Call for proposals in East, West, and Southern Africa: Generating and mobilizing knowledge and innovation for early learning Eligibility This call is open to individual African organizations (organizations with independent legal registration in an African country) or consortia of up to three organizations. The applicant organization/lead institution must have legal corporate registration and the capacity to administer foreign funds.  Proposals from consortia must name one lead organization that can subgrant to additional organizations. The lead organization must be a Southern organization with independent legal registration in an African country. Other consortium members may include organizations from within the region; national, regional, or international offices of multilateral organizations or international NGOs; or other organizations from outside the region.  This call is NOT open to individuals, governments, or organizations interested in using this grant to conduct research on the for-profit provision of core education services.  Scope The IDRC, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the LEGO Foundation invite proposals from individual organizations, or consortia of organizations, for projects to generate and mobilize knowledge to enable national education systems in developing countries to address challenges associated with two targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are targets 4.1 (“By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes") and 4.2 (“By 2030, ensure that all boys and girls have access to early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education”). Projects funded through this call will generate and mobilize evidence on how to adapt and scale up approaches that strengthen quality early learning for all children, supporting smooth transitions from pre-primary to primary education.  Projects will build on existing promising or proven approaches that:  adapt and further test the approaches to assess how to scale up positive impact in GPE-member countries; and  mobilize knowledge and strengthen capacity so the approaches can be taken up in policy and practice.   Projects funded through this call will not finance the implementation of the approaches More details Please refer to the detailed call for proposals for more information about the call objectives, eligibility, timelines, selection criteria, review process, application guidelines, and challenge. You are strongly encouraged to read the detailed call for proposals document  before applying. Register for a webinar about this call on June 28, 2021.  Please e-mail your questions in advance to kixcalls@idrc.ca by June 21, 2021.  Please consult the Frequently Asked Questions. Read more

Eligibility All proposals must identify potential innovation support programs that might form the basis of their research program. Direct-entry  grants will be required to provide a detailed methodology suitable for examining the identified innovation support program(s).  Stage 1 proposals must identify principal and co-principal  investigators based at a public research organization  (e.g., a government-legislated public or private university) or a non-profit research organization (e.g., think tanks).  Direct- entry proposals will also have a principal investigator from a research organization but will include collaborator  from innovation agencies that have or had some responsibility for the implementation of the innovation support program being investigated.  Stage 1 grants are to include representatives from two or more countries. Direct-entry grants do not have to involve two or more countries.  Eligible countries: This funding opportunity supports applications led from and focused on the following countries: Afghanistan; Angola; Benin; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Haiti; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; Lesotho; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nepal; Niger; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Togo; Timor-Leste; Uganda; United Republic of Tanzania; Yemen; Zambia and Zimbabwe. For purposes of this call, the lead administrative organization must be based in the countries above. Applicants from the island states of Tuvalu, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Comoros, and São Tomé and Príncipe may participate but as members of a consortia.   Scope   This funding opportunity aims to:  generate new evidence on the performance and the distributional impacts of innovation support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),   promote collaboration between researchers and innovation agencies, and   strengthen networks and capacity for analysis and implementation of innovation policies.    Research focus: The funding opportunity supports research that generates evidence on the performance and distributional impacts of SME support programs or policies (e.g., on women-led enterprises, access to goods and services in underserved communities, employment for youth). There are a wide range of policies and services that seek to create and develop SMEs, referred to here as innovation support programs. The performance of such programs has been examined but there is considerable scope to strengthen the evidence base in lower-income countries.   It aims to support an integrative approach to understanding both the firm/economic performance of innovation support programs as well as their social impacts by integrating equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) analyses. The rationale for this focus stems from an interest in promoting evidence-informed decision-making as well as understanding the strengths and weaknesses of targeted EDI initiatives and how economic policies can support social development goals (e.g., gender equality).    Collaboration: The funding opportunity invites active involvement and leadership from both researchers and agency staff responsible for designing and/or implementing innovation support programs. Non-academic collaborators may involve representatives from government and non-profit or for-profit agencies.  It is expected that this collaboration will facilitate access to data, improve empirical analysis, and position research evidence for application.    Sequenced funding:  The application deadline for Stage 1 and direct-entry grants is July 28, 2021.  Stage 1 grants will fund survey research and network development over a 12-month period. This preparatory phase will position teams to submit detailed Stage 2 proposals, which would support in-depth analysis of identified innovation support programs. Direct-entry grants are designed to support time-sensitive research projects that can be mobilized quickly to advance the aims of this call.  More details For more information, please read the program description for this funding opportunity. A frequently asked questions page will be maintained to respond to applicant questions.  For further inquiries, contact e4i@idrc.ca.  If you are eligible for this opportunity, we welcome you to submit an application.  Read more

