Culture And Society Articles

Mali’s roadmap for lasting peace has laudable goals: but it doesn’t go far enough

Steve Esquith, one of the PIs during the first round of AAP Transformation Institutions Strategic Partnership Grants and an African Futures mentor, has recently published an article within @TheConversation. This article is related to his peace-building work achieved under the grant. We encourage colleagues to read through his review of Mali’s new government action plan. Read the article: https://theconversation.com/malis-roadmap-for-lasting-peace-has-laudable-goals-but-it-doesnt-go-far-enough-166419

By: Raquel Acosta

Tuesday, Sep 14, 2021

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

African Policy towards the US webinar

The African Centre for the Study of the United States, in collaboration with Good Governance Africa, The Institute for Global Dialogue, Social Science Research Council and the Mail and Guardian, present: African Policy towards the US webinar Date: 27 July 2021 Time: 4:00pm SAST / 10:00am EDT US foreign policy has a huge impact on Africa’s cultural, political, economic and security interests. Join us as we hear from a range of experts as they unpack the steps Africans can take to build a coherent continental policy for engaging the US in a competitive and rapidly changing world order. Registration Link for Webinar https://mg.co.za/africa-us-policy/ For more information on the African Centre for the Study of the United States visit: https://www.wits.ac.za/acsus/ For further inquiries, please contact ACSUS.research@wits.ac.za Find us on Twitter Facebook and Linkedin

By: Madeleine Futter

Monday, Aug 16, 2021

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Conference: A Call for the Desuperiorization of Philosophy and the Foundation of Superaltern Studies

A Call for the Desuperiorization of Philosophy and the Foundation of Superaltern Studies August 11-13 About the conference It seems Western thought, to this day, has not sufficiently recognized its superioristic danger as the danger that it is! When considering contemporary contexts, this danger remains real. The foreign, the other, is stigmatized or re-stigmatized. Western thought remains dangerous. The West must finally take this seriously and critically evaluate its value as a normative authority. It would hardly be surprising if we indeed find that a lot of contemporary problems have grown forth from the pseudo-self-evident superiority of the white, heterosexual, male human being many of the Enlightenment thinkers tried so vigorously to defend by manipulating philosophy. The West needs to understand itself, needs to understand all the intricacies of its superiorism, its superalternity and finally start working on the desuperiorization of its thought. We want to stimulate a discussion that Western thought must understand that its central task must be its Desuperiorization. We need to establish Superaltern Studies. We need to understand the superiorism of Western thought. We need to understand it deeply to be able to identify and avoid it. We need to understand why Western thought and Western action so often brought exploitation and humiliation with it. The Enlightenment did not only introduce a new understanding of the value of the human being, it also introduced a new level of dehumanization. Philosophy did not only argue to treat all human beings humanely, it – implicitly and explicitly – worked at the same time on reducing the numbers of those who were human enough to be treated humanely. This seems to have been one the most important intellectual self-deception moves that enabled so many philosophers to be humanist and anti-humanist at the same time: to simply disregard the humanness of those mistreated. We want to understand how superiorism has, and continues to play out, in terms of the colonialism and neocolonialism that has continued to affect much of the global south. We need to see how decoloniality expresses itself, and should express itself, as a necessary response to superiorization and inferiorization, as well as the psychological baggage that comes with it. We need to also examine the epistemological effects of superiorization, which has presented itself in what scholars have termed epistemic injustice, epistemic harm, and/or epistemic violence. How has this affected scholarship and knowledge production and must it be resisted? How do we balance identity and pride with the devastating effects of superiorization and othering? Speakers Robert Bernasconi, Pennsylvania State University, USA Benda Hofmeyr, University of Pretoria, South Africa Elvis Imafidon, University of London, England Janine Jones, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA Siseko Kumalo, University of Pretoria, South Africa Dimpho Takane Maponya, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Veli Mitova, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Ana Paula Coelho Rodrigues, University of Paderborn, Germany Boaventura des Santos Sousa, University of Coimbra, Portugal University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA Natsu Taylor Saito, Georgia State University, USA Abraham Tobi, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Mpho Tshivhase, University of Pretoria, South Africa Organization Committee Björn Freter, Independent Researcher, Knoxville, TN, USA Aribiah Attoe, Conversational Society of Philosophy, South Africa For any questions, please write to desuperiorization@gmail.com The event will be held online. Please register here https://www.desuperiorization.com/

