To celebrate the impact of U.S. program alumni as we celebrate 60 years of the U.S.-Uganda relationship, the U.S. Mission will acknowledge the outstanding work of Ugandan alumni through the Alumni Impact Awards. The Embassy will solicit nominations for 13 Award Categories (see below for list) from alumni and Embassy staff via an online platform.  The nominations will be considered by a committee consisting of both Alumni and Embassy staff, with nominations of five finalists in the categories submitted to the Ambassador for approval.   The YALI-RLC Alumni Chapter of Uganda will provide administrative support for the award process and award ceremony, tentatively scheduled for January 21, 2023. Read more

Indiana University is accepting applications for fellowships and scholarships to support study in its intensive online program in Swahili in the summer of 2023. The program provides 20 online classroom hours a week and regular co-curricular activities. For details visit http://languageworkshop.iu.edu/swahili. All participants pay in-state tuition and earn 6-8 credits. Scholarship and fellowship programs are available. Visit http://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/swahili for details and application forms. Application deadline: February 3, 2023.   Questions? Write to us at languageworkshop@indiana.edu or visit Virtual Office Hours Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-2 pm eastern at: http://iu.zoom.us/my/languageworkshop. Read more

Violent Turns Sources, Interpretations, Responses    The American University of Paris    June 21-23, 2023    The aim of this international conference is to provide researchers with an interdisciplinary platform to investigate and debate the question of contemporary irruptions of political violence and to inquire into the different responses intended to counteract violence. When and why do individuals, groups, and societies come to believe that peaceful means and legal avenues of redress, including non-violent civil disobedience, are insufficient or improper to achieve a social or political goal and to view violent action as morally legitimate and necessary for change? Can one identify trends shaping recourse to violence by parts of the populace? What role does state violence play in the dialectic? When, if ever, is political violence legitimate? How can violence be averted?    These are not new questions in political theory or the social sciences. State and non-state political violence being a regular occurrence in the historical trajectory of all societies, including modern democracies. But they have taken on new salience through the rise of far-right extremist movements and irruptions of individual and group violence of various ideological and social origins. The simultaneity of these phenomena across different countries, and the manifest potential for new violent turns, raises essential theoretical and policy questions, requiring renewed critical investigation.    The George and Irina Schaeffer Center for the Study of Genocide, Human Rights, and Conflict Prevention and the Center for Critical Democracy at The American University of Paris welcome papers that analyze the origins of violence in new innovative directions and studies of state responses to violence and of the strengths and limits of strategies based on education, dialogue, truth and reconciliation, deradicalization and so forth. We are also interested in historical-comparative work situating current political violence across space and time, critical political philosophical investigations of state legitimacy, as well as rightful and unrightful resistance. We welcome contributions in all fields, including psychology, political science, anthropology, sociology, history, law, criminology, literature, and communications as well as approaches promoting creative responses to the theme of the conference.    Suggested Topics  Sources of violence   • Determinants (personal, community, structural) in the violent turn of individuals, groups, and institutions    • Differentiating drivers of violent turns: political, socio-economic, religious, or psychological • Are these factors and drivers really discernable and can they be disentangled?    • Identity, othering and violence    Spectrum of socio-political violence    • Symbolic and material violence    • Gendered and racialized violence    • Violence against things, violence against people    • State and non-state violence    • Colonial and anti-colonial violence    • Individual and mass violence    Institutions and violence    • Effects of violence on the rule of law, democratic stability, and human rights    • The role of the law and government institutions in reducing, maintaining, or fueling political violence    • States of exception and state violence    • Prevention, reeducation   Philosophical Investigations    • State legitimacy and legitimacy of non-state violence    • Pacifism, civil disobedience and violent direct action    • Political obedience, systemic injustices, and the right to resist    The conference languages are English and French. Proposals in English or French must include an abstract of no more than 400 words and a short narrative cv of no more than 250 words. Please send all materials to violentturnsconference@aup.edu by December 15th, 2022. We will evaluate the submissions and notify those we have selected by January 31, 2023.    Limited funds for travel and accommodation are available for presenters in need. If you wish to apply for a grant, please include a one paragraph statement requesting financial support.    Organizing and scientific committee:   Philip Golub (AUP), Constance Pâris de Bollardière (AUP), Stephen Sawyer (AUP), Brian Schiff (AUP), Sharon Weill (AUP), Roman Zinigrad (AUP)  Read more

The 47th annual meeting of the French Colonial Historical Society (FCHS) will take place at the Université des Antilles in Martinique, May 4-6, 2023. We welcome panels and papers related to this year's theme, "The Color of Slavery: Construction and Deconstruction of a Colonial System." This includes contributions on the racial legacies of slavery in French colonial and post-colonial societies in the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. We also solicit proposals that address any aspect of French colonial history.   Individual or panel propsals will be accepted between September 30 and November 15, 2022. Please send proposals to frenchcolonial2023@gmail.com.   Please see the FCHS English CFP for more details related to the conference, submissions, and grant opportunities. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Le 47e congrès annuel de la Société d'Histoire Coloniale Française (SHCF) se tiendra du 4 au 6 mai 2023 à l'Université des Antilles, pôle Martinique. Sous le titre « La couleur de l'esclavage : construction et déconstruction d'un système colonial », le congrès 2023 envisagera les espaces concernés par le commerce négrier, d'une Caraïbe étendue de la Louisiane aux Guyanes à un océan Indien étiré de Madagascar aux comptoirs des Indes orientales. Le thème de cette année permettra de considérer des sujets associés à l'esclavage, à ses héritages et à la colonisation des mondes atlantiques et indiens. Cependant, comme tous les ans, les propositions de communiation sur d'autres aspects de l'histoire coloniale française pourront également être pris en considération.  Les propositions pour des ateliers complets ou des communications individuelles seront acceptées entre le 30 septembre et le 15 novembre 2022. Veuillez envoyer votre proposition de communication ou d'atelier au comité scientifique par courriel à l'adresse suivante: frenchcolonial2023@gmail.com Veuillez consulter Appel SHCF français pour plus de détails sur le congrès, le processus de soumission, et des opportunités de candidater pour nos bourses.  Read more