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334586  Issue Date: July 6, 2021 Deadline for Question: July 16, 2021, 4:00pm Washington, D.C. time Closing Date: September 17, 2021 Closing Time: 4:00pm Washington, D.C. time   Subject: Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: 7200AA21RFA00018 Program Title: Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 98.001   Ladies/Gentlemen: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a five year Leader with Associates cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research program. The estimated total program amount of $30 million includes $10 million in Development Assistance funding, $10 million in Associate awards and $10 million in mission buy-ins. Eligibility for this award is restricted to qualified U.S.-based Title XII universities. See Section C of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for eligibility requirements. Subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to make an award to the applicant who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO, subject to a risk assessment. Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process. To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C of this NOFO. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty accessing the NOFO, please contact Kyle Davis via email at kydavis@usaid.gov for technical assistance. USAID may not award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifiers and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in Section D.IV.f. The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.   Please send any questions to Kyle Davis at kydavis@usaid.gov. The deadline for questions is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov. Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense. Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.   Sincerely,   Rachel Baltes Agreement Officer   Read more

The International Horticultural Congress (IHC) is the most important scientific event organised under the aegis of the ISHS. An IHC takes place every four years and the next one, the 31st International Horticultural Congress, IHC2022 will be held in the city of Angers, France 14-20 August 2022. Abstract submission is open! Visit https://www.ihc2022.org/submission-registration/abstract-submission/ for more details and instructions to submit your abstract. Abstract submission deadline is 15 November 2021. Discover the 25 IHC2022 symposia at https://www.ihc2022.org/scientific-program/symposia/ each covering a theme open to original results, innovative methods and multidisciplinary cross-cutting views. Each symposium is organised in sessions with keynotes, oral and e-poster presentations, and welcomes academic and applied communications. The scientific program has been elaborated thanks to the IHC2022 Scientific Committee, the ISHS Executive Committee (Division and Commission Chairs) and the respective conveners and scientific committees of each symposium. For any questions about the scientific program, please contact sciences@ihc2022.org The 25 IHC2022 Symposia are:   S1: Breeding and Effective Use of Biotechnology and Molecular Tools in Horticultural Crops S2: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Horticultural Genetic Resources S3: Quality Seeds and Transplants for Horticultural Crops and Restorative Species S4: In Vitro Technology and Micropropagated Plants S5: Innovations in Ornamentals: from Breeding to Market S6: Innovative Technologies and Production Strategies for Sustainable Controlled Environment Horticulture S7: II International Symposium on Greener Cities: Improving Ecosystem Services in a Climate-Changing World (GreenCities2022) S8: Advances in Vertical Farming S9: Urban Horticulture for Sustainable Food Security (UrbanFood2022) S10: Value Adding and Innovation Management in the Horticultural Sector S11: Adaptation of Horticultural Plants to Abiotic Stresses S12: Water: a Worldwide Challenge for Horticulture! S13: Plant Nutrition, Fertilization, Soil Management S14: Sustainable Control of Pests and Diseases S15: Agroecology and System Approach for Sustainable and Resilient Horticultural Production S16: Innovative Perennial Crops Management S17: Integrative Approaches to Product Quality in Fruits and Vegetables S18: Precision and Digital Horticulture in Field Environments S19: Advances in Berry Crops S20: The Vitivinicultural Sector: Which Tools to Face Current Challenges? S21: XII International Symposium on Banana: Celebrating Banana Organic Production S22: Natural Colorants from Plants S23: Post-harvest Technologies to Reduce Food Losses S24: IX International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables - FAVHEALTH2022 S25: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Domestication, Breeding, Cultivation and New Perspectives See you in Angers in 2022! Read more