The Sixth J. A. Atanda Lectures and Conference - Fourth Conference Update

THE SIXTH J. A. ATANDA LECTURES AND CONFERENCE Fourth Conference Update https://babcock.edu.ng/atandaconference Theme: YORUBA CULTURE AND SOCIETY Venue: Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria Date: June 21-23, 2021 (Arrival, June 20) Over 450 scholars are expected to participate in this on-site conference which promises to be an exceptional, memorable experience. This conference promises to be an exceptional, memorable experience. As we make final preparations to welcome you to Babcock University, Nigeria’s premier and best private university, situated in a serene, clean and crisp natural environment, please kindly take note of the following information: Acceptance letters: We have sent acceptance letters to all whose abstracts were received by the submissions deadline. Please do notify us if you have not received yours; we would be glad to re-send it to you. Registration: Everyone whose abstract was accepted has been registered.Those who had slight challenges in registering themselves have been registered by the registration team. Registration is free and offers sponsorship for all registered participants. The sponsorship covers registration materials, feeding and comfortable student hostel accommodation only. The registration admits you to all plenaries and panels, lunch and food-break for three days, conference materials, the conference performance eve, participation in social events. List of registered participants will be uploaded on the website on June 1, 2021. Conference Program: The conference program currently features an opening ceremony, two keynote addresses, a lead paper presentation, several special roundtables, a performance eve and movie night, a research and publication workshop and many more. The full draft program will be circulated very soon, at which point you will have the opportunity to make any corrections concerning your paper presentations before we go to press. We will give you more program details in subsequent information updates too. Conference Opening Ceremony: The opening ceremony for the conference is planned for Monday, June 21, 2021, at 12noon. Colleagues and members of the public are cordially invited. Conference Keynote Addresses and Lead Paper Presentation: The confirmed keynote speakers are: Prof. Arinpe Gbekelolu Adejumo, Deputy Provost, Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Dr. Biodun Ogundayo, Director, Africana Studies Program, University of Pittsburgh, Bradford, USA; Dr. Akinloye Ojo, Director, African Studies Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, USA. Conference Special Guests: Distinguished personalities, Royal fathers, cultural icons and prominent government officials will grace the occasion. The Conference features the following, among others: Special Guest of Honour: Her Excellency, Alhaja Salimot Badru Former Deputy Governor, Ogun State Grand Host: Hon. Dr. Oluwatoyin Emmanuel Taiwo Honourable Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ogun State Chair, Keynote Addresses: Engr. Prince Yemisi Shyllon Foremost Private Art Collector in Africa Distinguished Royal Father of the Day: HRM Oba Abolarin Adedokun The Orangun of Oke Ila, Osun State, Nigeria. Host Royal Fathers of the Day: OBA MICHAEL MOJEED SONUGA The Olofin of Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria & OBA ADELEKE ÌDÒWÚ BASIBO The Alaperu of Iperu, Iperu Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria Conference Performance Eve and Movie Night: An exhilarating spectacle of unprecedented performances, including Yoruba cultural games, music, dances, folklore in an inspiring atmosphere of indigenous creativity, pageantry and aesthetics, is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at 4 pm. to be anchored by Tunji Sotimirin. Film-show features Dazzling Mirage, a Mainframe adaptation of Yinka Egbokhare’s novel by Tunde Kelani. Research and Publication Workshop: An extremely engaging and enriching workshop on research and publication will be facilitated by Prof Toyin Falola, Convener of the Sixth J.A. Atanda Lectures and Conference, University Distinguished Professor of History and the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin. The workshop will develop writing competences of scholars, impart foundational knowledge and practice of research and writing and provide