish to organize your own three- or four-paper panel, your proposal should include a brief rationale for how the papers fit together (250-400 words), as well as the abstracts for each individual paper (space is provided in the submission form). The organizers will be happy to negotiate alternative panel formats (such as open discussions of a current issue). We also reserve the right to accept only some papers within a panel. You may choose to include a discussant or leave it to us to provide one.
Discussant Instructions: If you wish to serve as a discussant, please use the online submission form to indicate the areas of southern African studies on which you are most prepared to comment. Once the workshop participants are selected and organized into panels, each panel will be assigned a discussant. Discussants read the pre-circulated papers by the participants in their session and, after authors introduce their papers, give a 10-minute comment on the papers individually and collectively. Discussants also coordinate discussion of the papers amongst those attending the panel.
Completed papers, not to exceed 8,000 words, will be due March 15, 2026, so that the papers can be pre-circulated on the conference website ahead of the meeting. Pre-circulating papers is an essential part of the WOZA! experience. Papers are kept confidential among conference participants and will not be circulated beyond attendees.
As an intellectual community, WOZA! recognizes that scholarly interpretation can undergird economic, political and social marginalization. We also recognize that power exists within scholarly communities, and that some members of our community are marginalized due to sex, gender, race, disability, nationality, and/or institutional position. We are committed to working against such marginalization, and the programming committee has a mandate to create and prioritize panels that help achieve this goal.
For any questions, please contact newsa.workshop@gmail.com
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Oct, 1, 2025
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Call for Papers – ANAPRI & World Bank Pre-Conference
📅 Date: 3 November 2025📍 Location: Kigali, Rwanda (Pre-conference to the 12th Annual ANAPRI Stakeholders Conference – 4-6 Nov 2025)
More and better job creation is at the top of policymakers’ agendas — and the Agrifood System (AFS) is central to that mission. From farms to food services, AFS employs a massive share of the global workforce, especially in low-income countries. But many of these jobs are informal and low-paying. The challenge? Boost productivity, sustainability, and inclusion — especially for youth and women — while harnessing disruptive technologies and climate-smart innovations. 🌱💼
We are inviting academic papers on:🔹 Current AFS job profiles & prospects (on/off farm, rural/urban)🔹 Role & constraints of MSMEs in job creation🔹 Skills for the future AFS workforce🔹 Inclusive value chain models🔹 Mechanization, automation & digital innovations🔹 Sustainable intensification & job outcomes🔹 Youth & women inclusion in AFS jobs🔹 Quality of AFS jobs
Benefits:✔️ Opportunity to present your paper in Kigali✔️ Selected papers may be published in a special journal issue✔️ Findings will inform a World Bank flagship study✔️ Travel & lodging covered for one presenter per selected paper
📩 Submission deadline: 15 September 2025📢 Notification of selection: 30 September 2025📧 More info: info@anapri.net
🔗 Submit your full paper here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSedQriG880hJqUDf7nyvYXhCuZUAfCcwDV23-C2ZHawDzVTWg/viewform
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Sep, 15, 2025
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Nominations open for ARVO Foundation Research Catalyst Awards
Deadline: Oct 01, 2025
Donor: The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Grant Type: Awards, Prizes and Challenges
Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000
Countries/Regions: All Countries
Area: Career Development, , Research
Entries are now open for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Foundation Research Catalyst Awards for investigators beginning their careers or returning to the workforce after an extended leave.