The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) seeks proposals from AAP consortium members and their partners for activities which directly address AAP's Transforming Institutions pillar (transforming institutions to be better able to participate in sustainable, equitable, and research-driven partnerships that make a broader impact on transforming lives). Successful applicants will receive seed funding to develop international strategic partnerships with universities, institutions of higher education and research, and/or organizations in the public or NGO sectors. Travel can include any of the following—within Africa, to Africa from external locations, to the US, or to other locations outside of Africa. Virtual engagement is highly encouraged, and proposals that include in-person travel or meetings should provide a contingency plan in case circumstances prevent traveling or meeting in-person (COVID contingency plan including a budget). Proposed partnerships should focus specifically on institutional strengthening and capacity development. This could include projects that aim to build institutional strengths; to contribute to individuals’ capacity development which will lead to institutional strengthening; to plan for new units or institution-wide initiatives; and/or to pilot new approaches to research support, teaching or outreach that can eventually be scaled up across the institution(s). Some examples of the types of programs that could fall under this funding initiative: developing plans or programs to improve institutional research management structures, building capacity of administrative units or leaders, improving structures for outreach and research dissemination, creating new and innovative curricula or pedagogical approaches in priority areas, or strengthening student service units focused on career services and/or entrepreneurship. Proposals that solely focus on research topics unrelated to institutional capacity development and do not directly address how the work contributes to institutional strengthening will not be considered. For examples of past awards, visit Transforming Institutions Past Awardees. Guidelines Proposals may be submitted in one of the following three project categories in support of institutional strengthening and capacity development: Exploratory Projects to support initial-stage partnership development. This funding is meant for new partnerships that have not previously worked together. Proposal Development Projects to support partners to develop a proposal in response to a specific funding opportunity.  Pilot Workshop Projects to support short-term training activities or workshops. We highly encourage projects that incorporate South-South collaboration. This has been identified as an AAP priority and will be factored into the selection process. We also encourage collaboration across Francophone and Anglophone countries/consortium members. Proposals that address building the administrative capacity of universities (e.g., research management, finance, fundraising and advancement, career services, communications and publishing, governance and leadership, etc.) will also receive priority in review. Funding can cover travel and/or associated meeting or workshop costs. The budget may also cover salary/fringe expenses up to $5,000 USD. AAP will consider proposals up to a maximum of $20,000 USD requested funds (not including cost share). Proposals should include a combined 20% cost share contribution across all the partner institutions (with each institution contributing some amount). This contribution could be monetary, in-kind, or a combination of the two. Eligibility Proposals should include co-PIs from each of the partner institutions included in the proposal and must include a PI from MSU and PI(s) from at least one other AAP consortium member (AAP Consortium members include MSU, Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, University of Pretoria, United States International University – Africa, and ReNAPRI). Those who served as a PI (project lead) on a previously funded AAP Transforming Institutions Strategic Funding project are not eligible to lead a proposal for this competition but may participate in the proposed project as a team member. Faculty members may only be listed (as PI or as team member) on one proposal submitted to AAP for each round of funding. AAP will work with teams once awarded to verify a timeline for when activities will be completed. (Teams should aim to carry out projects between October 1, 2021 and August 15, 2022). Evaluation Criteria Criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals includes: Evidence of a shared vision and mutually beneficial interests among the partners as well as a joint commitment to the success of the proposed partnership Clarity of the connection of proposed activities to AAP’s Transforming Institutions pillar Demonstrated integration of gender, equity, and inclusion principles Quality of short-term outputs/outcomes of proposed activities Potential for a sustained, productive partnership; quality of long-term impacts of proposed activities Potential for leveraging significant external funding. Indicators used to evaluate the outputs/outcomes of completed projects include: Evidence of continued productive collaboration among partner institutions around transforming all organizations involved in the partnership The number and quality of institutional improvements that stem from the partnership activities Symposia or conferences held to disseminate work stemming from the partnership activities Collaborative grant applications submitted and awarded Collaborative research publications completed Other measures of institutional transformation as proposed by the implementing teams A follow-up report including data on these criteria will be required 30 days after the program end date. Partnership Activities Proposed partnerships should center on capacity building activities, including external funding proposal development and dissemination of outputs, that contribute to transformation at all partnering institutions. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations among the partner institutions. Follow-on funding may be allocated for continued support to develop these partnerships depending on the outcomes of the initial budget and availability of funds. Partnership Funding Transforming Institutions partnership funds will provide partial support of travel, meeting, and workshop costs for AAP consortium faculty members and their partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units. A total of 20% match (monetary and/or in-kind) is required with contributions from all partners. These awards should ultimately result in the development and submission of a collaborative funding proposal (including partner institution faculty) for external funding as well as having positive impacts on other indicators of institutional transformation. Proposal Requirements Proposals must be submitted in English and should include: Narrative (not to exceed five