Using ICTs to Preserve African Indigenous Knowledge Management SystemsGuest edited by Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto Over the years, Africa has evolved in its preservation of indigenous knowledge management systems through oral history, semiotics, traditional codes and arguably, less to do with modern digital technologies. The risk of progressive loss or extinction of some sustainable practices, courtesy our indigenous knowledge management that hitherto supported sectors on education, agriculture, vocation, commerce, governance, environment, security, climate, economy, food security, health and public order is clear. It is obvious that an open discourse and action on the preservation of Africa indigenous knowledge management systems cannot wait further. Africa has expressed its preservation through myths, storytelling, adinkra symbols, use of amulets, concoction use, rules on natural resources such as gold and diamond. Indigenous technologies were used to manage forests, water bodies and food security in Africa better than today. One may argue that current depletion of resources may be due to population explosion, economic situations and sophistication in technology. However, the question still remains that how did Africa manage its governance, security and health systems without the sophistication of technology at the time? It is obvious that some lessons could be learnt. How has Africa developed and preserved its numerous languages over thousands of years without digitization? Through modernization, patents have been taken for granted for indigenous cultural practices in agriculture and the use of symbols such as the adinkra, beads and craft works.   Countries are beginning to preserve their indigenous knowledge. One such example is South Africa. Since 2006, the country adopted a policy framework on the promotion and protection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in South Africa. Through the Ulwazi Programme, several documentations on South African indigenous culture, local history like celebration of the rite of passage specific to Durban is being preserved via online media. The preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems can be achieved through consciousness and proactiveness via dynamic legal frameworks and policy formulation with regard to data protection and research. There is no doubt that ICTs could be used to achieve the preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems. This call therefore invites concepts and original research works on the preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems using ICTs. Submissions may cover the following areas: The concept of African indigenous knowledge management systems How African indigenous knowledge management systems can be promoted via ICTs Case studies on African indigenous knowledge management systems via ICTs Software applications that can support on African indigenous knowledge in archiving Deadline for Abstract Submission: December 15, 2022Full paper is due by March 31, 2023 Direct all inquiries and submit abstracts and full papers to Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto at saheto@ug.edu.gh More about Using ICTs to Preserve African Indigenous Knowledge issue   Read more

CFP: Nokoko special issue African Futures: Ambiguities, contentions, and connections in African speculative fiction and beyond The terms used to describe uniquely African or diasporic literatures of the future are contested. In her article, The Speculative Turn in African Literature (2019), Michelle Louise Clark considers science fiction to have poorly served those who have felt excluded from the genre, yet terms likeAfrofuturism are hardly universally applicable either. New categories to describe African diaspora literature have been created, rejected, taken up or defended in both academic and more open literary spaces: In her 2019 essays titled “Africanfuturism defined”, Nnedi Okorafor’s creation ofthe term Africanfuturism makes a clear distinction between sci-fi and speculative fiction written from a continental vs. diasporic point of view. Yet Sean Guynes (2021) points out that Afrofuturism does not necessarily hold water for Caribbean and South America writers, or for Africans in the European diaspora. Clark (2019) identifies still other, more contextually-anchored categories including Black Speculative Arts Movement, Black Quantum Futurism, Afrofuturismo, Afrofuturista, Astro-Blackness, and Afro-Surrealism, to name but a few. Clark (2019) further notes that science fiction and speculative writing are longstanding features of African writing and cultural production. However, as Guynes (2021) points out, recent discussions around categorization, genre and labels have produced a wealth of new approaches, theories, andexplorations into African futurity in literature. Futurity itself remains up for debate. Scholars like Amir Eshel, author of Futurity: Contemporary Literature and the Quest for the Past (2013) have used the term to describe a general literary turn towards imagined futures and to describe “the potential of literature to widen the language and to expand the pool of idioms we employ in making sense of what has occurred while imagining whom we may become.” Likewise, Guynes (2021) identifies futurity as engaging with a text or practice that draws upon the present to explore the possible nature of one’s subjectivity in the future. Though definitions differ, debates over the concept share a belief that in the here and now, futurity offers imaginative space towards new tomorrows. The vast array of possibilities and discussions bring to mind an island emerging from the ocean, with a yet unknown geography encircled by bubbling and raucous waters. We are at a unique moment in the history of African science and speculative fiction, one that defies narrow canonization, embraces the ambiguities of the moment and acknowledges difference as a concept worthy of exploration. What is clear, is that these emerging genres do not pretend to weave new realities without context, history or cultural politics. Nnedi Okorafor (2019), makes this clear in her definition of Africanfuturism, a point of view that “will tend to naturally have mystical elements (drawn or grown from actual African cultural beliefs/world views, not something merely made up).” As Nwankwo and Egbunike write in their introduction to ALT 39’s issue on Speculativeand Science Fiction, works by authors who are less-well known internationally, and written in African languages, are being recognized as inspiration for contextual, grounded and nevertheless speculative works by their contemporaries and their literary successors. Lastly, the possibilities of African science and speculative fiction extend beyond literature. Music, photography, film, dance, and the fine arts have all been influenced by the debates around afro/africanfuturism and no doubt are fomenting their own terms and philosophies to best articulate