For more information, visit https://www.arvo.org/awards-grants-and-fellowships/research-awards/research-catalyst-awards/
Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/nominations-open-for-arvo-foundation-research-catalyst-awards
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Oct, 1, 2025
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AAUW’s International Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
Deadline: Sep 30, 2025
Donor: AAUW Action Fund
Grant Type: Fellowship
Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000
Countries/Regions: Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo DR, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote DIvoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands, Holy See (Vatican City State), Honduras, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, North Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia Federated States Of, Moldova Republic Of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Burma(Myanmar), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts And Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre And Miquelon, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome And Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard And Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad And Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks And Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, Wallis And Futuna, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Montenegro, Saint Barthélemy, Serbia, Kosovo, South Sudan , Curaçao, Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba, Saint Martin (French Part), Sint Maarten (Dutch Part)
Area: Education, PhD Holder, Women and Girls, Leadership, Research, Women & Gender
The AAUW’s International Postdoctoral Research Fellowships promote education and equity for women by investing in international applicants who will be pursuing postdoctoral research in the U.S., with the intention of applying their expertise, professional skills, and leadership in the context of their home countries.
For more information, visit https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/international-postdoctoral-research-fellowships/
Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/aauws-international-postdoctoral-research-fellowships
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Sep, 30, 2025
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CfA: "Solidarity with Namibia: Transnational Perspectives on the Anti-Apartheid Movement
The book examines the German Anti-Apartheid Movement and its solidarity work with present-day Namibia (1960–1990). It brings together German, Namibian, and international authors and offers transnational perspectives on East and West German solidarity initiatives in the context of the so-called Cold War.
Book description
The publication examines both West and East German support for the resistance against apartheid and, closely linked to it, the struggle for independence in present-day Namibia. Following the end of German colonial rule in 1919, the territory of “South West Africa” came under South African control as a League of Nations mandate. Rather than being administered as a separate entity, the territory was treated as South Africa’s so-called “fifth province”. Political representation was restricted to the white minority – primarily German settlers – who were the only ones granted a voice in the exclusively white South African parliament. The gradual implementation of apartheid in Namibia began in 1948. As recent scholarship has shown, “South West Africa” in fact served as a testing ground for South Africa’s apartheid ideology (Gordon 2021). South Africa’s racist population policies thus built on systems of segregation between white settlers and the Black population that had already been established during the German colonial era (Lerp 2016).
In 1960, SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) was founded as a political resistance movement, advocating for the abolition of apartheid and ultimately the independence of the country. When the UN revoked South Africa’s mandate to control Namibia in 1966, an armed struggle against the racist occupation began. In the shadow of the “Cold War”, which was violently unfolding especially in Africa and Asia, Namibia’s liberation movement turned into a global battleground. Starting with exiled South African and Namibian activists, a global protest campaign emerged in the 1960s, primarily in the form of boycott calls, demanding an end to apartheid and the independence of Namibia.
This movement also reached a broad public in Germany, albeit with substantial differences between East and West: The GDR (East Germany) had been involved since 1960, intensifying its support for SWAPO from the early 1970s onward through a solidarity fund (“Solidaritätskomitee”). Although clearly defined by state directives, the forms of this solidarity were quite diverse. For example, solidarity committees were established, fundraising campaigns organized, and regular solidarity bazaars held to provide material support to liberation movements. Church circles were also actively involved. However, individual initiatives seem to have been relatively limited. Occasional spaces for individual initiative did appear to exist, as exemplified by Jürgen Krause’s involvement in the “Schule der Freundschaft” (School of Friendship) project. Nevertheless, the extent to which independent grassroots initiatives could genuinely emerge and operate alongside these state-directed activities remains an open question.
In contrast, initiatives in West Germany and West Berlin developed predominantly “from below” against an initially hostile government. Various movements converged in this process: left-wing solidarity with anti-colonial liberation struggles, church-based activism against apartheid, personal experiences of individuals in Namibia, and even early engagement with Germany’s colonial responsibility. In 1974, several groups joined forces in Bonn to form a national committee. At their peak, up to 65 local solidarity groups existed throughout West Germany. These activities took place against a backdrop of widespread colonial “amnesia” within West German society, coupled with official government policies shaped by strong economic ties to South Africa’s apartheid regime. With Namibia’s independence in 1990, the activities of the anti-apartheid movement in Germany concluded. After independence, German experts played a significant role in shaping Namibia’s political constitution, establishing liberal-democratic institutions, and developing the educational system of the newly independent state.