pages) which addresses specifically: The activities being proposed for this funding. Please include a description of the activities, the role of each partner, and the timeline. Applicants must also include a COVID contingency plan for any in-person meetings or travel The proposed topics or issues that the activities will address A general description of the partners and individuals who will take part in the project The history of partnership among those involved and the potential for sustained future engagement A description of the partners’ shared vision and how each partner will benefit from the proposed activities Considerations taken for gender, equity, and inclusion (in terms of the team members and the project activities) How the activities will contribute to transforming all the institutions included in the partnership. Please describe the objectives of the activities, the anticipated short-term outcomes of the project, and their relation to the institutions’ needs The anticipated longer-term outcomes and impact of the proposed activities Identification of external funding opportunities that could support the proposed research/activities in the future Written endorsements from the applicants’ deans, department chairpersons, or supervisors committing to a total minimum of 20% matching funds and a description of any monetary or in-kind contributions from partner institutions. Proposed itemized budget. Please use the provided budget template. Submitting a Proposal Please submit proposals via our online submission form. Be sure to include all required documents listed above (proposal narrative, letters of endorsement, proposed budget—with COVID contingency budget included—using the provided template). Submission deadline: August 2, 2021 (11:59pm EDT)   https://aap.isp.msu.edu/funding/transforming-institutions-call-proposals/ Read more

Closing date for proposals on 7th of September 2021 The European Joint Programme “EJP SOIL - Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils” comprise 24 countries committed to the overall goal of providing sustainable agricultural soil management solutions that contribute to key societal challenges including climate change and future food supply. Rationale & Aim of the call The objective of this call is to foster holistic agricultural (forestry soils are not excluded) soil management practices which will assist in making a shift to diversify farming to include a variety of sustainable and environmental practices. Knowledge gaps in the area of SOC sequestration need to be closed, e.g. by developing soil management options which help to protect existing stocks of soil carbon and store additional C through sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. Effective CO2 sequestration can help reduce GHG emissions thereby helping to fulfil the objectives of the European Green Deal. Another objective is to make a shift from those agricultural practices that contributes to soil degradation, towards, more sustainable practices and methods. This not only addresses sustainable production but also a healthy environment, which can be achieved by, enhancing knowledge about biodiversity, and understanding functionalities and interactions in soils. Strong population growth combined with climate change challenges has placed food security high on the global agenda and therefore it is one of the key elements of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy. Sustainable production refers to not only healthy soil management but also addresses research in respect of water storage, soil salinization and biodiversity, while considering climate change. Drastic changes are required to some of our current farming systems to modify agriculture’s practises as a provider of adequate, safe and healthy food that is produced in a manner that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Thus, interested project consortia should apply to one of the three topics: A) Understanding SOC sequestration (stabilization, storage and persistence) B) Soil biodiversity: status, and role in ecosystem services provided by soils C) Site-specific or landscape-scale approaches to improve sustainability, resilience, health, and productivity of soils     To learn more and apply: https://ejpsoil.eu/research-projects/first-external-call-pre-announcement/?utm_source=RUFORUM+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=7ae7ebcd40-RUFORUM+Weekly+-+Vol.3+No.25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcfbb8a0b-7ae7ebcd40-346973753&ct=t()&goal=0_1fcfbb8a0b-7ae7ebcd40-346973753&mc_cid=7ae7ebcd40&mc_eid=d95cf18a8d  Read more

About the JournalThe African Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD) is an online open access scientific journal that publishes articles on a quarterly basis (March, June, September, December). It is a multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed journal with an ultimate purpose of sharing and increasing the depth of knowledge on aspects of sustainable rural development. The Journal welcomes submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of domain significance and scientific excellence. All articles published in AFJRD will be peer reviewed. AFJRD is an open access journalOne key request to researchers across the world is unrestricted access to research publications. Open access gives a worldwide audience larger than that of any subscription-based journal and thus increases the visibility and impact of published works. It also enhances indexing, retrieval power and eliminates the need for permissions to reproduce and distribute content. AFJRD is fully committed to the Open Access Initiative and will provide free access to all articles as soon as they are published. Call for ArticlesAFJRD welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of domain significance and scientific excellence, and will publish: Original Research articles: These should describe new and carefully confirmed findings. In addition, experimental procedures and/or approach used by the study should be given in sufficient detail for others to verify work done. The length of a full paper should be the minimum required to describe and interpret the work clearly. Short Communications: A Short Communication is suitable for recording the results of complete small investigations or giving details of new models or hypotheses, innovative approaches and methods, techniques or apparatus. Reviews: Submissions of reviews and perspectives covering topics of current interest are welcome and encouraged. Reviews manuscripts are also peer reviewed. Submission of ArticlesWe invite you to submit your manuscript(s) via email directly to our editor: editor@afjrd.org for publication. Our objective is to inform authors of the decision on their manuscript (s) within a period of three months from the date of submission. Following acceptance, a paper will normally be published in the next issue. The guide to authors and other details are available on www.afjrd.org. You are required to register on the website before submitting your manuscript. In case of any queries, contact us via info@afjrd.org. Submission Timelines:AFJRD receives manuscripts for consideration for publication throughout the year. Read more

