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AFRICAN STUDIES PROGRAM

FRIDAY BULLETIN

OCTOBER 12, 2007

Contents

1.       Upcoming Events

2.       Announcements of Interest

3.       Jobs, Fellowships and other Opportunities

4.       Conferences

5.       Noontalks schedule

6.       Seminar schedule

NOTE:  If you have announcements or information appropriate for the Bulletin, please send it to us by 5:00 p.m. on Thursdays.

1. Upcoming Events

NOTE:  NO FRIDAY BULLETIN NEXT WEEK (10/19) DUE TO ASA MEETINGS IN NEW YORK.

Tuesday Noon Talks
WH 218, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
October 16
            Takyiwaa Manuh – University of Ghana
“Empowering Women: Passing Domestic Violence Legislation in Ghana”

Wednesday Evening Seminar
WH 218, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
October 18, 2007
            NO WEDNESDAY EVENING SEMINAR SPEAKER THIS WEEK.

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2.  Announcements of Interest

African Music and Dance Ensemble
Neal Marshall Black Culture Center, A219
Friday, October 12
6:00-8:00 p.m.
This is a weekly event that includes African drumming.  Dance instruction will be provided for those who wish to participate.  The event is free and open to everyone.

Foreign/Second Language Teaching Share Fair
Friday, October 19
3:30-6:00 p.m.
Wylie Hall 015
“Hot off the Press: Bringing the World to Your Language Classroom”
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Incorporate current news as a way of bringing your students closer to the cultural, political, environmental, sports and entertainment events and issues, which are part of the life of the people whose language and culture they are studying! News from home is also a productive way to engage the students and be a foundation for a great language practice.  Activities for any level of language study are welcome.

Submission deadline:  Monday, October 15
Send to:  sharfair@indiana.edu

Presentations are limited to 3-5 minutes. Your presentation will be more effective if you invite audience members to participate and actually “do” the classroom activities you share. In other words, don’t just “tell” and discuss theory; rather, “show” and “include” the audience in hands-on activities. 

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3. Jobs, Fellowships and Other Opportunities

Mellon/ACLS Early Career Fellowship Program
Deadline:  November 14, 2007
These fellowships support young scholars to complete their dissertations and, later, to advance their research after being awarded the Ph.D.  The program will award fellowships in two categories:  Dissertation Completion and Recent Doctoral Recipients Fellowships.  A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports the program.

Visit the website:  http://www.acls.org/ecfguide.htm  for information and application instructions.

Women’s Studies, University of California, Riverside

The Department of Women’s Studies is conducting an open rank search for a full-time, tenured or tenure-track position in African feminisms construed in the broadest sense, including Africa and the various locations that comprise the African Diaspora.  Position will begin July 1, 2008. Candidates with primary research strength in one or more of the following areas will be considered:  global theorizations of African feminisms; comparative perspectives on gender and sexuality studies in the African Diaspora; conceptual approaches on blackness and Africanness in feminist context; women, gender and Pan-African consciousness; comparative feminist interpretations of the African Diaspora; transnational feminist diasporic movements; and representations of women in the African Diaspora (in literature, visual arts, media and other artistic expressions).

The successful candidate will teach core and elective courses in women, gender, and/or sexuality studies within a transnational focus and will undertake curricular development. Ph.D. required. Please send C.V., letter of application, letters of recommendation, and other supporting materials to: Christine Gailey, Chair of Search Committee, Department of Women’s Studies, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521.  Review of completed applications will begin December 15, 2007 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants for assistant professors should arrange for three letters of reference to be sent by their authors. Applicants for associate for full professor should include the names and addresses of at least three referees. All applicants must submit a writing sample and evidence of teaching ability. Salary commensurate with education and experience. EEO/AA.

Special Issue of “At Issue Ezine
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
“African Women and Economic Empowerment”
Who should speak for African women?  Too often it is either African men or Western women.  We need to hear more from the African women themselves who know better than anyone what are their major concerns and obstacles.

Africa Files’s At Issue Ezine is publishing a special issue on African Women’s Economic Empowerment.  At Issue is an online publication that aims to publish well-researched, provocative and insightful original articles on important themes sub-Saharan Africa. Abstracts are invited for this important forthcoming special issue.  The issue will seek to highlight processes and programs in different African countries.  We are particularly keen to have broad coverage both in terms of the continent’s regions as well as issues.   We are especially interested in those programs and processes that have not been the subject of extensive media or “expert” scrutiny, as well as new thinking about old and better known programs and issues.  

Writers are invited to submit abstracts exploring the situation/processes in their own country or region (of residence or experience) with regard to women’s economic empowerment.  What are the critical issues?  What are the obstacles? Are there positive examples which may serve as models or at least shed light on what is possible? How can things move forward?