their visions. The goal of this special issue of Nokoko is to explore the still unfolding discussions around African science and speculative writing and fantasy. The special issue also seeks to examine where futurism rears its head in disciplines beyond Literature. We welcome:• articles that examine contemporary works of science and speculative fiction• articles that examine diasporic debates around science and speculative fiction• articles that trace the history of futurity or future thinking in an artistic practice or artist’s trajectory on the continent or in the diaspora• articles that explore the relationship between African spirituality and science and speculative fiction or arts creation• articles that explore language debates and the speculative turn• articles that examine non-literary yet cultural phenomena that are impacted by or are impacting concepts of futurity• articles that examine the role of technology, information networks and bio-tech in African science and speculative fiction• articles that explore taxonomical debates in African science and speculative fiction• articles that explore the connections between contemporary science and speculative fiction and Africa’s rich oral narrative heritage and its association with myth and fantasy.   Abstracts of 300 words due by November 21, 2022. Scholars whose abstracts are approved by the editors will be required to submit papers that critically engage with any number of these issues. Submissions should be no longer than 8,000 words. We also welcome shorter contributions, such as poetry, art, short fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as photo essays. Articles should follow Nokoko’s https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/nokoko/information/authors We encourage potential authors to discuss articles in progress if they seek advice on preparing a successful submission. Please contact us if you wish to propose a particular book for review(s) and we will assist in finding a review copy. Book reviews have a 1,000-word limit, although extended book reviews of two or more books may be longer (see, for example, the extended review by Heffernan in Issue 7). We also continue to accept articles outside this theme-specific area. Submission Deadlines: Draft paper due by April 1, 2023, to be submitted through Nokoko portal at https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/nokoko/about/submissions or by email to: nokoko@cunet.carleton.ca For clarification on any part of this CFP please contact the Issue editors:Chichi Ayalogu: ChiChiAyalogu@cmail.carleton.caEmma Bider: emmabider@cunet.carleton.ca Read more

This call for paper focuses on the constitutionalisation and dynamics of African Monarchs (Kings, Queen Mothers, and Chiefs) since independence in the ‘Africa of Republics’ and ‘African monarchies.’ With the ascension of African nation states to independence, a continental replication of republicanism followed except for Morocco, Lesotho and Eswatini which emerged from the colonial mould as sovereign constitutional monarchies. Out of Africa’s 54 fully recognised sovereign states today, 51 are constitutional republics which still contain traditional monarchies which stand out as sub-national entities (see Iddawela & Rodríguez-Pose 2021) while three are sovereign monarchies. Prototypes of sub-national entities within African sovereign states include, but are not limited to, the Yoruba kingdoms (Nigeria), the Buganda kingdom (Uganda), the Ashanti kingdom (Ghana), the Zulu kingdom (South Africa), the Ndebele kingdom (Zimbabwe), the Gaza kingdom (south-eastern Zimbabwe stretching down to the southern part of Mozambique), and the Lozi kingdom (Zambia).  Traditional monarchies/chiefdoms still flourish in African republics today as sub-national entities and special constitutional provisions have been enacted to recognise them and increase their relevance in contemporary governance (Iddawela & Rodríguez-Pose 2021). Traditional authorities in post-colonial Africa are important players in a single, integrated modern political republican system, rather than opponents in a sharply bifurcated state (see Muriaas 2011; Logan 2009). African traditional authorities have been gradually given a stamp of constitutional recognition in the African post-colony.  The constitutionalisation of African monarchies simply refers to the recognition and inclusion of Kings, Chiefs and Queen Mothers into African republican constitutional frameworks as relevant political actors in the overall governance processes in Africa. This is done despite the chequered past of traditional rulers as collaborators of slave dealers and oppressive colonial regimes. The politics of inclusion and the dynamics of African Monarchs in the new political dispensation have not been critically historicised and contextualised within the political dynamics of the post-colony and on a comparative continental basis to fully appreciate the trajectory of these phenomena. This lacuna needs to be urgently addressed.  We intend to bring together a coterie of scholars from different parts of the continent to brainstorm on the trail of the constitutionalisation and dynamics of African traditional monarchs within and across African states since independence. The terms ‘Monarchs’, ‘Traditional Authorities’, ‘Traditional Leaders’, ‘Kings’ and ‘Chiefs’, Queen Mothers, and the Rain Queens of Balobedu are synonymous in this Call For Papers. Monarchs or traditional authorities refer to the historically rooted indigenous African leadership. Nonetheless, Ubink (2008) quickly posits that the current traditional leaders in Africa do not all have pre-colonial roots. Instead of referring to historic roots, ‘traditional leadership’ refers to leadership whose legitimacy is rooted in history-either real or invented-and culture, often combined with religious, divine, or sacred references. Ubink therefore provides are more encompassing concept for African traditional rulers.  Africa’s monarchies have survived the post-colonial wind of change. Globally the pendulum has been swinging between monarchism and republicanism as alternative constitutional regimes since modern times. In 1793 the republic was presented as the mortal enemy of the monarchy with the beheading of the French royal couple in Paris (Finnsson 2018; Langewiesche, 2017). But monarchism remained entrenched in continental Europe until World War I unleashed the final coups de grâce on it following the defeat of monarchical regimes. It was soon the turn of Africa to attempt to uproot and destroy its monarchies which were so entrenched in the culture and tradition of the peoples. Was this an achievable and a desirable task? Why have the sovereign African monarchies of Morocco, Lesotho and Eswatini survived as alternatives to republicanism?  There are two identifiable phases in the trajectory of African monarchs in Africa since independence. The first phase starts from the eve of African independence to 1989 and was characterised by the caricaturing, demonisation, criminalisation and eclipsing of traditional authorities. The second phase was triggered by the Huntington’s third democratic wave in Africa and was marked by the resurgence and revalorisation of African monarchs and their integration in the republican constitutions of African states.  