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Muslim Studies Program 15th Annual Conference Michigan State University, International Center, East Lansing, MI, USA February 24-25, 2022 “Belong Nowhere”: States of Statelessness in the Muslim World Michigan State University is hosting an international conference entitled “‘Belonging Nowhere’: States of Statelessness in the Muslim World.” This conference recognizes that Muslims comprise a significant portion of the over 36 million refugee and stateless persons worldwide and seeks to understand the drivers of conflicts that lead to displacement in the Muslim world and the effects it has on Muslim communities. Further, we hope to explore avenues for advocacy for such communities, at local, regional, and global scales. Significance of theme: Several international conventions frame our understanding of and responses to statelessness and refugees. These include the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1954) and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1961). Under these conventions, contracting states must afford displaced individuals protections and rights as any lawful alien in that country. Various other conventions and organizations have been created over the years to establish rights for stateless persons and refugees under international law. Despite these efforts, stateless individuals and refugees continue to be denied basic human rights and protections such as identity documents, employment, education, and access to health services. Stateless people continue to have no legal protection and no right to political participation, or even to advocate on their own behalf. They often lack access to education, employment, health care, registration of birth, marriage or death, and property rights. Refugees and stateless people may also encounter travel restrictions, social exclusion, and heightened vulnerability to poverty, poor health outcomes, social exclusion, sexual and physical violence, exploitation, human trafficking, forcible displacement, and an increased risk of radicalization. According to the UNHCR, statelessness and refugee status have devastating effects on the lives of at least 36 million people around the world. Of these, nearly 75% have effectively become minority groups in new lands, as is the case with, for example, Palestinians Kurds, Syrians, and Rohingya Muslims. Whole generations of Muslims are growing up disenfranchised with little to no legal protections and long-lasting political, social and psychological consequences. Panelists will be invited to discuss the causes of displacement and the consequences for individuals, states, and our increasingly global Muslim communities Conference format: The two-day conference will take place on February 24-25, 2022, and will include a networking dinner, panels, and a keynote. The precise format will be announced at a later date. Call for papers: The organizers welcome abstracts for previously unpublished research on the conference theme conceived broadly; and hope to include scholarship reflecting a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds—including (but not limited to) refugee studies, sociology, history, anthropology, psychology, political studies, law, and religious studies. Junior scholars and post-doctoral researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2021, and accepted papers will be announced by September 30, 2021. Click here to complete the Call for Papers Form Read more

PhD opportunity (France-Sudan): “A History of Women's Urban Popular Labour in Colonial Sudan (1900-1956)” by Elena Vezzadini Call for a PhD candidate on the theme   “A History of Women's Urban Popular Labour in Colonial Sudan (1900-1956)”   Presentation   A three-year PhD scholarship is offered to a candidate willing to develop the following theme: the social history of female popular professions in urban contexts during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium in Sudan through the lenses of vernacular, oral and photographic sources.   In the historiography of contemporary northern Sudan, women’s history is conspicuous for its scarcity, and all the more the history of “ordinary women”, including one fundamental aspect of women’s lives, that is labour. The absence of women in the historiography of northern Sudan (the actual Republic of Sudan), and especially during the colonial period, is often seen as the result of two intertwined factors: the absence of sources and the absence of women in the public space as a result of female seclusion. This goes hand in hand with another common assumption: that during colonization, most women who worked for a remuneration were either slaves and former slaves or came from regions that had been slave reservoirs during the 19th Century. Because of their status, they could engage in behaviours that were frowned upon by free women, such as publicly mixing with men in the workplace. British official documents, located in the national archives in Khartoum and London, are indeed poor in information about Sudanese women, regardless of their status or social group. However, this is not the case for all archives and all types of sources. Indeed, a type of source that is rich in information about “ordinary women” are the photographs kept at the Sudan Archive in Durham University (UK), which hosts the largest collection of documents left by former colonial officers. The archive includes over 