[Imc-ct] Toward an Africa Without Borders Conference - 2007: From Theory to Practice

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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 â€" and how relevant â€" 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
<http://by103fd.bay103.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?curmbox=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000005&a=9c3390f2d5f85a7b3fa9744d04825d6bd9c7e0fa8199b00bacebf8e5941c4680&mailto=1&to=Durban2007@towardanafricawithoutborders.org&msg=711BB899-8934-424D-A583-D055DD13F8B2&start=0&len=9823&src=&type=x>,
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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