African traditional institutions and mechanisms were henceforth being employed to provide more content to the nation-building. They assumed their roles as dynamic and influential local political structures that the rural population easily identified with as the crystallizing socio-political agency. The effort of the post-colonial state to constitutionalise traditional institutions was a way of arguably reforming and re-traditionalising chieftaincy and re-engaging them in nation-building (Momoh 2004).  PHASE 1: The Era of the Caricaturing, Demonising, Criminalising and Eclipsing of Traditional Monarchs from the eve of independence to 1989  Traditional authorities were generally subjected to virulent criticism as relicts of the feudal order and colonial collaborators who simply had to be discarded in the new independent African republican governments. They were seen as impediments to modernisation and nation-building and accused of operating on principles that were antithetical to democratic ideas and values. For example, a chief was not elected into office by popular vote, but through lineage, and is thus in office for life. This system was patriarchal and largely excluded women from the office based on repugnant customary laws that were oppressive to women (Logan 2009; Beall & Hassim 2005).  Some countries, such as Guinea Conakry, Uganda and Tanzania ventured to formally abolish traditional leadership as competitors to the modern state (Suret-Canale 1966; Oloka‐Onyango 1997; Crutcher 1969). Other countries entered a path to curtail chiefs’ powers. For instance, the first independent government of Ghana, headed by President Kwame Nkrumah, abolished the formal judicial function of the chiefs, and tried to break their economic power base by depriving them of any role in land management and eventually of ownership and their claims to have the right to collect land ‘rents’ (Rathbone 2000). The Botswana government in the first years after independence transferred the responsibility for local health, education and public works, the levy of local taxes, and the impounding of stray stock from the chief and his tribal administration to the newly created District Councils, and the right to allocate tribal land to executive tribunals, known as Land Boards (Denbow et al 2006). Julius Nyerere’s Tanzania abolished the chieftainship institutions and replaced them with a modern administrative system. In Mozambique, the socialist Frelimo government upon gaining its independence in 1975 banned chiefs and set up new governance structures to undermine them.  In some other African countries, the state administration ignored chiefs and left them to their own devices and expected them to either thrive in the locality or to slowly wither away. This did not happen because during the first decades of independence, Chieftaincy institutions did not disintegrate. They continued to be relevant to their constituencies because of the important roles they played in their communities.  Phase II: The Third Democratic Wave, the introduction of Multipartyism and the Collapse of Apartheid and the fate of Traditional Monarchies  The “third wave" of democratisation” that “swept through the African continent since the 1990s (Huntington 1993) unleashed in its wake some sort of epidemic of constitution-making” (Fombad 2007: 1). New or substantially revised constitutions were introduced in most African countries that “contained provisions that “purported to recognise and protect most of the fundamental human rights that are associated with constitutionalism and Western liberal democracy, with one of the most significant developments being the recognition of political pluralism and the legalisation of previously banned political parties” (Fombad 2007: 1) It was in this context of competitive political pluralism that traditional rulers resurfaced and reasserted themselves as forces to reckon with (Tom Goodfellow and Stefan Lindemann 2013; Englebert 2002; Foucher & Smith 2011; Ubink 2008; Chimhowu 2019).Many African countries reviewed their republican constitutions and integrated African monarchies.  The Ghana Constitution of 1992 guaranteed the institution of chieftaincy and restricted the state from appointing or refusing to recognise chiefs (article 270) (Alden Willy and Hammond 2001; Ubink 2008). In Uganda the powerful kingdom of Buganda, abolished by Uganda’s 1967 Constitution after the Buganda king had been exiled in 1966 was largely restored in 1993 by President Museveni. Despite the negative role of traditional authorities during the Apartheid period, South Africa worked towards collaboration with traditional rulers and entrenched their positions in the post-apartheid constitutions. The South African Parliament passed two pieces of legislation in 2003 that clarified the position of traditional authorities in South Africa’s democracy (Claassens 2006; Ntsebeza 2003; 2005; Ntshona and Lahiff 2003; Oomen 2002). Many African countries have established House of Chiefs in recognition of the importance of traditional authorities (Ubink 2008). The trajectory of African traditional rulers in post-independence Africa is emblematic of dynamism as captured in Professor Nyamnjoh’s incisive article on Chieftaincy and democracy in contemporary Cameroon and Botswana (Nyamnjoh, 2014). This general trajectory in Africa deserves scholarly investigation.  We invite paper abstracts of 600-1000 words that will analyse these issues within individual countries, comparatively, and/ or through the lenses of different case studies. The abstracts should focus on, but not limited to, the following themes:  From exclusion to inclusion of Traditional Rulers in post-independence African Politics  The trajectory of Traditional Authorities through the politico-constitutional mould  A Comparative Study of the constitutionalisation of Traditional Authorities in Africa  A critical analysis of the constitutional basis of the enthronement and destitution of  Traditional Rulers in specific African counties since independence  Extra-Constitutional Formation and Evolution of the League of Traditional Rulers (i.e. the North-West and South West Chiefs Conferences) in Cameroon in the era of political liberalisation.  The Zulu nation in South Africa and the Making and Evolution of the 1994 South African post-apartheid Constitution.  The Birth, Evolution and Achievements of the South African Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders  The inclusion and exclusion of the modern state in political transition in African kingdoms after the demise of a King/Queen Mother since independence.  Critical Perspectives of Challenges of Reconciling Traditional Rulers and African Democratic Governments based on Western European Models.  Post-independence political positioning of Traditional Rulers in modern politics  A Comparative Study of Queen Mother Institutions in Africa since independence  A History of African Female Chiefs in the House of Chiefs  Conference Coordination: University of the Free State Call for Paper Deadline: 30 November 2022  Please send 600-1000 words abstract of your paper and a 150-word bio in an MS Word document. Abstracts will be accepted in English or French. The abstract should clearly reflect the (i) aims, (ii) research questions, (iii) methodology, (iv) innovative potential/originality and (v) relevance of the paper.  Notification of accepted proposals will occur by 20 December 2022. Final manuscripts should be due on 20 January 2023.  Expected outcome of conference: Selected papers would be published in a book  If you have any questions, please feel free to email the convenors. Please send your submissions to: Email address: africacostit399@gmail.comEmail address: constitutionindepe@gmail.com Tentative Conference Dates: 2-4 February 2023 Read more