networking resources for quality publications. Covid-19 Protocols: Given the Covid-19 pandemic, the event will be hosted in an open-spaced amphitheater, and all Covid-19 protocols will be STRICTLY adhered to. All attendees are expected to be properly masked. (Masks will be provided for all registered participants, and adherence ensured). Sitting positions will be monitored to ensure adequate spacing. Hand sanitisers will be administered, and handwashing facilities will be made available. Roundtables: Several roundtables on Yoruba Language and Culture related topics have been convened, featuring distinguished and upcoming scholars in African (Yoruba) Studies, African Philosophy, Cultural Studies and Education. Roundatbles include: A Steading Critique and Discussion of the Bras-Bells Drum, An English Translation of Akinwunmi Isola’s Saworoide – convened by Prof Pamela Smith The Yorubalization of Ubuntu – convened by Dr Augusta Yetunde Olaore Yoruba Indigenous Educational System – convened in honour ofProf Michael Omolewa @ 80 Presentation Mode: The conference is planned to be a blended event. Virtual participants will be able to join in the plenary and parallel sessions on zoom. The zoom link will be published close to the conference date. Smartboards and projectors are available for PowerPoint or other visual presentations. Accommodation: There are three categories of accommodation available for this conference: (1) Babcock student hostels Very decent. This is the accommodation provided free for all registered participants. For participants who desire to stay in hotels, the other two categories of accommodation with COST TO BE BORNE BY THE PARTICIPANTS are: (2) Babcock Guest House (BGH): (3) Hotels in nearby towns: * SAGAMU: (i). CONFERENCE HOTEL, SAGAMU - www.conferencehotelnigeria.com (ii). NANDAS HOTEL – www.nandashotelnigeria.com (iii). CITIZENS SUITES – enquiry@citizenssuites.com (iv). LIPTON HOTEL * ILISHAN-REMO: (v). HAVILLA GUEST HOUSE (vi). BU HIGH SCHOOL Guest House Please contact the Conference Logistics Coordinator, Mr Theophilus, with your choice and questions (check babcock.edu.ng/atandaconference). Publication of papers: We affirm that we have every plan in place for quality conference papers to be published with highly reputable publishers after post-conference review and re-submission. Paper Submission: PowerPoints of presentations are expected on or before the10th of June, 2021. For publication consideration, corrected drafts of full papers are expected latest August 20, 2021, for reviews to commence. All papers must be original, with a 6,000-8,000 word count, and follow the Chicago Manual Style of referencing. Security: Babcock University is situated in a serene, safe and secure environment, and the security of all conference participants is assured. We have also put in place additional security measures for the duration of the conference and have left no stone unturned to guarantee that your stay is completely hitch-free in this regard. Airport Pick Up/ Drop-off (for international participants only) We would be happy to provide any needed information and assistance to international participants arriving for the purpose of the conference only. If you need any information or assistance, please send an email to atanda.conference@babcock.edu.ng Conference Website: Please visit the conference website for regular updates and information, at: https://babcock.edu.ng/atandaconference For all enquiries, our email is atanda.conference@babcock.edu.ng We will keep you updated about other developments going forward. If there is any way at all that we can make your conference experience more pleasurable, please do let us know right ahead of time, and we will do our very best. You can reach us by email at atanda.conference@babcock.edu.ng and by phone at the numbers below. Professor Bola Sotunsa For The Sixth J.A. Atanda Lectures and Conference Local Organising Committee: Convener: Professor Toyin Falola, University Distinguished Professor of History and the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin.toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu Convener: Professor Mobolanle E. Sotunsa, Professor of African Oral Literature and Gender Studies, Director of Babcock University Centre for Open Distance and e-Learning (BUCODeL) and Coordinator, Babcock University Gender and African Studies Group (BUGAS); sotunsam@babcock.edu.ng