The Anti-Apartheid Movement is widely regarded as “the most influential of all global social movements of the late twentieth century” (Saunders 2010). Numerous publications have examined the Anti-Apartheid Movement both internationally and within Germany. Despite Namibia’s significance as a laboratory for the apartheid policies in South Africa, the country has largely been overlooked by historians. Research has predominantly focused on South Africa, neglecting solidarity with Namibia. To this day, the relationship between anti-apartheid solidarity and support for the Namibian liberation movement, as well as their potential interactions, has not been adequately explored. These omissions can be explained, among other reasons, by the fact that the vast majority of publications have been written or edited by scholars based at European or American universities, leading to insufficient consideration of Namibian perspectives and experiences. At the same time, the history of East German solidarity work has been sidelined in historiography and memory culture. Yet, East German solidarity efforts, including support actions such as hosting children and sick, exhausted, or injured SWAPO fighters in the GDR, have left traces in Namibian memory culture.
This publication examines solidarity campaigns in the GDR and FRG from a transnational perspective, with a particular emphasis on Namibian views of the movements in East and West Germany at the time. In addition to scholarly texts, the volume aims to provide space for other forms of knowledge, incorporating artistic interpretations and biographical memories. In doing so, it seeks to recall or create new bridges between academia, art, and activism that also existed during era of the Anti-Apartheid Movement.
The publication aims to engage a broad readership to critically reflect on the history of social movements. In view of current developments, it is especially important to foreground forms of transnational solidarity that can reinforce social movements and foster transformative change today. The intertwined histories of the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Namibian struggle for independence also open avenues for dialogue between people in Namibia and Germany – on colonial legacies, enduring global inequalities, and the prospects for future decolonial collaboration.
Abstracts
If you wish to contribute to the volume, please submit a title, an abstract (maximum 300 words), and a brief CV to the editors at solidaritywithnamibia@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is 31 October 2025, and selected contributors will be notified in December 2025.
An honorarium for contributors from precarious employment is foreseen, though it is contingent on the success of ongoing funding applications. When submitting your abstract, kindly indicate whether an honorarium is necessary.
Contact Information
Editors
Dr Martha Akawa-Shikufa, University of NamibiaDr Norman Aselmeyer, University of OxfordDr Katharina Hoffmann, Carl von Ossietzky University OldenburgDr Ellen Ndeshi Namhila, University of Namibia
Contact Email
solidaritywithnamibia@gmail.com
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Oct, 31, 2025
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Workshop: The Organization of African Unity and the Struggle against Colonialism and Racism
Workshop: The Organization of African Unity and the Struggle against Colonialism and Racism in Africa
Lisbon, 13 and 14 November 2025
In-person and online
Venue: NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal
Call for papers
The study of international organizations is an emerging field that covers a topic of growing importance in academia. In recent decades, the contributions of such organizations as actors in international relations have received increasing attention (Iriye 2004). Theoretical and empirical analyses seek to provide insights into the work of intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or transnational networks. By expanding their geographical scope beyond national borders, scholars interested in international organizations have reflected the myriad ways in which they can be studied (Hurd 2012).
The Organization of African Unity (OAU), as a regional organization, has been the subject of ongoing research (Gassama 2015). However, a review of existing publications reveals that relatively few studies have addressed the OAU's solidarity against colonialism and racism in Africa. Several reasons may explain this situation. Comparatively, the OAU has received less attention than other international organizations, notably the United Nations. Research has mainly focused on its establishment and achievements in conflict resolution, cooperation and development (Muchie et al. 2014; Naldi 1999). Difficulties in accessing primary sources may also have contributed to the diversion of interest from the OAU's contribution to decolonization and the end of white minority regimes.