Learn to effectively assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems across all biomes. The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Since our first intake of students in September 2012, more than 135 students have been part of the programme. The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques aims to provide the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys for a range of key taxa, and to analyse field survey data with confidence. The PGCert is taught via a mixture of face-to-face, online and experiential learning. A choice of modules enables students to explore areas of interest and specialism relevant to their professional needs. Drawing on a rich pool of expertise, teaching is conducted by a highly knowledgeable and diverse team of practitioners and academics engaged directly with ecological issues. Quick links Who is the course for? Charter Status Course content and aims Assessment methods Staff IT requirements Accommodation How to apply and fees and funding Who is the course for? The course (taught part-time, normally over one year) is designed for a wide range of both students and professionals needing to up-skill in: Environmental management; Environmental assessment; Biodiversity monitoring. Many of our PGCert students are professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and rangers, research and postgraduate students, educators as well as volunteers and those looking to make a career change. The course suits those looking for flexible study combined with expert training.  The techniques covered are universal using international case studies and examples. Past students have joined from the UK, the USA, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe. Charter Status The course can help you to apply for Chartered Status (such as Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Ecologist) and to meet relevant professional competency thresholds. Further information can be found in our Chartered status and essential skills guide. Course content Face-to-Face Week in Oxford: Introduction to Ecological Survey Techniques This five day Core Module provides a practical introduction to: Geographical Information Systems (GIS); an overview of approaches to plant and animal identification; an introduction to selected surveying techniques; University facilities and resources; and the Field Project. It is a mix of classroom and field-based teaching, with two days spent in the field at Wytham Woods, Oxford's 'living laboratory,' with activities including the use of GPS, bird netting and ringing, and surveying bats and vegetation. The week will build toward a formative (no credit) assessment. Online Modules Students take four tutor-led online modules of five weeks in duration and will take no more than 100 hours to complete.  Core Online Modules: Plant biodiversity and habitat assessment methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Vegetation​) Data Analysis: Statistics for Ecologists and Field Biologists Option Modules (select two): Mammal and reptile survey methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Mammals & Reptiles) Bird biodiversity and population monitoring methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Birds) Fish and amphibian survey methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Fish and Amphibians) Invertebrate biodiversity and population monitoring method (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Invertebrates​) Option modules are subject to availability, which includes recruiting sufficient student numbers to run successfully. Content is roughly equivalent to one week full time study.  Modules include research and discussion activities, multimedia tasks, practical exercises, revision activities and an assessment. Class sizes are small with less than 25 students. Assessments are normally due two weeks after the final class Module tutors usually engage online for 6 hours per week distributed across each week and will focus on particular topics, questions and activities. There is no set time to log in to accommodate students in different time zones. The online modules are also available as standalone modules, PGCert students can therefore expect to share their learning with a wide range of other professionals and researchers looking to develop their skills in a particular area. Field Project The Field Project consolidates and further develops the skills gained during taught modules by enabling students to apply them to their own research topic and undertake their own field work It consists of 1 month preparation time, 1-2 weeks full-time (or equivalent) field work and 1 month project writing for submission in September. Four one-hour online tutorials will be provided to help students design, develop and implement their projects. Course aims The course aims to equip students with the techniques to survey, measure, quantify, assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems in the field. It is essential for conservation practitioners and volunteers worldwide to make evidence-based decisions about a site or species. Equipping environmental conservation practitioners with the capacity to collect and analyse field survey data in order to understand, interpret and, therefore, make informed decisions in environmental conservation is critical to the future of ecosystems and ecosystem services in all biomes. In particular, the course aims to create a hybrid programme of experiential and online learning in environmental conservation practice for practitioners and volunteers worldwide, that will: Focus on the use of survey techniques for measuring, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity; Develop a critical understanding of how to analyse field survey data to answer particular research or management questions; Enable conservationists to make informed decisions on, and assess the status of, a species or habitat; Enable conservationists to evaluate which field techniques to use for measuring and monitoring the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity; Build capacity and communities of practice among environmental conservationists worldwide;  Prepare students to progress onto a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters programme. Assessment methods The course is modularly assessed reflecting the learning objectives of the course. Students are required to submit: One 2500 word formative (marked with feedback but no credit towards formal course results) assignment Four 2000 word assignments, up to two of which may be submitted as PowerPoint poster or slide presentation – Option Module dependent (10 CATS points each) One 5000 word field project and 1000 word online journal (20 CATS points) IT requirements As the course is delivered mostly online students will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification. Certain modules will also require an assessment produced in Microsoft PowerPoint. Face-to-Face Week Students are required to bring a personal laptop computer The free open source Geographical Information Systems software 'QGIS' (installation