Expert Panel Discussion on Media and Communication in Africa

Join our expert panel this Friday 21st at 3pm South Africa time (2pm GMT) for a broad-ranging discussion on all aspects of African media, culture and communication.The discussion celebrates the publication of the Routledge Handbook of African Media and Communication Studies, edited by Winston Mano and viola c. milton. Together with the 21 contributors, they represent most of the world's leading experts in the field. During the launch, Professor Mano and Professor Milton will be joined in discussion by five contributors, and there will also be time to ask the experts your own questions. The session is entirely free to attend, and registration for the event is quick and easy, via the following link:https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4880868870072937997 More about the book can be found below, or at the book's webpage here, where you will also find chapter 19 of the book available as a free download:https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-African-Media-and-Communication-Studies/Ma...This handbook comprises fresh and incisive research focusing on African media, culture and communication. The chapters from a cross-section of scholars dissect the forces shaping the field within a changing African context. It adds critical corpora of African scholarship and theory that places the everyday worlds, needs and uses of Africans first. The book goes beyond critiques of the marginality of African approaches in media and communication studies to offer scholars the theoretical and empirical toolkit needed to start building critical corpora of African scholarship and theory that places the everyday worlds, needs and uses of Africans first. Decoloniality demands new epistemological interventions in African media, culture and communication, and this book is an important interlocutor in this space. In a globally interconnected world, changing patterns of authority and power pose new challenges to the ways in which media institutions are constituted and managed, as well as how communication and media policy is negotiated and the manner in which citizens engage with increasing media opportunities. The handbook focuses on the interrelationships of the local and the global and the concomitant consequences for media practice, education and citizen engagement in today’s Africa. Altogether, the book foregrounds convivial epistemologies relevant for locating African media and communication in the pluriverse. This handbook is an essential read for critical media, communications, cultural studies and journalism scholars.Table of Contents Decoloniality and the push for African media and communication studies: an introduction Winston Mano and viola c. milton 2. Afrokology of media and communication studies: theorising from the margins Winston Mano and viola c. milton3. Frantz Fanon, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and African media and communication studies Pier Paolo Frassinelli4. Rethinking African strategic communication: towards a new violence Colin Chasi5. Afrokology and organisational culture: why employees are not behaving as predicted Elnerine WJ Gree6. To be or not to be: decolonizing African media/communications Kehbuma Langmia 7. Communicating the idea of South Africa in the age of decoloniality Blessed Ngwenya 8. Decolonising media and communication studies: an exploratory survey on global curricula transformation debates Ylva Rodny-Gumede and Colin Chasi 9. Africa on demand: the production and distribution of African narratives through podcasting Rachel Lara van der Merwe10. The African novel and its global communicative potential: africa’s soft power Mary-Jean Nleya11. Citizen journalism and conflict transformation: exploring netizens’ digitized shaping of political crises in Kenya Toyin Ajao12. Ghetto ‘wall-standing’: counterhegemonic graffiti in Zimbabwe Hugh Mangeya13. "Arab Spring" or Arab Winter: social media and the 21st-century slave trade in Libya Ashley Lewis, Shamilla Amulega, and Kehbuma Langmia14. On community radio and African interest broadcasting: the case of Vukani Community Radio (VCR) Siyasanga M. Tyali15. Not just a benevolent bystander: the corrosive role of private sector media on the sustainability of the South African Broadcasting Corporation Kate Skinner16. Health communication in Africa Elizabeth Lubinga and Karabo Sitto17. The politics of identity, trauma, memory and decolonisation in Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie (2015) Beschara Karam18. Nollywood as decoloniality Ikechukwu Obiaya19. Afrokology as a transdisciplinary approach to media and communication studies viola c. milton and Winston Mano

Recording of Public Dialogue Series, “Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Africa and the Diaspora"

Last week AAP held its third Public Dialogue of year, “Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Africa and the Diaspora”. For those who missed or wanted a chance to review the session again, a recording is now available. A diverse group of panelists and moderators were brought together to discuss the role of higher education institutions in combating racism across the African Diaspora. We would like to thank our attendees, panelists, moderators, and co-hosts for their help in creating an influential virtual dialogue. Our co-hosts were African Studies Center, Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Department of African American and African Studies, and International Association of Universities.