Writing on the subject has mostly been done at the time of the events and lacks historical perspective (Binaisa 1977; El-Khawas 1978). The accounts are limited in scope, discussing primarily the OAU's support for the liberation movements of Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa (Klotz 1995; Thomas 1996). With regard to the Portuguese colonies, with the exception of the work of Walraven (1999), it is difficult to find an overarching narrative, and the available information is mostly found in publications that do not focus on the topic as a primary concern (Sousa 2011; Tíscar Santiago 2013).
Thus, a more critical approach is needed to question what the OAU did to support the struggle against colonialism and racism in Africa, as well as the complexities and nuances involved. With this situation in mind, we intend to explore the OAU's solidarity with the struggle against colonialism and racism in Africa in a workshop in-person and online that will take place in Lisbon, at the Institute of Contemporary History of the NOVA University of Lisbon, on 13 and 14 November 2025.
The workshop aims to place the OAU initiatives in their context and help consolidate analyses of its solidarity as a critical subject of the end of colonialism and white minority regimes. In addition, the workshop will contribute to rethinking the gaps in historiography by examining the OAU solidarity as a transnational phenomenon that transcended national boundaries.
We welcome proposals for 20-minute presentations on these and other topics:
-The extent to which the OAU played a role in ending colonialism and racism on the African continent;
-How the Liberation Committee was instrumental in the strategy of the OAU to undermine colonial rule and racist minority rule;
-How the attitudes of a number of states, due to inter-African competition, shaped the OAU's policies on colonialism and racism;
-How the diplomacy of the OAU sought to shape the debate at the UN on colonialism and racism;
-How the OAU engaged with non-African countries as part of its support to the struggle for independence and against apartheid;
-How the organization worked as an intermediary in the support given by third parties to anti-colonial and anti-racist organizations;
-The importance of the relationship with the OAU for anti-colonial and anti-racist organizations to advance their agenda;
-The tensions and disagreements between the OAU and the anti-colonial and anti-racist organizations;
-The extent to which the anti-colonial and anti-racist organizations sought to use the OAU not only against the colonial and racist powers, but also to sideline competing groups.
Abstracts for presentations (200 words) and a biographical note (250 words) should be sent to: OAUconference@gmail.com
Deadline for submissions: 8 August 2025
Notification of acceptance: 15 August 2025
The organization foresees the publication of the communications. The first draft of the papers is due on 30 January 2026.
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Aug, 8, 2025
Education
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Apply for Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowships Incoming Call 2026
Deadline: Sep 25, 2025
Donor: "la Caixa" Foundation
Grant Type: Fellowship
Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000
Countries/Regions: All Countries
Area: Leaders, PhD Holder, Researchers, Leadership, Research
The "la Caixa" Foundation grants 20 postdoctoral fellowships for researchers of any nationality to carry out a research project in a STEM discipline at universities and research centres of accredited excellence.
For more information, visit https://lacaixafoundation.org/en/postdoctoral-junior-leader-fellowships-incoming-call
Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/apply-for-postdoctoral-junior-leader-fellowships-incoming-call-2026
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Sep, 25, 2025
Education
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Postdoctoral Junior Leader Fellowships Retaining Call 2026
Deadline: Sep 25, 2025
Donor: "la Caixa" Foundation
Grant Type: Fellowship
Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000
Countries/Regions: All Countries
Area: Capacity Building, Community Development, Career Development, Leaders, PhD Holder, Researchers, Leadership, Research, Science, Technology
The ”la Caixa” Foundation has launched the Postdoctoral Fellowships Programme aimed at recruiting outstanding researchers of any nationality who wish to further their careers in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in Spain or Portugal.
For more information, visit https://lacaixafoundation.org/en/postdoctoral-junior-leader-fellowships-retaining-call
Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/postdoctoral-junior-leader-fellowships-retaining-call-2026
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By: Baboki Gaolaolwe-Major
Due Date: Sep, 25, 2025
Education
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