is simple and guidance will be given during the course). QGIS is used by many environmental scientists and employers, and further details are available at the QGIS website. Course Tutorials Typically conducted via Skype Students will require suitable hardware and Internet connection to take part Further IT Requirements Students are required to download and install R and QED Statistics in the Data Analysis course. (full instructions on how to download this software is available from the R website). Access to QED Statistics is provided as part of the course, this software is not compatible with Mac or Linux operating systems. Alternative software to QED Statistics is currently being researched; where possible, students are encouraged to use R in the Data Analysis course if they are using Mac or Linux systems. Students wishing to use QED Statistics on Mac or Linux systems are advised by the programme developer Pisces Conservation Ltd to consider Windows emulation software, such as Bootcamp, to run a Windows system on their machine. For further information and a full system specification please visit the Pisces Conservation Ltd website. Accommodation Please note that accommodation and catering are not included in the course fees. The Department offers a full residential and catering facility, with a range of both 3 and 4-star campus accommodation. 'Number 12', the Department's recently refurbished Victorian townhouse on Wellington Square, right next to Rewley House, offers superior en-suite bedrooms. How to apply Applications for this course should be made via the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website. This website includes further information about this course and a guide to applying. Early application for the programme is strongly advised. All applications must have been fully completed before the application deadline in order to be considered.  If you would like to discuss the programme please contact:Tel: +44 (0)1865 286960 Email: est@conted.ox.ac.uk Fees Annual fees for entry in 2023-24 Please visit the Graduate Admissions web page for fee information. Funding Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship Available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. View further details about The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship. Departmental bursaries for undergraduate and postgraduate study The bursaries are for UK-based students who receive benefits because they are on a low income, and are available for certain undergraduate or postgraduate courses. View further details about the departmental bursaries. Employer sponsorship Over 35% of students over the past few years have received significant contributions from a sponsoring employer toward all or part of their fees. Should further information be required from Oxford to support an application for funding from an employer, please contact the Programme Manager via email on est@conted.ox.ac.uk. Instalment plans The course offers instalment packages to help students manage the payment of their fees. Instalment plans are confirmed and approved by the Programme Manager on an individual basis once an unconditional offer has been accepted. Typically the course expects be able to offer plans of three and seven instalments starting in August, with the final payment received before the following Easter. Read more

Key information 1. The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship funds the full course fees and a study support grant for one student per annual cohort for the duration of their course. The scholarship is available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of demonstrated outstanding academic or professional merit and/or potential, and a candidate’s potential to contribute to the field in their home country. 2. The Scholarship is available for each academic year from 2022 to 2024. 3. One scholarship is available for the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques (PGCert) commencing in September 2023. It covers the course fees for the first three terms of registration (the PGCert is normally completed over one year) as well as a study support grant to contribute towards costs such as travel and accommodation for the face to face week in Oxford in September. 4. If the awardee suspends their studies for one or more terms, the Scholarship will not automatically be carried over—they should contact the Senior Course Administrator to request this. Eligibility 5. Applicants meeting the usual course entry requirements and who are either: a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria and ordinarily resident in Nigeria. 6. All eligible applicants (see point 5) who apply to the PGCert before 1 March 2023 will be automatically considered for the scholarship. Criteria 7. The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of outstanding academic and/or professional merit and/or potential, and taking account of demonstrable commitment and ability to contribute significantly to the fields of ecology and conservation in their home countries. Key criteria include: (a) Academic excellence, where indicators may include: a high-level qualification in a relevant discipline (such as a first-class honours degree, US GPA of 3.7, or equivalent, merit or distinction at postgraduate level) and individual marks on a student’s transcript. (b) Professional excellence: Evidence of a strong record of relevant professional achievement including extensive practical field experience in the areas of ecology and biodiversity. Indicators may include the candidate’s CV, personal statement, interview and professional references. (c) Motivation and potential future contribution to the field: Applications should demonstrate the potential to make an on-going professional contribution to ecology and conservation in Ghana or Nigeria either via applied ecology or conservation projects or via academic research and teaching. Assessment 8. A panel (comprising at least two suitable University staff) will assess candidates according to the criteria above, and may consider any written and/ or oral components of candidates’ PGCert applications. 9. The Panel may propose a ranked shortlist, whereby the Scholarship, if declined by the first candidate, will be offered to the next one, and so on. Offer and acceptance 10. The awardee is normally contacted in early May, and will be given a deadline to confirm their acceptance. 11. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified as soon as the awardee has accepted their offer. Further information 12. For any queries about the Scholarship, please email the course team at est@conted.ox.ac.uk Read more

