[Imc-africa] Fwd: WG: [URBANTH-L] CFP: Toward an Africa Without Borders' 3rd International Conference - From Theory to Practice

Wed Apr 18 16:21:28 UTC 2007

>  Betreff: [URBANTH-L] CFP: Toward an Africa Without Borders' 3rd 
> International Conference - From Theory to Practice
>
>  Toward an Africa Without Borders Conference 2007: From Theory to 
> Practice
>  July 5-8, 2007 - Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
>
>  ***CFP SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 1, 2007***
>
>  The Toward an Africa Without Borders organizing committee invites 
> scholars and activists from all disciplines and professions to submit 
> abstracts or panel proposals for consideration for our third 
> international conference to be held in Durban, South Africa July 5-8, 
> 2007. The conference features keynote speakers Horace Campbell, Andile 
> Mngxitama, and Chengiah Rogers Ragaven. Toward an Africa Without 
> Borders is dedicated to opening borders, both physical and 
> metaphorical, and to promoting unity and solidarity between groups in 
> the Diaspora and Africa by facilitating strategic alliances and 
> discussions that lead to partnerships for positive action in the name 
> of Pan-Africanism.
>
>  The conference will consist of various panels and round-table 
> discussions, and will highlight four Featured Panels.
>
>  Featured Panels:**
>
>  Activism Across Borders
>  How can activism [and scholarship] cross and break down borders, be 
> they geographic borders or borders dividing gender, class, language, 
> ethnicity, religion, age, etc.? What are the benefits or drawbacks of 
> conceptualizing activism in terms of such "borders"?
>
>  Africa & the Media: Borders of Perception
>  How do media affect the perception of Africa in both Africa and the 
> Diaspora? How can international and domestic African media work to 
> expand understanding or facilitate cooperation? What is the role of 
> state and journalist control/censorship in this process?
>
>  Pan-Africanism: Theory and Practice
>  How can Pan-African ideas and theories be put into practice in 
> today's Africa? How can Pan-African theory facilitate positive action 
> and collaboration throughout Africa and the Diaspora? What are the 
> benefits and/or pitfalls of Pan-Africanism in the context of activism 
> and scholarship?
>
>  South Africa's Role in Africa and the World
>  How does the idea of "South African Exceptionalism" complement or 
> impair the Pan-Africanist agenda? Is South African Exceptionalism a 
> myth or reality? How does South Africa's role within SADC and the 
> African continent affect issues such as immigration and domestic and 
> foreign policy, in general? What are the advantages and disadvantages 
> of the model of social change employed by South Africa post 
> liberation?
>
>  **If you would like your abstract to be considered for one of the 
> featured panels, please clearly indicate that on your submission.
>
>  In addition to these featured panels, the conference welcomes 
> scholars and activists to discuss such issues as, but not limited to:
>
>  Arts/performance & Pan-Africanism
>  What role does culture play in today's Pan-African movement? How can 
> the arts and performance better serve to bridge Pan-African ideology 
> and activism? How effectively does art bring politics to the people 
> and vice versa?
>
>  Literature of Africa and the Diaspora
>  What recent and historical works of African and Diaspora literature 
> contribute to Pan-Africanism? How is contemporary literature 
> mobilizing a new vision of Pan-African identity and politics? What 
> borders are constructed between continental and Diaspora artists 
> regarding these issues? Do writers in Europe and the United States 
> share the same conception of Pan-Africanism as their continental 
> peers?
>
>  African Women: Struggle and Strength
>  What role do African and Diaspora women play in the struggle toward 
> an Africa without borders? What challenges do they face? What 
> strengths do they contribute?
>
>  Language and Africa
>  How does language factor into the Pan-African debate today? Do 
> linguistic and language barriers pose viable threats to Pan-African 
> possibilities, or should linguistic diversity be embraced? How 
> practical and how problematic is English as the lingua franca of the 
> Pan-African movement? How accessible - and how relevant - is 
> Pan-African discourse to the general public?
>
>  Globalization, Africa, and the Diaspora
>  What is Africa's role in globalization? How has globalization altered 
> Africa and the Diaspora? Has it been for better or worse? Does 
> globalization build or erase borders? Where does Pan-Africanism stand 
> in relation to other models of global identity, nationhood and/or 
> belonging?
>
>  Religion, Ethnicity, and Identity in Africa and the Diaspora
>  What is the role of religion, ethnicity, and/or identity in erecting 
> or destroying borders in Africa and the Diaspora? How can these 
> concepts contribute or detract from cooperation, understanding, and 
> collaboration between peoples? How can these borders be negotiated to 
> end genocide in Africa?
>
>  Africa and Foreign Relations
>  What is the impact of African nations' foreign policy on cooperation 
> and understanding across geographic borders? How can Africa benefit 
> from improved and continued partnerships with not only the West, but 
> also the Middle East and Asia?
>
>  Health and Medicine in Africa
>  What are the borders affecting improvements in health care and 
> medicine distribution/availability in Africa? How can breaking down 
> these divisions help Africa cope with and eliminate the major health 
> issues affecting the continent?
>
>  Africa and the Environment
>  How can Africa work to improve the environment? What is Africa's role 
> in the global climate crisis? What is the impact of environmental 
> change on African peoples?
>
>  Refugees, Immigration, and Pan-Africanism
>  How can applying the ideas and ideals of Pan-Africanism assist the 
> continent and the Diaspora in dealing with refugee and immigration 
> issues?
>
>  Government Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and 
> Development
>  What are the roles of these organizations in development projects in 
> Africa? What are the borders that affect their work? How can 
> re-conceptualizing these various borders better facilitate their work?
>
>  Emerging Global Powers in Africa
>  What role do emerging global powers, such as China and India, and 
> their growing economic involvement, play in Africa? How does this new 
> involvement compare with previous involvement of "traditional 
> imperialists"? What is the impact of this involvement on African-based 
> initiatives for trade, development, social and political advancement?
>
>  African Sexuality
>  Are gender and sexuality the least porous of African frontiers? What 
> are the borders that prevent the acknowledgment or acceptance of 
> homosexuality in Africa? Does Pan-Africanism have a role in 
> eliminating sexualized borders, and if so, what is that role? What 
> affect will South Africa's marriage inclusion law have upon sexual 
> identities across the continent? How does Pan-Africanism benefit or 
> deter the discussion of sexuality in Africa?
>
>  Submission of abstracts & activists' proposals for discussion topics: 
> Abstracts should be limited to 250 words, and should include the 
> author's name, title, affiliation, and full address (including 
> telephone, fax, and e-mail). Activists are strongly encouraged to 
> submit proposals for round-table discussions on these and related 
> topics. Please visit our web site - 
> www.towardanafricawithoutborders.org - for more information and to 
> submit abstracts and proposals online. If you have any questions, 
> please e-mail us at Durban2007 at towardanafricawithoutborders.org, or 
> call Denise St. Clair at 608-226-0535. If you are unable to access the 
> web site, you can also submit proposals by mailing them to Toward an 
> Africa Without Borders, c/o Denise St. Clair, 4518 Maher Avenue, 
> Madison, WI, 53716. Or, you can fax them to 608-694-4118.
>
>  Deadline for submission: MAY 1, 2007
>
>
>
>
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>
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