Abstracts, roughly one page in length, are due on October 30 and should be sent to Anene  Ejikeme  anene.ejikeme@trinity.edu.  Writers whose abstracts are chosen for development into articles will then have until December 1 to submit a 5-8 page article.  There is an honorarium of CDN$200 for articles published in the Ezine.  To see the Ezine and the current issue on “China in Africa,” go to www.africafiles.org/atissueezine.asp.

Anene Ejikeme, Guest Editor, Women and Economic Empowerment Issue, At Issue Ezine, AfricaFiles,
Department of History, Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212, (210) 999-7897,

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4.  Conferences

Northeastern University
4th Annual Conference on Technology, Knowledge and society
Boston, MA, January 18-20, 2007

This conference will address a range of critically important themes in the various fields that address the complex and subtle relationships between technology, knowledge and society. The conference is cross-disciplinary, meeting points for technologists with a concern for the social and social scientists with a concern for the technological. The focus is primarily, but not exclusively, on information and communications technologies.  Visit the website:  http://www.Technology-Conference.com  for information on proposal submission.

California State University, Sacramento
17th Annual African/Diaspora Conference
“African Youth in America & Africa: Bridging the Gaps
May 1-3, 2008   CALL FOR PAPERS

This conference examines the state of African youth in the USA and Africa, with a focus on discussing inter- and intracultural group challenges, including crime and other conflicts. Together, the meeting will examine the prospects for bridging the gaps among African youth, as well as identify best practices and models for youth empowerment, leadership development, crime prevention, networking, and family stability.
Paper proposals are solicited that are based on case studies and best practices on domestic and international youth issues: e.g. youth development and leadership, peer relations, US-African youth study abroad exchanges, community outreach, crime prevention and peace building/peacemaking, peace education, African youth parenting, family, art expression, media and value formation, African-African American relations, girl-child education, child soldiers, youth gangs/cults, etc.

Please include the following with your proposal:  name, current position and institutional affiliation, paper title, abstract (75 words maximum), your mailing address, email, phone and fax number.
Notification of acceptance will be sent by email, plus any publication guidelines. Selected papers will be considered for publication in the conference proceedings. Presentations in English are preferred, but French can be accommodated.

Participants are responsible for conference fee of $50 US, plus their travel costs.  Fee waiver for students. E-mail or fax your proposal to:  Ernest Uwazie, Director, Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J St., Sacramento, CA  95819-6085  Phone: 916-278-6282, FAX: 916-278-3429; email:  uwazieee@csus.edu  DEADLINE:  November 29, 2007

University of Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
4th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and social Sustainability
January 4-7, 2008

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AFRICAN STUDIES NOONTALKS

FALL 2007

Woodburn Hall 218, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

               Titles will be added as they become available.

September 18        Elizabeth Perrill, Art History
                                    “Contemporary Zulu Ceramics: Kusempondo zankomo kuze kube Ukucwebezela
                                     (From the early hours until the shining)”

September 25        Michael Reece, HPER
                                    “Research on HIV-Related Mental Health in Kenya:
                                      Conceptual and Methodological Considerations”

October 2                Kate Schroeder, LibraryR
                                    “Legislating Race and Marriage in German Südwest Afrika"

October 9                Gracia Clark, Anthropology
                                    “Traders Talk: A Collaborative Workshop”

October 16              Takyiwaa Manuh, African Studies, University of Ghana
                                    “Empowering Women? Passing Domestic Violence
                                     Legislation in Ghana”
October 23              

October 30              Jessica Hurd, African Art History
                                    "The Power is in the Pot:” Exploring Themes Addressed in Dogon Artist
                                    Amahinguere Dolo’s Recent  Installation, “Les Ceramiques” "

November 6            Ruth Stone, Folklore/Ethnomusicology, and Verlon Stone,
                                    Liberia Collections

November 13          Okomfo “Ama” Boakyewa, Anthropology

November 20          THANKSGIVING WEEK

November 27          Laura Arntson, Senior Global Health Specialist, st
                                   US-AID Nigeria

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“TEACHING ABOUT AFRICA”

FALL SEMINAR SCHEDULE

Wednesday 5:30-7:30pm, Woodburn 218

September 5     James Delehanty (Univ. of Wisconsin): “Mapping Contemporary Africa.”

October 3          John Aden (Wabash College): “Roots and Branches: Historical Overview to 1870.”

October 16        (Tuesday)  Takyiwaa Manuh (University of Ghana): “Empowering Women? Passing Domestic Violence Legislation in Ghana?”

                              Note: This seminar will be presented in the Tuesday Noontalk series

                                             12:00 p.m., WH 221)

October 31        Tracy Luedke (Northeastern Illinois University): “Health and Society.”

November 7      Stephen Ndegwa (World Bank): “Development Issues.”

November 14   Karen T. Hansen (Northwestern U.): “Urban Life.”

December 6      Paul Zeleza (Univ. of Illinois-Chicago): “Education.”

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