57,000 photographs, among which there are hundreds and probably thousands of images depicting women, most of them dating from the period between 1920 and 1950, and located in urban areas. Already at a first glance, this archive is fascinating and surprising, and seems to contradict the historiographic doxa. First, women occupied public –yet gendered– spaces: they had their own areas at the market and roamed the streets for attending their jobs. Second, the photographs demonstrate the existence and even the large diffusion of remunerated female labour. However, photographs represent only a starting point for locating a web of other sources. First, oral sources: in some pictures of the collection, reference is made to the name of the women represented and the place in which they were located. In some cases, and probably for some professions more than others, it may be possible to trace the descendants or younger colleagues of the women photographed. Thus, the second crucial source for this project will be represented by oral accounts by female urban professionals and their families. Finally, oral sources and photographs will be cross-referenced with another type of largely underexploited source, i.e. the women's vernacular press in Arabic, which developed from the 1940s onwards. The intersection of these three types of materials will allow rich and complex perspectives on the history of women's work, even if probably fragmentary. Finally, far from elminating the issue of slavery and marginalisation, this project will seek to investigate the boundaries between free and slave status, question these categories, and better understand the connection between female labour and social hierarchies in colonial Sudan.       Practical conditions, qualifications and application process   The programme: CNRS “international PhD scholarship”, IMAF Paris and CEDEJ Khartoum   This PhD scholarship is part of a special scheme called “international PhD scholarships” granted by the French National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), and it rests on special conditions: the scholarship lasts for three years, during which the PhD applicant is required to spend six months in Paris and six months in Khartoum each year. In Paris, he/she will be based at the Institut des Mondes Africains (IMAF), site Condorcet, Aubervilliers (Paris), which is the largest centre for African Studies in France (www.imaf.cnrs.fr). In Khartoum, the candidate will be based at the CEDEJ Khartoum (Centre for social, legal and economic studies and documentation in Sudan), a research centre affiliated with the CNRS (https://cedejsudan.hypotheses.org/). Finally, the candidate will be registered at the Doctoral school of the Ecole des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris, and his/her diploma will be issued from this school.   Financial conditions: The PhD candidate will have a three-year contract with the CNRS, a monthly brute pay of about € 2135 (roughly around € 1700, depending on taxation rate), and 45 days of annual leave. A small travel budget may be sought for in order to apply for archival research in Europe and the UK; however, this depends on the limited financial possibility of IMAF and may vary from one year to the next; the candidate is encouraged to apply for fieldwork financial support from other institutions as well.   Qualifications and required training: MA in History, preferably on a theme connected to social and gender history. Applicants with a double background in African History and in Middle Eastern Studies are welcome to apply. As the PhD thesis should be written ideally in English or otherwise in French, the candidate must have excellent writing skills in one of the two languages. For non-French candidates, a working knowledge of French and the ability to communicate in this language will be a great asset. Finally, ideally, the candidate will have at least a basic knowledge of Arabic.   A final note: At IMAF, we make all efforts to promote diversity, equality and inclusion amongst our staff and students. As such, we welcome applications from all backgrounds. Applicants from African institutions are welcome to apply; they should only be aware that the procedure to apply for a work and study visa in France is cumbersome and fails in many cases. Thus, we will have to prioritize applicants who may have facilities in obtaining a work permit in France and a travel visa to Sudan.   Application process: In order to apply, please send no later than July 21st 2021:   your CV in English or French. your Master thesis (if written in French, Spanish, Italian, English, Arabic, or any Nordic language); or otherwise, if written in another language, a 10-page summary in English. your master diploma and any diploma who may support your application (language training etc.). a 1 or 2-page cover letter in which you explain your motivation to research the proposed theme, in English or in French. A reference letter   These documents must be sent to the following address: elena.vezzadini@cnrs.fr   The successful candidate will be notified no later than August 15th. Read more

by Linnéa Rowlatt Volume 3, Issue 2 (Nov 2022) Call for Papers Deadline for Abstract Submission: 1 October 2021   Theme: Warfare and Peacemaking Among Matricultural Societies The view that ‘War is a game for men’ has been declaimed with loud voices – yet the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) people, who have been described as the most fierce warriors of eastern North America, have a strong matriculture where the Clan Mothers nominate, install, and remove male Chiefs. Up to six thousand Fon women, known as Mino or ‘our mothers', fought in the army of Dahomey until the early twentieth century. The matriarchal Minangkabau of Indonesia militarily resisted Dutch colonization for almost fifteen years and, over a century later, launched a guerilla-based civil war against the Sukarno government. Scythian warriors of the Ancient period were women as well as men, since horse-riding largely negates the advantages of upper body strength. Clearly, these matricultural societies have not been strangers to war and violence, whether defensive or offensive, and many more examples could be provided. At the same time, many scholars claim that matricultural societies are, by definition, cultures of