Decolonization discourses have taken new turns since the second decade of the 21st century. Unfortunately, instead of accounting for decades of activism and scholarship on the decolonization of African knowledge systems, ideologies, and practices since the 1950s, the new decolonization agitation largely disregards previous incarnations. Decolonization has become a catch-all word for every legacy of colonialism that must be dismantled as new ones emerge. As it is, what needs to be decolonized has increased as new bodies of knowledge and the real consequences of imperial domination in the everyday life of Africans emerge and are transformed from their familiar state.   Moving beyond the simplistic definitions of decolonization, we ask for critical reflections on the historicity of actions, politics, and practices that have shaped how scholars, artists, and public commentators have been reflecting on the legacies of colonial domination. We ask for continuity and change in the history of decolonization. We seek contributions that engage with decolonization paradigms beyond the dichotomy of contemporary or postcolonial Africa and the colonial past to interrogate the new challenges of decolonization emanating from the struggle to decolonize within African institutions of power, including but not limited to universities. Should the decolonizer be decolonized? How is coloniality emerging within decolonization movements? What are the limits of decolonization, and who should set these parameters? How are movements and ideologies of decolonization introducing new paradigms that need to be decolonized?   This short conceptual note does not claim to fully espouse the contradictions in decolonization discourses and praxis of the 21st century. Nevertheless, we anticipate unpretentious and bold contributions that engage with decolonization both as a living reality of the past and the present and as a way of knowing. We ask for empirically grounded contributions that take conceptual and theoretical issues seriously. We anticipate contributions that are not afraid to problematize decolonization in any framework. We seek new ways of thinking about the decolonization of knowledges, ideologies, and practices in 21st-century Africa. Submission Rules Individual Submission: Individual proposals should include a 250-word abstract, a short bio, and the email and phone contacts of presenters. Please do not submit more than one abstract. Abstracts cannot have more than two presenters. You cannot present more than one paper, either solo or joint. Submit your abstract here: https://forms.gle/qziEGvJMV3eybGRCA   Group Submission: Panel, roundtable, and workshop proposals should comprise a 250-word summary, and the email and phone contacts of all panelists. Please email panel proposals to LSA at lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com Submission Deadline: December 1, 2022. Notification of acceptance of abstracts by January 15, 2023. Registration fees covers nine full meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) throughout the conference. Everyone listed on abstracts must pre-register by paying the registration fee after acceptance of abstract. For full information on fees please visit Lagosstudies.org.   If you have any questions about the conference, contact LSA at:   Email Address: lagosstudiesassociation@gmail.com    Website: Lagosstudies.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/205111409881162/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LagosStudies Read more

GUEST EDITORSAdam Calo, Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance and Politics, Radboud UniversityColine Perrin, Senior Researcher in Geography, INRAEKirsteen Shields, Senior Lecturer in International Law and Food Systems, University of EdinburghSylvia Kay, Researcher, The Transnational InstituteSarah Ruth Sippel, Professor of Economic Geography and Globalization Studies, University of Münster This Elementa special feature invites articles exploring the role of land in sustainable food transformations. The forthcoming collection provides new understandings on how governance of land (property relations, land access, land tenure, landscape policy) mediates the potential for food system transformations. The special issue goes beyond understanding dynamics of the land food nexus to ask how land relations can be reformed to create favorable conditions for more just and sustainable food systems to emerge. A complete call for proposals can be found here.   Land relations—property, access, tenure, landscape—are a central underlying driver of the material form of food systems, from farm to distribution. Despite their fluidity and historical and geographical diversity, land relations have a tendency to become “normalized” through law, custom, and practice. In particular, the exclusionary private ownership model of property has come to be deeply entrenched in legal systems worldwide, particularly in the Global North. The power of this normalization is evidenced, for example, in how research and practice aimed at reshaping food systems from grassroots movement, policy-level, or biophysical perspectives often omit the role of land relations in bringing about agricultural sustainability and agrarian change. Understanding land relations as “static” thus  potentially constrains or directs the kinds of sustainable agriculture and food transformations that can take place. We thus invite contributions on characterizing the role of land relations in sustainable food production, critiques of existing sustainability interventions in the food system from a perspective of land relations, and socio-legal analysis of pathways to reforming or reimagining synergized land and food system transformations. We aim to highlight the role of land relations and property regimes in a ‘Global North Context’. We call for insights on the power relations embedded in land in both the dominant land regimes that underly the industrial food system but also in the alternative counter movements bubbling up to contest the status quo of the land food nexus. Articles in this special symposium might examine the following topics or other related issues: The role of power relations in assembling land for food production of differing forms; Discourses that shape the legitimacy of strong property regimes and the resulting material influence in institutions, actors, social movements, resources, and technologies; Cross disciplinary learning from other domains such as housing justice, intellectual property debates, and antitrust applied to understand food system transformations; Global South—North food system co-learning on alternative land governance for food systems change; Empirical evidence of the relationship between alternative property regimes and  alternative food system practices such as agroecology, diversified or organic farming, local food processing, and/or food sovereignty; Dominant food system technocratic “solutions” or interventions (such as vertical farming, regenerative agriculture, agricultural easements, payments for ecosystem services, crop biotechnology, alt-proteins and sustainable intensification) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Dominant food system social “solutions” or interventions (such as farmer training programs, capacity building, empowerment campaigns, dietary nudging, microfinance) and the way they either entrench, challenge, rely upon, or overlook the role of property regimes; Politics of land reform in (seemingly) stable statutory institutions (such as liberal sovereign states in industrialized economies);  Creative imagined or practiced legal or social pathways to reform the norms of property on farmland or other nodes of the food system; Advancements on access theory with regards to food system transformations; The above themes relate to questions of how land politics influence food system transformation pathways. If you wish to submit a paper to the special issue, please submit a 500-word abstract detailing your article’s title, type, purpose, methodology, key findings, and significance to the guest editors at adam.calo@ru.nl by 14th January. Elementa accepts original research articles, reviews, policy bridges, commentary, and other creative multi-media formats such as interviews and podcasts. and discussion papers. All paper formats will be considered although original research articles are preferred. More information about submission criteria can be found here: https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/pages/submissionguidelines   Deadlines: Abstracts: 14th January 2023 Authors notified of invitation to submit a paper:  1st February 2023Complete first drafts due to editors: April 28th 2023 (Spring 2023)Reviews sent to authors: Summer 2023 Read more

