AAP is issuing a call for thought pieces from anywhere in the world that are short, critical reflections of issues around race and ethnicity in higher education institutions as well as other key stakeholder organizations in Africa and the African Diaspora.   The first deadline for thought piece summary (up to 500 words) is Oct. 30, 2021. Summaries must include title, text, author’s name and affiliation.   For the full call for contributions and submission details, visit the link below. https://aap.isp.msu.edu/engage/aap-perspectives/     Read more

The Endangered Archives Programme is now accepting preliminary applications for the next annual funding round – the deadline for submission of preliminary applications is Monday 15 November 2021 at 12 noon GMT. Full details of the application procedures and documentation are available on the EAP website (https://eap.bl.uk/applicants).   The Programme has funded over 430 projects in 90 countries and has helped preserve manuscripts, rare printed books, newspapers and periodicals, audio and audio-visual materials, photographs and artwork. The programme aims to digitise archives at risk of loss or decay and, where appropriate, to relocate the material to a safe local archival home. The digital copies are deposited with the local archival partners, and are all available for researchers to access freely through the British Library website.   This year, we are accepting applications through our online portal between 1st and 15th November. However, in the meantime, we are providing Word and PDF documents for applicants to perfect their preliminary applications before the online submission.   If you know of an archive in a region of the world were resources are limited, we really hope you will apply. If you have any questions regarding the conditions of award or the application process, consult our website (https://eap.bl.uk) or contact them at endangeredarchives@bl.uk Read more

The Agri4D 2021 conference "Food Systems for New Realities" will take place at SLU (virtually) on 28-30 September. The Agri4D conference has been Organised by SLU Global at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the Swedish International Agriculture Network Initiative (SIANI), with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Agri4D will bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners to engage actively with the challenges of food systems with a focus on low-income contexts in a globalised world. The conference aims to be a platform to take stock of the current knowledge frontier, connect science to policymaking and practice, and spark new collaborations.     For more information please visit: https://www.slu.se/en/collaboration/international/slu-global/agri4d-conference/.      To register:   Agri4D - Agricultural Research for Development Conference 2021 (akademikonferens.se)  Read more

Many of the threats currently facing global biodiversity have been exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding for critical conservation and ecotourism projects has been redirected or lost, economic growth has been prioritized over protecting wild spaces, and media coverage of the outbreak has dwarfed reporting on conservation. Indeed, the biodiversity crisis is one that impacts all of humanity and has not received the media coverage that it deserves. Media organizations and reporters have an important part to play in raising public awareness of biodiversity and conservation issues, and highlighting potential solutions to these problems.   As a part of the Earth Journalism Network’s Biodiversity Media Initiative project, we are pleased to announce a second round of grant opportunities for journalist networks, media organizations, civil society organizations or academic institutions that are working to improve media coverage of biodiversity and conservation issues in countries where information is most under threat and most urgently needed.   The Biodiversity Media Grants will support projects that:   Build the capacity of journalism networks and media organizations to report on biodiversity and conservation issues   Carry out biodiversity and/or conservation training activities for journalists   Build internal capacity   Organize local networks around these issues   We are especially interested in projects that focus on conservation in biodiversity-rich regions of the world, such as the Amazon, Central Africa and Southeast Asia.     For more information on the funding opportunity or to apply, visit the Earth Journalism Network website Read more

The inaugural Milken-Motsepe Prize focuses on accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2: no poverty and zero hunger. The Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech is a global competition for innovative solutions to increase economic value to farmers, from seed to sale. Registration is open to anyone.Winning teams will increase net economic value to small and medium-sized farms by: Developing innovative technology solutions for any stage of the food system, from seed to sale Designing a viable business model Increasing farm productivity and/or decreasing post-harvest loss Registration is free and open to anyone, with a $1 million grand prize available for the winning team, and $1 million in additional prizes.     For more information or to apply, please visit the Milken-Motsepe Prize webpage. Read more

During the 2021 AGRF Summit 6-10 September, six African presidents joined by 8,000 delegates aligned with the African common position on building resilient food systems. Their shared vision will help achieve a transformation to improve livelihoods, defeat hunger and tackle malnutrition. To highlight the national pathways and partner actions, on September 21 from 6–7:30 PM  (EAT) AGRA and the AGRF will host “Delivering on the African Agenda in Building Resilient Food Systems” a side event ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit. It will address African challenges and solutions in the transition to resilient food systems. Following the declaration (https://agrf.org/summit#summit-declaration) of the AGRF, it will consider what must be done to turn political ambition into reality.  The event will be moderated by William Asiko, Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Africa Region Office. Provisional speakers include: H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Chair AGRF Partners Group and Chair AGRA Board Jim Barnhart, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID Ms. Evangelista Chekera, CEO Passion Poultry Hon. Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Republic of Kenya Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, Pan-Africa Farmers Organization (PAFO) H.E. Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Republic of Ghana H.E. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission Jai Shroff, UPL Limited CEO Rodger Voorhies, President, Global Growth and Opportunity Division, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Please join us on September 21 at 6pm EAT (Nairobi time).   Click here to register for the event. Read more