peace. What are the strategies, means, and types of warfare, in its broadest sense, in which a matricultural society might engage? What does the idea of peace mean and how is it achieved and/or strengthened? What are the means whereby matricultural societies resolve conflict (domestic or foreign) before it comes to violence, and what role do women and men play in those processes? Among matricultural societies, who makes the political decisions to engage in warfare, whether defensive or offensive? What have been the consequences of war for matricultures, including the enhancement or diminishment of status for women? We look for submissions which address these questions and others related to the topic. Taking matriculture as a cultural system in the classical Geertzian sense of the term, this issue of Matrix will explore the institutions and customs around warfare and peacemaking among matricultural societies, including cultures where women go to war themselves (whether as warriors, soldiers, spies, or in another way), where women are central to peace-building traditions, where women exercise military authority over men (formally or informally), or exercise the political authority to declare war (and end it). We take it as a given that some cultures have a weakly defined matricultural system, while others, who have strong matricultural systems, express this strength in several ways – one of which is through designating women as authorities over or active participants in violent conflict or as builders of peace. We invite articles which present, analyze, or contextualize historical or present-day warfare by or upon matricultures and any social institutions which are involved, as well as articles which deconstruct the meaning of war and peace among matricultural societies. We are interested in questions such as: What is the role for women in warfare when the the society/ies in conflict have a flourishing matricultural system? Do cultures with flourishing matricultures have unique means of achieving peace, or strengthening it? How do women contribute to the processes of warfare among matricultural societies? In what matricultures do women have the authority to declare war, to conduct warfare, or the freedom to become warriors if they so chose? Possible presentations may include but are not limited to: styles of warfare as conducted by matricultural societies means of preventing conflict used by matricultural societies meaning of peace to matricultural societies and methods of achieving and/or strengthening it the meaning of warfare in matricultural societies women warriors or soldiers, and/or women’s warrior societies, historical or contemporary political authority as exercised by women in matricultures social institutions of matricultures where women exercise military power the role of women in strategies of engaging and/or disengaging with external conflicts the role of women in strategies of conflict resolution the status of men and their relationships to women in martial matricultures Issue Editor: Linnéa Rowlatt (Network on Culture) Please submit a 300-word abstract (max) to the Issue Editor or to the Editorial Collective of Matrix: A Journal for Matricultural Studies Submission via email to: lrowlatt@networkonculture.ca or info@networkonculture.cawith the Subject line ‘Matrix Vol. 3 (2) Abstract Submission’. Deadline for Abstract Submission: 1 October 2021   About Matrix Matrix: A Journal for Matricultural Studies is an open access, peer-reviewed and refereed journal published by the International Network for Training, Education, and Research on Culture (Network on Culture), Canada. Matrix is published online on a biannual basis. For many years, scholarship has explored the expression and role of women in culture from various perspectives such as kinship, economics, ritual, etc, but so far, the idea of approaching culture as a whole, taking the female world as primary, as a cultural system in Geertz’ classical sense of the term – a matriculture – has gone unnoticed. Some cultures have a weakly defined matricultural system; others have strong matricultural systems with various ramifications that may include, but are not limited to, matrilineal kinship, matrilocality, matriarchal governance features – all of which have serious consequences relative to the socio-cultural status of women, men, children, and the entire community of humans, animals, and the environment. The main objective of Matrix is to provide a forum for those who are working from this theoretical stance. We encourage submissions from scholars, community members, and other knowledge keepers from around the world who are ready to take a new look at the ways in which people - women and men, historically and currently - have organized themselves into meaningful relationships; the myths, customs, and laws which support these relationships; and the ways in which researchers have documented and perhaps mis-labeled the matricultures they encounter. For more information, visit our website:https://www.networkonculture.ca/activities/matrix. Read more

by Brian Schiff   International Conference – Call for Papers   The Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory (University of Belgrade), The Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe (University of Rijeka-Cres), The George and Irina Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocide, Human Rights and Conflict Prevention, The American University of Paris (Paris), The Centre de relations internationales (SciencesPo-CERI) and The Faculty of Media and Communications (Belgrade) Re-inventing/reconstructing cosmopolitanism in contested spaces and post-conflict zones 25–27 May 2022   “The life of the other, the life that is not our own, is also our life, since whatever sense ‘our’ life has is derived precisely from this sociality, this being already, and from the start, dependent on a world of others, constituted in and by a social world”. The other of Judith Butler is the universe of others to whom we are inescapably intertwined, irrespective of the arbitrariness of birth, borders and the cultural particularisms that segment social space, and to whom we are joined in “unchosen cohabitation” through the proximities wrought by the historical encounters, frictions, and collisions of people(s). The purpose of this international