By: Madeleine Futter

Monday, Aug 16, 2021

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Africa and the Diaspora

AAP will hold its third Public Dialogue in two weeks! On May 12, a panel of leaders will share their perspectives on higher education institutions’ role in structural racism, global race relations, racist actions, and paths for meaningful change. The “Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in Africa and the Diaspora” session is co-hosted by @African Studies Center, @Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, @Dept of African American and African Studies, and @international Association of Universities. Agenda: 8:00AM - Welcome remarks & introduction of dialogue Moderators: Dr. CassandraVeney, Professor and Chair, Dept of International Relations, US International University, Kenya (USIU)• Dr. Upenyu Majee, Manager, Ubuntu Dialogues Project, African Studies Center, MSU 8:05AM - Opening Remarks: Dr. Pero G. Dagbovie, University Distinguished Professor & Associate Dean, The Graduate School, MSU: The historical context of the Black experience globally Panelists 8:20AM - Jabbar R. Bennett, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Michigan State University 8:30AM - Norman Duncan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Pretoria, South Africa 8:40AM - Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President International, Kings College London, United Kingdom 8:50AM - Ana Flávia Magalhães Pinto, Professor, Dept of History, University of Brasília, Brazil 9:00AM - Sharron Reed-Davis, President, Black Student Alliance 9:10AM - Q&A Session 9:25AM - Monique Kelly, Assistant Professor, Dept of Sociology, MSU To register: https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/5616184940488/WN_HC8K6Gw7RyS1Z1JV1SOf0Q

UCLA African Studies Event: Africa's Readiness for Climate Change

Please find attached a special edition of our newsletter about the upcoming Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change (ARCC) virtual forum, organized by the UCLA African Studies Center and Earth Rights Institute. The webinar event is scheduled for April 19-23 and registration to attend is free; register at: https://ucla.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_b5cGk3_ASFO1WEkwK2NAtA. Exact times to be announced, but starting time will be 9 am for most days as three of the presenters will be Zooming from the continent. Confirmed Speakers are Nnimmo Bassey, Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation; Ousmane Aly Pame, President Global Ecovillage Network Africa, Founder/President REDES (Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel); HE Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, Sierra Leone Ambassador to the US; and Elizabeth Wathuti, Founder, Green Generation Initiative and Head of Campaigns at Wangari Maathai Foundation, Kenya. Additionally, there will be panels on Public Health, Indigenous Knowledge, Policy, and more. For information, please email africa@international.ucla.edu or visit the conference website at https://www.international.ucla.edu/asc/article/206676 or call 323.335.9965.