AAP is excited to be hosting our next Public Dialogue “The Engaged University: Working with policy makers, the private sector, and communities to advance African higher education transformation” on Wednesday, September 22nd at 9:00am-10:30 EDT. This dialogue session will be co-hosted by our affiliates at @The University of Botswana and those at @SARUA. This session will examine innovative strategies for African universities to engage across all sectors and the impact these engagements are having on the transformation of the African higher education sector. AAP recognizes that universities are now seeing themselves as catalysts for positive change in their communities and beyond, and is proud to be a part of this progress.    This series will be done with the help of @University World News as AAP’s media partner. Read more

most of the youth in northern uganda were affected by the 20 years war led by lord resistant army. currently youth have gone back to settle and become productive but they are being hindered by inadiquate knowledge and high cost of production. this has made most of thye youth most especially young girls to get pregnant as well as being at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. most ladies have resulted to selling sex to earn aliving for their young kids and boys has resulted to taking scopion and marajwana. in the vision, this youth can still be transform and become productive through providing hand on skills like, hair dressing trainning, tailoring, mechanics and cake production etc. most of the youth are longing to get the skills but they cannot afford the cost of paying tiution.  in this partenship, acquiring machine like sawing machine from donation. the organisation do have space,few staff that can provide trhe training. Read more

AAP is excited to announce the “Agricultural Transformation for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems” session at The AGRF Pre-Summit event on Monday, September 6th. AGRF and its partners organized a three-day summit, September 7-10 around the theme of “Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems,” and this will be just one of the many important discussions occurring. The AGRF 2021 Summit is a defining moment in highlighting and unlocking the  policy, and financial commitments and innovations the continent has made and that it continues to work towards achieving. AAP recognizes the importance of these sustainable development goals and is looking forward to the participation of our colleagues throughout the Summit.   Register for this year’s summit:  https://agrf.org/ Read more

AAP Africa Office Associate Director, Isaac Minde, will be moderating the “Youth and Agri-food System’s Resilience in Africa” session at The AGRF Summit Pre-Day event on Sept. 6th.  AGRF and its partners organized a three-day summit, September 7-10 around the theme of “Pathways to Recovery and Resilient Food Systems”. The AGRF 2021 Summit is a defining moment in highlighting and unlocking the  policy, and financial commitments and innovations the continent has made and that it continues to work towards achieving. AAP recognizes the importance of these sustainable development goals and is looking forward to the participation of our colleagues throughout the Summit.     Register for this year’s summit: https://bit.ly/3xVWZp2  Read more

On August 23, 2021, PEER released its latest call for proposals, which aims to support research projects that focus on the impacts of COVID-19 and potential solutions that can emerge from this pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented global challenges and uncovered weaknesses in the ability of governments, the private sector, and local and international actors to deliver services and resources across many systems. This has been true in food and agriculture, healthcare, and education, among other sectors. However, the pandemic also has inspired innovation in areas such as digital technology and social organization, and there are many examples of countries or communities effectively coordinating to confront this threat. This PEER funding opportunity looks to support locally-led research projects that (1) aid in our understanding of how shocks such as COVID-19 affect key sectors in developing countries and (2) test approaches to help communities and sectors respond to and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 or similar future shocks.Projects funded under this year’s call for applications will receive one-year awards of up to US $70,000. In addition, they will receive personalized training and guidance from USAID’s Research Technical Assistance Center on developing evidence-to-action plans and communications products. The deadline for submission of pre-proposals is October 22, 2021. For further details please review the Request for Applications. Read more

CONVERSATION | 9 Sept 2021 | 16.00-17.45 CET | Zoom online   As part of the Thinking With series, we invite Souleymane Bachir Diagne to discuss his work in conversation with Aude Christel Mgba and Ryan Skinner. In African Art as Philosophy: Senghor, Bergson and the Idea of Negritude (2011), Souleymane Bachir Diagne writes of Léopold Sédar Senghor’s lifelong project to think through “affirmation of the self [as] a natural reaction to colonial domination” (188): “Beyond affirming the aesthetic virtues revealed in pieces of art created by Africans, Senghor wished to stress the metaphysics they offered for reflection: along with the art through which it had been written, he wished to rescue a worldview, a feeling and a thinking that were also contributions to the humanism of tomorrow by African-being-in-the-world” (7-8).   “In our efforts at the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen to better honor and listen to the lives the ‘objects’ in our museums have led and wish to lead, we hope to better think more reciprocally in relationship to these objects and the communities invested in their being. We are compelled by Diagne’s work to think more deeply about the histories, afterlives, and temporalities in which our objects exist. How might we allow the objects to speak better from themselves, for themselves, while all the while honoring the complex positionalities of those who are enjoined to engage these objects? We understand those persons who are called upon to better honor the objects to be: those living in the places where the objects were obtained (gifted, seized, stolen); those who relate to African art from diasporic sensibilities; and those who are implicated by a colonial past as perpetrator and/or who benefit from systems of privilege, as per Michael Rothberg.  Together, in Relation, and even thanks to the tensions implied by Glissantian Opacity, we hope to better be responsible to our work and engagement as professionals and visitors to our ethnographic museums.”   More about Zoom event: https://www.materialculture.nl/en/events/thinking-souleymane-bachir-diagne-african-art-phi...   Registration for Zoom event: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_X6gKuBv3RVuw5FEGTCE6uw Read more