conference is to encourage a multi- and transdisciplinary discussion of one of the core analytical and normative problems of our troubled present: the challenge of cultivating inclusive civic and social spaces at a moment when difference is ubiquitously threatened by exclusionary ethno-nationalisms, the construction of material and symbolic walls of separation, spaces of conflict, and violence-laden representations of the essential alienness of cultural, political, and religious others. We welcome critical examinations of this problem in various socio-spatial and temporal contexts – refugee flows and transnational migrations generated by poverty and war, civil conflicts and interactions in the world’s border areas and megacities where “North and South” and “East and West” uneasily meet, post-conflict zones at the edges of and in the interstices of states and empire(s)…We aim to broaden the scope to reflections on the necessary rethinking/reinvention/reconstitution of cosmopolitan space(s) challenged by social conflicts, war and/or mass violence. A summer school will be held in conjunction with the conference. More information on the program, calendar and registration will be provided in the Fall.   THE VENUE The Cres antenna of the Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe of the University of Rijeka is an emblematic venue for these themes: the Adriatic has always been a crossroads of transnational circulations (people, ideas, and goods), with multiple overlapping and intersecting cultural belongings and political identities. As Anita Sujoldžić has pointed out, until the early twentieth century, there were “firmly connected social spaces”’ in the Habsburg Empire “that cut across anachronistically drawn linguistic and ethno-national lines”, and “in which multiple allegiances (imperial, national, provincial or local) with both cosmopolitan and culturally contingent loyalties could be found.” The region has also, of course, been a locus of sharp ethno-nationalist divisions and armed conflicts, which have submerged the cosmopolitan lifeworlds that today should be purposely reconstituted. SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR PAPERS: Theoretical and philosophical foundations of cosmopolitanism. Social science inquiry into the dynamics and precursors of social violence leading to disassembling of cosmopolitan space(s) Historical examination of inclusive societies; their establishment and disassembling Innovative interventions and other forms of social activism designed to reconcile conflict and promote co-existence Memory controversies and efforts to address conflicting readings of the cosmopolitan past Cosmopolitan critiques of globalisation and problems of global justice The crisis of hospitality and the sociohistory of the labels of “othering” (refugees,   immigrants, expatriot, asylees, displaced persons, IDPs (internally displaced persons), PRSs, stateless persons etc) Rethinking cosmopolitanism in Jewish history Peace theory and cosmopolitanism ELIGIBILITY  Applicants should be researchers, post-graduate students, and post-docs interested in or working on the above topics. We also welcome applications from civil society activists bringing particular insights to the conference’s content. Applicants from all countries are eligible to apply.   APPLICATION All applicants should send a short bio and abstract to cosmocres2022@gmail.com no later than September 15th 2021. We will get back to you by November 15th 2021. Abstracts should be 500 words max. for a presentation not exceeding 20 mins. Participation fee: 180€ for faculty members; 100€ for students (limited financial aid can be made available to select participants in need, upon examination of their requests). INFORMATION Organizers will facilitate arranging accommodation in Cres city and its surroundings on the island of Cres but we kindly ask participants to emphasize if they opt for this option in their application. If any further details are needed, please contact us at cosmocres2022@gmail.com A venue and forum for various scientific and research activities, the University of Rijeka’s Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe welcomes visiting students and artists wishing to withdraw for a moment to a serene and inspiring collaboration setting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsnR8WDupm8&ab_channel=CenterforAdvancedStudiesUniversityofRijeka http://cas.uniri.hr/tag/moise-palace/ We very much hope this event can happen in person. As the epidemiological situation shifts, we will need to decide what is feasible by the end of 2021. If need be we are technically equipped and prepared to transition our event to an online hybrid format.   SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: Sanja Bojanic Brian Schiff Gazela Pudar Drasko Constance Pâris de Bollardière Petar Bojanic Nadege Ragaru Philip Spero Golub Eileen Lallier Zona Zaric Vera Mevorah Dragana Stojanovic   ORGANIZATION BOARD: Sanja Bojanic Petar Bojanic Brian Schiff Nadege Ragaru Zona Zaric Vera Mevorah Dragana Stojanovic Read more

OTH is looking for essays, reflections, articles from librarians, faculty, and publishers in the humanities (1,000 - 1,500 words). We look for pieces that speak to intersectionality in the humanities, promote specific programs or new ideas in the humanities, discuss new methods of scholarly communication, and are relevant to topics of the day.   We are looking for submissions for the issues listed below. If you have a submission that does not fit under these topics, send it anyway! We also are always looking for new programs or events to promote as well.     May and June Issues There is still space in the next two issues of OTH for a couple of features, industry news, and events!     Summer Arts Issue OTH will be publishing an Arts issue in late Summer 2021. We are looking for pieces speaking specifically to the intersectionality of arts and subject areas you are an expert in, new public arts programs which incorporate humanistic values, and how the arts inform public discourse and consciousness. Space is running out, so get your submissions in! To Submit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScp7WS43TS9QSzN3EjNfV6-Q7hHKlfCXwsktE7_J8L6P7fA4A/viewform Or email your submission to oth@thirdchapter.org. https://oth.thirdchapter.org  Read more