Announcing Journal of West African History, Volume VI, Issue II

Founding Editor-in-Chief: Nwando AchebeEditors: Saheed Aderinto, Trevor Getz, Vincent Hiribarren, and Harry OdamttenBook Review Editors: Mark Deets and Ndubueze Mbah JWAH 6.2 NOW AVAILABLE ON JSTOR AND PROJECT MUSE! The Journal of West African History (JWAH) is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed research journal that publishes the highest quality articles on West African history. Located at the cutting edge of new scholarship on the social, cultural, economic, and political history of West Africa, JWAH fills a representational gap by providing a forum for serious scholarship and debate on women and gender, sexuality, slavery, oral history, popular and public culture, and religion. The editorial board encourages authors to explore a wide range of topical, theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives in new and exciting ways. The journal is committed to rigorous thinking and analysis; is international in scope; and offers a critical intervention about knowledge production. Scholarly reviews of current books in the field appear in every issue. And the publication is in both English and French; an abstract in both languages will be provided. JWAH is published by Michigan State University Press. Editor’s Note Vincent Hiribarren, "African History Will Make Us Breathe" Articles Klas Rönnbäck, “The Built Environment of the Precolonial West African Coast: Materials, Functions, and Housing Standards” Ismail Warscheid, “The West African Jihād Movements and the Islamic Legal Literature of the Southwestern Sahara (1650–1850)” Holly Rose Ashford, “Modern Motherhood, Masculinity, and Family Planning in Ghana, 1960–75” Retrospective Jan Jansen and James R. Fairhead, “The Mande Creation Myth, by Germaine Dieterlen, as a Historical Source for the Mali Empire” Conversations Kwasi Konadu, “COVID-19 and Caution for Historians: Views from a Place in West Africa” Karen Flint, “‘Africa Isn’t a Testing Lab’: Considering COVID Vaccine Trials in a History of Biomedical Experimentation and Abuse” Alhaji U. Njai, “COVID-19 Pandemic at the Intersection of Ebola, Global Leadership, and the Opportunity to Decolonize the Political Economy of Sierra Leone” Helen Tilley, “COVID-19 across Africa: Colonial Hangovers, Racial Hierarchies, and Medical Histories” Book Reviews Harry N. K. Odamtten, Edward W. Blyden’s Intellectual Transformations: Afropublicanism, Pan-Africanism, Islam, and the Indigenous West African Church, reviewed by Tracy Keith Flemming Jonathan E. Robins, Cotton and Race across the Atlantic: Britain, Africa, and America, 1900–1920, reviewed by Andrew James Kettler Emily S. Burrill, States of Marriage: Gender, Justice, and Rights in Colonial Mali, reviewed by Harmony O’Rourke Katherine Ann Wiley, Work, Social Status, and Gender in Post-Slavery Mauritania, reviewed by Erin Pettigrew Cassandra Mark-Thiesen, Mediators, Contract Men, and Colonial Capital: Mechanized Gold Mining Colony, 1879–1909, reviewed by Andrea Ringer Submissions The editorial board invites scholars to submit original article-length manuscripts (not exceeding 10,000 words including endnotes, 35 pages in length) accompanied by an abstract that summarizes the argument and significance of the work (not exceeding 150 words). Please see submission guidelines for detailed expectations. Review essays (not exceeding 1,000 words) should engage the interpretation, meaning, or importance of an author’s argument for a wider scholarly audience. See what we have available for review on our Book Reviews page. Please contact our Book Review editors Mark Deets mark.deets@aucegypt.edu and Ndubueze Mbahndubueze@buffalo.edu for more information. Manuscripts submitted to the Journal of West African History should be submitted online athttps://ojs.msupress.msu.edu/index.php/JWAH/about/submissions. In order to submit an article, you will have to create an account. The site will guide you through this process.

Africa Past and Present Podcast: African Sports Studies (ep 30)

Check out this podcast from Matrix: the Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences and the Department of Hisotry at MSU! "In this episode, Dr. Gerard Akindes discusses his experience playing and coaching basketball in West Africa and Europe, and evaluates the prospects of the new Basketball Africa League. He considers the role of "electronic colonialism" in a changing sport media landscape and then reflects on his work advancing African scholarship through research publications and through Sports Africa, a coordinate organization of the U.S. African Studies Association that he co-founded in 2004." Here is the link: https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/afripod.aodl.org__;!!HXCxUKc!hObxORTy0n-bBMe5kVD4_jKz5Dofcp-uVBmltNqs7GdwfilTm7c19FREo-3gvmKNhw$ This podcast can also be found on Apple podcast and similar outlets.

Governing the Pandemic in Large Cities: From the BRICS and Beyond

The African Cities and Internationalization Group hosted by the African Center for the Studies of the US presents Governing the Pandemic in Large Cities: From the BRICS and Beyond Date: 22-23 October 2020 Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Johannesburg Time

Africa's rapid economic transformation

Check out this article co-authored by Thom Jayne, Adesoji Adelaja, and one of AAP's co-directors, Richard Mkandawire. The article provides a powerful message of hope for Africa. In spite of wars, famine and poverty they argue that Africa has made major strides in living standards, there is clearly a new generation that provide promise for the transformation of the continent. The underlying message is that they have in the making a cadre of African entrepreneurs that are delinking from the past. Click on the link below to read more: https://www.rural21.com/english/current-issue/detail/article/africas-rapid-economic-transformation.html

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