Theme: Technology, Culture, and African Societies Date: March 31- April 2, 2023 Email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com   The 22nd Annual Africa Conference at the University of Texas at Austin calls for submissions of papers in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and other disciplines on the kaleidoscopic presence of technology and culture in African societies. The objective of this conference is to encourage conversations rooted in the histories of the African people, with the connection of science and technology to imagine alternate realities and a liberated African future. Culture is dynamic, and globalization has become an epoch for the constant reinvention of culture that transcends time and space. As globalization continues to spread, more people find themselves across spaces and borders, with their lives structured and oriented by connections to one or several other places. Africa’s rich history is multifaceted and complex, with multiple heritage that cut across centuries and regions. The distinctiveness of each culture is peculiar to their authentic traditional practices and identities, ranging from language to literature, music, visual art, and fashion. In present-day Africa, globalization paves the way for technology, which has aided the growth, adaptation, and transfer of African cultures worldwide. Artificial intelligence and the web are perhaps the most increasingly emerging technologies that are radically shifting normative paradigms in Africa today. The African continent requires new approaches that respond to the sociopolitical and economic needs of African societies. These approaches will define the future for the cultural, political, economic, and social spheres and on the national, regional, and international levels as they re-imagine a new future for Africa where humanity and technology meet. Accordingly, we invite proposals for papers, panel presentations, roundtables, and artistic works/performances that critically examine these and other related issues on African history, culture, and its intersection with technology. The conference will allow scholars from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. As in previous years, participants will be drawn from around the world. Graduate students are encouraged to attend and present papers. Submitted papers will be assigned to panels based on similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical focus, and selected papers will be published in a series of book volumes. We welcome submissions that include but are not limited to the following sub-themes and topics: Technology and African Historical Discourses Technology and African Literature Technology and the African Diaspora Cultural Dimensions in Africa and Technology Technology and Popular Culture Technology and Gender Constructions Technology and Environmental Security Culture, Urbanization, and Digital Urbanism Globalization, Technology, and Identity Formation Technology and Education Technology, Religions and Ritual Performance Technology and Performative Arts Visual Arts and Digital Culture Technology and Cinema Technology and African Fashion Technology and Health Sciences Cultural Practices, Indigenous Medicine, and Technology Technology and Linguistics Culture, Technology and New Media Technology and Postcolonial/ Postmodern Conditions Technology and Decoloniality Technology, Politics and Cultural Paradigms Festivals, Ceremonies and Technology Funeral Technology–Old and New Digital Economy for Africa’s Initiative Technology, Language, and Rhetoric Technology and Archival Studies Africa Trade and Technology Technology, Geography, and Natural resources Technology and Archaeology Anthropology and Africa’s Digital Revolution Social Mobility in the Digital Age Security Technology in Africa Technology and Peace and Conflict Resolution   Each proposal must include: Title of the work and an abstract of 200 words Name of the presenter (with the surname underlined) Mailing address Phone number Email Institutional affiliation Three to five keywords best characterize the themes and topics relevant to your submission.   Participants are expected to follow these guidelines.  ​Proposals for panels (3-5 presenters) must include: (1) the title of the panel and a collective summary of 250 words on the panel’s theme, including the title of each individual’s work (2) a 200-word abstract for each speaker’s presentation (3) mailing addresses (4) phone numbers  (5) email addresses (6) institutional affiliation of each presenter. ​ Proposals will be accepted on the official conference website (www.utafricaconference.com) and by email: toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu  (cc: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com) from mid-August to mid-December 2022. Participants who require a visa to enter the United States must submit abstracts and register early, as it may take six months to book visa appointments. A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $150 for scholars and $100 for graduate students must be paid immediately upon the acceptance of the abstract. This in-person conference fee includes a conference t-shirt and bag, admission to the panels, workshops, special events, and transportation to and from the hotel and conference events. Registration also includes breakfast for all three days, dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday, a banquet with DJ and an open bar on Saturday evening, and a closing celebration on Sunday.   All participants must have funds to attend the conference, including the registration fee, transportation, and accommodation. The conference and the University of Texas at Austin do not provide any form of sponsorship or financial support. However, the Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake will have a special rate for conference participants, and transportation between the hotel and the university is included.   ​ *Events are subject to change in accordance with CDC guidelines and global health and safety concerns. We are currently exploring a possible hybrid model for attendees who may not be able to attend physically due to US travel restrictions. All official updates will be posted on the conference website as soon as they are available.  ​ If you have questions, please contact the conference coordinators via the official email. All correspondence, including submission of abstracts, panel proposals, completed papers, and all kinds of inquiries, must go through the official conference email: austinafricaconference2023@gmail.com     CONFERENCE TEAM   Organizers: Olayombo Raji-Oyelade, olayombo.raji@utexas.edu Victor Angbah, vangbah@utexas.edu Convener: Toyin Falola, toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu Read more